Unveiled Faces
“And we, who with unveiled faces, all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) I’m sure you are familiar with the most popular game in the world. It is as old as the human race and is […]
Erethizon Dorsatum
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way….” (Isaiah 53:6) “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) How do you pursue this beautiful dream of community and relationships with actual, real-life, imperfect people? Let me tell you about the North […]
Divine Glue
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:15–16) There is an inevitability to […]
The Threefold Cord
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts… A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12) A few years ago, I was challenged to “sum up” New Life Church. Like most organizations, we have a vision statement, a mission statement, and a purpose statement. But […]
Another Pandemic
“My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the House of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the […]
Loving the Unlovely
“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27–28) In our pursuit of “waging peace” – being peacemakers in a world of conflict – we eventually have to come to grips with […]
Good and Pleasant
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.” (Psalm 133:1–2) The key to good and pleasant company is given with a little disclaimer…we must be […]
Together
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT) Most commentaries on the Book of Hebrews I have […]
Fights among You
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?“ (James 4:1, NIV) I heard the story recently of a castle in Ireland. Over the years, the castle was uninhabited and fell into disrepair. Neighboring peasants began to scavenge the castle for stones. After all, these were beautiful […]
The Unity Jesus Longs For (Eph. 4:1-6)
We must realize that the only basis for the unity of heaven is the Lordship of Christ. It’s not in everyone coming to my way of thinking. It’s in everyone, including me, coming to His way of thinking…
Babel Reversed
“That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.“ (Genesis 11:9, NIV) “When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.“ (Acts […]
Together
As we come to the last section of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (4:7-18), he includes some final greetings from his friends and co-workers to the church in Colossae. Each one of them has a story to tell, though none of them ever becomes famous like Paul. There are a few names we recognize, like […]
