Spiritual Vitality

John Deere 8640 tractor

How To Maintain Proper Perspective in Hard Times

The summer of 1999 was a special season for me. I got to fulfill a childhood dream of working and living on a farm. (Many thanks to Lee and Barb Miller of Barlee Farms!)

On one particular afternoon, I found myself in an 8640 John Deere 4×4 tractor pulling a 42’ wide field cultivator in a field that was 80 acres.

John-Deere-8640

It is hard to describe the kind of pull that that field cultivator put on the tractor when I dropped those iron teeth into the black Iowa soil.

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By Brian Hershey, ago
tiny baby hand

Adopted Not Aborted

The year was 1954. Dr. Jandali, professor at the University of Wisconsin, and student Joanne Schieble found themselves in a tough predicament. The two had been having extra “tutoring” sessions outside of class when Joanne and her professor realized the unthinkable: they were pregnant!

Joanne’s parents strongly objected to the relationship. So from the beginning things were not off to a good start. And now a baby!?

baby's hand
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By Brian Hershey, ago
ChrisAkinsdotCom

“I Believe.”: The Greatest Miracle

Nothing cuts deeper than the death of a loved one in his prime.

ChrisAkinsdotCom

ChrisAkinsdotCom

So much expectation, potential, and promise are gone in a flash. Without warning, a car crash, terminal disease, or a bizarre, freak accident shatters unfulfilled dreams.

What follows is an empty pit in the stomach, a gut-wrench ache in the soul, a void where confusion and sorrow rush to fill. No words of solace can relieve the pain.

That was Mary and Martha’s reality one cold winter’s day in John 11. Their brother, Lazarus, lay sick on his deathbed. Doctors couldn’t help. (more…)

By Brian Hershey, ago

Solomon and Election Year Politics

I’ve been giving some thought to this year’s Presidential election. I’ve also been trying recently to put into practice Solomon’s advice from Ecclesiastes.

Squaring the two realities has been good for my soul and for gaining good perspective in life. So I thought I’d pass along some “fresh bread”. Perhaps you’ll find some benefit too!

Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 2:24-25:

There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God. For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him. (NET Bible)

This verse is the thrust of Ecclesiastes as it is a recurring theme throughout the book (see also 3:12, 22; and 8:15). Solomon is arguing that the only way to find true joy and satisfaction in life is to fear God and keep his commands. (more…)

By Brian Hershey, ago

Joseph: A Man of Quiet Obedience

Something struck me the other day as I was reading the first two chapters of Matthew.

Joseph’s quiet, unassuming obedience during a time of mystifying circumstances commends him as someone worthy of example.

Consider:

  • Joseph had every right to publicly expose Mary for her alleged infidelity. But with a heart that must have been broken, he wisely and lovingly elects to divorce her quietly. He does not act in bitterness but in tenderness of heart all the while upholding the OT Law (Deut. 22:23-24).
  • Joseph, against all probabilities, trusted the message of the angel of the Lord and took Mary as his wife. Yet he did not sleep with her! His obedience helped to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. (more…)
By Brian Hershey, ago

Crossroads: The Forging of a Legacy

Never underestimate the power of dead men walking.

Imagine yourself at a crossroads with two paths. One lead towards certain immediate death but preserves your integrity; the other towards the postponement of death but requires compromise. In the end, both paths bring the traveler to the same end. The only difference is the journey. Which would you choose? The shorter life of integrity or the longer life of compromise?

That was the choice facing three young men many years ago. They were in a foreign land being ruled by a foreign king. In this land, the people worshiped pagan gods and built and served man-made idols. (more…)

By Brian Hershey, ago

God’s Mega-Phone

Genesis 3 is perhaps the most tragic of the 1,189 chapters found in the Bible. Why? Because it records the moment when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. It would be like a brand new Lamborghini Diablo being run over by a tractor-trailer two seconds after driving off the lot. Or like a beautiful work of art like the Mona Lisa being slashed with a machete. Yeah, that’s how tragic Genesis 3 is – only 1,000 times worse! (more…)

By Brian Hershey, ago