4 Minute Daily Devotions: Same Kind of Different

It’s one of the best books that I’ve ever read in my life. Even my wife Evelyn, who devours books avidly, was amazed at how quickly I finished this book. Usually, because of my biblical training, I scour each sentence and paragraph for deep and significant meaning. That means it takes me a long time to finish a book. But this one had me so enthralled that I just couldn’t put it down.

The book is called “Same Kind of Different As Me,” and it was written collectively by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, along with Lynn Vincent. It’s a true story about how a young Louisiana sharecropper, who is shamefully mistreated like a modern-day slave, runs away to Texas to escape from poverty, only to end up homeless on the streets of Fort Worth. Decades later, he is befriended by an international art dealer, whose wife wants to seriously help the homeless in her town. She has a vision that one day a homeless man will captivate the entire community, and pave the way for a new mission to be established in Fort Worth.

The story deals with all kinds of issues of class, race, and inhumanity, as well as battles against injustice, poverty, and cancer. Throughout the unfolding of the story, I found myself inwardly laughing and crying, smiling and weeping as the lives and faith journeys of the three main characters intertwined.

It’s an incredible story of friendship, hope, and enduring love. For anyone who wants to know if God still works wonders in today’s world, this is a must read. It’s almost like a modern re-telling of the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. It profoundly affected me and has dramatically changed some of my misconceptions about who homeless people are, and how they should be respected.

I also loved the way this book was written. It has very short chapters and the two leading characters express their journey of faith side by side. Their backgrounds are as different as they could ever be, which makes their encounters more poignant. This is an adventure story about life, faith, and eternal life. When I finished the book, I just thanked God for allowing me to read such a beautiful true story.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the beautiful stories of faith that still exist in our world today. We praise You that God still works wonders amongst us, through the presence of Your Spirit and the power of Your grace. May our own lives become stories of inspiration, faith, and encouragement to our families and friends. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

If you want to check out the book for yourself, just click the following link:
Same Kind of Different As Me. Or check out the amazon.com advert below.

Lent Screensaver: Miracle of the Cross

A Prayer Card for Lent. Stare at it long enough and it turns into 3-D!

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Hudson Miracle

Yesterday, we all saw a miracle unfold on the Hudson River. A US Airways flight heading to Charlotte lost both its engines as it was taking off, and the veteran pilot had to glide the plane into the water. His remarkable handling skills enabled both he and his crew to ditch the jet into the river without causing an almighty explosion. Everyone on board was still alive and they all realized that they were still endangered.

What happened next was equally amazing. The Hudson River ferries started to cruise towards the floating plane. Within mere minutes, passengers were being rescued and taken on board the ferries. The US Coast guard arrived very quickly and the whole rescue operation was a complete success. It was a miracle. It was also a tremendous act of courageous humanity.

Job 38:30 …when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?

If the waters had been frozen over, then it probably would have been disastrous. If another pilot had been at the controls, he might never have been able to successfully land the plane. If the crew hadn’t been so highly trained and prepared, people might have panicked and drowned. If the ferry boat skippers had not changed their routes and put themselves in danger, lives may have perished.

Today, there will be a lot of families who will be thanking the captain and crew for their courage, tenacity in the face of danger, and leadership in the midst of potential disaster. It was a magnificent moment in the annals of human nobility. Everyone did their part, including the passengers, to rescue themselves from a dangerous situation.

When the Church works properly, we play the role of rescuing people, on behalf of Christ, from death and destruction. The world needs a strong, united, and fully focused Church to tend to its wounds and broken ways. Sadly, we are so splintered and divided that our witness and work in the world is not fully functional or effective. If only we could learn from this incident. If only we would set aside our differences and dedicate our lives to the rescue mission of the whole world.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the miracle on the Hudson River. Thank You for all of the courage, talents, and bravery of the crews of the plane, the ferry boats, helicopters, and rescue services who all saved the lives of everyone aboard the doomed flight. Help us to learn from this miraculous incident and apply it to our faith, our churches, and our Kingdom service in the world. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.