Some people cannot bring themselves to believe in miracles. To them, the world goes on in its usual processes. So, when they read or hear someone talk about the miracles in the Bible, they dismiss them as mere fabrications or tricks. Surely, they argue, there must be a natural explanation.

Our Lord did many amazing acts during His earthly ministry, acts that cannot be easily shrugged off. Some may think He was merely a prophet or great moral teacher, but they cannot deny that the Bible includes numerous miraculous deeds done by Jesus. All of them are important signs that prove His Messiahship and divinity. However, a few stand out as some of the most remarkable miracles from His ministry, and even of all Scripture.

These acts display the power of Christ, demonstrating that He is much more than a prophet, moral teacher, or just a good man. He is the Son of God who is Lord over all. May we consider the following incredible miracles and decide what we believe about Jesus Christ.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Greg Rakozy

In The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis, Eustace and Jill find themselves in a world underneath Narnia and, because of the influence of a witch, begin to wonder if Narnia was merely a dream. The witch’s lies worm their way into their minds, lulling them to forgetfulness. Was the sun truly real? They could not see it at present. And Aslan? Wasn’t He merely a cat?

Throughout the book, Lewis emphasized the need for Eustace and Jill to remember what Aslan had told them, to set their minds on the truth. Yet, repeatedly, the children discover that they have forgotten the words of the Great Lion.

Believers often do the same. Like Eustace and Jill, we forget and start living as if heaven, and our future eternity on the New Earth, is a mere dream. We know what Scripture says about our citizenship, but our priorities often reveal a worldly focus. Many Christians have started to believe the old saying about a heavenly-minded person being of no earthly good. As it is, do we not have to deal with the mundane issues of ordinary life?

Yet, those who leave a Christ-centered legacy through their lives are those who were most focused on eternity. As Lewis famously said, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” He argues that the lack of heavenly focus is what has contributed to the ineffectiveness of many modern Christians.

If we care about how we live in the world (which we should), then we need to be more intentional about setting our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). Doing so will not turn us into dreamers, but into doers whose hope and heart are tethered to our identity as citizens of heaven.

The following six points provide a starting point for meditation as we quest to remember the true Narnia as Eustace and Jill eventually did with the help of Puddleglum, and to live as ambassadors of hope in a fallen world.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/peemadech bangsiri

Bodies of water played a significant geographic role in Jesus’ earthly ministry. He regularly traveled by the “sea” (though the Sea of Galilee is actually a lake) and taught on shores. Also, many of His disciples were fishermen whom He called while near the water. They knew a lot about boats and traversing the sea.

Like the other natural settings where Christ taught the crowds, the seaside setting showed that He went where the people were. He did not restrict His teachings to only those who were students of the Law or who were studying in the temple. Everyday people, like fishermen and farmers, were His audience, and He taught them in ways that connected with their daily lives through memorable stories and sayings.

Such universal application for those on different rungs of the social ladder mirrors His intent for the growth of His church. The lessons He taught were always meant to be far reaching – useful to Jew, Gentile, poor, and rich. For, as He told the disciples, they were to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, teaching everything He had commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Christ taught a Jewish audience, but He always meant for the teachings to have widespread applicability.

Today, people around the world can study the Lord’s words in their own language. And there is an ongoing effort to make His teachings available in every language so that people from every nation, tribe, and tongue may know Him and follow Him as a disciple. We can read His Word at home or during our own travels. And we can study His teachings in various places, including the beach.

As we watch the waves glide in and out, feel its salty spray, and listen to the cry of the gulls, we can creatively imagine ourselves in first-century Israel listening to Jesus as He taught on the shore.

Here are a few of His teachings to incorporate into your beach reading.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Cultura RM Exclusive/Bill Sykes

We often think of hospitality in terms of food served to others. So, naturally, we would assume that hospitality belongs to women, and that one of the marks of a godly woman is to be ready to serve a meal to a friend or stranger.

However, hospitality is much more than food or even housekeeping. It is also not confined to “women’s work” since hospitality was often modeled by men in the Bible and ultimately by our Lord. Hospitality is an attitude of welcoming others, inviting them into our lives and making them feel at home. Such an act can be done within the realm of our homes, but also outside of our dwelling places. For hospitality is about seeing others and making them feel they are welcome.

