Comforter

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (parakletos) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7 KJV) I shed secret tears when I say goodbye to close friends. It’s...

Friend of Tax-Gatherers and Sinners

It’s hard to hide a big party in a small town with an outdoor lifestyle and no sound-proofing. The Pharisees and scribes noticed Matthew’s and frowned. Then they asked a question that, of all the questions in the Gospels, might be the best cue for explaining Jesus’...

Vital Ingredients

What do you look for in a loaf of bread? When I’m in a new store, I go straight for the whole-wheat selection. After I find a suitably priced loaf, I check the list of ingredients to make sure there is no barley included, because I’m allergic to barley. Perhaps you...

Fountain of Living Waters

If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37–38) Cisterns can be impressive. The cistern at King Herod’s winter palace of Masada held a million...

Boast in the Lord

Now and then, just for fun, I choose to write with my left hand. It’s a mess! I’m far from ambidextrous. My right arm is the strongest and the best coordinated. When David said that God answered him with the saving strength of His right hand, it was a statement of...