[‘Going south’ is an idiom that generally alludes to directional maps, on which south is down. Thus, south means lower in value, or going into a bad or worsened situation.] I is not surprising that the great heroes of faith are also portrayed as great sinners. Such heroes were but sinner-saints with great weaknesses and… When Things Go South Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT 1967 saw the release of the WWII movie The Dirty Dozen. A rather recalcitrant U.S. army major (Lee Marvin) was given the task of recruiting, training, and leading twelve men on a suicide mission behind enemy lines. The dirty dozen were all convicted felons, slated for execution. But if the… The Dirty Dozens Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT It is not unusual for people to be called “the great.” More often than not, however, such are political and military leaders. Catherine the Great, Alexander the Great, and Frederick the Great come to mind. Religious leaders not so much, although some have dared to call Pope Gregory “the Great.”… Moses The Great Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Although I saw some as a kid, I never wished upon a shooting star. Probably because I never saw the movie Pinocchio and heard the song therein. Neither did my parents ever talk about the old myth of so wishing. If anything, we talked about how King Solomon was given… Elisha’s First Request and Last Miracle Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Most people seem fascinated by contests, whether they be athletic games, car races, or spelling bees. TV programming has brought us fight-to-the-death encounters between mongooses and cobras, alligators and Burmese pythons. They once even showed a fight between a bear and bull. The poor bull didn’t last long. Holy Scripture… Elisha’s Bears vs. Judah’s Lion Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT In my younger days I worked for the US Soil Conservation Service. One of my tasks was to check on the stands of perennial grasses in recently planted fields that were part of the Conservation Reserve Program. Since one tract consisted of about eleven square miles, I used a three-wheeler… Counterintuitive Healing Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Big events have big results. Generally, the bigger the event, the wider its consequences. The bombing of Dresden destroyed that city, impacted Germany, and perhaps intimidated the Soviet Union. But the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima changed our world. So also the Genesis Flood had world-wide results. All air-breathing… Only One Ship, Only One Door Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT “Bam! Let’s kick it up a notch!” So Emeril Lagasse would fairly shout, to the hearty roar of the audience on his TV cooking show. And then the famous chef would add some more spice, hot sauce, or some other ingredient to his culinary creation. Bam! Another dish fit for… Poison in The Soup Read More

The inspired psalmist wrote that “the heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1) From Genesis 1 we know that God created two great heavenly lights, as well as other lights to “be for signs and seasons, for days and years.” (Genesis 1:14) Good reason then for us to consider the moons, even as the… Heavenly Moon Signs Read More

Circuit-riding should not be totally unknown to us. Modern competition cowboys ride circuits as well as horses and bulls. Judges in the sparsely populated Old West traveled their circuits of responsibility. And so did some pastors in earlier days, when congregations or preaching stations outnumbered them. One story passed down by my uncle had to… Preparing A Chamber Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT When I was attending grade school, some of the biggest infractions were chewing gum in class, throwing chalk, and running in the hallways. When caught, most kids were quick to proclaim their innocence. Who, me? was uttered with a feigned look of surprise. One boy was so good at this… The “Who, Me?” Syndrome Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Anyone familiar with the DIY Network has heard of Chip and Joanna Gaines. They are the married couple from Waco, Texas who find and “fix up” older houses for clients. The process includes demolition, “demo day”—loved by Chip—followed by renovation and refurnishing. A common response by many of the delighted… A Fixer-Upper Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT “Going all in” is a phrase commonly used by poker players. With a short stack of chips, the player bets them all in a somewhat desperate attempt to win the pot. In other words, he commits everything to stay in the game. The Old Testament Hebrews lived in a time… Going Awl In Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT King Saul, along with three thousand men, was again on the hunt. Out of jealousy, the king was pursuing a most elusive prey: David, the king-elect. Time and time again the outlaw king had eluded Saul with superior tactics and speed. But now David and his men were cornered in… Skirting the Issue Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT There was an old Lay’s commercial that challenged, “Bet you can’t eat just one.” The implied message was that their potato chips were so good that eating just one was impossible. You had to have more. Apart from potato chips, David understood the wisdom that one is not enough. We… One Is Not Enough Read More

Forged In Fire is the name of a current TV show. Several bladesmiths are given various hunks of steel, and each one is asked to forge and create a knife of his own design. Their blades are then tested for sharpness, strength, and durability, by which tests the field is narrowed to two finalists, who… Forged In Fire Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Any Sunday School student worth his salt knows of the three men in the fiery furnace. They might even remember their names — Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego—and that these three men had refused to worship a huge golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Daniel 3). Reported by… The Man In the Fire Read More

With Christmas just past, we are reminded that the event of the birth of God’s Son was surrounded by prayers and songs—especially songs of praise. The choir of holy angels over a Bethlehem field was preceded by Mary’s Magnificat and Zacharias’s Benedictus, and followed by Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis. All thanked and glorified God for filling… An Old Testament Christmas Read More

“Politics is the art of compromise.” Thus politicians and pundits advise that the way things get done is through compromise. No one gets everything they want, but both sides get something. Compromise is necessary and good for the country, it is said. Perhaps, but not always. The founding fathers compromised on the issue of slavery… The Great Uncompromiser Read More

Many people follow the Academy Awards show to see which nominees did the best at playing their respective roles. The winners are much applauded for their craft and professionalism. But at the end of the evening, what they gave us was just a movie, a work of fiction. There once lived in Israel a wise… A Glory-Winning Performance Read More