As Christians, we are called upon to set an example of what is good and pure in this world, so that people of other faiths will notice that there is something unique and different about the followers of Jesus Christ. “You are the light for the whole world….your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven” (Mt 5: 14 – 16). While, just being good Christians does qualify us to be “the light for the whole world”, it certainly does not provide us with a blanket permit for our light to “shine before people”. The intensity of…

Image via Wikipedia “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) My friend Ron had been laid off from his job. He was his young family’s sole support. He loved and trusted the Lord, but he felt little sense of guidance about his future. Trying to collect his thoughts, he decided to make a day hike by himself. An experienced hiker, he went up the mountain trial of a lone peak in Southern California in December. It was a grey winter day, and the mountain peak was…

God walks with us through the desert. It’s where we meet Him and, having met Him, know Him. It’s not always a good thing to meet someone in the wilderness. Even today it can give you quite a turn to be alone on a trail and see a stranger coming in the opposite direction! The Eskimos didn’t like it; they thought that strangers they met in the wilderness were demons. The ancient Norsemen (our friends the Vikings) thought so too. But the One we meet in dangerous places is God. Let’s take as our model Israel’s 40-year journey in the desert and just a few ways that God revealed Himself…