Posted by Chad Harper
Aug
2
In 2 Kings Chapter 6 we see an interesting story involving Elisha the prophet. A man is working to cut down trees so they can cross the Jordan river. In the process of chopping down a tree, his ax head comes off of the handle and flies into the river. He cries out to Elisha saying it was a borrowed ax. Elisha then took a stick and threw it where the ax head fell in and the iron began to float.
There are probably great theological proofs to be found in this story, but sometimes simpler is best. God cares about borrowed things. Or to take it a step further, God likes to give back borrowed things. Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
Jul
26
In Luke 13 Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven. It reads, “He said therefore, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I liken it? It is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden; and it grew, and became a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the branches thereof.”
Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a grain of mustard seed that when planted grows into a large tree. Have you ever wondered why a mustard seed? Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
Jul
18
At the dedication of Solomon’s temple we see an interesting act occur. 2 Chronicles 7:1-2 says, “When Solomon finished praying, a bolt of lightning out of heaven struck the Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices and the Glory of GOD filled The Temple. 2 The Glory was so dense that the priests couldn’t get in — GOD so filled The Temple that there was no room for the priests! (The Message.)
The glory of God was so strong and thick in the temple that the priest couldn’t even get in. This analogy has so many lessons on so many levels. For brevity’s sake lets look at the top 2. Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
Feb
24
We have all dreamed of coming across that magical lamp. You know, the one where you accidentally rub it and out pops your personal genie. A genie to do your bidding. A genie to answer your every request. We all know the folk lore regarding the genie. The genie grants you three wishes and you must use them wisely, because once you make a wish it cannot be undone without using another wish. However, the original genie found in One Thousand And One Nights was not limited to three wishes. Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
Jun
9
They are cute, at first, then they start to get annoying. It is not your first born child. It is the Roomba. The little disc vacuum cleaner that automatically cleans your carpets while you work on other things around the house or even while you are not there. The concept is simple, this robotic vacuum cleaner roams your house sucking up dirt and debris until the floors are clean. The way it works is, it travels in a straight line until it hits something; a wall, a chair, the dog. Then it turns and goes another direction until it hits something else. The logic is that with enough bumping and turning it will eventually clean every inch of your carpet. Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
May
25
Each of us have wondered at some time, “Why is it that God answers some prayers and not others?” Many great preachers have taught great sermons on this matter. Sometimes the most simple explanation suffices in place of deep theological exhortations. This is one possible simple explanation.
Everyone loves to hear a scripture like Mark 10:27 where it says, “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” This is good for our faith. To know and believe that God can do anything should give us strength and hope. That same scripture can be a problem when we have a need for something seemingly impossible and God does not come through for us. Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
May
20
The story is told of a man who goes to Jesus wanting to trade out his cross for a better one. He tells the Lord, “I see the crosses others are carrying and theirs are much more bearable than mine. Why does my cross have to be so cumbersome and heavy? Other people carry their cross with ease and mine is hindering my day to day life.” Jesus leads the man to a room full of crosses. Some are big and others are small. The man is instructed to put down his cross and then go select a new cross. The only stipulation was once he made his selection he could never complain or exchange his cross again. He searches for hours on end. The big crosses were just as he assumed very large and very heavy. He knew there was no way he could ever carry those crosses. The smaller crosses were shockingly painful. Some had stickers that constantly stuck you in the shoulder or back reminding you of the beams you were bearing. Others were oddly shaped and rubbed the neck raw. Finally the man came upon a cross that was perfect for him. Read the rest of this entry
Posted by Chad Harper
May
17
Everybody likes to have someone in their corner; someone who believes in them and is backing them. To be honest, people like to support and encourage other people. Look at the size of our stadiums. Thousands and tens of thousands, even over 100,000 people will join together on a given day and time to cheer on their team. On a much smaller scale, people in general, when they see someone down and out, reach out to try to encourage or help them. Whether it is when things are good or bad, we all like someone supporting us.
Read the rest of this entry
Filed under:
Christian Living | Tagged as:
hope,
trials
Posted by Chad Harper
May
4
At some point in time, every one of us has had someone say the following statement to us. If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all. More than likely it was your mother. It is one of those golden statements that you say to your children and they will say it to their children. The reason being is because it is such a truthful statement. There is enough negativity in our world and in our lives that we do not need to add to all the negativity. Read the rest of this entry