The women in the Bible who exhibited such godly hospitality often did so in the context of inviting others to a meal and opening their homes. What is most striking about their examples, though, is not the quality of their housekeeping. Rather, they demonstrated a willingness to serve others and courageously offered their resources despite the risks involved. The examples of these women remind us of the cost of welcoming others in a God-honoring way, but also the worth of reflecting the great love and care that God has shown us.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Fresh Splash

Like other prophetic books of the Bible, Daniel confounds many readers. What are we to make of the strange visions and dreams? Is there any way to identify the odd – even frightening – images described by Daniel?

A person’s approach to biblical interpretation will influence how they explain the odd creatures and other forms of symbolism present in this book of the Bible. Some may focus on interpretations involving the past or future, or as allegory meant to convey spiritual truth. What all believers can acknowledge, however, is that the symbols in Daniel have powerful meanings. They teach significant truths about the Lord’s sovereignty and plan, for He remains the ultimate Ruler despite the rise and fall of empires and earthly kings.

The following examples provide a glimpse at what these images from dreams and visions can teach us, not only about the past or future, but also about the Lord God and His Kingdom.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/johan63

My grandmother lost her eldest son when he was only eight years old. For his short yet light-filled life, he struggled with a congenital heart problem. When he died, my grandmother fell into depression, a darkness she continued to battle for years afterward. Yet every year after his death, as long as she was physically able to, my grandmother visited the grave on Good Friday to grieve and remember. Mixed in with her mourning was undoubtedly tears of gratitude for the time she was able to spend with her son. And those tears she shed were evidence of a mother’s love that never forgot.

Experiencing the death of someone we love is never easy. But the pain is intensified when it is a child that we bury, one we thought we would see grow and flourish. The one who should watch us get old and live far beyond our own years.

Watching loved ones die and children perishing long before their time are terrible effects of living in a fallen world. Yet we know that death is not the end of the story. For our Savior conquered death through His sacrificial death and resurrection. Because He lives, we have hope.

During the times when we lose a child, though, we need words to express our loss – a lament to the Lord that allows us to pour out our hearts while also turning our eyes back to Him. The practice of lamenting has been lost in our modern, western society but Scripture provides us with examples. The following prayers draw from the examples of Scripture and can be helpful in expressing our grief as we cling to the hope found in Jesus.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Urilux

My mother enjoyed talking to people and had a knack for throwing parties. Yet, she did not often invite people into our home because she was worried it was not presentable enough. Toys were usually scattered across the floor, and even on a good day, when my mother would rush through to clean and rearrange, our house still seemed, well, cluttered. Our small house struggled to contain five people and their possessions. Despite all of this, though, my mother modeled hospitality because she made herself available to others.

Anyone could fall into this way of thinking. Hospitality is typically presented as something that housewives do by maintaining a spotless home and preparing scrumptious meals from scratch. Men often feel confused as to how they can be hospitable, since welcoming others is usually ascribed to certain roles and activities. Single individuals who have limited living space may also struggle to know how to show hospitality.

Yet, as my mother showed, hospitality is not only something a person does, it is a position of the heart. Anyone can host a party, but it takes a hospitable person to truly welcome others, loving them as oneself.

Such an act and attitude stems from a keen awareness of God’s character. He cares about hospitality and calls His followers to display the same type of concern and love that He has shown us. The following passages show us what it looks like to be hospitable, and why it matters as a follower of Christ.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Aaron Burden

In our everyday lives, we can easily dismiss the little sins we commit, thinking they are not as bad as, say, murder or adultery. So, we do not think much about the destructiveness of the small habits and attitudes that fill our days.

Jesus spoke against such rationalization. He emphasized that problems such as anger at a brother is similar to murder (Matthew 5:22; see also 1 John 3:15), or that the man who lusts after a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Yes, there do seem to be levels of sin since Christ told Pilate that the people who handed Him over to be crucified were guilty of a greater sin (John 19:11). However, all sin is serious since it is all an affront against God.

Consider the tiny ant, which seems harmless enough, but when working with others it can invade a house. Or how the consistent vibrations of a door opening and closing can eventually cause a nail to get loose, or an item to fall from a nearby shelf. It can be easy to overlook the ant or ignore the vibrations of the door. Likewise, we may consider it a small thing to be divided in our churches, to gossip, or to harbor unforgiveness in our hearts. But those seemingly “little sins” can and will affect our relationship with God and our Christian growth.

