The apostle Peter followed Jesus around Israel for three years. He walked with him, learned from him, and witnessed mind-blowing miracles by which Jesus declared himself to be the rescuing King God had promised. Each miracle—opening the eyes of the blind, making a paralyzed man walk, feeding thousands of people by multiplying a few loaves of bread—were glimpses of the kind of kingdom Jesus would establish for his followers. A kingdom of wholeness, abundance, and holiness. And that was exactly … [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...]
An Easter Ballad for the Day In Between
I can trace my love of imaginative, biblical narrative round and round the grooves of an LP 33 speed record album. Maybe you don’t remember, but a record album (pronounced reh-kerd al-buh-m) was in popular use shortly after the invention of the wheel and hieroglyphics--or so it seems. In the late 70s my parents bought an advanced piece of music technology. A stereo. This miracle of musical machinery was ensconced behind glass doors to reiterate the fact that all the blinking knobs and … [Read more...]
No One Dared Ask Him
{This work of fiction is based on the framework of John 21:10-14. Previously, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3} It was just a few moments before the hull of the boat sliced into the shore. “Bring some of the fish you just caught,” Jesus hollered. Peter swallowed the bread, jogged to the boat and climbed on board to help drag the bulging net out of the water. The seven of them heaved fish, nets, ropes, and baskets up the shore to begin untangling fins and sorting by kind and … [Read more...]
Welcomed With Forgiveness
{This work of fiction is based on the framework of John 21:8-9. Previously Part 1, Part 2} Water rushed into his ears, and muted the night sounds. The quiet underwater allowed the screaming questions and the agonizing apology to echo. When Peter broke the surface, he saw Jesus bending over the fire. He swam until he could stand and thrashed through the water to the shore. The unmistakable scar on the hand that stirred the coals and turned the roasting fish confirmed it. It is the … [Read more...]
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