Delivering the Miraculous
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6–7) The tidings of comfort and joy we’re discussing is the […]
Conceiving the Miraculous
“The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) The tidings of comfort and joy we’re discussing is the idea of the Grand Miracle, Jesus’ incarnation. […]
Thanksgiving
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:15–16) The story of the ten lepers healed by Jesus reminds me of the church sometimes. The fact that God healed ten men, and […]
No Other Gods
“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exo. 20:3) John Calvin once said, “The human heart is a factory of idols. Every one of us is, from his mother’s womb, an expert in inventing idols.” We can turn even good things, like a child or a spouse or a job, into something that has […]
The Waiting Game
“Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) When something we’ve hoped for has been delayed for many years or seems a long way off, we can despair and be tempted to give up hope. When that which we’ve longed for comes to fruition, it is like […]
The Great Reverser
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:14) Don’t you believe in resurrection? Not just at Easter, but everyday resurrection? Resurrection in your marriage, in your relationships with your kids, at work, in your finances, in […]
Please Hold
“But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness.” (Gen. 40:14) After Joseph interpreted the cupbearer’s dream and gave him the good news, he had only one request. Remember me. Help me. In my version, Joseph asks the cupbearer for kindness. That word is a very important biblical word…the Hebrew is […]
From Bad to Worse
“Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.” (Genesis 39:11–12) Potiphar’s wife commands Joseph to sleep with her the way […]
When Dreams Become Nightmares
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. (Genesis 37:18–19) Martin Luther King once said prophetically, “You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.” I’m not sure I buy that 100%. Life’s full of […]
Brotherly Love?
“When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Genesis 37:4) As you know, Philadelphia is “the City of Brotherly Love.” As of July 20 of this year, 1,289 people had been shot in Philadelphia so far, which […]
God is Dead
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there […]
Fear Not x 365
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear….” (1 John 4:18) If you grew up in the ‘80s, you remember the TV show America’s Most Wanted. John Walsh, the host and creator, started the show after his son, Adam, was murdered. Each week the show depicted a child abduction or murder. […]
