Most Christians can name at least two angels. Michael. Gabriel. Some can name others that appear in biblical tradition and extra-biblical writings. Yet when it comes to God’s greatest enemy, the one we call Satan or the devil, there is a surprising mystery. What is his name? The strange thing is that the Bible never … More Why Doesn’t the Bible Tell Us the Devil’s Name?
When most people picture Garden of Gethsemane, they imagine a peaceful place. Moonlight.Olive trees. Soft grass. A quiet Jesus kneeling calmly in prayer while the disciples sleep nearby. Almost peaceful. But that is not what scripture describes at all. Gethsemane was not merely a garden. It was a crushing place. The very name itself is … More Gethsemane Was Never Really a Garden
The older I get, the more I realize that love and pain are inseparable companions. Every person who has ever truly loved something deeply eventually learns this lesson, whether through relationships, children, friendships, family, or even the quiet companionship of a dog sleeping beside them. Over the last few days, I’ve been watching the old … More Love Hurts Because It Matters
What the Names at the Transfiguration May Reveal One of the most mysterious and powerful moments in all of Scripture is the Transfiguration of Jesus. High on a mountain, away from the crowds, Jesus suddenly reveals His glory before three disciples. His face shines like the sun. His clothes become radiant. Then two figures appear … More The Stone, the Supplanter, and Grace
There is a dangerous assumption many people make about faith and success. If someone is wealthy, healthy, influential, and comfortable, people assume God must be blessing them. And if someone struggles financially, fights through hardship, loses relationships, or barely seems to get ahead despite their faith, people quietly wonder if God has forgotten them. But … More The Difference Between Blessed and Comfortable
One of the hardest questions a person can wrestle with is this: “What if I never get to experience the promise?” What if I work hard, stay faithful, sacrifice, build, encourage, write, teach, love, and endure… only to never personally enjoy the outcome I hoped for? Modern culture teaches us that success means fulfillment in … More What If God’s Purpose for You Is Bigger Than Your Lifetime?
One of the strangest realizations in life is discovering that some of the prayers we are most grateful for today are the ones God never answered the way we originally wanted Him to. At the time, unanswered prayers often feel painful. We pray for the relationship to work. For the opportunity to open. For the … More The Blessings of Unanswered Prayers
“Birds of a feather flock together.” Most people hear that phrase as a simple observation about friendship and similarity. But the older I get, the more I realize it is also a warning about influence, environment, temptation, and the slow ways people change over time. Human beings adapt to what surrounds them. That can be … More How Environments Shape Character
Too Young. Too Old. Never the Right Time. There is something strange about the way modern culture views age. When you are young, people tell you that you lack experience. You are told to wait your turn, prove yourself, and earn credibility. Your ideas may be good, your passion may be real, but many people … More The Age We’re Told We’re Supposed to Be
Familiarity, Growth, and Human Nature *Note: This is obviously subtle.. we all know Jesus had a mission outside of Nazareth…so read it in context. One of the more fascinating moments in the ministry of Jesus happens not in Jerusalem, not among the Pharisees, and not in the presence of Rome… but in His own hometown. … More Why Jesus Left Nazareth
Troy P Zehnder 