ChristianBlessings

Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours? (2 Chronicles 1:10)

Read: 2 Chronicles 1:1-3:17, Romans 6:1-23, Psalm 16:1-11, Proverbs 19:20-21 

Relate: Last night I was talking with someone who had just left a board meeting with a church that is in desperate need of a very real change. I am familiar with it and some of the difficulties they have been facing over the past few years. The meeting he was a part of was the first step in what will be a process that will revitalize and turn them around. The big trick is to not just come in and impose those changes but to figure out how to get them to take ownership of those changes so that they fully buy in to the healthier culture and can once again have an impact on their…

Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)

Read: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30, Romans 5:6-21, Psalm 15:1-5, Proverbs 19:18-19

Relate: I have been reading a bit about happiness lately. There was a major gallop poll conducted a few years back to find out who are the happiest people on the planet. This pole found that the Irish are the unchallenged champs at keeping that smile on their face. About the time the pole results were made public a few different magazines reported on it. Time Magazine wrote this about the land of the leprechauns: “Debt-laden Ireland faces a gloomy economic future, yet its population is among the cheeriest on the planet, reporting high levels of well-being and contentedness.” The Irish Times wrote this about themselves: “Who’s happy? We are, apparently. Despite toppling over an economic cliff, Irish…

He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. (Romans 4:25)

Read: 1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34, Romans 4:13-5:5, Psalm 14:1-7, Proverbs 19:17

Relate: Some times life just is not fair. I had a strong sense of the injustice of the world even at a tender age. I was probably eight at the time. I was making some toast in the kitchen when my sister came in and got a drink. She came in through the dining room door, poured herself a glass, then left out towards the office without shutting the fridge. Not thirty seconds later my mom appeared in the kitchen through the dining room door. She saw the open door and me buttering my toast and set in on scolding me for leaving the door open. My protestations of innocence only added lying to my crime…

“It’s bigger than imagination.” – Ark Encounter Slogan

Two weeks ago our family drove out to Williamstown, Kentucky where we walked through Noah’s Ark. No, I’m not kidding!

Ark Encounter, a theme park that opened in July 2016, features the largest replica of Noah’s Ark that exists in the world today. The construction is built to biblical proportions, and is so massive that it takes an entire day to walk through it. Seeing this ark – which is made from actual gopher wood and looks and feels much like the actual ark must have – brings the biblical narrative to life and answers countless questions that skeptics have about this historical account.

Look at the details of this beautiful structure with an artist’s eye, however, and you will find that Noah’s Ark was not only practical and functional, but dripping with symbolism.

Size Does Matter

As I hiked through the…