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- 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
- Jesus, the Church, and You - Jesus, the Church, and You: Churches throughout country seem to be failing when viewed through the perspective of numbers, memberships, attendance. We look for reasons everywhere. My own church has changed drastically over the years. From two services, nearly at full seating capacity, to our current attendance of 30 or less. And we wonder. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius says to Brutus, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” Ourselves? No, no, no, we aren’t the cause of churches struggling. Not us, we are in the pews. Must be something else, right? Continue reading
- Deep Dark December - Deep Dark December: December has a mixed reputation, grey and cold standing in contrast to the joy of the coming of the Christ child and our celebration of Christmas. Although, even in the happiness of this season for some the loneliness is magnified and the sense of sorrow grows darker and deeper. Even John the Baptist, a most significant figure in this story of salvation, when things got tough and the future looked bleak, those thoughts, dark and cold, encroach, “Are you the One to come, or is there another?” How do you answer the question: Is Jesus the One? Continue reading
- Wrapped Gifts - Wrapped Gifts: In a recent devotional in My Utmost for His Highest, Chambers uses the phrase “My rainbow in the cloud.” While he was not specifically referencing forgiveness, that was the first thought that came to my mind. I saw the rainbow as if it were a “lamp unto my feet”, a calming of storms in my life, that overwhelming sense of relief when a fear that we had entertained, was fully and completely removed. In our prayer life, we often load up our requests to God with all kinds of thoughts, ideas, ‘asks’ for healing, for mending, for overcoming. But I wonder if that is the human’s way of being unfaithful, or at the very least, ungrateful. Continue reading
- Being a Friend - Being a Friend: He met me in the quiet village street — And stopped and stood and talked a while — Did lend himself entire to me. Moments Raced by! He taught me how to be a Friend. Isn’t that a beautiful and blessed piece of poetry. How do you teach that? What are the nuances of that process that results in learning that Grace? Who were your models growing up? Were you aware of the affect they were having on you? How have you passed those on? Whether we are conscious of them are not we do pass on both the good and the bad, the language and the habits, our little idiosyncrasies, speech mannerisms, and on down a very long list, all of which get passed on in one form or another to those who look up to us, who have counted on us. Continue reading
- And Along Came John - And Along Came John: This is where John enters the Christmas storyline, and then fits nicely into his new name, The Baptist. It’s a name that he earns even to martyrdom. It is a familiar story for us, for we all know that Jesus and John the Baptist knew each other since childhood. John, when he grew up, embarked on a very special kind of mission, to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Jesus himself grew to manhood, left the carpenter’s bench and went off into the Jordan Valley where he was baptized by John. And so His story of ministry began. So it was that John the Baptist’s message was “Repent,” a message that is sometimes misunderstood. Continue reading
- To Know God! - To Know God! Several months ago, Oswald Chambers’ devotional started with this: “We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there.” I know that we all have those moments that we treasure, remembrances we call to mind and find that sense of amazement is still fresh. Maybe it was a sunset, or a special event in your life, an unexpected grace that just astounded you. Why is that? I believe it is the Glory of God being revealed to us and through all of creation. Continue reading
- Getting Our Steps In - Getting Our Steps In: Yesterday I got over 4500 steps in before 11 a.m.. Two or three times a week I’m at the fitness center where one of my gauges are those steps. As we read through scripture, there's a lot of ‘walking’ being done and in my crazy sense of human humor, I wonder how many steps they recorded daily? Is that sacrilegious? Then I got serious and thought that maybe ‘steps’ is not a bad way to think about our walk with the Lord. Maybe our conversation with God at the end of the day should be a review of those times when we chose steps that took us away from the will of God. Continue reading
- The Advent of Advent - Advent: "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I believe that Bonhoeffer was an exceptional theologian and Pastor, and a man of great courage and depth. So much of his writings have broadened my understanding of Christianity. But his statement on Advent, well, I don’t know exactly what to do with it, or to fully understand it. Continue reading
- Borrowed Thoughts on Thankfulness - Borrowed Thoughts on Gratitude: Invocation by A. W. Tozer -- Arise, O Lord into Your proper place of honor, above our ambitions, above our likes and dislikes, above even the family, and our health, even above our lives. Let us decrease that You may increase, let us sink that You may rise above. Ride forth upon us as You did ride into Jerusalem mounted on a humble donkey and let us hear the little children cry to You, “Hosanna in the highest”. Amen. Continue reading
- A Day of Thanks - A Day of Thanks: Don’t miss the question. 17 Jesus asked, “Has no one returned to give glory to God? The German mystic and philosopher, Meister Eckhert, once wrote: “If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that will suffice.” I think we underestimate the importance of the ‘thank you’. The acknowledgment of a gift given, assistance provided, support extended, or simply friendship that has no qualifications, it’s just always there. Continue reading
- God of All Grace - God of All Grace: How do you view God? Is he the God that is always there? Is he the God that never leaves you? Is he the God that leads you by his strong right hand? In other words, is he the God of the here and now and forever? I wonder if we spend so much of our time with God, concentrating on the grace of eternal life in our worship, through scripture readings, communion, and offering prayers, while we ignore the frequent moments of our every day life, filled with graces that floats to us through our faith in Jesus Christ? Gods graces not only carries us into eternal life, a future orientation, but also prepares us, matures us, and strengthens us to meet today’s challenges, sorrows, and pains. Continue reading
- Made to Worship - Made to Worship: Who is worthy of your worship? Who receives your worship? If we follow the trail of where we spend our money and time, we likely arrive at a few things we worship. Where does this trail lead you? Perhaps things show up like entertainment, achievement, technology, clothing or food. Any of these things can become “the forbidden fruit” of our relationship with God. It is how we use the innovations of our time and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that speaks to whether we are enslaved to them as idols, or a slave to Christ. God is able to use all these tools for his glory, and he has chosen to do it through our hearts that are surrendered to Jesus. The Internet cannot atone for your sins. The credentials you hold do not qualify you for grace. Worship Christ, he alone is worthy. Continue reading
- A 40-Day Fast? - A 40-Day Fast?: What an interesting topic, and just a week before Thanksgiving. Have you ever been on a fast, a true fast? You know, multiple days with no solid food, only liquids. Jesus’ Ministry begins with 40 days in the Judean wilderness, a vast grassland.His time in the wilderness is a time of searching. He knows that he has a special, God-given purpose.Here in this desolate place he is tempted by Satan. The magnitude of 40 days without food brought him to a point where Satan tempted him to use his power to find something to eat, turn these stones into bread. He answered the temptation with “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” Continue reading
