A Child is Born
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) God’s promise is spoken of in terms of a birth. This was a way in which God had chosen, in Israel’s past, to show his dramatic intervention in human history…three pivotal points […]
God with Us
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and was thought to be the home of gods. The twelve Olympians, with Zeus at their head, made their dwelling atop this great mountain…high above the average man, often above the clouds, far away from the grinding lives of mortals. In this, the Greeks are no different […]
The River of Life
Our nation is trying to recover from the trauma of the worldwide COVID 19 pandemic. We’ve made some progress, but I don’t think we’ve paid the psychological bill that is due. As a nation, our collective desire coming out of this thing is that we just want life to be “good again.” If we could […]
Mountains
You’d be hard-pressed to find a scene more stunning than the sun setting over the Rocky Mountains. I spent a lot of time in Colorado this summer and the view never got old. Those mountains are captivating. My son and I intended to take on the challenge of climbing a “14er” (a mountain over 14,000 […]
Quiet Waters
Are you busy? Of course you are! There’s a good chance you debated whether or not you had enough time to read this missive. Being busy is a normal part of the world we live in. Jesus was busy: “He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a […]
God’s Presence
Last time you heard me preach, we were talking about the wilderness. When paradise was no longer an option for Adam and Eve, the wilderness is where they found themselves. But more than just a desolate physical place, the first couple had been removed from God’s presence. But not forever. Because of God’s mercy and […]
In the Wilderness
“The Israelites traveled on from the Wilderness of Sinai, moving from one place to the next until the cloud stopped….” (Numbers 10:12) One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of Israel is her miraculous escape from Egyptian slavery and her subsequent wandering in the wilderness. The Hebrew word midbar is […]
A Sea of Troubles
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:9–10) Throughout most of Israel’s history, the nation was essentially landlocked; […]
Chapter 1
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. (Psalm 8:1) Imagine reading an exciting novel but skipping chapter 1. Who’s the hero? The villain? What challenges must be overcome? There will be holes in the story, plot twists you can’t follow because […]
When the Foundations are being Destroyed
In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” […]
The Strategy of Legacy
“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before me always.’” (Jeremiah 35:19) Years ago, Stephen Covey wrote a book describing habits of successful people. Habit number two is “begin with the end in mind.” To accomplish anything […]
Being Faithful
“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before me always.’” (Jeremiah 35:19, CSB) Two weeks ago, we read the story of Jonadab and his descendants. They believed God’s word and built their lives on the solid foundation […]
