What became of the wise men who worshipped Jesus? After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their country by another route, and disappeared from the record of Scripture. As I studied and pondered their culture, their preparation for the journey, and the certainty about Messiah that drove them more than 600 miles, one question shone like a star: "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2) I wondered if that question lingered in the … [Read more...]
What does Thanksgiving have do with the Temptation of Christ?
What does Thanksgiving have to do with the Temptation of Christ? Well, maybe not much at first glance, but I keep thinking about it after the story I wrote for you last week. When Jesus was vulnerable, alone, hungry, and tired, he fell back on his Father's true words and wielded them against the devil's deceptive suggestions. For Jesus, the way out of temptation and accusation was to quote God's word to talk back to the devil. I, on the other hand, am prone to entertain the devil's … [Read more...]
What happens in Heaven when God restrains angels?
Have you ever been reading your Bible and stopped to think, "Woah. I wonder what that was like." As part of our fall Bible study, I'd been reading about the Temptation of Christ in the desert. I had that ho-hum feeling I sometimes get that makes me say, "Oh, yeah. I know this one. Three temptations, three scriptural refutations. Check!" You can roll your eyes at me if you want. I'm rolling my eyes at myself. Thankfully, my study questions slowed me down, and as I was reading, the scene … [Read more...]
Who is Holding on to You?
Who is holding on to you? On June 9, 2009, we experienced the fishing trip that would ruin all future family fishing trips. Our boys were getting interested in fishing, but I didn't particularly care for worms, hooks, or the stench in the laundry after we'd manhandled all manner of smelly creatures. But on this June evening, Kurt was there to handle the slimy things, and he'd received a top-secret fishing tip about where the fish were biting. It was a good tip. Kurt rigged up poles for … [Read more...]
Of Remarkable Hope and Beacons of Fire
Our guest today is Heidi Viars, writer, photographer, wife, mother, and follower of Jesus. Originally from Germany, she now lives in Wisconsin where she writes on her blog about her rescuing Savior and posts photos of the beauty he's created. When I saw the cover of the German version of Remarkable Hope, I contacted Heidi to ask her to translate. There was a campfire drawing on the cover, and I was a little confused. But as soon as Heidi translated the title for me, I understood. And you … [Read more...]
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