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Stop the world, it's spinning too fast!

I was visiting with my dad this morning, who will turn 82 in about six weeks, and our conversation veered down memory lane (that’s not uncommon when we talk). He reminisced about the first TV that came to their neighborhood. He couldn’t remember the year, but said he wasn’t in school yet, so maybe he was four or five. The golden age of television began in the 50s when TV ownership in the US went from only 9% of households in 1951 to around half in 1955. If Dad was five when his neighbor first plugged in his TV, then the year would have been 1948. That early adopter invited the neighborhood over to experience this new technology. Twenty people, including my dad, gathered in a small living room and were instantly transfixed by this box with a 10-inch screen (according to dad) emitting sound and moving images received from a broadcast signal. Revolutionary! It would be three more years before my dad’s parents would purchase their own TV, but societal change had begun. My conversation wi...
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Truth has stumbled

  14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15 Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. Isaiah 59:14-15   Why has justice turned back? Why does righteousness stand far away? Because “truth has stumbled in the public squares.” That phrase so fittingly describes a large part of our culture today. A few years ago, I was getting a physical for a life insurance policy and the nurse asked me if I was pregnant. She clarified that it was a question she was required to ask. Required because now we are supposed to believe that men can get pregnant.   I don’t intend to plunge fully into the issue of transgenderism, but I mention the incident to illustrate my point. Truth has stumbled in the public squares. The distinction between men and women had been understood and accepted for th...
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Three Bible passages I'm praying for President-elect Trump

          In a political shocker to many, the 45 th president of the United States was elected as the 47 th president of the United States this past Tuesday. The only other president to be re-elected after losing a re-election bid was Grover Cleveland who was elected to a second term in 1892 after losing his re-election bid in 1888. The response to Trump’s election brought celebrations from some and tears from others, but whether it was Donald Trump or Kamala Harris elected, God has the same command for His people—pray. In light of that command, I invite you to join me in praying for President-elect Trump and continue to pray for President Biden as he finishes his term. However, specifically for President-elect Trump, I came across three passages that I’ll be using to guide my prayers. Psalm 119:66, 67 66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.   ...
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Katie Ledecky and James 1:2

 What could James have been talking about when he wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” (James 1:2). Was James serious? Did he mean for us to actually rejoice when we experience trials? Our natural bent is to run from trials or get through them as quickly as possible. Certainly, we don’t feel like rejoicing. When we experience a financial setback, physical illness, or emotional trauma, we pray that God will take away the problem and get us out of the trial ASAP. We certainly see no reason to “count it all joy.” Last night at the Paris Olympics Katie Ledecky won the 1500-meter freestyle in dominating fashion. The second-place finisher was over ten seconds behind her. She set a new Olympic record (beating her own Olympic record) with a time of 15:30.02. She now has the 20 fastest times in the history of the women’s 1500-meter freestyle race. She is unbeaten in the 1500-meter and 800-meter at the World Championships and Olympics. She has won ...
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Perhaps the most quoted out of context verse in the Bible

Now I can’t say for sure that this verse is the verse MOST quoted out of context, but I feel confident it would land in the top five at least. You will hear it used in the field of sports or inspirational talks around the world. It’s Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Steph Curry writes that verse on his shoes before a game. It’s become his ‘mantra’ according to an interview he had with ESPN’s Nick DePaula. "It's a mantra that I live by and something that drives me every single day," Curry said. "It'll hopefully inspire people to find something that drives them, whether that's a verse or some other motivating force that keeps you hungry and keeps you driven." Tim Tebow would often have Phil. 4:13 written on his eye black for football games. You can find plenty of T-shirts with the verse emblazoned on the front or back. You find this in the fitness world particularly. If you want to reach that new PR in your bench...
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Trial Training

Principles found in the natural world often correlate to the spiritual world. Jesus revealed this through parables like the parable of the sower, the tares and wheat, and his reference to the leaven of the Pharisees. Principles in the natural world often have parallel spiritual realities. This applies in the area of strength training. How we develop and build strength physically parallels how we grow spiritually stronger. Knowing this helps us understand James 1:2-4 a little better. The wording of that passage can be troubling. We read, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds .” That sounds a little out there at first. How could we legitimately “count it all joy” when confronted with trials, some of them horrific. We’re tempted to chalk up James’ use of ‘joy’ to hyperbole and say that he didn’t literally mean to find joy. Maye he just meant we shouldn’t let trials get us down too much. However, I don’t believe we need to go there, nor should we. When...
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Quit Hitting Your Donkey!

 If you are literally hitting a donkey, then please stop now! But I’m quite confident that most people reading this blog don’t own a donkey, and you are wondering why you have even read this far. But please read on. You might not own a literal donkey, but by the end of this blog, you may discover you not only have a donkey, but you have yelled at, kicked, and been quite angry with it. With that in mind, let’s look at Balaam and his talking donkey. Now a talking donkey might evoke images from Shrek for many, but thousands of years before Eddie Murphy put words in a donkey’s mouth, God did in the story of Balaam. You can find the story in Numbers chapters 22-24. The story begins with messengers from a pagan king going to Balaam and asking him to curse the Israelites for a fee. Balaam puts the messengers up for the night and inquires of God about their offer. God clearly informs Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” God’s instr...
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