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The Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). The Philippian Jailer asked the imprisoned disciples, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). A lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). There are many Bible verses that answer the question asked. But they all point ultimately to the same thing: self-denial. Jesus said that anyone who desires to follow Him must “deny himself” (Matt. 16:24). Jesus put His finger directly on the Rich You...
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence,” 1 Tim. 2:2. In this single verse, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use four of the seven words for prayer found in the New Testament. Although synonymous, each word carries significant meaning. Such praying must therefore be vitally important. Whereas obedience unto God’s word is the requirement for and evide...
In Luke 12:16-23, Jesus told a parable about a rich farmer whose fields yielded a bumper crop. The man was concerned about what he would do with all his grain. Did he think to tithe from it to the ministries of God? Did he consider giving a portion of his unexpected abundance to needy people? No, the rich farmer’s concerns extended no farther than his own fences. Thus, he planned to tear down his barns to build bigger barns and hoard the grain. Perhaps the wealthy farmer reasoned that to give away his excess would flood the market, and that w...
Amidst the backdrop of Roman subjugation, pharisaical religiosity, and in general a culture with its back toward God, Jesus Christ and his disciples ventured into the racially charged region of Samaria. Matthew 15 records the Lord’s encounter with a Syro-Phoenician woman of Canaan. She asked Jesus to heal her demonically oppressed daughter. But Jesus did not answer her. Rather, he told the disciples that he was sent only to the “lost sheep” of Israel, and it would to be good to share the children’s food with little dogs. In New Testament Greek,...
Decades ago I heard this quip from a fellow Christian: "The nature you nurture is the one that will grow." Two verses that paraphrase this quote are Rom. 8:13 "for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." And Col. 3:5, "Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amount to idolatry." Becoming God's child began when I repented from my sins and trusted...
The Prophet Isaiah answers the question raised by the favorite Christmas Carol, “What Child is This?” He is “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9.6). Each name unlocks aspects of our Messiah’s character. Wonderful means astonishing or extraordinary and describes the accomplishment of a difficult act or feat. Counselor is legal term describing an advisor in the king’s court or a planner. Some scholars combine these two words which literally mean a wonder of a counselor. Mighty God is a statement o...
Philippians 2:7 says that Jesus made himself of no reputation. He emptied himself of self. As some theologians explain it, Jesus voluntarily and temporarily laid aside some of his rights and privileges as God the Son when he came to Earth. Think about this for a moment. Some self-proclaimed Christians tell the world “look at me” when they ought to be saying “look to Jesus.” This grows even more tragic. The victories God gives are crowns to be thrown at the feet of Jesus. But we would deign wear them on our own heads? That is not only tragic,...
Reflecting on my teen years, I recalled a spiritual decision I had made to offer my life to God in Christian vocation. I had never forgotten that. In fact, I was lately thinking on that decision and was considering a career in Christian counseling if you can believe that. I decided to go to college in Dallas. But not just any college — Bible college. In August of 1986, I left my parents driveway headed for Dallas. I heard that voice again inside my head: “If you go to that college, you will remarry your wife.” Now, isn’t that interes...
Unable to find a remedy, I let go of the steering wheel — both hands. I grabbed the door handle with my left hand and the safety belt clasp with my right. I had every intent of jumping. A nanosecond of doubt flashed a vision of me slipping when I jumped and the truck rolling over me. As it turns out, that’s exactly what would have happened. I better make the jump a good one. Literally, as muscles flexed to execute my escape, miraculously the truck turned away from the edge of disaster and back toward the road. I grabbed the wheel with both han...
When I got back to our apartment two weeks later, Cynthia was gone. Her father and a friend of his retrieved Cynthia, our son, and our daughter to-be. I returned to a mostly empty apartment. Once again, what I thought would bring a sense of freedom was just the ball-and-chain of selfishness renewed. I felt it in my soul; I had made a significant turn. My sense of self-sufficiency in all things reared its fickle head to tell any other remnant of rightness that it was not welcome. And I made sure of that by later signing divorce papers. The work...
Springtime in the Rocky Mountains brings brilliant sunshine, cool air, and melting snow. A certain spring day in 1986 found me crossing Wolf Creek Pass in the San Juan Mountains which adjoin the Rockies. At almost 11,000 feet above sea level, the mostly two-lane alpine highway had only two runaway truck lanes on the westbound side. But I was headed northeast back to the Denver area where I worked in an oilfield job for a wireline logging and perforating company. A branch of our company needed a truck and driver to report for a few days’ work i...
“Sully” is one of my favorite movies. It recounts USAirways flight 1549 that ditched into New York’s Hudson River January 2009 after colliding with a flock of Canada geese that essentially destroyed both jet engines and rendered the Airbus A320 powerless. If you can watch that movie and not be moved, then you just aren’t movable. The calm and courage that avoided catastrophe and kept 155 souls alive clearly demonstrate the confluence of God-given abilities coupled with a compassion for the preservation of life, specifically, others’ lives. Ha...
The letter to the Church in Ephesus is one of the richest in the New Testament. And for many Christians, Eph. 2:8-9 are two favorite verses. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Many-a discussion in Sunday school groups, Bible college classrooms, and seminary coffee shops has ensued about these two verses so rich in theological meaning and personal import regarding salvation. Such emphases on these two verses, however, have all-to-often o...
