Growth & Development

The God Hunt

Growth & Development, Relationship with God /

Have you ever been thinking or talking about someone when out of the blue they called you or you just happened to run into them? What about being anxious about some important event when unexpectedly everything just fell into place and/or someone came along to help at just the right time?

A number of years ago a popular concept and practice in Christian circles was the idea of going on a God Hunt. It was introduced through the ministry of David & Karen Mains who had a nationally known radio ministry called Chapel of the Air. The idea of a God Hunt was the challenge to daily look for evidence of God working in our lives. The premise being that God is always at work but we often miss it because our eyes are not open and we are not sensitive to recognize His activity in our lives.

The God Hunt Read More »

Gaining and sustaining God’s favor

1 Comment / Church History, Growth & Development, Relationship with God /

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us–yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17

One of the buzz words we often hear is sustainability. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. We hear it mentioned in talk about the use and abuse of the earth’s resources. And we hear it in the context of discussions about the pace of life both in the corporate world and in the lives of individuals.

A biblical word for sustainability is the favor of the Lord. When God’s favor or blessing rests on someone or something it is endued with the power not only to endure but to flourish even in the face of adversity. God’s favor upon an individual’s life is of inestimable worth and more to be desired than any measure of riches or success. God’s favor protects us, provides for us and prospers the work of our hands.
One of the remarkable modern day examples of God’s favor resting upon an individual and sustaining the work of his hands is the story of Billy Graham. Looking back over the 60 year history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association most insiders would agree that the secret to God’s favor dates back to what has come to be known as the Modesto Manifesto.

Gaining and sustaining God’s favor Read More »

3 monastic commitments we all must make

4 Comments / Church History, Growth & Development, News & Reflections, Relationships /

Yesterday, Susan and I along with several other members of the family made the trek from the Twin Cities up to Saint John’s Abbey located at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. We went there to attend the first vows monastic profession of my nephew, Michael-Leonard who has become a Benedictine Monk. I was deeply impressed that the commitments my nephew and three other young men made, are commitments every true follower of Jesus must make if we are to follow Christ whole-heartedly.
The abbot’s message centered on an explanation of the three commitments each of the novices were about to make: Obedience, Stability, and Conversion.

3 monastic commitments we all must make Read More »

Is salt on your content label?

4 Comments / Growth & Development, Relationships /

Recently I was sentenced by my doctor to 18 days without any salt in my diet. I discovered it was like working in a salt mine but not being able to have any salt. It was a blessing in disguise however, because it radically opened my eyes to what Jesus was talking about when He called His followers to be the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)

Salt is used primarily for two reasons — to add flavor and as a preservative. Every grocery store and restaurant would have difficulty surviving without it because it makes what they sell tasty –and even more importantly as a preservative it extends the shelf life of their products.

As never before, my diet helped me realize that as sodium extends the life of a perishable, how much more are we, as followers of Jesus, to be the salt of the world to extend the perishable lives of people into imperishable eternity. (1 Corinthians 15:53-54

Is salt on your content label? Read More »

2 times you should take Scripture out of context

5 Comments / Growth & Development /

You have probably heard the story about the man looking for direction from the Bible using what is called the close your eyes and point method. He holds his closed Bible in his hands, closes his eyes, quickly tumbles his Bible several times, then opens it with eyes still closed and points somewhere on the open page. Then believing this is a verse given him by God he opens his eyes and reads the scripture. Unfortunately the verse says “So Judas … went away and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5)

Taken aback by such a verse, the man quickly closes his eyes and repeats the process, looking for another scripture. When he opens his eyes this time to his chagrin, his finger is pointing on this verse. “Go thou and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37b)

One of the practices, often warned about in Christian circles, is taking scripture out of context. In other words, quoting and/or applying a scripture passage in a setting that has little or no connection to the original time and circumstance to which it refers.

But consider this. It took just days

2 times you should take Scripture out of context Read More »

Scroll to Top