Author: Administrador

Topics: Anxiety; Fear; Future; Money; Provision References: Matthew 6:25–34; Philippians 4:19 People are fearful about money. According to a 2000 survey, here are some of the things they are worried about: •     not being able to pay medical bills: 36 percent •     Social Security going bust: 35 percent •     caring for elderly parents: 31 percent •     no inheritance to … Continue reading “MONEY
WORRIES”

Topics: Emotions; Failure; Human Condition; Limitations; Psychology; Regret References: 1 Kings 19:1–9; John 21:15–19 Failures take on a life of their own because the brain remembers incomplete tasks or failures longer than success or completed activity. That is called the “Zeigarnik effect.” When a project or a thought is completed, the brain places it in … Continue reading “THE
ZEIGARNIK EFFECT”

Topics: Anxiety; Illness; Peace; Security in God; Stress; Trust; Worry References: Psalm 55:22; Matthew 11:30; 1 Peter 5:7 In times of emotional stress, a hormone, neuropeptide Y (NPY), is released into the body. This hormone undermines the body’s immune system and literally makes you sick. That’s what a team of Australian researchers at Sydney’s Garvan … Continue reading “STRESS
MAKES YOU SICK”

Topics: Balance; Family; Rest; Sabbath; Work References: Exodus 23:12; 31:12–17 I do not mean to make an idol of health, but it seems to me that at least some of us have made an idol of exhaustion. The only time we know we have done enough is when we are running on empty and when … Continue reading “IDOLIZING
EXHAUSTION”

Topics: Busyness; Rest; Sabbath; Work References: Exodus 20:8–11; Mark 6:31–32 Our most notorious industrial accidents in recent years—Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and the fatal navigational error of Korean Air Lines Flight 007—all occurred in the middle of the night. This may indicate that fatigue, more than anything, was a contributing factor. When the … Continue reading “FATIGUE
DISASTERS”

Topics: Adversity; Attitudes; Faith; Hope; Overcoming; Perseverance; Praise References: Romans 5:3–5; James 1:2–4 A dog fell into a farmer’s well. After assessing the situation, the farmer decided that neither the dog nor the well was worth the bother of saving. He’d bury the old dog in the well and put him out of his misery. … Continue reading “SHAKING
THE DIRT”

Topics: Creation; Goodness of God; Praise; Thanksgiving References: Isaiah 25:1–9; Ephesians 5:20 One winter I sat in army fatigues somewhere near Anniston, Alabama, eating my supper out of a mess kit. The infantry training battalion that I had been assigned to was on bivouac. There was a cold drizzle of rain, and everything was mud. … Continue reading “TURNIP
AND MUD”

Topics: Conversion; Great Commission; Ministry; Power; Prophecy Reference: Matthew 28:18–20 Olaf Trygvesson of Norway was the Viking’s Viking. He was unmatched in climbing and swimming and leaping and could juggle five daggers in the air, always catching them by the handle. Early in life he conducted successful raids on Holland and France. Then he turned … Continue reading “OLAF’S
CONVERSION”

Topics: Assumptions; Attitudes; Awe; Education; Faith; Fear of God; Glorifying God; Miracles; Power; Reverence; Wonder; Worship References: Job 25:2; Habakkuk 3:2; Matthew 8:23–27; 9:8; 11:25; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 5:26; 7:16; 8:22–25; 10:21; Hebrews 12:28 A group of Laotian refugees who had been attending the church I pastored in Sacramento, California, approached me after the service … Continue reading “MIRACLE
IN THE STORM”

Topics: Blindness; Experiencing God; Spiritual Perception; Spiritual Vitality References: John 3:1–16; 1 Corinthians 2:9–16 Humans can perceive only 30 percent of the range of the sun’s light and 1/70 of the spectrum of electromagnetic energy. Many animals exceed those abilities. Bats detect insects by sonar; pigeons navigate by magnetic fields; bloodhounds perceive a world of … Continue reading “ALIVE
TO THE UNSEEN”