The Gospel in One Minute
Many of you may have heard that expository preacher, John MacArthur, died this week at age 86. During his 5 decade career he taught Scripture to millions through taped sermons, radio broadcasts, Bible Commentaries, and a best selling study Bible . . .
Is Everything Going To Be Alright?
We live in times of ever-increasing instability and uncertainty and we often wonder if everything is going to be alright. Certainly how this question is answered will depend on one’s worldview . . .
Time In The Garden With God
In early spring this year my wife and grandson (age 4 1/2) planted a variety of seeds that were saved from last year’s harvest. Nearly 4 months later we are now enjoying an abundance of tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers. Early each morning my wife peruses our vegetable garden and gathers what has matured since the prior morning . . .
The News That Changes Everything
A few weeks ago I posted a message titled “What is the Gospel” which was intended to help clarify for both believers and skeptics what the good news about Jesus Christ is all about. For me, the gospel is the best news I’ve encountered in my life and, as this post title indicates, I believe this news has the power to change everything . . .
The Mystery of Hesed
The mysterious 3 letter Hebrew word shown above is pronounced as hesed (or khesed) and is found about 250 times in the Old Testament. It expresses an exceedingly wonderful aspect of God’s character. In his book, The Mystery of Hesed, Michael Card writes, “A good case can be made for the claim that this word, hesed, has the largest range of meaning of any word in the Hebrew language, and perhaps in any language.” . . .
To Everything There Is A Season
Last weekend my father and I watched an emotional movie titled “Taking Chance”, the true story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a voluntary military escort, who accompanies the body of 19 year old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, WY . . .
The Name Above Every Name
One of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus’ willingness to humble Himself for the sake of humanity is found in Philippians 2:6-11. Rather than coming to earth in power and glory as God and King, Jesus instead freely took on the form of a human being to serve others rather than be served. His public ministry climaxed when He gave up His life on a cross . . .
It Is Finished!
When Jesus proclaimed “It is finished” from the cross at Calvary, He declared that what was accomplished would span eternity. This passionate statement represents the pinnacle of God’s redemptive plan for humanity that was formulated by the Triune God before the beginning of time . . .
Pascal’s Wager
Fast forward centuries through the prophets of Judah and Israel, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the fall of the Roman Empire, then nearly 1,000 years of the Middle Ages followed by the Renaissance, and we arrive at the Age of Reason which dominated the 17th and 18th centuries . . .
Look Up
A few years ago I was preparing for an annual client retreat. One of the sessions was with the patriarch’s grandchildren on the topic of FOMO (the fear of missing out). A good definition of FOMO is the "anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website". This anxiety can lead to addiction in the use of social media, such that people begin to feel increasingly unhappy and isolated, thereby missing out on the fullness of life God desires for us . . .
What Is the Gospel?
The book of Acts begins where the Gospels leave off, recording the actions of the apostles and the work of the Holy Spirit who had been sent to indwell believers, as was promised by Jesus. Beginning in Jerusalem, the church was established and grew rapidly, then faced intense persecution, which drove the believers into the surrounding cities, and as a result of this dispersion, Samaritans and Gentiles heard the Gospel and many came to faith in Christ . . .
500 Miles and 40 Years of Healing
In the C.S. Lewis book “The Screwtape Letters”, Screwape, the senior demon, writes letters to his nephew, Wormwood, giving him advice on how to best keep humans away from encountering God. In one letter Screwtape writes, “Music and silence - how I detest them both! We will make the whole universe a noise in the end…The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end.” . . .
Redeemed Quartet
Over this last year my dad and I have enjoyed listening to music on YouTube, particular those sung in multiple part harmonies by trios, quartets, or choirs. It brings back great memories for Dad, for when he was in high school and college he sang in an acapella group with his twin brother and another friend. Their repertoire consisted mostly of Mills Brothers songs . . .
Come, All Who Are Weary
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus proclaims, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” . . .
Gotta Serve Somebody
Bob Dylan, one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century, is best known for songs that chronicle social and political issues. Yet in the late 70’s the Jewish-born musician surprised everybody by declaring that he had become a born-again Christian, which outraged thousands of his fans. In 1979 Dylan released his first gospel album titled Slow Train Coming, on which Gotta Serve Somebody was the opening track . . .
How Shall Man Be Right With God?
The Bible declares that all believers are Christ’s ambassadors, called to share the good news about Jesus with the world (2 Corinthians 5:20). Since Christ ascended back to His Father some 2,000 years ago about 66 generations of believers have assumed this responsibility to keep the flame of faith alive. For this post I thought we might be encouraged by peering into the life of one such ambassador from the mid 1800’s, Horatius Bonar, who was a Scottish pastor and hymnwriter . . .
Born in the Image of God or Adam?
In opening chapter of John's gospel there is a wonderful promise about Jesus: "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." . . .
Drop the Blanket
For nearly 60 years, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has brightened the lives of millions of people. In a tender scene, Linus, in response to Charlie’s Brown’s question about the true meaning of Christmas, recites the story of the birth of Jesus from Luke’s gospel . . .
Water in Excelsis
The attached is a thought-provoking musing on the wonder of wine from “The Supper of the Lamb”, a book written by Robert Capon, an Episcopalian priest and passionate chef . . .
The Thanksgiving Visitor
Last December I posted Truman Capote’s beautiful short memoir, “A Christmas Memory”, a moving story I discovered years ago and enjoy reading each Christmas. This post includes Capote’s companion memoir titled, “The Thanksgiving Visitor”, another heart-warming childhood holiday memory of rural Alabama in 1932 . . .