Photo credit: ©Fausto Baru

The Christian life is often reduced to “dos and don’ts.” In our pursuit to be seen as righteous followers of God, we talk about all the things we should not do as believers. Don’t listen to that music, watch that movie, pay that much attention to nature, or wear certain clothes.

Acting with discernment is wise, but when we reduce Christianity to a matter of rule-keeping, we forget about the great joy that is found in knowing the Lord. It is not something we manufacture by adhering to manmade categories. Rather, it is a gift that we receive from the One who is the most joyful of all.

Our Lord takes delight in the work He does, in what He created, and in His children. If happiness is something that God expresses, then it is something He intends for us as well.

Scripture provides us with ways that we can choose joy each day.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/frankiefotografie

In the Dead Poets Society, Neil Perry is burdened by the pressures placed on him by his father. Although he tries to break free from these restraints to pursue things he is interested in, such as acting, his father sets a definitive rule. He must leave his beloved school and enter a strict military school to better prepare for his expected career in medicine. Crushed by these expectations, Neil takes his life in a desperate and tragic act.

The movie presents, in a dramatic way, the effects of being burdened by unrealistic standards and the subsequent need to be open with others. Like Neil, those who struggle with perfectionism feel pressured to reach unattainable standards that are either self-inflicted, placed by others, or placed by society. These standards impact a person’s entire life, as they can lead to serious mental health issues and relationship problems. Perfectionism may be considered by some as a personality quirk, but it can be debilitating.

Scripture has much to say about perfection and our association with it. In God’s Word, we are confronted with truths that can and should shift our perspectives and standards. Let us listen to the words of Him who made us and find healing as we strive toward wholeness – not unrealistic perfection.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Peter Dazeley

For one reason or another, lots of us can get into the habit of prayer being our only spiritual practice. We send a quick “thank you” to God before a meal or whisper a request for help during work. The hectic days drown out any other form of discipline, so we try to stay tethered to our Lord through simple prayers.

Such a scenario is understandable, especially when we consider the type of technological age we live in. And there is certainly nothing wrong with praying to the Lord throughout the day; we are told to pray continually, which includes the tidbit times of prayer we snatch during the trek through our schedules (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

But there is something wrong if we are unable to engage in other vital practices, like Bible reading and meditation, worship, meeting with other believers, and serving. Prayer is a significant discipline, but it alone is not enough to nourish us completely.

Even if someone devoted themselves to prayer in a cloistered life away from distractions and busy schedules, his or her spiritual life would still be hindered if this was all they did. Think what would happen if we took this mindset with other parts of life, such as making a recipe. Broth alone does not make soup. Neither is spaghetti a proper dish if there are only noodles or meatballs. Likewise, there are many other ingredients in the Christian life that we need if we are going to walk in obedience to the Lord, loving Him and our neighbor in the way He intended.

So, let us take a breath as we step away from the busyness and consider why we need prayer and other practices to have a strong relationship with our Lord.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Jacob Wackerhausen

The first time I heard about Lent was while attending a Bible study at church. Other members were casually discussing what they were planning to give up in the upcoming season leading to Easter. One lady commented about her desire to give up caffeine. Others vaguely mentioned chocolate and other food items. Even today, the main topic I hear discussed is fasting, either from specific food items or giving up an activity. Lent is reduced to a time of merely trying to refrain from something (usually in reference to general wellness).

While I am sure those attendees at the Bible study meant well, I cannot help but think that many of us become numb to the deeper meaning and seriousness of Lent. Have we paused to consider why the church has historically promoted fasting, almsgiving, praying, serving, and spending time in contemplation? Do we notice the lack of normal adornment in the church, or the dark colors? What about the ash cross that many congregants receive on their foreheads at the beginning of Lent?

We might be tempted to lessen the discomfort this season of the church year brings by thinking we can cut something out of our lives for a short time and assume we are engaging in a spiritual practice. But Lent is somber for a reason – it leads us to the cross of Calvary where the innocent Lamb of God shed His blood for our wrongdoings.

All the practices, traditions, and symbols of Lent have meaning and are rooted in the greater sacrifice of our Lord.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Pro Church Media

Christians can enjoy chocolates and flowers on Valentine’s Day, but they should remember that love is best defined by Jesus’ sacrificial death. On this holiday that focuses on love, we can point people to Christ, the One who loves us the most.