“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (5:6). O, that the earth would be filled with the righteousness of God! O, that those…
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (5:5). I’ve said before, I’ll say again: I do not like this word meek. I suppose no one wants meek…
In Boston in 1770, Perez Morton penned these words: “When Jesus wept, the falling tear in mercy flowed beyond all bound. When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear seized all the…
Jesus went up on a mountainside. What’s it like to be on the mountain? We tend to think of the high hills of Israel as grassy, like mountain meadows, maybe…
It pays to know some history. It was the American philosopher and Harvard professor George Santayana who wrote, back in 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to…
It’s not hard to think of biblical lands as wilderness and wasteland: Big Bend as far as the eye can see, but remember that the land God promised His people…
Eastern Oregon is, most of the year, a dry place of grassy hills and prairies. In the northeastern part of the state is the town of Milton-Freewater, known for orchards…
Have you ever been put in jail? Wait—don’t answer! Well, if you have, I guess you know the awful feeling that comes with that clank as the barred door locks. …
I feel a little like Jude. No, not Judas—though I’ve had my moments, God knows! Jude—he wrote a brief letter that comes just before Revelation. Location, location, location. Jude begins…
“One in heart and mind” (4:32) is how we speak of people close as can be. We tend to reserve that sort of talk for those very much in love. …