Easter. I won’t fully wrap my head around its message until I get to heaven. For now, I remain in awe of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice. But many people played a role in Easter’s message, including Nicodemus—who’s mentioned only in the Gospel of John….
Blog
Grab your favorite brew and visit a few minutes with Encouragement from Living History. That sums up my blog: thoughts grounded in the Bible, sprinkled with interesting tidbits from history, all applied to life today. Readers say, “I learn something new every time I read your blog.” Here’s an open invitation to sit a few minutes now and come back often to share your thoughts.
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When Angry Feels Good
Admit it. Sometimes being angry feels good….
Do We Ever Move Beyond Being a Child in Our Walk with God?
From Deuteronomy through the Epistles, scores of Bible verses describe believers as being a child of God. In John 13:33, Jesus called his followers “little children.” It’s more than a term of endearment, and it doesn’t allude to being young in the faith. The phrase “little children” links our life to our position in Christ and what it enables us to do….
Who Is Your Boss?
In four weeks, I will have been in business for myself for eighteen years. That’s a huge milestone! I haven’t held any other job that long….
When God’s Greatness Speaks from the Stars
The science geek in me marvels at God’s sense of humor in creating the universe and letting us in on a few of its secrets. For example, scientists have amassed tomes of information about the moon, yet they can’t figure out what time it is on the moon. On the other hand, astronomers just released a composite of Dark Energy Camera images, revealing a stunning 360-degree panorama of the Milky Way bursting with more than 3.3 billion celestial objects. The feat is equivalent to taking a photo of 3 billion people and being able to identify each individual….
Roman Roads are Made to Last—And so are You
In the process of writing biblical fiction, my research can lead me to fascinating facts, like how first-century Romans built a network of 250,000 miles of roads across three continents. But that’s just trivia until you consider why those roads still endure today….
When the Wise Men Said, “What Next?”
Despite the Bible’s scanty details about the Wise Men, their story is extraordinary. They found some Hebrew holy writings and interpreted them to mean exactly what God said. They believed something completely counter to their culture and religion. They risked their reputations and more to find Jesus. God’s glory in the form of a star started their journey—and reappeared during the last few miles of the trek to guide the Wise Men to Jesus and His family. They worshipped the child-king, God Incarnate. Then dodged powerful enemies they’d made along the way. Details about the Wise Men end when an angel warns them in a dream to return home by a different route….
And His Name Shall Be Called …
Does a certain Bible passage excite you more than any other? For me, it’s this:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, ASV)…
The Day I Wanted to Toss my Bible
I’ve been a Christian since high school. One of the people who helped lead me to Christ turned against God a few years later and told me to flush my Bible down the toilet. By then I was an impressionable college freshman. So maybe you’re thinking this blog is about one of my early experiences as a “baby Christian.” It’s not….
Sipping, Drinking, or Drowning in God’s Word
Have you felt “compassion fatigue” lately? Like you can’t bear to hear of another international crisis, local calamity, or another friend dealing with crushing loss? At times like those, you just want a lifeline. An uplifting movie to ease the pain. An encouraging Bible verse to buoy you. A pithy saying to cling to like a life raft….
