Present in Bethlehem
This Sunday begins Advent. That word, advent word comes from the Latin verb “to come.” It’s church shorthand for Adventus Domini…the coming of the Lord. As a kid, I thought it was the name of a Christmas countdown calendar that had chocolate hidden in little secret doors. But, it IS a type of countdown. In […]
Thanksgiving
“Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel…they saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:9–11) What is the best way to get to know someone and become friends? Before our lives became so busy, that was easy to answer: sitting down […]
Grace and Truth Together
“…But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) Imagine, an elderly, respected man, a pillar of the community, tucking his long robes in his belt and running to welcome his son […]
Truth about Truth
“They [the deceived] perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved…and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12) When Jesus walked the earth, John tells us he was full of “grace and truth” (John 1:14). We’ve been […]
The Ongoing Battle
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. […]
Helpless
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) I was 19 and in college. It was October 14, 1987 when 18-month-old Jessica McClure fell into a well at her aunt’s house in Midland, Texas. (That was 36 years ago last week!) Americans were glued to the […]
Grace and Truth
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) John’s introductory comments to his gospel are meant to shock his readers. The Creator of human flesh became human flesh and dwelt among us. The […]
Legend or Legacy?
“For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and decayed,” (Acts 13:36) I spend a little time on social media – well, Facebook…social media for old folks. We’re probably all chasing the adrenaline rush of getting likes and followers. In fact, in a recent poll of […]
Reaping the Whirlwind
“Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:7–8) It is so fun watching my two-year-old grandson […]
You are the Man!
“God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:10–12) The Scriptures tell us David was a “man […]
Grace in Lo-Debar
“David asked, ‘Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” (2 Samuel 9:1) That word “kindness” is one of those important Hebrew words, hesed – sometimes translated as loving kindness. We might think of the synonym grace. After the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, […]
As the Deer…
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These […]
