“When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:1–3, CSB) In ancient times, mountains were often considered holy places, where heaven […]
Love is the Answer
“But you, dear friends…” (Jude 20, CSB) That’s how Jude begins the final section of his short letter. Sometimes the most important words are the smallest and seemingly inconsequential. Imagine a scenario in which I tell my wife, “Babe, you’re beautiful, but…” I’d never say this, of course! She’d miss the fact that I called […]
Walking with God
“It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones” (Jude 14, CSB) In describing the troublemakers in the church, Jude elicits the help of Enoch. If your Old Testament is a bit rusty, you may not remember that Enoch […]
Dangerous Reefs
“These people are dangerous reefs …” (Jude 12) Not too far from Australia and the Great Barrier Reef lie at least five ships at the bottom of the ocean. The reefs that caused these tragedies became known as the Wreck Reefs. They are so dangerous because they are so hard to spot. Jude was writing […]
Toxic Environments
“In the very same way, these dreamers pollute ….” (Jude 8) Sodom and Gomorrah was a toxic place. Lot and his family almost paid dearly. Originally, Genesis 13 tells us Lot’s desire was to live with his family in the Plains of Jordan. Greed and strife led him to leave Abram and he was gradually […]
The Heart of Sin
“Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have […]
A Weary World Rejoices
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV84) Have you ever seen Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs chart? It is a visual representation of what Abraham Maslow described as “human motivation.” It describes the things in life that drive us. At the bottom are the […]
Who is Jesus?
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”” (Matthew 16:13) Who is Jesus? This is a question that has been asked for two centuries. Who is he? He’s the most controversial person in history. And everyone seems to have an opinion […]
Watching and Waiting
“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”” (John 5:6) Of all the “Questions God Asks,” this one is the most shocking. John tells us this invalid was brought daily, for 38 years, to the […]
Robbing God?
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” (Malachi 3:8) Last week I got a chuckle out of the idea of Job telling God how to run the universe. Imagine a frail and fallible human lecturing the omniscient, all-knowing God. No less […]
Miscalculating God
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” (Job 38:4) Business blogger Anton Roundy asks his readers to consider miscalculations. If you’re going somewhere and you’re off course by just one degree, after one foot, you’ll miss your target by 0.2 inches. No big deal, right? After 100 yards, […]
Spiritual Snowflakes
“The Lord asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4) Ever get mad at God? There are several issues going on in Jonah’s life at this moment (we’ll discuss them Sunday), but one of the issues is entitlement: the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. Jonah had […]
