I love the movie Kung Fu Panda. It’s hilarious. It’s also well-written. In Kung-Fu Panda, the key to victory over the great enemy is the mysterious Scroll of Destiny. No one knows what’s it, just that it holds the great secret of victory. And, it’s...
One of the Bible’s strongest commands is no idolatry. It’s common for this command to strike modern readers as odd, and there are several reasons for that. The main reason is that we don’t “make idols” the way the ancient world does. But do we? We...
Are you tossed about by every wind and fad that comes along? Is your peace and contentment easily stolen away? If it is, you’re putting your faith in the wrong things. At the start of Daniel 3, we find an interesting situation. Daniel goes from...
Psalm 42:7 says, “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.” What in the world does “deep calls to deep” mean? It means one overwhelming problem after another. The...
Have you ever noticed that in the story of Noah’s ark God doesn’t just destroy everything and start all over; rather, He preserves a human family and animals from the judgment to be carried forward into the new creation. Through this, God is...
In the opening chapters of Amos, the prophet (who was a shepherd), proclaims oracles against the nations. In those oracles, the charge against each nation is that they have been inhumane to their enemies and neighbors. They are charged with failing...
“I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” — John 1:31 When the disciples on the road to Emmaus sat down to eat with the risen Jesus, something happened. They had...
Everything God commands is for our good. But what about giving God our firstfruits? How is that for our good? Some argue that God never commands us to give to the church. That claim simply doesn’t hold up. The Old Testament is filled with commands...
In the Old Testament, God commanded his people to give back to him their “firstfruits.” This practice was more than an agricultural ritual—it was a spiritual discipline. By bringing the very first portion of their harvest to the Lord, the people...
A few people recently have asked me how to properly pronounce Jesus’ name. Sensing that there was something deeper behind the question, I inquired. In all instances, folks are hearing that “Jesus” is the wrong pronunciation of the...