Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- Being There - Being There: The Christian life is not one of competing for a trophy, rather it is one of involvement, of loving others. It is Christ honoring interaction with other people that allows us to be rooted in the light of God‘s Word. It is participating in the walk of Christ. If, as children of God, our role is to love others and encourage them to do the same, then we have to display that loving spirit, we have to be present, demonstrating that love is more than just a verbal expression, we are to love by Word, by deed, and by being there. Continue reading
- The Loophole - The Loophole: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Did you get that, he is faithful and just? He lives up to his side of the bargain, and in the transaction, there is an expectation, but if you’re going to follow him, it’s with everything. God is faithful and just and he forgives our sins, and he cleans us from unrighteousness, but our role is in that first phrase of Verse 9, if we confess our sins to him. The choice is ours; the decision is ours. There is the loophole. There is the escape clause. Continue reading
- Your Good Intentions - Your own good intentions: You sit in church every Sunday. Good for you. You have read through the Bible multiple times. Good for you. You tithe 10%, just like God has told you. Good for you. How’s your scorecard looking? Are you there yet? Do you have enough points? Have you earned your ticket to heaven? What’s happening within our hearts when we sit in the pew, and we gaze at the cross? What thoughts go through our minds when we meditate on what the cross truly means? What a sacrifice, what a price to pay for us! Continue reading
- No Matter the Cost? - No Matter the Cost? Would you sell your good name for a bowl of chili? What if you were starving, then? What if the chili were known as the best in the whole world, then? How about if it’s the only way you can save your life, would you sell it then? Is our spiritual birthright, ‘Child of God’, more precious to us than the name we were given at our birth by our parents? Is it? Peter was really dedicated to his Lord, and clearly stated that he would follow him to the death, but then, when the chips were down and the opportunity extended, Peter chose to save his own hide. Are you a Peter? Continue reading
- The Power of Christ - The Power of Christ: We often hear that faith is a decision, and some elements of living our lives certainly rest with our deciding one way or another on a matter. But faith through which we are saved is a free gift of God. We become children of God not through our good works, our best efforts, or services we render to others, our salvation is a gift from God and entirely based upon His grace. Continue reading
- I Shoulda… - I Shoulda: What, you ask, is a ‘shoulda’? A ‘shoulda’ in your life are all those times when the Lord has led you to a point where you have an opportunity to live what you believe and do the right thing, but instead you turned your back and walked away. Or perhaps there were other times when you watered down your faith so as not to ‘offend’ those listening or those you wish to impress. I ‘shoulda’ done this or a ‘shoulda’ done that, or I 'shouda' done something. A ‘shoulda’follows doing nothing and is a sign of sin. Continue reading
- In Christ Alone - In Christ Alone: The Apostle Paul wrote to his friends, the Christians in Philippi, from his Roman house arrest as he waited for his court appearance before Caesar. It had been ten years since Paul and Silas had founded the church in Philippi, during his second missionary journey. This was the first church established on the continent of Europe, and it is obvious from this letter that as he considers this congregation, it brings him joy. One might say that when Paul prayed for the Philippians, he became happy. It is remarkable to see that Paul’s first reference to his own feelings or frame of mind in this letter is that of joy – though he wrote from as a prisoner facing possible execution. This is Paul’s great singing letter. Continue reading
- Blood Sport - Blood Sport: On any given weekend, stadiums, throughout the world, are packed to capacity with rabid fans, totally dedicated to their teams throughout the NFL, major and minor league baseball, Soccer, college and community sports. Occasionally, you hear stories of riots breaking out and blood being shed. In the ancient world, human life was regarded as cheap and as result death was considered a commodity of the “sport” of gladiatorial fights. It’s hard for us to imagine that these fights to the death with so popular and people were disappointed if they were deprived of their weekend executions! Martin Luther King, Jr., in our own time, would say that “the man who has found nothing to die for is not fit to live.” Throughout the history of Christianity, ordinary people have found something to die for in Christ. Continue reading
- Purposeful Intimacy - Purposeful Intimacy: As you read the proverbs passage there is an expectation of hope. When you associate with those of character and love, you are more likely to embrace those qualities. The same thing applies if you associate with those of low character, who may lack honesty, then you are more likely to embrace those ‘qualities’. The logic makes sense to me. It’s not Simply being around wise people or smart people that makes a person wiser, smarter, gentle, or compassionate. Continue reading
- He Speaks to Me - He Speaks to Me: A voice from heaven? Is that what those gathered along the Baptism River heard? The Holy Spirit speaking loud enough for all to hear, declaring that this man, this Jesus who was just baptized, “is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy.“ Had you been there to witness this divine event, what would you have thought? How does God speak to you? He does you know. Is it in a voice so loud that even those nearby could hear? Probably not. Does he speak in Latin or Greek or Hebrew? Maybe, or Spanish, Chinese, or Hindi? Or, does he use a gentle whisper? Continue reading
- Heart Disease - Heart Disease: Twenty-eight years ago, while on a tour in Europe, I had a heart attack and ended up in a Belgian hospital for eight days before I was sent home to my cardiologist. You can imagine that over these many years I have been more attentive to the condition of my heart. That’s one kind of heart condition, but there’s another that may be of greater importance in our day-to-day lives than the beating of our hearts. It’s the condition of our spiritual heart, and our attentiveness to the directions the Spirit provides. Continue reading
