Have you ever been asked to do the unreasonable? In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan requested his armor bearer to go into battle with him against the Philistines. On the surface, it isn’t unusual for a wartime superior to ask a soldier for support in war. However, they were going by themselves; and 1 Samuel 13:22 clearly says that the only ones in the nation who were armed were Jonathan and his father Saul. Yet, his armor bearer responded in 1 Samuel 14:7 saying, “Do all that is in your heart; extend yourself, and know that ….

Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. Esther 2:17-18 The chief eunuchs were not surprised; they knew young Esther was destined to be queen from the first moment they ….

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA. Too often we get so focused on what we are NOT, that we forget what God says we are. Consider Old Testament writer, Amos who wrote: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” (Amos 7:14,15) We know him as the Prophet Amos, but he says he was not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet. ….

Sitting at the airport in Singapore en route home. After Sydney we flew to Melbourne and had a lovely time with Pastor Kevin Conner and his wife Reene. Now 86 years old, Pastor Kevin is a good friend of our ministry and has been a mentor of sorts to many of us through his teaching and writing. Over dinner I was reminded of the many times this humble man of God has impacted my life and of many others. Once we asked him for his greatest tip for successful living. His reply was one word: ….

Since one of the stated goals of modern society is the erasure of gender identity, it comes as no surprise that with Mother’s Day approaching, some on the fringes are crying sexism. Normally the fringes don’t bother me all that much. Crazy’s been around for a long time, and that’s not likely to change. But our culture has apparently installed an HOV lane from crazy straight into the downtown district of normal, because normal is changing at a rapid pace. So, here’s a brief theology of the glorious gift of mom. It seems to me ….