Down On The Church
Do not get down on the church: She is Christ’s Bride. Do not get down on the church: The Spirit of the Lord is still speaking to it and empowering it in so many places. Do not give up on the church, for Christ said that He would build it, and the gates of
Pursuing Truth
We are people pursuing truth. We pursue truth not as though we have not found it, but we pursue truth to follow it to the conclusions to which it leads us. Truth matters. All truth, including scientific, is derived from God. We need not fear any truth, from simple scientific truth to complex quantum
Dividing The Church
In our day of polarization, careless words are said about church leaders that can be very hurtful to the person and divisive to the body of Christ. This often happens when someone behaves as a sniper, firing away at a pastor, either directly or by innuendo. We live in a hyper-critical environment. It is
Gideon As King
Gideon was a rare soul. He had an offer to be king before Saul and David. He was not hungry for power. “Only the Lord himself will rule over you.” He knew who he was in the grand scheme of things. When we have truly bowed to the Lord our King, then we
Love’s Demands
Love requires a response. Love places a burden on us. It does not force us, or it would not be love. Love moves us. We want to do something in response; that is love’s demand. It calls receivers to be givers. It calls the disinterested to be interested. It calls bystanders to be participants.
Refillings Of The Spirit
The refilling of the Spirit is for one reason. It is not so you can chalk up another spiritual experience or a new emotional high. Never! The Father is not the least bit interested in giving you the Spirit for narcissistic reasons. He wants to give the Spirit so that you may again witness
The Rebuilt Temple
The old temple, where God and humans met, was destroyed in 70 AD. Jesus had the new temple already in place 37 years before Herod’s temple was destroyed. Jesus is the temple. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The NT church saw Jesus as being the
Be Good, Do Good
If you want to be good then go out into the world and do good. Do good, not to be seen by the camera, but to be seen by your Father (Matthew 6:4). This world is in need of sheer goodness, salt-of-the-earth goodness, light of the world goodness. Jesus commissioned his followers to do
Love Inspires Good
God does not force people to obey his own laws. Though His laws are against it, He does not stop those who are determined to use God’s name in vain, worship idols, steal, kill, destroy, commit adultery, bear false witness, and covet. He pursues us in love, but does not force. Paul reminds us
Intercession
Both Christ and the Spirit intercede for us (Romans 8:26, 34). Yet we are urged to offer “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1). This is more than participation in intercession. Is there an intercession where the Spirit is interceding through the intercessors? If so, would this not be the
The Mirage
We are constantly shown images of perfect lives, bodies, jobs, and families. These images are not harmless. They create distress. They create entries to voices in our heads about how everyone else has it so good and we have it so bad. It is really the sin of envy. It is a mirage. It
Without Excuse
In some quarters, there is a pessimistic view of ever really living a holy life. What we must understand is that our loving Father has provided everything we need to live holy and godly lives. The cleansing by the Son, the abiding of the Holy Spirit, and the great promises of God’s word come
As To The Lord
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23 NKJV). This Pauline advice to slaves is advice that we could all profit from in our daily lives. We do not always like the tasks that we need to do. Routine can become boring. Some assignments can
Idols Of Holy Things
Moses made a serpent of brass at the command of the Lord (Numbers 21:9). People were saved from snake bites by looking to it. However, in time it became a relic to worship. In an odd way, holy things can become central to worship: A church building, prayer, fasting, the Bible, a pastor, a
Superstition And 666
The evil is not the number 666, but what it represents. The first readers of Revelation understood its meaning to their present persecution. Multiple scholars remind us that 666 is a code word in OT and NT for the oppressive empire. In the OT the weight of gold that came to Solomon in taxes
A Daily Mercy
In the hymn, “Come Thou Fount” there is a phrase which says, “Streams of mercy, never ceasing.” I am captured by the thought. The Fount produces an unending stream of mercy. Wow! We forget that we need mercy constantly flowing into our lives. We need mercy more than at the time of our conversion;
Un-controlling Love
Believing that God controls every decision and action of humankind, both good and evil, is so unlike the One God revealed in Trinity. God does not control; He loves. The Father, Son and Spirit (One God) exists in a community of unbroken love. Neither controls the Other, Each prefers the Other and testifies of
The Divine Likeness
The Son of God became fully human by incarnation. He became human to show us in flesh and blood what God is like and thus at the same time show us what we are to be like. God is like Jesus. Jesus was the ideal human. That is what Jesus came to show us.
Follow The Pattern
Whenever you are building something it always helps if you have an example to go by. It also helps if you have a helper. When we are building our life as workers together with God, the Father has sent the Son so that we will have Someone by which we can pattern our lives.
Grace And Truth
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The law announced condemnation; grace announces love and mercy. The law could not change us but love and grace could. The law revealed truth as a moral code; grace revealed Truth as a Person. The law was preparatory,
Making The Unknown Known
In Acts 17:22-31 is the story of Paul’s sermon on Mar’s Hill about the Image to the Unknown God. In this sermon Paul reminded pagans that they were children of God; that their very existence was tied to the hidden Christ whom they had not yet come to confess, though “He is not far
The Lord Is Our Life
Israel was admonished to choose life over death and blessing over the curse (Deuteronomy 27-30). What we miss in this is that the Lord is our life as we obey His voice and hold fast to Him. “Choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice
Pure Joy!?
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV). Consider facing trials as pure joy? Paradox! Counterintuitive! We want only
Atonement And The Spirit
Nothing skews our understanding of God’s reconciling atoning work like leaving the Holy Spirit out of the atonement equation. Atonement is the totality of who Christ is and what He has set in motion. It is the incarnation, Calvary, resurrection, Pentecost, ascension, intercession and more. There are many atonement theories, none of which can
Washing Feet
When Jesus washed the disciples feet He asked them, “Do you know what I have done?” —meaning— “Do you know why I have done this?” It was surely bigger than an act to be enshrined as a sacrament. It was a message to bickering disciples who wanted to be greater than each other. It