Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 54
November 11, 2016
Masada— A Place of Sanctuary, Suicide, and Inspiration
Israel's symbol of resolve still inspires us.
One visit to Masada is not enough. It’s no wonder. Masada looks as intimidating today as it did to those who stood at its base thousands of years ago.
(Photo: The magnificent fortress of Masada. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Towering 1300 feet above the Dead Sea, this natural mesa looms tall across from the Lisan at the southern half of the Dead Sea.
Steep cliffs on all sides make the mountain look virtually impregnable.
And it...
November 9, 2016
Why God Allows Us to Crash and Hurt
Our assumption misses an astounding part of God’s love.
I will never forget the day when one of my daughters learned to ride her bike without training wheels. (The “fall” was an appropriate season for this event.)
As she sped down a hill toward a huge ravine, I saw written all over her face the message: “I’m not in control!”
(Photo: Monkey Business Images, via Vivozoom)
As she raced by me, I reached out and lifted her off the bike—saving her from the ravine but causing her to fall. As the bik...
November 3, 2016
Start Looking at What You Want to See
How to stay aware of the positives you long for in your life.
We’ve all experienced it, haven’t we? We buy a car and suddenly, we see our car’s model everywhere on the road.We notice what we have on our mind. This is true in all of life.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
On a recent trip to Israel, one man on our bus mentioned he saw beehives everywhere. Really? Beehives? I had never noticed. He was a beekeeper. We see what we’re thinking about.
As a woodworker, I notice furniture everywhere I go...November 1, 2016
Envy Grabbing You? Here are 4 Tips for Freedom
And why getting what we want doesn't fix us.
For some reason, we tend to envy others. Big time. Be it a car, a position, a house, or a spouse, we want it. There just seems to be part of our nature that sees what we don’t have as what we need.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
No matter what season of life we’re in, we tend to feel dissatisfied with who we are, or what we have, compared to someone else.
The teenager wants to be an adult. The single wants to be married. Those with no kids want kids...October 30, 2016
Nazareth—Jesus’ Hometown with a View to the Past and the Future
Not many people can say they grew up on a hill that overlooked the battlefields of history. But Jesus could.
Jesus’ hometown sat off the beaten path and high on a ridge that overlooked the International Highway and the prominent Jezreel Valley.
(Photo: Nazareth Mount of Precipitation. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
The gospels tell us Nazareth rested on a hill with a formidable precipice (Luke 4:29). From here Jesus cold see the battles of Israel’s history.
The city’s name...
October 26, 2016
The Gates of Jerusalem Today and Tomorrow
8 gates today and 12 in the future.
Every time I see them, they fascinate me. The walls and gates of Jerusalem have expanded and contracted over the centuries like the breathing of a living being. Even today, the Old City of Jerusalem is such that we have to enter the city through gates—just as people did for thousands of years.
(Photo: Jerusalem’s Golden Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Gates were more than passageways. They served as places for personal business and c...
October 24, 2016
Mount of Beatitudes—Beauty that Illustrates Truth
Seeing Beyond the Lake to Life
No matter where I stand to view the picture, the subject seems to be smiling. The hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee frame the lake like a portrait. In spring, the hillsides burst with wildflowers, fresh grass, and spectacular color. The tranquil slopes tower above fruit crops and fertile fields that stretch across the lush Plain of Gennesaret.
(Photo: Mount of Beatitudes and Sea of Galilee, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Numerous places aro...
October 21, 2016
The Harod Valley—Your Overwhelming Anxiety Finds its Peace
Truths as enduring as the beautiful settings in which they occurred.
It’s amazing how history repeats itself in our lives. We think we’ve learned to deal with overwhelming anxiety, but each new day offers a new challenge we never would have expected.
(Photo: The Harod Valley. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
In ancient Israel, the Harod Valley gave stage to two sets of desperate situations. From threats to insecurities to death and hopelessness, in every case the overwhelming...
October 19, 2016
Where the End of Hopelessness Begins for You
Theology offers something essential in your struggle.
There’s not much we can be sure of today. We live in a culture of broken promises, broken relationships, shallow friendships, and flawed leaders. And that’s just at church.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
After a number of stabbing disappointments, we can come to the place where we expect little else. We can choose to hope for nothing in hopes we won’t be disappointed. When we focus on the here and now—and especially on all the pain life has...
October 17, 2016
Why Your Life in Christ is Supposed to Hurt
Finding the key to pressing on in spite of your pain.
Any woman who has experienced childbirth understands. Any helpless man who has witnessed childbirth, like me (twice), gets it to a degree. That’s why the Bible uses the experience as a metaphor of our lives.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
The whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves . . . groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemp...
