Walking with Jesus

. Last night, I kept rehearsing the phrase, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” So, I’ve been thinking about this in terms of the battle between good and evil we face everyday. This phrase can be encouraging when you’re faced with the evil of the abortion industry (Exodus 21:22-24 prescribes the death penalty for causing the death of an unborn child), the refusal of the Congress to recognize its King (Isaiah 9:6-7), or the exploitation of the poor through the Lottery (Proverb 22:22-23). But, it’s even more encouraging when you personalize the battle between good and evil by considering the apparent struggle between God and satan. So, here’s the reality. We tend to think of the struggle between God and satan as a pretty even match. We see them squaring off like sumo wrestlers, the old pro versus the upstart challenger. But, this idea is fairly ridiculous. Just consider the proportions: God (bigger than all the known and u

One of the men whom the Lord has used to minister to me over the years is John Eldredge . He is a minister to men and the author of such books as Wild at Heart, Waking the Dead, and The Sacred Romance. He is also one of the people Olivia asked to write me as a prepared and ran my marathon last November. So, it was a great surprise for me when Olivia told me we would be attending the Love and War marriage conference John and his wife Stasi brought to Abilene last night. It was so much fun. We sat up front, saw dozens of friends, and got to meet John. I thanked him for his note of encouragement, and he wrote a comment about meeting us “live” in the book God provided for us through some friends. If the Eldredge’s are coming near you with this tour, I’d definitely suggest going. It was an evening full of fun, truth, and worship. I’ve been thinking about the things they shared through the night, and I’m excited to read the book .

. We bought new Bibles the other day, and I'm excited about it. After reading completely through the Bibile together for the first time last year, we felt some dissatisfaction with variant readings and omitted verses. So, after several days of prayer and research, we've landed in the New King James Version. We'll try it this time and pray for the best. NASB came in second, I think. Whatever version of the Bible you read, I hope you've chosen it prayerfully, and with some study into the background and driving principles of the translation. Is the goal readability, accuracy, and interpretation? Does it reflect the most manuscpit evidence or simply the oldest? (Personally, I don't believe oldest = most reliable.) And, if you're married, I suggest reading the Bible together. Olivia and I have both read dozens of books on marriage and family, but the strength in our marriage has come more from reading the Bible together than anything else. We have a simple readi

. Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees, takes off his shoes, the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries. -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning   (This quote was shared with me by a friend)

. One of the problems people have with the Bible is the perceived difference between the vision we have of God in the Old Testament and the vision we have of God in the New Testament. Notice, I say “perceived”. God is actually the same in both. We generally think of the God of the Old Testament as a God of wrath and the God of the New Testament as a God of mercy. But, is this accurate? One could look at the book of Judges and say that the God of the Old Testament is very merciful because He gave the Israelites chance after chance after chance. Likewise, one could look at the message of the Gospels and say that the God of the New Testament is very strict because he proclaims only one way to Heaven. If you miss Jesus, you’re out. So, if God is the same across the Bible, how do we answer the issue of the conquest of Canaan? God is often criticized (do we really feel like we can do this!?) for his command to completely destroy the Amorite, Hittites, Jebusites, etc. But, is this fair?

. I don’t like it when someone tries to trick me. Sometimes it’s a harmless prank or joke, an opportunity for someone else to explore the depths of my sense of humor and for me to practice my patience and self-control. Sometimes it is more serious, even devious, and no joking matter at all. In those cases, I get upset, I even get angry, and I want justice for the wrong I see. For example, two weeks ago I had a man lie to my face while stealing from the grocery store I work for. He stood right in front of my face and talked to me while buying cigarettes and beer with stolen checks. And again, when I used all my savings to buy a car I wouldn’t have to make payments on because I wanted to honor God with my finances instead of going into debt. I trusted the previous owner, made the necessary repairs, and lost $3500.00 in two weeks. Perhaps in your own lives you have experienced the wrongness of being lied to, taken advantage of, conned, or cheated? An unfaithful spouse? A promised