Waiting for Christmas
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Luke 2:25) I’m not a philosopher, so not sure why, but waiting seems easier for people now than it used to be. The average age of […]
Go…into Denton
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19, NIV) Spend any amount of time in Sunday School or an Evangelical Church and you know this verse. It’s the fundamental command for Christians, and it begins with […]
Kindness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…” (Galatians 5:22, NIV) Let’s stop right there. Is it just me, or is it getting ugly out there? Everyone seems angry all of a sudden…and I’m not just talking politics. I recently read the heartbreaking story of a beautiful young girl from Miami […]
What’s in a Word?
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” I love this quote. When I read it I think Lewis Carroll must have been a prophet, describing 21st century U.S. rather than 1865 England. Think about it. […]
I Will!
Ever wonder why Jesus always had a crowd surrounding him? People wanted to be near him. People wanted to listen to him. He called people to their best – but didn’t belittle them at their worst. His personal standard of living was holy, but not holier than thou. He was religious, but not part of […]
Being the Church
Jesus was known to upset an applecart or two in his day. In his most famous sermon, he went through a whole list of cultural norms and modified them. One in particular was love. It is natural for us to love our friends and hate our enemies. But God wants us to extend our boundaries […]
Jesus in a Pluralistic Society
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25, NIV) The Bible’s full of […]
Be the Church
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really […]
With Salt
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV) Many of us western Christians, perhaps for the first time, are learning what it is like to […]
Jesus and the Social Mandate
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that […]
I Believe in Miracles
Once our hero, Paul, and the other castaways washed up on the shore of Malta, we read what happened next: As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself to his hand. When the local people saw the creature hanging […]
Friendliness is next to Godliness
Acts 21:17 (HCSB) 17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. I remember years ago, before we were in our church building, Christine and I were sitting with a college girl at the Rangers game on a church outing. In the course of our conversation she told us that our church wasn’t a […]
