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El Roi: The God Who Sees Women Like Jyothi
Meet Jyothi. She has three young children. Her husband has serious health issues and is unable to work at even the most menial labor. She came to the sewing training center desperate for a way to feed her family and keep them off the street. In a few months, Jyothi will earn a certificate verifying that she is a trained seamstress. This government-recognized certificate will qualify her for a decent job at one of the many tailor shops in her...
Doing Good, Reducing Pain
Jesus reduced the suffering and pain of those around Him. The Scripture says that it “was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” (Matthew 8:17). In a similar way, Jesus wants His followers to reduce the pain and suffering of those around them. It may be that of our neighbors, or clients, or society, in general. It might even be people who live in another country.After describing in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) the character qualities Jesus wants to be in His people, He said that His followers would best...
Staying True to God
Do you remember the first day your child left for school, or you dropped them off at childcare? They were on your mind constantly. It didn’t get any easier when, years later, they left home for college or the military. Still, you worried. You wondered what they were doing. Were they safe? Were they happy or sad? Were they standing up to the lies and temptations confronting them? Were they staying true to Christ? The parents of Daniel in the Bible had the same concerns. But, instead of waving goodbyes to Daniel heading off to college or the military, their last...
Going Home
A friend of mine enjoys camping in the middle of the woods, alone and far away from people. It doesn’t matter to him if it’s clear, raining, or snowing. He loves to wake up to a cool morning, smell the fresh air, build a campfire and cook his breakfast. I prefer waking up in my own bed, building a fire in the woodstove, having a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and cooking breakfast in the microwave. Though I’m not much for camping, I have observed that the New Testament uses the imagery of a tent to describe our physical body. “Now...
Beautiful Churches
What makes a church beautiful? Peru and Mexico, in the midst of their poorer cities, still have large cathedrals filled with costly items. The cathedrals in London are awe-inspiring with their massive size and intricate architecture. However, many of the churches in India, and Rwanda are small and plain. Often there are no benches, so the people happily sit on the floor. You won’t see people lining up outside of them to take a tour. If you walked by one of them, you may not even know it was a church, it is so plain. The book of Haggai addresses a...