from Rachel: Antiochus III the Great

Remember, [the] conflict is biblically significant because a very important piece of land was between Syria and Egypt. What was it? “Israel” Quick review: Whose dynasty is reflected by the kings of the:North – “Seleucus” South – “Ptolemy” Now let’s read Daniel 11:10-19. According to the chart, what two Seleucid kings (of the North) areContinue reading “from Rachel: Antiochus III the Great”

from Rachel: Weighed and Found Wanting

Read Daniel 5:18-31. What was Belshazzar’s defining mistake (v. 22)? “He had not humbled himself (though he knew what had happened to his grandfather).” Can you think of any easier route to victory than learning from the mistakes of others? Oh, the pain we’d avoid! Really think about it: why do we tend to beContinue reading “from Rachel: Weighed and Found Wanting”

A Hundred Lies and the Truth

Dearest Rachel – You probably remember how, after Sunday services, over dinner either between the three of us or (more often, since that used to be how we all got together every week) the entire extended family, we would discuss what had been spoken about in the sermon just a little while before. It wasn’tContinue reading “A Hundred Lies and the Truth”

Not Everything Can Be Fixed

Dearest Rachel – The last few results from Tuesday have come in, and the funny thing is, none of it really came as that much of a surprise. The news organizations and channels Daniel and I were listening to actually predicted the results as they’ve come in – although they did seem to hedge theirContinue reading “Not Everything Can Be Fixed”

Don’t Try to Solve Your Problems

Dearest Rachel – I won’t call what I woke up with this morning a dream, as such. There’s no particular story to tell you about, exactly. But in going over the situation as I see it from a distance, there’s a moral to be grasped from it all; not a particularly uplifting or encouraging one,Continue reading “Don’t Try to Solve Your Problems”

from Rachel: The Reign of Hezekiah

Why do you think Hezekiah turned out so differently from his father? “Maybe he recognized how wrong and wicked his father had been and wanted to be the exact opposite. Maybe Isaiah had the opportunity to influence him in his formative years. Or, perhaps his mother, Abijah, did; (her father was Zechariah – perhaps theContinue reading “from Rachel: The Reign of Hezekiah”

All Part of the Show

Dearest Rachel – You might be surprised (or you might not, what do I know?) to discover how often I get started on the letter to you, only to virtually crumpled up and throw it over my shoulder into the trash. Maybe I can’t find an ending for it. Maybe it’s just too rambling andContinue reading “All Part of the Show”

Galilee Afternoon

Dearest Rachel – Sunday dinnerOn the shore of Galilee At a… Chinese restaurant? Actually no, we’re not eating at the Pagoda this time. But, we find ourselves eating outdoors in November – another unfamiliar combination of concepts for a group of Chicago natives. But as time wears on, and the sun beats down on us, evenContinue reading “Galilee Afternoon”

What Lamech Learned from Great-Grandpappy

Dearest Rachel – This letter, and the one preceding it, have got to seem to be a little strange to you, I’m sure. What are these about? Did something happen in my life that I’m trying to allude to in the most oblique of terms, lest I upset someone with murderous intent on me (orContinue reading “What Lamech Learned from Great-Grandpappy”

Followers, Fans and Flings

Dearest Rachel – The message at church this weekend centered around the sixth chapter of John. The basic gist of it was about how Jesus was showing the crowds just how narrow the path toward salvation could be, and questioning whether they were willing to take it. Most weren’t. In fact, the mass departure gotContinue reading “Followers, Fans and Flings”