Feelings vs. Faith
The scriptures say that Jesus — as God made man — experienced everything we have or will, yet was without sin. This means that He felt the full range of emotions we exhibit: anger, sadness, joy, grief, dread, confusion, loneliness, unfulfilled desires, disappointment, and more. There is great comfort in this as Jesus fully understands all that we will experience in this life.
Springtime in Nature and Grace
This post includes excerpts from a sermon Charles Spurgeon preached in 1887 reflecting on the beautiful and heartwarming passage from Isaiah 55:10-13 and a video link to the joyful 1st movement of Vivaldi’s Spring. May you in this spring season “go out in joy and be led forth in peace” and may God’s word not return to Him empty but accomplish His purposes for you.
What Do I Know of Holy?
In the Bible God commands His people to, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2). Later in the Sermon of the Mount Jesus declared, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48). How can we reconcile these commands to be holy and perfect with the truth that we’re unable to do so? . . .
Twelve P’s of Prayer
In 2012, when I was a deacon at church, we were asked at the start of the year to choose a scriptural word or phrase to live into for the year . . .
A Day In the Life of Jesus
This post includes a day in the life of Jesus from the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark followed by a beautiful meditation on this scripture from Alfred Edersheim’s book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Every time I read this mediation I feel like I’ve been transported back to first century . . .
Consider the Ravens
Jesus encouraged us to be keen observers of God’s creation when he invited his followers to “consider the ravens” and “consider the lilies”. Why? Because He knows we can learn about His Father from them. A.G. Siegrist speaks to this as follows: “The truth is that the Christian faith is all about transformation . . .
Too Good To Be True? A Paradox!
Have you ever received news that seemed too good to be true? If so, did it turn out to be true? This was the situation with the disciples the first evening after hearing reports of the resurrection of Jesus. When He suddenly appeared to them they struggled to believe He was alive. Scripture indicates “they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” . . .
Today This Scripture Has Been Fulfilled
Immediately after the 40 day Showdown In The Desert with the devil, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and began his public ministry teaching in the synagogues. He then went to Nazareth where he had been brought up and on the Sabbath went to the synagogue. He took the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and after reading the text, He boldly announced “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” . . .
All Creation Points To Him
In his letter to the Colossians Paul makes this astounding claim about Jesus Christ:
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him . . .
Earthly vs. Heavenly Treasures
Scripture reveals that the treasures of the kingdom of heaven are inexhaustible and eternal. In contrast the riches of the world are finite, we tend to hoard them, and they are temporal. Yet we will go to great lengths in pursuit of worldly treasure but ignore the eternal treasures that Christ is willing to give us freely by trusting Him . . .
What is Truth?
Each day of our lives we make decisions based on our understanding of what we believe to be true. How do we come to this understanding? How do we discern if what we hear is true or false? How do we determine whether a person can be trusted? How does this trust develop? . . .
My Treasure Chest
Sadly, the road map to the greatest treasure in the world sits on many a book shelf collecting dust . . .