Having served in the army during the Vietnam era, each time I see that poignant image of Vietnamese children screaming in panic as they flee from a napalm attack, it transports me back to my own experience in a very visceral way. I feel their anguish and their pain. A few years ago, when I saw a photograph of a little boy named Aylan, killed trying to escape the mayhem that tore apart Syria and looking so similar to my own grandson of the same age, again, I felt that same sense of loss and … [Read more...] about Being Tenderhearted
Salvation
Conversion Is a Process
Can reading just one scripture save your neck? It sounds outlandish, but King Henry II of England, crowned in 1154, issued a decree that ultimately allowed certain English prisoners to do just that. King Henry issued a law that stated, “A person subject to the death penalty could appeal for the benefit of clergy.” A minister or cleric assigned to the prison would then be called in to stipulate a passage of the Bible that the prisoner would have to read aloud. The accepted passage came to be … [Read more...] about Conversion Is a Process
Are You Anchored?
Years ago, I worked as a Project Assistant for the Arizona Game and Fish Department on a trout habitat below Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. We arrived by boat near the diversion tunnels at the base of the dam, and as he jumped out, my boss wrapped the rope around a large rock. After working a while, I went back for supplies. Climbing over a rock outcropping, I panicked! The rope had come loose, and the current was rapidly pulling the boat downstream. I took a gigantic leap for it. … [Read more...] about Are You Anchored?
Anticipating the Feast of Trumpets
How do we know that the Feast of Trumpets is related to Christ’s second coming? In ancient Israel, a trumpet or shofar was blown for a variety of reasons, to call an assembly for a festival or to gather the people together in the presence of the Lord. When God descended onto Mount Sinai and gave Israel the law, trumpets were blown to announce the arrival of God’s presence. Trumpets were also sounded in alarm and to call troops to battle, at the coronation of a king, and to declare the Jubilee … [Read more...] about Anticipating the Feast of Trumpets
A Coin of Hope
In 2018, 70.8 million people were displaced by conflicts and violence worldwide, according to the UN Refugee Agency, up from a record 38 million in 2014. Despair has driven many to risk dangerous and life-threatening journeys just to find some type of relief. This is Satan’s world, and he is the author of confusion, depression, and negativity. But our Creator, the One True God, is positive! Depression is like a two-sided coin, so let’s flip it over and look at the other side, the coin of … [Read more...] about A Coin of Hope
God’s Goyim
There are numerous words that we use in our daily vocabulary that have changed meaning over the years. Have we allowed ourselves to appropriate a meaning to the word “Gentile” that was not intended? In Galatians, the second chapter we see Paul giving the account of Peter’s example as a Jew when he separated himself from the Gentiles fearing what other Jews would think. The Jews regarded Gentiles as inferior. Easton’s Bible Dictionary states the definition of "Gentile" as (Hebrew, usually in … [Read more...] about God’s Goyim
Expressions of Tribalism
It is difficult to escape the feeling that our world is becoming more divided by the day. For example, we are hearing more about political identity. While it has been quite customary to identify with some political party in terms of general policy, the term has now developed a sharper edge. Amy Chua writing in The Guardian newspaper notes: “When groups feel threatened, they retreat into tribalism. When groups feel mistreated and disrespected, they close ranks and become more insular, more … [Read more...] about Expressions of Tribalism