Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua . . . .” (Exodus 17:14, NKJV) I am currently working on a seventy-fifth anniversary history project for my church, and I’m finding it both fascinating and frustrating. It’s fascinating because of the miracles I’m discovering in our church’s history. It’s frustrating because I have questions that can’t be answered. Those with the answers are no longer among us. Someone on this committee jokingly said, “Let’s leave good notes for those who do the hundredth anniversary.” I also have many questions about my personal history, but the generation that can answer those questions has long been silent. I have no idea about the faith of my paternal grandparents. Were they religious, indifferent, or non-believers? I know part of my father’s story and some of the miracles he experienced before I was born. But I wonder who first told him about the Pentecostal experience. How old was he when he decided to live for God? When was he baptized and Spirit-filled? Questions without answers. I wish he had left a written testimony to pass down. Those were questions I never asked…

“Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, but rather what is inside the heart ​— ​the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (I Peter 3:3-4, CSB) Are you beautiful? If you are like me, you can name every little imperfection, wrinkle, and lump of fat. I know what a bad hair day is—and it is usually Monday through Sunday. I never seem to accomplish that sleek, finished look I see on others. Truthfully, I no longer even try. It is what it is. True beauty is not measured by one’s dress size or weight, although society would like us to think so. Someone can have lank hair, crooked teeth, and fat feet and still be the most beautiful person in the room if their spirit is sweet. Some are fortunate enough to have both outer and inner beauty, but one lasts longer than the other. Abigail, whose story is told in I Samuel 25, was beautiful in both looks and character. Unfortunately, her husband Nabal, was a man “harsh and evil in his dealings” (verse 3). He was the kind of…

And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” . . .  But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.  (Genesis 19:17, 26, ESV) I think one of my greatest annoyances in life is distracted drivers. They drift left, then right. Their speed is inconsistent, first fast, then slow. They are texting, watching their GPS, eating, or searching for something in their purse. They are a danger to themselves and others. It’s easy to get distracted. We’ve all been guilty of getting sidetracked at some point during our day and losing focus. But some distractions are just downright dangerous. The story of Lot, his wife, and two daughters fleeing Sodom is a familiar one, but their story leaves some unanswered questions. How did this righteous man (II Peter 2:7) find himself in such a situation anyway? Why did he choose to live in that wicked city and raise his children in such a sinful environment? We can only speculate on his reasons. With God’s judgment ready to fall on Sodom, the angels…

“And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” (Numbers 13:33, ESV) Number 13 relates the story of twelve spies sent out by Moses to explore the Promised Land. Moses chose one man from each tribe, instructed them what to look for, and sent them on their way. For such an important mission, the twelve men he chose were among the brightest and the best. Numbers 13:2 calls them “rulers.” The Hebrew word used here often means “chief, choicest, best.” Forty days later the men returned with what in many ways seemed a glowing report. “Yes, the land flows with milk and honey. Look at this fruit we brought back to show you! It took two of us to carry this cluster of grapes. These pomegranates and figs are the best. It’s amazing.” “Nevertheless . . . .” That one word in verse 28 changed the destiny of the entire congregation for the next forty years. The spies went on to describe the sturdiness of the city walls . . . the giants they saw . . . the brute strength…