Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- The Good Stuff - The Good Stuff: The good stuff in our lives. That’s what we’d rather talk about, think about, share about. What are the blessings in your life? If you were to list your blessings, what would be on that list, beyond your spouse, your family, your children, your grandchildren, even your circle of friends? I have heard it said that "what is past is past", but that is simply not true. Continue reading
- How Do You Worship? - How Do You Worship? In the Matthew passage, Jesus is clearly perturbed. He is upset because His message, for more than a year, had always been peace and calmness and healing. His invitation was for all to come to Him and He would give them rest. And they had turned their backs on His Way and His Word. So, how do you worship? Or, maybe a better question for all us; who or what do you worship? Continue reading
- The Other Side? - The Other Side? In the last Watchword, entitled “You are a Disciple”, I wrote about Jesus going where others feared to tread, going to the “other side”. Whether are you are aware of it, we operate on a mentality, and in a culture, that speaks of Us versus Them. We on one side, they on the other. All we need to do is look at the color chart, Reds versus Blues. Whites versus blacks, or maybe you would prefer Protestants versus Catholics or, and so it goes. We do take sides, don’t we? We tend to divide the human race based on ethnicity, culture, language and religion. Continue reading
- You Are a Disciple - You Are a Disciple: So much of the time when we read the Bible we seek to understand what is happening, what the meaning of the parable, or understanding the flow of biblical history. I wonder if we ever stop and try on sandals of the fisherman, the way of the disciple, the transformation of common a man into a disciple of Jesus. Continue reading
- Proof Positive! - Proof Positive! The musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, opened on Broadway in October 1971, to opposition and criticism from various religious groups who also filed suits preventing the performance in various theatre sites world-wide. The album, Jesus Christ Superstar (Album), was a big seller, as was the film version, Jesus Christ Superstar (Film). I purchased the album a year or two after the theater performance and still have it. It’s a bulky thing, by today’s standards, black vinyl, 33 1/3 RPM, 12” wide. I have nothing to play it on and, I guess, in the back of my mind, I hold out hope for its increasing value. Continue reading
- Black-Hearted? - Black-Hearted? Whatcha got hidden in your heart, fella? Would you be willing to post those sly little thoughts, for all the world to see, the total content of your mind, your heart, your desires? You say, of course, my mind is as white as the driven snow. So, you don’t think there’s a black corner in your inner being? I wonder. What thoughts, do you suppose, David had standing on that roof-top, the King gazing down on bathing women? This is the man after God’s own heart? Nathan the prophet came to see David, and he comes to see us. He tells the story of two men, one rich and one poor. And how the rich man took from the poor man. We are angry at this injustice, just as David was. He said, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!” Nathan points his finger at David and at us and says “you are that person!” So, one more time, Whatcha got hidden in your heart, fella? Continue reading
- Overthinking Our Faith - Overthinking Our Faith: Have you ever felt confident when you think you’re following the will of the Lord, but we don’t know for certainty. Maybe we are lost in a ‘service to others’ mentality, and we work at it, and we pray about it, but then we wonder; is this the mission that the Lord has given me? Is this what he wants me to do? And our doubts swirl around us and we wonder. With some frequency I have wandered into a quagmire of doubts. Continue reading
- Tell It, Live It - Tell It, Live It: Some years ago, my Christian education class at church went through four class sessions studying the book “Walk Across the Room” by Bill Hybels. This was a study to help us to understand and to organize all those elements of our faith journey so as to share our experience with others. During the course of these classes I found that I was understanding my own walk of faith in greater clarity. So, for this meditation, and the next two, let me share with you some ideas about faith that touched me, personally, and are probably the same ones that touched you. Continue reading
- I Have Seen the Lord - I Have Seen the Lord: It was a singular encounter. the sin purged Mary at first thought she was speaking to the gardener, but then, he spoke her name and as she walked away, she realized, that was the Lord! I have seen the Lord! There’s a moment for all of us who have moved from the grey-ness of earthly life into the excitement, peace and joy of life lived with Christ. We’ve called it born again, or simply accepting Christ, as Lord and Savior of our lives. Whatever, it's a God moment, a transition, even a resurrection. Continue reading
- Foundation of a Devotional - Foundation of a Devotional: Six years ago, this October, my first faith-based novel, A Life for Barabbas, was published by TouchPoint Publications. It was a true odyssey for me of blessed research into sacred and ancient writings and a recognition of God’s graces through inspiration and discoveries. I'm not a theologian, I'm a psychologist and a Christian, so I was both breaking new ground and verifying deeper held belief. The research had taken me into the writings of scholarly theologians, and multiple commentaries, books about first century Jerusalem. I was introduced to the Apocrypha, which, at the start, I couldn’t spell, let alone know what it was. I pray that this 'different kind of devotional' gives you cause to consider more deeply, as you read God's Word. Continue reading
