Author: jmarkfox

The news of Osama bin Laden’s demise met me early Monday morning as I read the newspaper online, and the thoughts I had for this week’s column were shoved aside. Although I cannot speak for God in this situation, I can say with confidence that God’s ways are perfectly just and though we may run … Continue reading You can run, but you cannot hide

The sunrise service was long over and it was almost time for the regular service to start. One of the little boys in the church asked me, “Isn’t it about time for the normal people to come?” I laughed as I considered a host of responses to him. There’s the comedienne’s book title that comes … Continue reading Normal is highly overrated

One of the facts about the resurrection of Jesus Christ that I love is that Mary Magdalene put herself in a position to be surprised by Jesus. She got to the tomb first on that Sunday morning, having gone there to anoint the body of the Lord. He had been in the grave since Friday … Continue reading Be in a place to be surprised by the work of the Lord

The place where Jesus went to pray the night he was betrayed is called Gethsemane, which means “oil press.” Gigantic olive trees stand there today where Jesus’ soul was pressed to the very limits of endurance. As he entered the garden, Jesus asked his three closest companions, Peter, James and John, to “stay and watch … Continue reading In the garden with Jesus

In his lifetime in the 18th century, John Wesley traveled more than 250,000 miles on horseback, preached an average of two or three times a day, totaling more than 40,000 sermons. One of his favorite texts was John 3:7, where Jesus said, “You must be born again.” Wesley was often asked, “Why do you preach … Continue reading Prayer: A Discipline and a Delight

It was dark outside, but I scoffed at the thought in my mind that said, “You should take a flashlight so you can see what you are doing.” That was the logical side of my brain talking. My testosterone spoke up and said, “You don’t need no stinking light! You know where the cinderblocks are … Continue reading You really do need light