When the prophet Jonah disobediently boarded a boat to run away, “the Lord threw a great wind onto the sea, and such a great storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart... Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep” (Jonah 1:4–5). Remember that? God took the initiative by sending the storm. He wanted to wake Jonah up, to get his attention, to redirect his affections. Unlike Jonah, Jesus, who also

Forty-two years ago, Carla and I exchanged marriage vows. I said, “I do.” She said, “I do.” Presto! My life was forever changed. I got a wife... and a mother-in-law! I’m sure you’ve heard all the mother-in-law jokes, but ... no joke ... Fannie B. was the best. That’s right. Nobody ever called her Fannie... She made sure of that. It was always her first name and middle initial. Fannie B.! Carla is a great pastor’s wife because she learned from the best. (My daughters can say t

John records Jesus miraculously transforming ordinary water into extraordinary wine (John 2:1-10) while Matthew, Mark and Luke are silent concerning this memorable event. John, unlike the other three Gospel writers, tells about the resurrection of Lazarus from the grave (John 11:38-44). Luke is unique in his report concerning the raising of the dead son of Nain’s widow (Luke 7:11-15). Luke also reports that Jesus restored Malchus’s ear after Peter’s sword-play in the Garden o

He was much more than just a butler; he was the Persian king’s cupbearer. As Artaxerexes’ counselor, confidant and constant caregiver, he tasted the food and wine before it was served to his master. If anyone in Susa’s palace was going to be poisoned, it was sure to be Nehemiah. (I don’t want that job.) On an average, ordinary day, an unusual event occurred: Nehemiah’s brother returned from Judah and Jerusalem with much awaited news. “The remnant in the province, who survived

The Christian life is hard! Jesus warned us! “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). On the night that He was betrayed, our Lord declared, “Remember the word I spoke to

Elisha, like his predecessor and mentor, Elijah, was God’s prophet, sent primarily to the Northern Kingdom. While they were at war with Syria, God used Elisha to give the home-field-advantage to the northern ten tribes. “When the king of Aram (Syria) was waging war against Israel, he conferred with his servants, ‘My camp will be at such and such a place.’ But the man of God (Elisha) sent word to the king of Israel: ‘Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going

The Word of God is inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative. When we hold the Bible in our hands, we hold the miracle of God’s illuminating revelation of Himself and His instruction for Godly living. We mustn’t take it for granted. When Samuel was young, “the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread” (1 Samuel 3:1) but God graciously chose to reveal Himself and His Word. Like Isaac, Joseph, Sampson, and John the Baptist, Samuel was miraculo

I heard a song yesterday with a beautiful refrain. “There is no valley, there is no darkness; There is no sorrow greater than the grace of Jesus! There is no moment, there is no distance; There is no heartbreak, He can't take you through! So before you think that you're too lost to save, Remember, there is nothing greater than grace!” “Nothing is greater than grace!” For the last couple of weeks, we have been considering great men in the Bible and their momentous encounters w

Ezekiel was a Levitical priest who was apprehended from his home in Jerusalem and deported to live as an exile in Babylon. As the book of Ezekiel begins, the priest/prophet is sitting in stunned silence beside the Chebar Canal, probably an irrigation ditch fed by the Euphrates River. After living in a foreign country for twelve miserable years, Ezekiel received the devastating news that Jerusalem had been ransacked, the city walls demolished, and the temple destroyed (Ezekiel

“Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem... He did what was right in the Lord’s sight... During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:3–5). For more than half-a-century, the Southern Kingdom flourished under the reign of Uzziah. He is remembered for his strong military “of 307,500 equipped for combat, a powerful force to help the king against the enemy. Uzziah provided the entire army wi