-
A Slice of Humble Pie
"But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." [Isaiah 66:2 ESV] You would have to had nipped the strong drink of propaganda and then fallen sound asleep like Rip Van Winkle to not notice the lack of humility here in the United States, especially in the last six years or so. I mean, do the scriptures on humility above reflect our culture at all?
-
Faith or Fable
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:5-6 ESV]
-
Gethsemane
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. [John 12:24 NIV]
-
He Invites Us to Sit at His Feet
Have you ever noticed that when God breathes, what seems impossible happens? I'm thinking of Adam, the Red Sea closing over Pharaoh's army, the starry host's existence, a valley of dry bones coming to life, and our very lives being sustained. How much more is the power of His God-breathed Word? He Himself says: "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it…
-
Let Love Lead
Many years ago, I heard a sermon given by a wise pastor who said that when you are deciding whether or not to do something, and you feel pushed and anxious about it, that this is not from the Lord. His prompts are more like a draft horse pulling a plow. His powerful love leads us. After all, the Bible says that, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." (Romans 8:14) The Greek word for led used here is agō, which means to lead out or guide.
-
“Can’t Tip Someone Who Doesn’t Love Jesus.” Check, Please!
Neo-Nazis. Antifa. The Right. The Left. The Liberals. The Conservatives. Muslims. Blacks. Gays. I can feel the hate. What is fake news, and what is responsible journalism? Where is truth? Then I read the above note quoted in my title, scribbled on a restaurant bill to a lesbian waitress, and my first thought was: have Christians actually forgot that their goal in life is to help lead others to Jesus, to WANT to see them go to heaven? I've read quite a few comments posted in response to this, and many common-sense opinions offered. I wanted to add my own, but decided to pray about it first. I find that…
-
Take Courage & Don’t Be Afraid
Peter walked on water. If it had been me in Peter's sandals--a fisherman on a wave-tossed sea, trying to bend my mind around the idea that my master teacher is somehow standing on the water and this really is not an apparition--I think I would have stayed in the boat with the other fellas. I've heard several sermons on this passage in the bible, all pointing out that Peter's faith was pretty amazing, even if he began to sink. After all, there are few other accounts throughout history of anyone walking on water. A cursory Google search reveals a young dude named Maurus who was a monk under St. Benedict,…
-
Are You Looking for Purpose In Life?
Jesus' call is always a call to die to self...self-love, self-direction, self-fulfillment--self-anything--and live to God.
-
Are You a People-Pleaser?
To escape criticism — do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. ~Elbert Hubbard Some people are natural pessimists. They seem to roll like quicksilver toward a gloomy view of the world. Then there are those that go one step further and criticize the half-empty glass. “It’s awful small.” “The water is too warm.” You’re smiling. You know the type? Back in my younger days, I worked with elderly people in an assisted living facility as a certified nursing assistant. Edna was one of those ladies who, in a counter-intuitive way, wheedled herself into my heart. She was not only critical of life in general, but was also a hypochondriac. It made me smile to…
