Thirty miles off the southwest coast of Cuba is the Isla de Pinos (Island of the Pines). On this island is the notorious ‘Presidio Modelo’ (Model Prison, pictured above) built in the 1920’s by the president, turned dictator, Gerado Machado. When someone asked the dictator why he had built it so big, he replied, […]
3315) “Viva Cristo Rey!” (1/2) Read More »
Willie was a stuttering plodder. The only job he could get was as a shoemaker’s apprentice. The only girl who would marry him was Dorothy, who suffered from mental illness. But everything changed for Willie when he read a runaway bestseller. Most who read Captain Cook’s journal were captivated by the exploits of a
3314) “I Can Plod” Read More »
In a home for severely disabled children, Catherine was nurtured for twenty years. The child had been intellectually and physically disabled from the beginning and had never spoken a word. She either gazed quietly at the walls or made distorted movements. Her life seemed to consist of nothing more than eating, drinking, and
3313) Wasted Efforts? Read More »
Photo above: Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the courtyard of Tegel Prison, summer 1944 ************************************** A reading from the modern classic The Cost of Discipleship (1937) by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945). This is a great passage to apply to other people. We should also apply it to ourselves. Cheap grace is the mortal
John 13:1-16 — It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas,
3311) Who are the Best? Read More »
Charlotte Eliot was born in England in 1789. Her parents were wealthy, and for 20-some years she lived a care-free, fun-filled life. Then, she was struck with a crippling disease, and by her early 30’s she was a bedridden invalid. She became depressed, bitter, and angry at God. She would often be rude
3310) Just As I Am Read More »
Caiaphas, James Tissot (1836-1902) ——————— John 11:47-50 — The chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away
3309) Understanding Caiaphas Read More »
(…continued) Jesus is enduring these forty days of suffering in the desert because God the Father Himself is putting him through it. Why would God do that? Part of the answer can be found in Hebrews 5:8: “Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience by what he suffered, and once
3308) The Temptation of Christ (2/2) Read More »
Above painting: The Temptation of Christ, Titian (1490-1576) In this brilliant depiction of the temptation story, Titian paints the devil as an innocent child, appealing to Jesus to turn the stone he is holding into bread. He is illustrating the fact that temptations can appear to be very innocent, as it says in II Corinthians
3307) The Temptation of Christ (1/2) Read More »
(…continued) But as soon as one starts talking about government, things get complicated, so I’ll illustrate this with a less complex setting– the family. Let’s say little brother hits big sister. Now big sister has at least three options. Option #1 is she can just ignore it. If she
3306) What Good is Government? (2/2) Read More »
