Life's Inanities and Ironies

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”   —Luke 18:1 (KJV) Our Lord Jesus did not begin this familiar parable with a story. He began with a purpose. Before the widow ever stood before the unjust judge, Christ told His disciples *why* the parable was being given: that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. That single verse sets the entire tone. Prayer is not presented as an emergency measure or a last resort. It is presented as the normal, continual posture of the believer. The place of prayer is not first a geographic location—though a quiet closet is a blessed thing—but a settled determination of the heart that refuses to quit. Always Pray The word “always” leaves no room for seasons of spiritual neglect. It does not mean we are to walk about with our eyes closed and our lips moving every waking moment. It means that the channel between the believer and the throne of grace is never to be shut down. Communion with ...

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a deeply humbling experience I had after church this morning. One of my brothers in Christ—who is in as bad or worse shape than I am most days—stopped and asked me about the requirements to donate a kidney , or at least to explore the possibility. Now, I know that sounds extraordinary, but what you might not realize is that my brother Larry is in his 80s, has been in poor health off and on for the last 6-8 years, and is currently living in a nursing home. Yet, he felt led to ask me about this. The fact that someone going through so much is still ready to offer up even more, if he can, is incredibly humbling to me. I explained to him that the criteria for being a donor are very strict. Over the last three years, I've had at least five people try to sign up to donate for me, and each one has been turned down for various reasons: diabetes , liver conditions , histories of various diseases that disqualify people from the list. Part of me is very gl...