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The Karate Kid – Crosswalk the Devotional – August 21
The Karate Kid by Ryan Duncan But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. – Matthew 5:39 When it comes to old movies, there’s really no beating the 1984 Karate Kid. It’s the classic coming-of-age story of a young boy who finds his potential with the help of a wise, old man. Of course, back then all I cared about were the awesome fight scenes. The first time I saw the movie I must have spent a week doing “Crane kicks” around the house like an inebriated flamingo. Those same action sequences haven’t aged well, and these days The Karate Kid looks downright corny, but the film still contains some valuable lessons for people who listen. At one point in the movie Daniel grows frustrated with his tr...
Is it True that “With God All Things Are Possible”? What Does that Verse Really Mean?
“With God all things are possible” Verse in Scripture The Story Matthew 19 recounts how a rich man asked “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus told him to keep the commandments. (vs.16,17). The rich man claimed he had kept these, but wondered what more he needed to do. Jesus answered “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (v.21). Jesus’ standard of perfection was startling, even for his disciples who overheard this conversation. When they asked about it, he said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” (Matthew 19:26). Perfection is impossible for anyone but Christ “for none is righteous; no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Riding a camel through ...
park bench: exposition
Swaying giants conduct orchestra of green,rustle-flutter blue breeze, notes crunchingin scratches between limb and limb above sheared grass tufts too short to bendand a woman’s stroller trailing a babyblanket sweeping pollen dust over concrete while a little boy, blue hat reachingmy chest, makes no sound (how can that be)and walks backwards, one sandaled foot behind the other, bright eyes fixed ona place within, and I wonder what elsethere is you want me to feel hear see. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com
Quit your Whining
Read – Judges 8:1; Judges 12 In Judges 8:1 the men of Ephraim asked Gideon “Why did you fight the Midianites and didn’t call us?” Recall that Gideon asked for men to fight and received a huge response – 32,000 men. It’s highly implausible that the men of Ephraim were excluded from this call. Gideon handled their question with tact and diplomacy and diffused what could have become an ugly situation. In Judges 12, they made a similar accusation to Jephthah – “Why’d you fight the children of Ammon and not tell us?” They also threatened to burn Jephthah’s house down. Jephthah seems to be a no-nonsense, cut to the chase kind of guy because he responded by saying, “I called for you and you didn’t help, s...
25 Ways a Single Mom can Fight Depression
Single moms, do you sometimes feel like you are one event away from losing it? If one more thing — just one more – doesn’t go well, it’s going to tip you over the edge! Does the stress of parenting alone often weigh so heavy on your shoulders that you battle depression and perpetual feelings of sadness? You are not alone. The U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health found in research that the prevalence of moderate to severe depression was significantly more pronounced among single mothers by 28.7%. This concludes that single mothers are more likely to experience poor mental health than partnered mothers, and the primary factors associated with this are the presence of financial hardship, overwhelming stress, and a perceived lack of social support.&nb...
Staying On the Path to Peace
A friend once told me about a professor he knew who was so absent-minded that he drove to a city for a meeting and then grabbed a cab to the airport when the meeting was over, forgetting he had come by car. Another time, while standing next to his car in a college parking lot with an armload of books and a puzzled look on his face, the professor hailed a student, saying, “Excuse me. I wonder if you could you tell me—am I coming or am I going?” When it comes to our spiritual lives, some of us are similarly challenged. We don’t really know whether we are coming or going. Caught up in everyday events, we fail to remember not only that we are headed somewhere but that we are traveling a path with Someone. Staying close to that Someone—to God our Father—is vital to living a life of peace. Other...
A Prayer for the Overwhelmed – Your Daily Prayer – August 20, 2018
A Prayer for the OverwhelmedBy Jennifer Rothschild “From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety.” Psalm 61:2 (NLT) Sometimes we can’t change all the stuff in our lives that feels bigger than we can handle. But, whatever feels bigger than you is still puny compared to the Rock that is higher than you! When I feel flat-out overwhelmed and under-qualified and out-of-sorts, I’m learning not to run away from my stress. I am also learning not to run to a bag of chocolate! Instead, I’m learning to run to God — to His Word — in the overwhelming middle of my stress! When I run to God’s Word, even just one verse, I find that God is my “refuge and strength, an ever-present help in of trouble” (Psalm 46:1, N...
