Forrest Gump would likely summarize James 2:14-26 by saying, “Faith is as faith does.” And one Old Testament woman gives us a beautiful picture of that kind of living, doing faith.
She’s referred to as only “the Shunammite” in reference to her home in Shunem, whose people lived in the light of Israel’s God while simultaneously in the shadow of Baal worship. (more…)
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, (more…)
Widows in ancient Israel faced lives of hardship and dependence. Without husbands, they became vulnerable to poverty, isolation and oppression. Their options were slim: Remarry or depend upon other family members and gifts from temple tithes.
Their precarious situation made them morally vulnerable as well, prone to yielding to passions that would lead them astray spiritually.
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, (more…)
I often think of the Lord as the ultimate recycler. He wastes nothing—not our heartache, our choices or our years of wandering. He transforms broken people, relationships and situations into something new. And He takes what was meant for evil and uses it for good.
Joanna’s story is proof.
It begins with her being under enemy influence while living large on enemy support. (more…)
Most of us know the story of Mary and Martha, the one in which Martha got it wrong while her sister got it right.
But the sisters’ story is more nuanced than it appears. It begins with hospitality.
As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She (more…)
God killed Jesus. That’s what some people who stand in opposition to the gospel are saying. According to their teaching, this makes God a cosmic child abuser not worthy of their worship, assuming He is real.
But there are two serious flaws with their reasoning.
First, Jesus is God. He always has been, and He always will be.
In the beginning was the Word, (more…)