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Thank God for What Was

     The first nine chapters of First Chronicles lists several generations beginning with Adam and concluding in the early sixth century B.C. Genealogies can be boring unless the genealogy happens to list your family. The more personal a document is, the more interesting it becomes. Read more…


Hear Our Prayer

     Why are some prayers answered while others are not? This is a question I hear all too frequently. The question is somewhat misleading. The Scriptures claim that God responds to every prayer. The problem is that God’s answer isn’t always in keeping with our greatest hopes.


Learn from the Mistakes of Others

     Elijah was the kind of person who easily got under the skin of those in power. The king of Israel was no exception. Ahaziah dispatched a platoon of soldiers to arrest Elijah as an act of vengeance. Elijah was discovered sitting alone atop a hillside. Elijah was outmanned by a ratio of fifty to one. This doesn’t imply that Elijah was outgunned. Elijah held the high ground, which in military stratagem offers a peak advantage. (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.)


Tart Words Do Not Make a Leader

     Were I to write a book about leadership, I would start with David’s actions in Second Samuel, Chapter Three. Following a seven and a-half year battle between the households of David and Saul for the hearts of Israel, an inflection point was reached. Abner, the commanding general of Saul’s army was murdered in a duplicitous plot. Many speculated that David played some tacit role in the plan.


To My Good Friend!

     The great sage of the past century once expressed a desire: “If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day, so I never have to live without you.” Winnie the Pooh’s sentiment conveys the kind of love that existed between David and his friend, Jonathan. The prevailing wisdom is that friendships come and go. Distance, expectations, and new friends are factors that can change the dynamics of a relationship.


Walk Like Jesus

     The opening chapters of First Samuel provide great insight into the human condition. After settling into the land God had promised them, the people of Israel found themselves under continual attack from their enemies. Foremost among these opponents were the Amorites. The Amorites had inflicted great injury, especially to those who lived east of the Jordan River.