- Help Me, Lord - Help Me, Lord: Have you up ever reached the end of your rope, the end of your hope, do you know about down by worry or adversity, and cried out to the Lord for help? Or maybe, occasionally awake in the morning feeling just a little grey, not sure what the day will bring, and that sense of worry persists until I come to the Lord in prayer? You find His hand, and you find His peace and you are better able to face the day. Someone has said “God always answers our prayers, either by giving us what we ask for or by giving us something even better.” Continue reading
- Fear, Change and Love - Fear, Change and Love: Too often the need for change comes upon us suddenly, without warning. An unexpected diagnosis, the sudden loss of a job. We quickly run through the stages of denial until we are faced with the reality that something we never expected, something we resist with every part of our being, is happening or must be done. We often miss the important part of being a friend to the hurting one. Reaching out, being there, communicating support. Maybe we are reminded of a line from the Bible, , I was sick and you looked after me, and you realized that meant you. Continue reading
- Big, Bigger, Biggest - Big, Bigger, Biggest: “This redefines my understanding of what big is!” my grandson said as he stood, for the first time, on the south rim, gazing at the Grand Canyon. It is an overwhelming view. You might have anticipated what you are now taking in, based on pictures, but there is no substituting for the real thing, and the real thing far exceeds what we were prepared to see. It redefines the base thought. Redefining your meaning or understanding of ‘large’ based on seeing the Grand Canyon, illustrates the difficulty we are faced with when seeking to understand God and God’s word. The difficulty goes far beyond the manner in which the scripture is handed down to us. Continue reading
- Brand New - Brand New: Oh, it feels sooo good! Oh, my. I love it! And smell it! Fresh and clean, oh so bright. Just look at that! It almost makes me weep for joy! Not a spot, not a single spot. Don’t do anything…just imagine. Before you, a blank canvas, and you are Van Gogh. You are Gian Bernini. You are DeVinci, drinking in a great slab of marble before you, imagining, what? Yes, David! You are Michelangelo, looking up at the empty ceiling of this small, insignificant chapel, and imagining, just imagining what could bless this space? Well, you are not Van Gogh, or DaVinci, or Packer, or C.S. Lewis, or Chambers, or Neuwen, but you are you and I am me, wrinkles, arthritis and all. Continue reading
- Better than Best - Better than Best: We pause here, just hours away from a New Year, a fresh start, a canvas that stands ready to record our unfolding life. Over the past year we have acted as if God may have a better plan for us, whatever it may be and now we’re about to change our calendar one more time and there’s probably not a New Year’s resolution in our minds that things will be just a little better than the year about to end. Putting behind us those stupid decisions we often made, turning our back on a second helping of chocolate cake, and vowing to be more loving, less critical etc. etc. down a long list of do-overs that are human mind can conjure up. Are there times when we consider what is best and turn our noses up on something that might be even better? Think and apply that to your own life. Continue reading
- Mark His Words - Mark His Words: We know quite a bit about the Mark, but mostly bits and pieces as he grew to become what we know as the apostle. We know that Mark’s mother opened her home for gatherings of early Christians. We may know him as the impulsive, un-named young man in the garden of Gethsemane who, out of fear, runs away naked, after a guard had held him by his tunic. The next we learn of Mark, we find him a protégé of Barnabus, who convinces Paul to allow him to go on the first Mission Journey, only to find that the young man was not prepared for missionary work, and returned home three months later. In researching for my book, A Life for Barabbas, it seemed clear that even though Mark was part of that first journey for only three months, it had a transformational impact on him. Continue reading
- Simeon and Our Lord - Simeon and Our Lord: His name was Simeon and he had lived in Jerusalem all of his life. As a child, he studied in the rabbinical school and as an adult he was a rabbi and a teacher of the law and the prophets. He often traveled to nearby towns to share his understanding of the scrolls to those interested. In that role, he often had questions regarding elements of the prophets that he answered with confidence, but more often than not, they raised his own unanswered questions. Those questions bordered on the great mystery of the Jewish Scriptures, unanswered, and unresolved over the centuries. Continue reading
- Come to Me, All You… - Come to Me, All You…: Have you ever extended that broad invitation of Jesus to anyone? You know, “Come to me all you who are burdened and I’ll take it from you…” or words to that effect. Have you told someone you can always call me, anytime, day or night. Did you mean it? (Riiiing, riiiing -- I know it’s 2:30 a.m., but I just couldn’t sleep and, you know, you said I could always call anytime. Well, here I am. Can’t sleep.) So, did you really mean it when you told your friend he could call, anytime? Well, here’s the deal, when Jesus said “come, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”, he meant it--no conditions, no restrictions. Continue reading
- Blessed to Give - Blessed to Give: It is more blessed to give than to receive. That’s an expression we’ve all heard, and sometimes we actually practice. Certainly we take great joy in giving gifts especially to people we know personally or people we know have specific needs. But human nature, being what it is, feels like it is more fun to receive. If you don’t believe that, and if you’re near kids at Christmas time and see their excitement as they open gifts, well then, you'll change your mind. Continue reading
