Category: Jesus

We can trust the One who knows the tools of His trade. by Tami Rudkin   “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:2, 3, NIV). Jig saw, band saw, and table saw. Chisels, 1/4″,…

by Tami Rudkin   The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners” (Matthew 11:19, NIV). Broken dreams. Shattered hopes. Ruined lives. These words describe many in our world today. They may describe you. They’re all around us, on…

The weight of words, divine and mortal. by Tami Rudkin   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Children sing “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” As soon as we hear that childhood verse, our mind’s…

The Light of the world takes on the Prince of Darkness. by Tami Rudkin   I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16, NIV). Simply speaking those words, repeating His name, soothes my spirit and impels me to look to the pale eastern horizon where the beautiful Morning…

by Tami Rudkin   Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). A young male made the news this week in our town. He was an addict; he had been repeatedly beaten; he had been abandoned by people who suspected the abuse; now he is dead because…

We’re neither puppets on the world’s stage nor writers of our own drama. by Tami Rudkin   “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this” (Acts 3:15, NIV). When did Jesus, the Author of life, first think of me? Where does any author initially begin to…

How to fill your “spiritual compartment.” by Tami Rudkin   I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry . . . (John 6:35, NIV). People were milling around Taco Bell, looking hungry — and maybe a little angry — because of the growls in their stomachs and the…

If we have wandered as sheep, we can followthe voice that calls us back to the fold. by Tami Rudkin   I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11, NIV). A lone figure: agile, muscular, bearded; calm, perceptive, purposeful; rod, flute, prayers; protector, provider, guide. The…

What it means to live intimately with the Son of God. by Tami Rudkin   He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life (Revelation 21:6,…

Spiritual parallels in the legend of King Arthur. by Bob Hostetler   The whiskered knight eyed the crowd outside the stone church. A massive stone occupied the ground beside the knight, bearing an anvil in its midst. Stuck into the anvil by its point, a sword gleamed, bearing these words in gold: “Whoso pulleth out…