Dave Dishman

Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Author: Dave Dishman (Page 419 of 481)

Massacre of the Innocents

February 25, 2019 / / 0 Comments
The Massacre of the Innocents
Lucas van Valckenborch I (1586)

Few stories in the Bible are as terrible as the story of Herod murdering all the infants around Bethlehem following the visit by the Magi. When told of the newborn king, Herod sent troops to kill every boy 2 years old and younger. The Bible is unvarnished in its depiction of the evil found in the heart of mankind.

I saw this painting in a museum in Spain recently. The artist set the biblical story in a more modern setting, in the low countries of Europe in the late 1500s. A close view reveals the callous horror of the crime. I stood for several long minutes, soaking in the pain and loss. Visit the website of the museum, enlarge this painting and take a long look.

Here’s a reminder of what the spiritual forces in this world will do to keep Jesus from those he came to save. I’m reminded that although we “battle not against flesh and blood,” we certainly do battle. Sometimes our faith is challenging, and sometimes our faith involves life and death. Sometimes evil murders innocents. Understand the gravity of our faith. Gratefully, this is not how the story ends, but these stories are hard to deal with while we wait.

Teach With Cru

February 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

One of the newest projects from the Global Missions Research & Development team that I lead is called Teach with Cru. This program involves sending new graduates abroad to serve as teachers on university campuses and in Christian high schools. Most of these teachers will focus on English instruction, the most sought after language to know in the world.

Did you know that many countries that aren’t so keen on Christian missionaries will openly welcome Christian English teachers? Teachers find doors open where more traditional missionaries don’t even get to knock.

As you know, a good teacher is a powerful influence in the life of a student. Remembering how teachers changed our lives, it’s not hard to imagine the impact outstanding teachers can have around the world, as they teach English and live out their Christian faith in many challenging situations.

Check out the program at TeachwithCru.com.

My New Crush – Marie Kondo

February 11, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I have been watching a new show in Netflix, called Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Apparently, some people like the show and others can’t stand it. I don’t get that, because personally, I love it.

Sure, there’s some issues. Marie gets on her knees and embraces the spirit of the house before she gets started. Then, it’s hard to decide if something “sparks joy” as she recommends when it happens to be simply a utilitarian item. For instance, after watching one episode, I went through my underwear drawer and dumped it all out. No joy sparked. But my wife quickly replaced everything and corrected my thinking. No underwear for her spouse apparently ignited the opposite of joy.

The show, featuring Marie’s methods, gets close to the heart of one of the major issues in the United States and in our personal lives. We have way too much stuff, and we cling to our stuff way too long. A friend told me years ago that, “things are to be used and people are to be enjoyed.” We often switch those around to our detriment. This show brings us to a point of dealing with the mounds of material goods in our lives that get in the way of caring for the people God puts in our path.

The Bible speaks to us about issues like gluttony (the desire to consume more than we need), and covetousness or greed (the desire for more and more material gain), and sloth (the avoidance of work, in this case of picking up your house). Buying and hoarding more and more stuff are symptoms of larger heart issues. What material items do we cling to that block us from deeper relationships with God and neighbor?

So, a big thank you to Marie Kondo, the tiny Japanese lady who is helping us go through closets and garages and basements and attics and drawers full of our junk. In the midst of such purging, let’s remember our Lord, the giver of all good things, the Creator of all the raw materials we use, the lover of our souls. For our souls, and those souls around us, often hidden behind walls of possessions, remain of ultimate value in regards to our time on earth. I applaud anyone who helps us get beyond our stuff and back to a place where we can think about the most important parts of life.

Disruptively Witnessing

February 4, 2019 / / 1 Comment

“Being more prosperous has allowed Americans to more effectively hide from their thoughts.”

Alan Noble’s book, Disruptive Witness, is filled with quotes like the one above. I started reading it as part of a Cru book club. On occasion I read something that strikes a chord with how our historic faith intersects with our modern world. Noble’s book fits into that genre. It’s a book to read and dissect.

Noble looks at the issue in our society of our always distracted self. We don’t think deep thoughts, and if we get close to one, then we turn away from it quickly because of the constant barrage of distraction our world provides. Phones, computer, TVs, screens of all sizes and variety constantly pull our attention away from the divine. It’s hard for us to think in this environment, so how do we think we can communicate the deep truths of our faith?

Noble shares ways for us to engage in witnessing disruptively. One primary way involves what he calls the “double movement.” This is the “practice of first acknowledging goodness, beauty, and blessing wherever we encounter them in life, and then turning the goodness outward to glorify God and love our neighbor.” By speaking of the goodness and blessing of God in our lives, we help our friends and neighbors see that this material world is not all there is, and a transcendent God also exists and cares for us.

There’s a scratch on the surface of this book. Noble’s thoughts are worth our time as we consider communicating our faith into a distracted world.

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