In the Gospels Jesus tells the story of a certain servant who owed millions of dollars to a king. When the king requested an accounting of the debt, the servant couldn’t pay. The king ordered the servant, the servant’s wife, children and all his possession to be sold to pay the balance. Horrified, the servantContinue reading “The Freedom of Forgiveness Received”
Author Archives: joelkime
What if America was invaded? A thought project to teach us how to be restored
Imagine that some nation invaded the USA, defeated us, and started carrying us away back to their land where we worked for them as slaves! How would that feel? Horrible, right? And life in that foreign land would not be like life here. It would be very, very hard. And we would cry out inContinue reading “What if America was invaded? A thought project to teach us how to be restored”
Do you struggle with FOMO?
Do you struggle with FOMO? Fear of missing out. I recently read an article where a guy talked about his fear of missing out. Because of the prevalence of social media in our society, and the quick access to social media accounts on our phones, FOMO is a real thing for many. The author ofContinue reading “Do you struggle with FOMO?”
How lament can shine light into the darkness of our world
Do you sense the darkness in our world? I started this series of posts by describing the tragedies in our world, all adding to the darkness. Just last evening, my wife and I watched the episode of The Crown where a dense poisonous smog settles on London. It stayed there for days, and thousands lostContinue reading “How lament can shine light into the darkness of our world”
When you cry out to God over and over and he doesn’t respond
Have you ever waited for something a long time? I feel like I regularly get in the store check-out line that has the longest wait. It’s uncanny. But that kind of wait is not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about waiting for something for months or years, and often the waiting involves pain. ItContinue reading “When you cry out to God over and over and he doesn’t respond”
When Thoughts and Prayers Are Not Enough
In the morning, my family has a routine. Our two kids still at home, one middle schooler, one elementary, get ready for school while we are watching the local news. Then at 7am we switch over to CBS for their morning show. A few days ago, we were surprised to hear that CBS fired oneContinue reading “When Thoughts and Prayers Are Not Enough”
Who are you really? (And how to find out)
In my last post, I mentioned that in Deuteronomy 9 Moses gives the people of Israel an exam, and he has shocking news for them. Remember the principle? They are not righteous in and of themselves. They were in danger of thinking that God brought them to the Promised Land because they were so good. Continue reading “Who are you really? (And how to find out)”
Why exams are so important for us – Introducing Moses’ exam of Israel in Deut. 9
A few years ago I had one of those eye exams where they put the drops in your eyes to dilate them. I wear contacts, so first my doctor (I go to the optometrist at Costco) had me remove my contacts. He put the drops in, and then my eyes slowly started dilating. If you’veContinue reading “Why exams are so important for us – Introducing Moses’ exam of Israel in Deut. 9”
Why we need a wilderness mindset, even when we live in the promised land
How can we remain faithful to God when life is good? How do we remain faithful in the Promised Land? When we are in the wilderness, we feel like we are going to die, and we need God to rescue us, we know that there is nothing we can do, and God has to intervene. Continue reading “Why we need a wilderness mindset, even when we live in the promised land”
The surprising danger of the promised land
The Promised Land is a dangerous place. Dangerous? Really? In yesterday’s post, I asked whether you are living in your own personal wilderness, or are you experiencing a promised land? In Deuteronomy 8 Moses is talking to the people of Israel who have just journeyed for decades through the wilderness and are set to enterContinue reading “The surprising danger of the promised land”
Engaging Scripture 