The Day Jesus Cleaned House
Why did Jesus have to cleanse the temple? Why was He not content to just let things go on business as usual? In John 2, Jesus “cleans house” literally because those Jews had made the temple a “house of merchandise” (John 2:16). There were things, behaviors, and attitudes that didn’t belong in a house dedicated to the Lord. 1 Corinthians talks about the temple of the Lord being both the individual human body and the collective body of the church…
Mimicking a Viper
What looks like a Gaboon viper, sounds like a Gaboon viper, and acts like a Gaboon viper? A Gaboon viper, of course. Also, the Congolese giant toad. With its two-inch fangs, the Gaboon viper is one of the largest vipers in Africa. The Congolese giant toad can be found only in the same habitat as the Gaboon viper. With a body that resembles the head of the viper, in that it is the same color and size, the toad can…
The Importance of Knowledge
It has been suggested that the word “knowledge” is the keyword of II Peter. A quick reading of Peter’s letter shows why that may be true. In the New King James Version, the word appears five times in chapter 1, once in chapter 2, and is found in the final verse of chapter 3. You also find “know,” “knowing,” “known,” and “knows” a total of eight times. There is an essential connection between knowledge and true freedom. Jesus said, “And…
My Own Reflection in the Sacrifice
A number of years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to go to Washington DC. One of the most memorable monuments for me was the Vietnam Memorial Wall. In 1965, my cousin, Joseph Meek, was in Vietnam for only two months and 17 days before he was shot and killed. I found his name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. They have a booth there that hands out a pencil and a piece of paper so that one can…
Thoughts About Momentum
Momentum is interesting. If it’s there, it’s somewhat hard to stop, but if it’s not there, it’s somewhat hard to get going. We have had several wonderful, momentum building things this year that have been designed to gain momentum or to “get the ball rolling.” Of late and of note, we had an excellent success with Friends and Family Day as well as the neighborhood door-knocking event (including the putting together of packets). Now how do we keep the momentum…
Diligence and Neglect
The apostle Peter, in the early part of his second letter, gives emphasis to the importance of Christians being diligent in the development of spiritual qualities. How diligent did he want them to be? He urges, “…giving all diligence…” (II Pet. 1:5). Later, he adds, “…be even more diligent…” (II Pet. 1:12). Since Peter wanted these saints to be diligent, he also knew the need for him to be certain he did not neglect his duty to call their attention…
A Christian’s Power
Marvel and DC have provided quite a resurgence in superhero movies in the last few years. Superheroes are abundant in Hollywood because people feel powerless to withstand injustice or contribute to necessary change. Do you feel powerless as a Christian to influence an immoral and agnostic culture, or to produce a change in yourself? A Christian has the power to overcome. You may not be recognized as a superhero by others, but Christians have great power given to them. A Christian…
The Waiting Room
A few weeks ago I needed to go to the hospital to have a CT scan. I went to the front desk and checked in, then took a seat in the waiting area. There were maybe 10-15 people also waiting for their turn. As I sat there, I began to notice the people waiting. There were people from at least 4 or 5 different countries. Some of the people were elderly, some middle-aged, some were young, even a baby in…
The Gathering
The phenomenon is called “shikadamari“ in Japanese. A loose translation would be, “deer gathering spot.” A large population of free-roaming deer live in and around the Japanese city of Nara, spending most of their time in the city park. Every summer evening at around 6:30, over 600 deer gather in the same spot for the same amount of time. The deer quietly come together, sit down for about an hour, then stand back up and disperse to different parts of…