KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
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Childhood
A FRIEND OF mine tells of the day he went with a group of people to a nursing home, to the ward that cares for those suffering from Alzheimer’s... Most of the residents were, to put it as kindly as... (continue reading Childhood)
Execute
I ONCE HEARD interviews with survivors from World War II... The soldiers recalled how they spent a particular day. One sat in a foxhole; once or twice, a German tank drove by and he shot at it. Others played cards... (continue reading Execute)
Drama
THE MOST DRAMATIC moment in human history makes for odd drama... The hero is center-stage yet silent. His script is only seven lines long, some whispered, some groaned through gritted teeth. He gestures simply and seldom. He is still, pinned... (continue reading Drama)
Study
YOU'RE LAZILY FLIPPING through the channels on your new flat screen TV... Despite the vast array of viewing options, there's nothing worth watching, at least for the moment. Your thumb stops on a random station. It's a half-hour long commercial... (continue reading Study)
Monument
WHEN HE INHERITED the throne of northern India from his Mongol predecessors in 1630, the new emperor gave himself the name Shah Jahan, King of the World... History remembers him less for his conquests than for his constructions, especially the... (continue reading Monument)
Flight
IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Icarus, taking flight with wings made by his father, wanted to fly close to the sun. When he flew too high, however, the sun melted the wax that held the feathers. Feathers flew, and Icarus didn't. The... (continue reading Flight)
Pure
IN RECENT YEARS, a number of psychologists and sociologists have joined the chorus of religious and political opponents in warning about the impact of pervasive pornography... They argue that porn is transforming sexuality and relationships -- for the worse. Experts... (continue reading Pure)
Weary
A GOOD FRIEND of mine recently sat in my office thinking out loud about whatever came to mind... The topics ranged from his marriage (which had its share of disappointments), to his future plans for ministry, to the quality of... (continue reading Weary)
Execute
I ONCE HEARD interviews with survivors from World War II... The soldiers recalled how they spent a particular day. One sat in a foxhole; once or twice, a German tank drove by and he shot at it. Others played cards... (continue reading Execute)
Childhood
A FRIEND OF mine tells of the day he went with a group of people to a nursing home, to the ward that cares for those suffering from Alzheimer’s... Most of the residents were, to put it as kindly... (continue reading Childhood)
Evil
IT DOESN'T TAKE much to convince most Christians that our country is in trouble... The signs are all around us. Our culture seems to be disintegrating around us. The grossest immoralities are recast as tolerance. Christian conviction is tagged as... (continue reading Evil)
Rosetta
IN AUGUST OF 1799 a Frenchman named Bouchard discovered an ancient stone near the town of Rosetta, in Egypt, about thirty miles from Alexandria... The stone contained inscriptions in two languages, Egyptian and Greek, and they were written in three... (continue reading Rosetta)
Ministers
"LET EVERY SOUL be subject to the governing authorities... For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist... (continue reading Ministers)
Burning
FOR YEARS I wondered why firefighters carried axes to the scenes of fires... Hadn't the fire done enough damage without chopping away at the remaining roof or walls? Then I learned that those axes serve a valuable purpose: They uncover... (continue reading Burning)
Parallels
UNDOUBTEDLY, ONE COULD find more contrasts than comparisons between Christ's birth and death... Yet, a study of both reveals some interesting parallels. Both changed the world and have altered the impact of eternity. Consider the following: 1) At both, He... (continue reading Parallels)
Prodigal
WHEN I WAS a young teenager, a neighbor kept several cattle in a large pasture behind our house... Perhaps it be would more accurate to say, "...A neighbor TRIED to keep several cattle in a pasture behind our house." One... (continue reading Prodigal)
Praise
PSYCHOLOGISTS TELL US that one of the deepest urges in human nature is the craving to be appreciated... Thus, we contribute immeasurably to the happiness and success of others when we express appreciation for their work and worth. We are... (continue reading Praise)
Today
BEFORE ENTERING THE broadcasting field, Jim Valvano led the North Carolina State University basketball team to a national championship... Then cancer developed in his lower back. Invited to address the Duke University squad, Jim had this to say: “Life changes... (continue reading Today)
Hard
YESTERDAY, SEVERAL GOOD friends and I were sitting in the office of a neurosurgeon... We listened to him as he explained why he left a thriving practice in a large metropolis to come a much smaller hospital in our area... (continue reading Hard)
Eagle
FOR 3 MONTHS I had a ringside seat — or should I say a bird’s-eye view — of God’s amazing handiwork... Ninety feet above the floor of Norfolk Botanical Garden, workers installed a webcam focused on the nest of a... (continue reading Eagle)