Fickle Fate

by Travis Herbelin | December 3, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

A long time ago, an English teacher taught her class rare words we would never use again. One of those words was “capricious.” When we couldn’t guess the meaning, she defined it for us. What strikes me about “capricious” is that “fickle” can replace it in most...

“So I Prayed to the God of Heaven”

by Travis Herbelin | March 20, 2020 | Nehemiah, Old Testament | 0 Comments

Nehemiah was sad, and that was an occupational hazard. He was the scribe of the king, a king who could kill on whim. Anyone in service of the king was well advised to appear loyal, devoted, and sublimely joyful before the king — but Nehemiah was sad. Nehemiah must...

Just Because You Could

by Travis Herbelin | December 24, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

Just because you could doesn’t mean you should. I’m not sure who originally said it, but Jeff Goldblum comes pretty close in Jurassic Park. The scientists were so focused on making dinosaurs that they didn’t stop to consider if they should. (Spoiler: it didn’t work...

A Prayer

by Travis Herbelin | May 20, 2020 | New Testament | 0 Comments

Holy God, You Who are Creator of All That Is, You Who are Love’s source and example, You Who are the great I am, You who are the eternal comforter, and You who are Redeemer of mankind through the ages – past, present, and future – please hear this prayer. You are...

“Did you dunk the cats yet?”

by Travis Herbelin | December 10, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

How would I answer that question? On the one hand, I didn’t dip the cats for fleas, but on the other hand, the cats would object. Violently. Hopefully, I misheard the question. Hopefully, I would make sure of what was said before I needlessly treat the cats...

You Didn’t Say, “Simon Says!”

by Travis Herbelin | April 4, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

Do you remember playing that game with neighbors and friends as a kid? The idea was to get someone confused and not really listening, then you would gleefully say, “Jump like a frog!” Then one of the other kids would – but you didn’t say, “Simon says” so he...

Stand Up!

by Travis Herbelin | June 11, 2021 | Acts, Hebrews, New Testament, Titus | 0 Comments

Why do we stand up? Sometimes the reason is simple. Perhaps we need to move, or the meal is over. But do we ever stand up for somebody? Grandpa walks into the room, and we stand up to give her a hug. Grandma gets to the restaurant late, and we stand up to greet her....

No Vacancies

by Travis Herbelin | September 25, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

Have you ever noticed the unlit “NO” before the “VACANCIES” sign at a roadside motel? It is a clever way to send one of two messages, “We have room, stop here!” or “We have no room, keep going.” Finding “NO VACANCIES” on a trip is frustrating, but living your life...

You’re Not the Boss of Me!

by Travis Herbelin | March 19, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

Imagine an older child telling a younger, “You need to clean up your room.” Would it surprise you if the younger said, “You’re not the boss of me!” Have you heard this same conversation? This “conversation” is a microcosm of the world at large today. Everyone wants to...

Parsimony is a Virtue

by Travis Herbelin | September 4, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

The colonel told me to keep it short. His exact words were, “Parsimony of word is a virtue.” I don’t know if he quoted someone famous, but it did reflect an ancient American proverb, “Waste not, want not.” In John 12:3-5, Mary opened very costly perfume, poured it on...

Encouraging Words

by Travis Herbelin | Oct 1, 2021 | Acts, New Testament

We started at oh-dark-thirty. The jungle-like heat gave promise of another 90/90 day – 90% humidity and 90º F. The air was too thin to drink and too thick to breathe, much less run in at such an ungodly hour. Four miles in, staff started showing up like a cloud of...

If you get angry, count to ten…

by Travis Herbelin | Sep 24, 2021 | Acts, New Testament

Mark Twain’s version was, “When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear.” Are Christians ever allowed to get that angry? In Acts 13:6–12, we see Paul get angry. Elymas, a false prophet, knowingly placed himself between the gospel message and a searching soul....

Fighting Like Cats and Dogs

by Travis Herbelin | Sep 17, 2021 | Acts, New Testament

People fight, sometimes like cats and dogs. If that were not so, there would be no countries, politics, or generational gaps. It seems that people are drawn to conflict like mosquitos to a bug zapper. It doesn’t have to be that way. In Acts 13:1, there were five...

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