God’s Sovereignty
-
Finding Hope in a Place You Didn’t Choose
So I was reading Jeremiah 29 the other night, and something jumped out at me almost immediately. Despite Israel being under God’s judgment – despite Jerusalem falling, the temple being destroyed, and people forcibly carried off into Babylon – God tells the exiles to… enjoy life. Go ahead and build houses. Plant your gardens. Get married and have… Continue reading
-
They Thought They Were Increasing Their Tax Base
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. – Luke 2:1-3 Luke tells us that just before Jesus was born, Caesar… Continue reading
-
God’s Global Positioning System
Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. – Acts 9:43 My wife is currently traveling abroad on a women’s ministry trip. And to be upfront about it, when she first mentioned this to me and where she would be going several months ago, I wasn’t too keen on the idea.… Continue reading
-
The Divine Intersection Where Our Stories Meet
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. – Ephesians 3:7 Logging over 10,000 miles of missionary journeys, authoring 13 New Testament letters, planting 15-20 churches, enduring imprisonments, shipwrecks, and relentless persecution and suffering – the apostle Paul’s ministry shaped the foundation… Continue reading
-
Don’t Be a Glory Thief
I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. – Isaiah 42:8 God is very clear in this verse – He will not share His glory with anyone or anything. He alone is the Lord. He alone is worthy of praise. And He… Continue reading
-
Resting in the Sovereign Hand of God
To know that nothing happens in God’s world apart from God’s will may frighten the godless, but it stabilizes the saints. – J. I. Packer, in Knowing God For those who don’t know God, the idea that nothing – nothing – happens outside His will is a most dreadful thought. It’s unsettling, isn’t it, to… Continue reading
-
Three is better than two; two is better than one.
So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms… Continue reading
-
How Can We Measure the Immeasurable?
Standing on the edge of the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon, I had never felt more insignificant in my entire life. “Surely,” I thought to myself, “Something greater than anything the world has ever seen created this.” It was as though God had taken His finger and created this majestic chasm, this beautiful masterpiece… Continue reading
-
When Hope Comes in the Form of Cheese Sandwiches
“One day Jesse said to David, ‘Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.’ David’s brothers were… Continue reading
About Me
Welcome! I’m Scott (aka Former Blackout Artist), and I’m so happy you decided to drop in! I hope you find the content here spiritually enlightening and uplifting. Most of all, I hope that my love of Christ is revealed through my writing and that it encourages you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!