What Does it Mean to Be Seeking God?
History, literature, and science tell many stories of heroic yet not always successful quests, struggles, and searches. The Bible also tells many stories of these quests. Without question, the greatest quest is seeking God. Individuals, families, communities, and even nations have sought God different ways for various reasons. Throughout the Bible, we see people seeking God through prayer, sacrifices, and ultimately, through Jesus Christ. 4 Ways Men and Women Seek God in the Bible 1. Men and women have sought God by praying. After their son, Cain, killed his brother and “went out from the LORD’s,” (Genesis 4:16), Matthew Henrysaid, “God gave Adam and Eve to see the revival of religion in their family.” Adam and Eve’s grandson Enosh was born, and “at that time people began to call on the na...
Five Things We Now Know the Online World Is Doing to Us That Has Never Been Done to Us Before
There are few things more fascinating – and more pressing – to social scientists than to discover what our new digital world is doing to us, particularly the new online world. From an assortment of new surveys and studies, I’ve drawn together five key findings. Some you may have suspected, some may come as a surprise, but all are based on the most recent findings. 1. It’s Hurting Our Kids According to a new major study of nearly 10,000 teenagers by University College London and Imperial College London, social media damages children’s mental health by “ruining sleep, reducing their exercise levels and exposing them to cyberbullies in their homes.” In fact, “using sites multiple times a day increases the risk of psychological distress by around 40%, compared to logging on weekly or less.” 2....
Death: Because of Christ, You Can Face It – UpWords – August 19
Death: Because of Christ, You Can Face It. by Max Lucado As heart surgeries go, mine was far from the riskiest. But any procedure that requires four hours of probes inside your heart is enough to warrant an added prayer. So on the eve of my surgery, Denalyn, I, and some kind friends offered our share. We were staying at a hotel adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. We asked God to bless the doctors and watch over the nurses. After we chatted a few minutes, they wished me well and said good-bye. I needed to go to bed early. But before I could sleep, I wanted to offer one more prayer… alone. I took the elevator down to the lobby and found a quiet corner and began to think. What if the surgery goes awry? What if this is my final night on earth? Is there anyone with whom I should...
Who Was Jezebel in the Bible? What Was She Really Like?
Queen Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon, and the wife of Ahab, king of Israel. Jezebel promoted the worship of false gods in Israel, harassed and killed God’s prophets, and arranged for an innocent man to be falsely charged and executed. King Ahab Marries Queen Jezebel King Ahab, who “did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any [king of Israel] before him,” (1 Kings 16:30) married Jezebel, making her the queen over Israel. We learn in 1 Kings 16:31, Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, who was king of the Sidonians (or Phoenicians). Before becoming king, Ethbaal was noted to have been a priest of Astarte, which was the Greek form of the moon goddess Ashtoreth. Astarte is what the Phoenicians called her. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Ashtoreth was “frequently a...
Can’t Never Could Do Anything – From His Heart – August 18
CAN’T NEVER COULD DO ANYTHING “For by You I can run upon a troop;and by my God I can leap over a wall.”Psalm 18:29 Has there ever been a greater movie character than Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion? The answer is NO! Rocky is beloved because he had limited ability but miles and miles of heart. He did what others said couldn’t be done. In Rocky II, Rocky is preparing for his big rematch with Apollo Creed, the heavy weight champion of the world. As he and his trainer, Mickey, watch film from the first fight, Mickey lets him in on a little secret: in order to win, Rocky was going to have to fight Creed as a right handed fighter. Rocky responded by saying, “Com’ on, Mick. I can’t do that!” I love Mickey’s reply, “What’s can’t?! There ain’t no can’t!” IS YOUR A...
