Stars In The Night
A dark world needs light. The Sun of Righteousness has sent us out as stars in the dark. He said, “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). Daniel reminds us, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars
Measuring Wealth
Pity the person who measures wealth only by money and possessions. We will never come into a full rest of soul until we are freed from our inordinate drive for a better bottom line. We need to discover that true wealth is more than what we can hold in our hands. It is holding
He Wants Your Love
When Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” (John 21:17), He did not do it out of His own insecurity. It matters to Him if we love Him, because it is so important to our well being. Love is not a touchy-feely something. It is not a mere emotion. It is to feed sheep
Spirit Rivers
Believers are promised rivers of living water flowing into and out of their lives. These rivers are about the flow and work of the Spirit in our lives. Know who He is. Recognize His work. Let Him move you from where you are to where you ought to be. Let His rivers float your
Fully Christian
Christians need to become fully Christian. The problem is that we have redefined what being a Christian is, and that keeps us from it. We have defined being a Christian as one who has merely believed in Christ for salvation, and salvation, is a ticket to heaven. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
Smooth Transitions
I learned to drive a “straight shift” vehicle. To shift gears required perfect co-ordination with the left foot slowly lifting the clutch pedal and the right foot slowly depressing the accelerator pedal. Until this co-ordination was perfected with a smooth transition then there were some really jerky starts and rides. When we become a
Moving On
The many things we failed to do, and now regret, are not wasted. The hurts and injustices that have haunted us have value in what they produce to Christ’s yielded ones. Sometimes we say, “I would like to go back and start over if I could know then what I know now’. Truth is,
Reconciling Sinners
Jesus ate with sinners because love eats with sinners. Self-righteousness cannot eat with sinners, justice refuses, and false piety runs the other way. This nearness of Jesus to sinners was not just something nice you could say about His ministry. This is a revelation of God. We have been told that the holiness of
Reconciling Love
Atonement theories are theories meant to explain how Christ reconciles sinners with the Father; there are good ones and bad ones. In the story of the Prodigal Son, we find the sinner welcomed by the overwhelming love of the father. The father did not need for his wrath, anger, or justice to be satisfied.
Risen To Love
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was more than the triumph of life over death. It was also the triumph of love over hate. If we have been risen with Him, we have been raised to a life of Jesus’ kind of love. Love reigning in our hearts expels hostility and hate. Because
Old Life Or New Life
The resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that we are released from our old master, sin. The New Master has come. The old master of sin pays off with wages of death. The New Master pays off by sharing His life. The old life was driven by passion for sinning. The new life is driven by
Resurrected Over Hate
If we must have someone to despise or hate, it should reveal to us that we are not yet like our Lord. Hate belongs to another kingdom. Hate belongs to the realm of death. Jesus triumphed over hate. His resurrection proves it. When we are risen from the dead with Him, we will seek
Christ the Victor
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:15 ESV). The resurrection of Jesus was the vindication of Christ as Victor. 1) He was victor over political and religious powers, those who thought that by killing Him they would be done with Him.
The Resurrection Answer
The Resurrection of Jesus answered the Psalmist when he asked, “Will the departed spirits rise and praise You?” Jesus provided a living example of Resurrection when His Father raised Him from the dead. Jesus is our true hope over death. His resurrected-new-creation body foreshadows the body we will have. In our Messiah, death does
Saturday Preaching
Preachers sometimes preach in their sleep. Jesus’ spirit preached to all the souls in Hades (Sheol) as His body slept in the tomb. “He descended to Hades”; this is the place where all dead people go, and preached there (Read 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:5-6; Ephesians 4:8–10). Every person who ever lived before him was
The Cross Was
A revelation of the Suffering Servant. Self-emptying sacrifice. Self-surrender without self-pity. Obedience without self-righteousness. The Lamb of God dying without protest. Suffering love whispering. Mercy shouting forgiveness. God singing a lament. Non-violent resistance to political expediency and religious corruption. Power choosing weakness to conquer. Submission to nails, thorns, and a sword. Brokenness for human
Cross Ornaments
I love the cross. I have one on the outside of our house; we have many on the walls inside of our house. I have an olive-wood cross necklace that I often wear during the seasons of Christmas and Easter. Many wear them as jewelry. But all of us must be careful that the
Lose Your Life
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24 NASB). What does the cross mean?
Meaning of Cross Bearing
Bearing the cross is not bearing the sum total of our personal problems. The cross is a place of death to our selves. The selfish self that needs to die may have been exposed by our problems. Problems have a way of revealing and unpacking who and what we are. More often than not,
Turning Over Tables
Jesus turned tables over in His temple. He saw His house become a house of merchandise, devoid of real worship, and was outraged by it. Well, let’s bring this closer home, since we are the temple. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
Who is this Jesus?
He is the seed of the woman who will bruise the head of the serpent! He is the promised Messiah of David’s line! He is the Suffering Servant that Isaiah saw! He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah! He is the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world! He is
Partner with the Spirit
The speaking of the Spirit is more than important to our formation. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Revelation 2 & 3). He is not through speaking yet. We hear the culture! Do we hear the Spirit? We are well versed in our
Spiritual Equilibrium
The elderly have learned that you just don’t jump up from a chair and start walking; it takes a minute to gain your “dignity”, i.e. equilibrium. If you start walking before you get that you are going to look foolishly unstable. Well, here is the point. Don’t just go charging through your day without
On Loving Strangers
“Love the stranger” was a unique command to Israel not found in the surrounding religious cultures of the day. This was rooted in their experience in Egypt. Egypt extended hospitality to the hungry Israelites strangers. “Strangers” were also sometimes angels. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained
On Cherishing People
Cherished items become valued items! People are valuable because they are made in God’s image. Value them for that. Cherish all people; God does. Add value to the people around you by recognizing their God-given value. Value others as much as you value yourself. Celebrate their lives and learn how to rejoice with them