Wayne Stiles's Blog, page 56

The Day Jesus Cracked a Joke

Why the truth is harder to choke down than camels and gnats.

Eight dollars,” the Arab quoted me in perfect English. The stinking camel he held beside him shifted its weight, and I could have sworn the beast smiled at me.

Hard to believe, but a short ride on a smelly camel outside of Jericho will set you back eight bucks. I wanted to walk away, but with my daughter eager to ride, I forked over the cash.

(Photo: Camel rides outside of Jericho)

Clinging to carpets strapped on as a makeshift sadd...

Hezekiah’s Tunnel and Wall Give a Lesson from Archaeology

Scripture is supported by what we can dig out of the ground.

The ancient world had a bully system that worked in straightforward terms. A nation would conquer a region and demand tribute—annual payment of money and goods. If you didn’t pay tribute, they’d come and kill you. Pretty simple system.

(Photo: Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

King Hezekiah refused to pay tribute to the bully. So the Assyrians invaded Judah.

Archaeology has unearthed treasures that...

Why God Will Absolutely Never Give Up on You

Discovering the joy of being confined with God.

Imagine with me you have a child—and only one. The delivery had complications that threatened his life, but the boy lived. So you name your son Nathaniel—“given of God.”

(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)

While recovering at home, you begin the ritual every three hours of feeding little Nathaniel and rocking him while he screams through fits of colic. Without missing one feeding, or letting one diaper go unchanged, or any needs unmet, you never give u...

Quote by George Barna on the missing link between faith and impact. [Quote]

My six year study on how God transforms lives and what difference such transformation makes to the individual in the world they influence indicates that the absence of brokenness is the missing link between faith and impact.Keep reading this post.

Better still, get my full posts the easy way when you SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG. When you do, I’ll also send you my FREE e-book!

George Barna
America at the Crossroads: Explosive Trends Shaping America’s Future and What You Can...

5 Ways to Remember God in Your Busy Life

Set up some triggers to jump-start your heart.

Not long ago, I forgot the birthday of a good friend. After I looked back at my calendar, I saw the problem. I neglected to set up a reminder for the important day. We overlook significant things in our lives often because of our busyness—not because of our apathy. It’s no different in our relationship with God.

(Photo by Photodune)

Whether we use string on a finger, a Post-it Note on the mirror, or an auto-reminder on our smartphones, we all nee...

America at the Crossroads: Explosive Trends Shaping America’s Future and What You Can Do about It [Book]

America at the Crossroads: Explosive Trends Shaping America’s Future and What You Can Do about It by George Barna (Baker Publishing Group, 2016) This new book by Christian pollster George Barna gives the latest facts about what America believes and trends that shape our future. Of course, anybody but an ostrich is well aware that America is in a moral nosedive. Barna simply reveals the fact with facts.

But America at the Crossroads isn’t just a book about facts and forec...

Why You Never Need to Settle for Second Best with God

What God wants to give us is always far better than what we want Him to give us.

Their request seemed to make sense. But it was crazy: “Let this land be given to your servants as a possession,” the people of Reuben and Gad said to Moses, “do not take us across the Jordan” (Numbers 32:5).

(Photo: Land of Gilead, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

The tribes of Reuben and Gad had huge herds, and the land of Gilead and Jazer had lush pastures. So th...

Caesarea Philippi (Banias)—From the god Pan to the God-Man

Refreshing hope from the Son of God and the sons of Korah

In a land where water is life, it’s no wonder one of the major sources of water would become a primary place of worship. Regrettably, the god worshipped at Banias was not the God of Israel.

Caesarea Philippi forms the headwaters of the Jordan River. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.

The flowing streams and the nearby waterfalls offer some of the most pleasant and inviting surroundings for tours, holidays, and family out...

Clear Your Guilty Conscience in 3 Steps

When God gets your attention, here's what to do.

It’s amazing how God can get our attention. I read that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle played a joke on 12 of his friends. He sent them each identical telegrams that read: “Flee! All is discovered!” Within 24 hours, all 12 fled the country. What Conan Doyle did in jest, God does to us in all seriousness.

(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)

The Lord will use situations to awaken ignored or unresolved guilt, testing our willingness to come clean and clear a gui...

Quote by Larry Crabb on what happens when make Jesus our only source of living water. [Quote]

Only when we reject everyone but Jesus as the ultimate source of living water for our thirsty souls will we be free to see others as opportunities to put Jesus on display, no matter how they relate to us.Keep reading this post.

Better still, get my full posts the easy way when you SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG. When you do, I’ll also send you my FREE e-book!

Larry Crabb
A Different Kind of Happiness: Discovering the Joy That Comes from Sacrificial Love (Baker Publishing Group...