BibleVersity

"...when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." (Matt. 6:18)    Years ago I went on a fast, but did not tell my wife, but rather choosing to make it a secret from anyone. I just so happened that a day or two later that she desired on of her favorite quick-meals: bean burritos, extra cheese and no onions. Due to my fast, I ordered nothing. As we drove down the road she asked me the inevitable question, "Would like some of this burrito?" My answer was a simple "No thank you." This was repeated several times until she began to wave said burrito in front of my face, telling me just how marvelous it was. It was at this time that informed her that I was fasting, which caused her to feel quite guilty. Looking back at I can clearly tell you that it was funny then and even funnier now (at least to m...

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than you ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Is. 55:9 (NASB)    Many of us enjoy puzzles. Whether we are talking about the 1000 piece variety, Sudoku and crosswords, or games like Chess and Risk, each of these involve thoughtful research and careful planning (some more so than others). We like solving the puzzle. This works great for games, but our attempt to "solve" the unexplained things of God will always come up short. There is a term used in theology called "incomprehensible", and is used in describing God. It means that we are not capable of fully understanding God. Notice the word "fully". Incomprehensible does not mean that we cannot know about God or know Him personally. It means that our understanding of Him will always be partial.     God has chosen to reveal Himself through the Word of God, to humanity, progressively over time. Through the course of s...

"There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD. - (Is. 48:22, NASB)    There are many things in this life that the Christian may or may not have. I know Christians who are wealthy, and many who are not. I know of some who are well-known, and many who are obscure. Some I know of successful business owners, and some who struggle in day-to-day operations. If it a fact of life. Jesus warned us not to store up treasures on earth that are temporary in light of eternity, but store up treasures in heaven. However, there is one "treasure" here on earth that is available only to the Christian: Peace.     We often think of peace as the opposite of war. That is a limited understanding of what peace is. In the OT, peace was often seen as a combination of health, prosperity, welfare, happiness, and at rest from conflict around. In other words, primarily external in nature. In the NT, peace was understood better as primarily internal. With the arrival of Jesus, His tea...