Sometimes feelings of isolation and insignificance produce a synergy that squelches our outlook. And that can cause a spiritual introspection that evolves into unwarranted self-criticism leading to feelings of futility. Reading about the larger-than-life conquering victors, powerful preachers, and sacrificial Christ followers in the Bible, though encouraging, can cause Christians to think their Kingdom tasks are menial by comparison. “If I could only slay a giant. If I could only part the sea. If I could only raise the dead.” Don’t be tempt...
I cannot unspeak. I cannot unhear. I cannot unsee. I cannot unfeel. I cannot unthink. I cannot undo my past. The memories of my sin sometimes clutter my mind like charred logs of a forest fire. Tripping me. Trapping me. Trying to transport me to where I once lived, these statues of selfishness cut down by the fire of holy forgiveness. These dead black hulks create a maze of regret and remorse, of pain that punctures the present from the past — seared spears hurled by the evil one who fostered their growth — detracting from the Divine. My hea...
The inspired and inerrant Word of God says a lot about words. Words can convey images and intense emotions. Words can injure and leave lasting scars. From Proverbs we read that word can destroy one’s friends and crushes their spirit. But gentle words bring life and health. Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Words have the power of life and death. Words of wisdom refresh like as a bubbling brook. Or, they can be a sword or a salve. The Bible also says words can bring personal trouble, be the small spark tha...
Montana Christian College adds to its leadership team by employing Joe Wooddell as Vice President of Advancement and Professor of Philosophy. He leaves an 18-year tenure at Criswell College in Dallas. “Dr. Wooddell fills a strategic function for Montana Christian College,” said Marvin Jones, president of MCC. “To the best of my knowledge, he is the first financial developer in our 49-year history. This is a hallmark and a turning point for us. Wooddell has a proven track record of advancement. “He comes to us with vast experience as a fundraise...
When considering all the notables in the Bible who served God’s purposes, names like Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah, Jonah, and Paul rank highly on that list. But how often is Rahab included? Sometimes described as an inn-keeper, the overwhelming biblical evidence mitigates for the word harlot or prostitute to describe her. Yet, in the providence of God, Rahab looms large in Israel’s history. Found in Joshua 2, Rahab’s story is one of my favorites. Joshua sent two men to spy-out the city of Jericho, and they found lodging at Rahab’s house....
Clapping. Crying, Praying. Praising. These are some of the reactions movie-goers had to “Sound of Freedom,” a film based on the true story of Tim Ballard – former US Homeland Security Special Agent – who quit his job to pursue child traffickers. “Sound of Freedom” avoids salacious and graphical overtones in telling Ballard’s story of rescuing a young girl from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. According to thousands of reactions on Twitter, the sobering film evokes deep sadness and desperate terror, as well as indignant anger and res...
Part of my career included writing for an evangelical missions magazine about churches that volunteered to assist missionaries overseas. Whether the task was to share the gospel on the street, preach in churches, work in orphanages, conduct religious surveys, or assist with construction projects, the volunteers often worked in physically and spiritually challenging situations. Volunteers originated from within churches and the people usually paid their own way. They sacrificed vacation days to invest in Kingdom work overseas. The testimony...
Matthew 15 records our Lord’s first trip outside of Judea with his disciples into the region of Samaria. This was not friendly territory. Jews hated Samaritans and considered them half-breeds since their family tree had roots both inside and outside of Abraham. As they traveled, a Canaanite woman came out to meet Jesus, crying to him: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” When Jesus did not answer her, the disciples urged him to shoo her away because she was making a scene. Ignoring the woman and a...
“As a dog returns to his own vomit, a fool repeats his folly,” Prov. 26:11. Well, if that’s not a slap in the face! A significant portion of the Bible is just that. Like a rude awakening, this Proverb jolts the senses and the soul. Whereas so many devotionals are low-calorie spiritual food that specialize in sugary warm fuzzies (which are likely the most popular, too), there are times when a devotional thought needs to shake me by the shoulders and turn my head around. Whether the distraction is money, lust, food, drunkenness (alcohol or drugs...
Matthew 15 records our Lord’s first trip outside of Judea with his disciples into the region of Samaria. This was not friendly territory. Jews hated Samaritans and considered them half-breeds since their family tree had roots both inside and outside of Abraham. As they traveled, a Canaanite woman came out to meet Jesus, crying to him: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” When Jesus did not answer her, the disciples urged him to shoo her away because she was making a scene. Ignoring the woman and a...
The black edge of night gave way to dark blue as I drove south on a rural road in Nebraska. Having driven through the night, I welcomed the faintest glimmer of sunshine that soon would spread across my path and force night’s retreat. A rightward glance revealed the uniformity of a row crop standing perpendicular to the narrow blacktop. Mile after mile, hundreds, no, surely thousands of these figures loomed as shadowy silhouettes against the darkness that skulked westward. They looked like beleaguered soldiers mustered for morning inspection b...
Mackenzie Stutzman lives a full life. An entrepreneurial furrier, she enjoys riding and training horses, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Among all these interests, one sport rises above the rest: volleyball. Although she played volleyball and basketball from sixth grade onward, during her senior year Mackenzie coached volleyball for younger students on public and homeschool teams. In August, Mackenzie returns to the court as Montana Christian College’s volleyball coach. The intersection of sports and mentoring students is her p...
