Author: David Ellis

Jay: Samson was a “superhero”—a man possessed of exceptional strength who was a hero to his people, the Israelites. He was eventually tricked by his Gentile wife into revealing the source of his strength (his hair), and was lulled by her to sleep so that her servants could cut his hair and render him susceptible…

Jay: Daniel, a Jew, became a favorite of the non-Jewish king of Babylon. The king’s nobles were jealous of Daniel and, knowing his devotion to the Jewish God by seeing him pray at his window (visible from the street) three times a day, they conspired to persuade the king to decree a 30-day prohibition on…

…pray without ceasing;… (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Don: What does this statement mean? It appears within a set of instructions on how to live and behave given to members of the growing Christian church in the Greek city of Thessaloniki by the Apostle Paul: But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently…

Don: There is a universal need to pray to a supernatural power, especially in times of need. And yet, when we analyze the concept of prayer, we find it hard to understand. It seems important to just about everyone, everywhere, at all times. Jesus prayed often, and prayer was only thing the disciples asked Jesus…

Don: I’ve been thinking all week about this statement from Jesus: “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22) Would that include a prayer for God to change His mind about something? James said that the effective prayer of the righteous man can work wonders: Is anyone among you suffering?…

Don: Jesus said: “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22) And: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be…

‘God told me to kill the kids’ 2006-05-24 08:10 San Francisco – A woman accused of murdering her three young sons by tossing them into frigid San Francisco Bay said God summoned her to sacrifice her children, her lawyer said on Tuesday. Lashuan Harris, 23, who faces three counts of murder in last October’s drownings,…

Don: Much of the Book of Genesis is taken up with the extraordinary story of the faith journey of Abram, who later became Abraham. The Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Romans, emphasized the contrast between Abraham’s works and beliefs. And the “faith hall of fame” given in Hebrews 11 made a place for…

Don: We often conflate faith and religion, but they are different (albeit related) things. To me, faith is primarily internal, personal belief that exists independently of whether or not it is shared with or by others. Religion, on the other hand, is external, a sort of faith organized around a group of people who share…