“So the Lord said,  If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”  Luke 17:6 (NKJV) What we have here  is  Jesus’  response  to His disciples who’d  said to Him, “Increase our faith” (verse 5).  That is a great request, isn’t it?  As usual, Jesus gave an unexpected answer.  He chose to emphasize a little thing, the tiny mustard-seed faith that can be so dynamic that it  produces  something big.  The disciples  may have been feeling inadequate when they asked Jesus to increase their faith.  Often we,…

“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4 People were amazed when they listened to Jesus.   He was the kind of teacher that got everybody’s attention. Even the officers who were sent by the chief priests to spy on Him went back to them and reported that they had never heard anyone  speak “like this Man” (John 7:40).  Well, what did He do that was so different?  He  made His hearers identify with His teaching by using  metaphors, , analogies,  and parables and made references to nature,…

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.”  Philippians 3:10 (NKJV) Christians  around the world celebrated Resurrection Day with joy. For the majority among us, this joy wasn’t just a holiday spirit. It was  the joy of realizing what  Jesus Christ has accomplishied for us, that in His resurrection we have the gift of eternal life. That is indeed something to be joyful about. As a part of the spirit of the special day, our church had peace lilies in all the windows–a lovely sight and a meaningful symbol   of Jesus the Prince of Peace.  It’s very likely that  those lilies will not be there next Sabbath;…

 “Now as they came out,  they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear the cross.” Matthew27:32 (NKJV) I am sharing the piece below, taken from my unpublished collection of dramatic monologues, because it relates to the story of Jesus’ final days and fits into this special season of remembrance. Here an imaginary eyewitness to Jesus’ suffering on Good Friday tells  what he saw.   With something big like a crucifixion happening, I had to be there. I’d followed the trial, witnssed the beatings—really brutal. I felt sorry for jesus of Nazarath, sorry, too, that I couldn’t help Him. He was a good Man, a…

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday  and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) Most of the prepared foods we buy have  a use-by date, and we’re usually careful to check for it because we want to know that the food is edible and will not make us sick.  Over-the-counter medicines also carry an expiration date, and we look for it, but sometimes we’re not as diligent as we should be in getting rid of the old items and buying new ones.  In our family, we seldom have headaches, but a few weeks ago, I was in a pinch to find a headache remedy for my son and found that I…

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve  and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (NKJV) “I am somebody!” Perhaps you’re old enough to remember hearing  those words that  became the motto for countless thousands of students in  elementary and secondary schools in the seventies. They chanted them enthusiastically when guest speakers tossed them out in assemblies.  How much good came from this concentrated dose of  self-esteem, I don’t know, but  the self-worth that was promoted then is still the watchword of  people in society today, and the majority of them would rather be served than serve. But listen…

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV) King  Solomon, well  known for his uncommon  wisdom, displayed it in impressive ways.  For instance, long before our modern  nutritionists began touting the benefits of honey in the diet, Solomon saw both physical and spiritual value in the sweetener. Honey and its use has been around for centuries.  The Greeks, Chinese, Egyptians, and the Babylonians found good use for honey, and today we do too.  We use it in delicious baked goods and to add a  light sweetness to our favorite tea, and, metaphorically,   that special quality of honey can add sweetness…

“For the Lord does not see as man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7 I know you haven’t been counting, but how many  times have you ignored or overlooked someone or a group of people based on how they looked?  It’s not something we want to own up to, but I think we all have to plead, “Guilty.” A number of years ago, I attended a conference with  a group of women. A few of us sat together for the evening session, eagerly awaiting the speaker’s presentation. When she came onstage, we looked at one another with raised…

“For the  Son of Man came to seek  and to save  the lost.”  Luke 19:10 (NIV) I heard the high-pitched call several times  and wondered who was making such a racket in our usually quiet neighborhood.  Shortly afterward, a car came around the circle.  It stopped at  my driveway,  and  a woman leaned out the window and asked whether I had seen a small dog in the street. I said I hadn’t seen her puppy, but promised to keep an eye out  for it. She kept driving around, calling out the puppy’s name in a desperate voice. The neighbor searched as long as it took, and when I saw her…

“Bear one another’s burdens, and  so fulfill the law  of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) The well-known question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is hinted at in today’s focus text, and, according to the apostle Paul,  the answer to the question  is Yes.  But, ironically, it’s hard to be our brother’s keeper if we don’t know what’s going on with one another. I’m sure you’ve heard these  self-effacing words at one time or another: “I didn’t want to burden you.” They’re said by parents, children,  and sometimes  good friends. How sad that some people, ourselves included, are unwilling to be vulnerable and allow a fellow Christian  the privilege of sharing their…