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Most ancient Middle Eastern cultures related to their gods in a very transactional manner. If you wanted something, you had to give the gods something they wanted. This even included the way you prayed. In 2 Kings Chapter 18, the prophets of the god Baal did all kinds of things to earn their god’s attention. Read more
In Jesus’ teaching on prayer, he tells us to pray to our Father where nobody will see. And when we do that, God will reward us for our prayer. It seems rather strange to be rewarded for praying. What kind of reward do we get? A new car? More points toward heaven? While psychologists and… Read more
A few years back, I attended a conference at a summer camp in central California. As I was walking around during free time, I noticed all kinds of plaques: plaques on buildings, plaques on tables, plaques on pianos, and even plaques on trees! Turns out these plaques had names on them, names of those who… Read more
My favorite story in the whole Bible is probably Jonah and the whale. The big emotions and outlandish reactions, getting eaten by a whale and crying over a cucumber plant, and “the many cows” at the end make for some superb storytelling. But even more, I love the faithfulness of God through the unfaithfulness of Jonah. At the beginning of the story,… Read more