- Undercover Christian? - Undercover Christian: Ever soft-peddle your faith? You know, you are asked to say grace and you revert back to a familiar children's prayer, like "Johnny Appleseed" or perhaps "God is great and God is good and we thank him for our food", rather than letting your faith take the lead and you pray your heart? After all, who would know? Or how about this: When is your Spiritual Birthday? We all have one, you know. That day, some know as the time they were ‘born again’, the day we know, with conviction, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Would anyone know? Who are you showing your are in your world? Continue reading
- Cutting Out the Middleman - Cutting Out the Middleman: Martin Luther had a war with the Roman Catholic Church on several different fronts. They certainly didn’t like much of the Reformation, they had apoplexy over the fact but he was translating Holy Writ into German and having it published. Martin Luther cut out the middlemen, the Latin scripture, the priests to read and interpret the Word. That is what Jesus did through the Resurrection and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit! He opened the door for us to approach the Heavenly Father. Continue reading
- Between Here and There - Between Here and There: Years ago, at the Nashville Story Conference, the theme was “Between No Longer and Not Yet.” I did a little digging and there’s a Latin word, ‘Liminal’, which means threshold, the place of entering or beginning. It’s the place of transition between what was and what is next. In John 16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for what will be coming – His trial and crucifixion, followed by the Resurrection. He is trying to fix in their minds the fact that he would be killed, and would later rise from the dead and they would see him again.We are no different than those disciples. We embrace Jesus Christ in faith alone, trusting the promises that have been laid before us. In essence, we are on that road to Capernaum, on the strength of the promises Continue reading
- Courage of Stephen - Who Was Stephen? We know a little about Stephen, but we don’t know a lot. We know he was the first martyr, stoned to death allegedly for blasphemy. That occurred about three years after the Resurrection when the popularity, and controversy, surrounding Jesus as Messiah was gathering momentum. We know he was not one of the Twelve. They brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin, and it is before this body that Stephen launched into an exceedingly long sermon on the history of Israel, pointing out the errors in which the Jewish hierarchy were preaching. That did it! Continue reading
- Inspiration - Inspiration: This meditation is about those times when God has spoken to you, and me, during those special times when you meet with God. Those times when we read the Bible, devotionals, meditate and pray. In the midst of that time, do we pause and in our silence, God speaks to us through the Spirit from His Word, through the devotionals He inspired, and in our silence. Oh, yes, the voices are always there. God nudges us outside of our being that seems to move us where we never thought we would go. Continue reading
- Romance and Adventure - Romance and Adventure: To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement, said Saint Augustine. Are you in love with God? How is that expressed? Saint Augustine says it’s the greatest romance. Romance? I don’t have a lot of experience in that category, but I am in love, even though she is no longer with me, for the Lord has assured me that Love never dies. Continue reading
- I Do Not Know Him! - I Do Not Know Him! Have you ever found yourself in the mindset of Peter, and, in effect, denying Jesus, your Lord? The opportunity for you to respond in love was there, and you passed by on the other side. Maybe you had a little pinch of guilt as you moved on. That was the cock crowing! What about the woman with the sign at the intersection “I need food for my child” and you tried not to lock eyes with her, and you drove away, thinking it’s a scam. Ouch! There is that pinch, again. Continue reading
- Clean Plate Club - Clean Plate Club: No one can deny the fact that we need food, substance to maintain our health, our stamina, and even our ability to think and reason. We love food; even to the point of having our favorite restaurant, our favorite item on the menu, and our willingness to drive miles to be able to dine on that favorite. But Jesus reminds us that we need more than food for mental and physical health. We could have all the food available in the world and never go hungry from a physical standpoint, yet this body of ours is an empty shell well fed by world standards, yet empty and lifeless. Continue reading
- The Power Source - The Power Source: Ever consider yourself a power source? Well, you are. So am I. First thing in the morning, I reach over and turn on my lamp and there is light. I did not say, “Let there be light”, as my creator-God did. I start my Keurig and make coffee, and I don’t celebrate, “Hey, look what I did! See what I created!” No, not that kind of power. I’m talking about the power, or the energy for the Christian life and where that comes from. One of the most important commandments that Jesus left us with before he was taken up to heaven is contained in the first chapter of the book of acts. Continue reading
- High Dive - High Dive: The father stood on the high dive platform at the crowded public swimming pool. His young son sat on the edge of the pool, staring admiringly at his father. His eyes widened as his father waved, and then launched himself into what he hoped would be a wonderful dive to impress his son. Somewhere between the platform and the water all went wrong, and he hit the water with a mighty belly-flop that echoed across the pool. A blessing? I believe inspiration is communication from the Lord. I believe the Lord speaks to each of us in many ways, languages, actions, and, yes, those unexpected things that happen to us, even from a high dive. Continue reading
