When Sennacherib, King of Assyria, began conquering the world, he sent men to convince King Hezekiah to surrender. But rather than go to the palace, they went to the City Gate and shouted to the crowds—in Hebrew—knowing that before Hezekiah could offer a rebuttal, the seeds of fear and doubt would grow into full terror. Continue reading “ONE SCARY BIBLE STORY. 2 Kings 18:19-35; 2 Kings 19:35-36.”
Category Archives: God is the Hero of This Story
What Sort of a Tale We’ve Fallen Into. Amos 4:13 and 5:8-9.
In THE TWO TOWERS, Samwise Gamgee (whom Tolkien later admits is the true hero in his view) muses about the nature of storytelling with Frodo. Sam suggests that readers may know what sort of ending is coming, but they would never want the characters to know. Then he asks a great question: “I wonder whatContinue reading “What Sort of a Tale We’ve Fallen Into. Amos 4:13 and 5:8-9.”
God Comes Through.
When we are desperate, truly driven to the end, with no way out, God shows up. When Israel was outnumbered, King Jehoshaphat prayed a desperate prayer: “We do not know what to do, but we look to you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12. God responded through a prophet: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of thisContinue reading “God Comes Through.”
This is a Rescue!
John Eldredge compares the saving work of Jesus to the work of Tom Hanks and his cohort in the film SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Jesus is not the Fuller Brush man, knocking on a housewife’s door to sell her a new broom. He’s not the ice cream man, trolling the neighborhood, offering something sweet to anyoneContinue reading “This is a Rescue!”
Speak Grace.
God saw everything. Then He sent a prophet to condemn Mr. Sinner. Consequences followed: Mr. Sinner’s child became ill and died. Then a son of Mr. Sinner raped his half-sister who was the daughter of Mr. Sinner. Then another son killed the rapist brother. Mr. Sinner banished the avenging son. Later, Banished Son attacked Mr.Continue reading “Speak Grace.”
The Lifeguard.
My dad spoke often of the years he spent as a lifeguard at Ridgecrest in North Carolina. He remembered pulling some 75 people from the depths, most of them poor swimmers who had no business in the murky waters of a deep lake. Then one day I saw my father in action. When my brotherContinue reading “The Lifeguard.”
He’s a ‘Creative.’
It has become fashionable to describe people as “creatives,” converting the adjective to a noun. I’ve heard the trendy, slangy noun used to describe musicians, artists, marketers, even entrepreneurs. The Bible records the biography of an interesting “Creative.” He showed up at a party ready to stump the crowd with a riddle he had written. Continue reading “He’s a ‘Creative.’”
The Greatest Storyteller.
God is the greatest storyteller ever—and the hero of his own story. Consider the Birth of Israel. Incredible stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Pharaoh, and Moses. Then when the people finally reach the Promised Land, the first real battle is with Jericho. Jericho was protected by a huge wall but Rahab said her peopleContinue reading “The Greatest Storyteller.”
Household Words: 