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Many years ago, Kelly Kenagy gave me an insight into what he called the underground river.   It has been helpful in my life for many years.   Here are his thoughts: “Jesus often tells his followers that if they ask in his name, they will receive what they desire.  That needs a little explanation.  In the Greek the word ask means to crave with a strong desire and the word name means nature or character.  Thus, this kind of a prayer is a strong desire within those who are seeking to see God do things that are consistent with His character.  It does not mean tacking, “in the name of Jesus”, on the end of our prayer so that we get whatever we ask.  Instead, the kind of asking...

What might encourage us to explore what Paul was teaching about living in the heavenly realm? One reason this is a very important concept for us to experience is the benefit that comes to us in our lives as we follow Jesus.  Paul wrote to his friends in Ephesus (1:3) that God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. So, if this is a way to be blessed, then it seems like we should be seeking to experience and understand what life is like in the heavenly realms. Another reason comes from the prayer Jesus gave us followers.  He told his disciples that we are to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. ...

Consumer or Apprentice Shortly after the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the communist hold on Eastern Europe, a friend, Dean Truog, had the opportunity to meet with a pastor from one of those countries. The man had been imprisoned because of his faith. His prison guard was a former member of his congregation. Dean asked the man, what made the difference between one who goes to prison for his faith and one who renounces it and joins the persecutors? After a thoughtful pause, the man replied that one comes to Jesus as an apprentice, and the other comes as a customer. One wants to learn to be like Jesus. And the other one only wants things from Jesus. The...

(These are some ideas I have been exploring over the past while, and they are not to be confused with a rather popular video series with the same title.)  When we are chosen, we discover that we are valued.  When I look back on my life, I see many instances where being chosen or not being chosen had a major impact on who I was becoming.  In grade school, we would all go out to the softball field, and two captains would choose their teams.  I was almost always chosen early, which made me think I was a good ball player.  This influenced my athletic career in major ways over the years. Later in my sophomore year in college, the basketball coach said I was number 16 on a...

The importance of margins Several years ago, our pastor preached a sermon on the importance of margins. He had some helpful ideas, but the most memorable part of the sermon was that he stood right on the edge of the stage with no margin. Making it obvious that standing there without a margin was not safe. The point was dramatically made that without margins, we have no space to deal with the many things that come unexpectedly into our lives. Establishing margins is counter-cultural to the American way of living. So we need this reflection to help us see the importance of margins, and if anyone especially needs these ideas—I do! Quotes from thoughtful people about margi...

The first century was an amazing time for the expanding church as people who loved Jesus spread the message all over the known world.  There were several factors that made this possible. The first factor was a geographical one—the expansion of the Roman Empire made travel throughout the known world possible.  Another factor was that the followers of Jesus were more committed because of the persecution they endured.  When the Communists took over in China in 1949 there were about one million Christians in the country.  At that time all churches were banned and it was against the law to practice Christianity.  Twenty years later, when the country opened up, there were fifty...

Parenting was different 85 years ago.  Most likely influenced by the agonies of the depression, and later by the major impact of the Second World War, and probably by things that I don’t understand.  Just making it through life, paying bills, and having a place to live were major challenges for my parents.  My parents loved me and were proud of me but they never even once told me.  Years after my father’s death I learned that he bragged about my accomplishments to others often—but never once did I hear from him, “Well done!  I’m proud of you.” My older sister responded to this lack of expressed affection by running away, at age 16, to marry an older man.  My younger...

A Word From Kay Hotaling    Recently Kay and I were sorting through the clutter of the many papers we have saved and I came across several that had insights from Kay that she had presented to various friends over the years.  I love her insights!  So I typed up some of these ideas to share with friends who we know have experienced them in their journeys with Jesus and others. Enjoy, Kent Hotaling               Intentional Friendships Learning to live as friends is God’s idea.  It begins with Him initiating friendship with us and grows as we listen to and learn from him.  Then as Jesus made clear (love each other the way I have loved you) we are learning from God how to...

God’s Love Language In most of the groups I have been in over the years when the two great commandments are being discussed most people slide right past the first one about loving God and begin with loving self or neighbor.  So I have been thinking more about how to love God. We can learn something from the second commandment that helps us learn how to do the greatest commandment. Jesus told us we are to “love our neighbor as ourselves”.  It is often falsely interpreted that what makes us feel loved is how we love others.  That isn’t the best way to love others.  To live in love as Jesus desires we need to think about how to love our neighbors the way they want to...