The Good Wife He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. ––Proverbs 18:22 Some of the funniest passages in the Bible are in Proverbs, and many reflect Solomon’s woes with his many wives and concubines. Let’s not forget that Moses was very clear about polygamy: Don’t […]
Drunk Uncles If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that “every matter may be established by the testimony of two or […]
Don’t Build Gallows Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine […]
Embrace the Awkward Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves … ––Philippians 2:3 We all know a few guys who don’t quite fit in. They don’t get the social cues, or say the wrong thing at the wrong time, or don’t know how to dress […]
Right-side Up I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. ––Psalm 40:1-2 Picture yourself in the desert, walking along a sandy gully. […]
Upside Down And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ––Matthew 11:12, NKJV Jesus’ three years of public ministry challenged not only sociopolitical and cultural paradigms, but also some of the teachings in the Old Testament: adultery could be […]
Into the Sea All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. ––Ecclesiastes 1:7 It’s strange to live someplace that was once hundreds of feet under water. But like much of the western US, that was the case in […]
Battle But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.––1 John 4:4, NLT So, every day we battle. No one needs to remind us of this. Sometimes the […]
Swedish Death Cleaning What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ––James 4:14-15 There’s a streaming show my wife and I watch called Swedish Death Cleaning. The […]
Versions If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant […]
