God in Diapers

What I will share with you today first appeared in a magazine article I wrote almost twenty years ago. I believe it is all still true.

At the heart of the New Testament faith is a God who does almost nothing the way he is supposed to. Who would have ever expected he would show up on our planet? The God of the logicians and the philosophers would never do that. Even if we thought he might appear, who would have ever expected him to come…in diapers?  To think that God who is by definition limitless, would choose to take on the greatest limits that we know, can certainly trip all your circuits. And yet, that is the message of the New Testament.

SAD and BET

Here in North America it is that time of the year when the days are at their shortest. It is supposed to be a joyful season, but some people have what is called seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This is a generalized depression that seems to be brought on by the reduced amount of light. Many of us are probably affected by this phenomenon, but for some people it is a serious challenge requiring professional help.

Unchanging Truth

Psychologists and psychiatrists have a big book called the DSM. It is sometimes called the bible for mental health professionals. This week the committee that revises the DSM announced that the new edition will no longer include narcissistic personality disorder.

The Choice is Yours

“Do you believe in God?” Steve Kroft asks J. Craig Venter on a recent edition of 60 Minutes. “No,” answered Venter.  He is a world famous microbiologist.  After a lackluster time in undergraduate school he somehow went on to get a Ph.D. and now is considered one of the leading scientists in the world, having described the first genome, mapped the complete human genome, and now having created the first synthetic cells with man-made DNA.  Kroft goes on to describe Venter as one known by his peers as a brilliant man with an out-sized ego.

Thanks and Giving

I have always loved the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. For many years it meant having dozens of college students and single adults in our home from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. More recently, it has been a quiet day with my Mom and Dad and any of our children that could make it. Absent all the hype and commercialism of Christmas, it is just a good day to relax, relate, reflect and, of course, be thankful.

God's Timing

I received an email this week and was surprised to see the name of the sender. We had not had contact for probably eight years, when for several months we were meeting most every week. Another friend and I were seeking to help him overcome his doubts and return to life as a disciple of Jesus. While he seemed to appreciate the time we spent, our visits ended without him making any changes.

The Three Stages of God's Work

A friend of mine likes to send me text messages with encouraging quotes. This week he sent one by Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to China. It said:


"I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done."


Sometimes a brief statement says something so well, and this one immediately connected with me. I found myself more inspired than I have been by full-length sermons and well-written articles.
To participate in the work of God is to face and then accept a daunting challenge. That is true in the case of certain specifics but it is true of kingdom living and the kingdom mission in general. “Mission impossible” seems to apply. We accept it and embrace it not because it seems so possible but because it is the work of God.