The Psalms is probably the most popular part of the Bible. Numerous religious and secular documents quote from it. It has been a significant part of literature and movies in our Western culture. It is a huge resource in Christian-Jewish worship. Know that the Lord is God indeed, without our aid he did us make. What kind of sentence is
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 In the Inspire Movement, the ministry that my wife and I share as Missioners, we teach four core values of discipleship that can be found as we look at the life of Jesus in the Gospels: – Seeking growth in our love for God
I enjoy watching sports. I am amazed at the skills and talents demonstrated on the field in a competitive game or match. From my couch, I admire them while I enjoy a snack in the comfort of my living room. I must admit that rarely, however, do I follow their example of their hard work and dedication to their craft.
Let’s keep it clear. As Christians we are to be like our Father. Does Faith in God Protect Us From Suffering? Some religions say to their devotees, “Follow me, and the things you fear will not happen to you.” By contrast, Christianity says, “Follow Christ, and some or all of the things that you fear may happen to you; but
Words like “holy” and “holiness” are off-putting to many. One reason people resist the language of holiness is because they sometimes associate it with legalism. Sadly, some of the denominations and traditions that talk a lot about holiness have perpetuated this problem. They make the rules; you keep the rules. It’s a way to define what makes a “good Christian”.
I read T. S. Eliot’s poetry, even though I have to struggle to read and understand it. I keep reminding myself that what he expresses is worth the arduous effort and energy I might exert in reading him. One of his geniuses is his creation of power-packed phrases and images. Here is one of them: “For most of us, there
Have you ever considered how amazing it is that God asks his people to participate in the work of the Kingdom? He doesn’t need our help. He could do it without us. So why would he ask flawed and broken people to join in? Wouldn’t it be easier if God just handled it all on his own? Scripture tells us
We have been pondering the way Jesus’s resurrection can crack through our worry. An important perspective on hearing Jesus’ word, “Don’t be anxious,” is to know that he is certainly saying Don’t borrow the trouble of worrying about your ability to live the Christian life. This is something most of us have thought little or nothing about. Yet, I think
There have been a few occasions in my life when, almost immediately after meeting and greeting a person, they asked, “What are you worried about?” Persons often wear themselves on their faces. In my last article I reflected on Tennessee Williams’ image, violets cracking rocks. In his teaching, Jesus used an equally powerful image: “Consider the lilies… how they grow;
A few years ago, on a beautiful summer day, our family gathered by the rally track to cheer on my nephews in their race. We spent the entire day on a treeless hill, fully exposed to the sun. By evening, the effects were undeniable — our uncovered skin had turned red. Just like the sun leaves a mark on us,
My youngest son spent a decade as a chef in training in many fine dining restaurants in the Southwest Florida area. Several of the eating establishments were seafood restaurants as you would expect living on the Gulf Coast. Nathan learned to cook some of the most fantastic fresh seafood dishes, but here was his dirty little secret. He did not
My files are flowing over with magazine and newspaper articles, cartoons, and photos. Unfortunately, I have not found a good “keeping” and “retrieval” system that is not too time costly for the reflections I prize. Yet, I saw it and I can’t forget it…a cartoon that depicted an older couple, obviously rich and retired, sitting in their posh living room.
I am often fascinated with stories of people who unknowingly purchase rare and valuable items at a second-hand sale. A small bowl bought for just $35 at a sale in the US State of Connecticut has turned out to be a rare 15th-Century Chinese artefact from the Ming Dynasty. It was one of only seven such bowls ever made and
What? Count it all joy? After a brief greeting, James begins his Epistle, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” James 1:2 KJV There is no hesitation, no fumbling to get to the point. It’s really a shout, COUNT IT ALL JOY! He continues, “when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing
I have the terrifying privilege of being the father of three girls. Working to understand them and their worlds has been the adventure of a lifetime. That’s because on top of being a guy, I grew up in a male dominated household, in another country to boot. It was three men (me, my brother, and my dad) and one brave
A definition of personal discernment is “sensing and following divine guidance.” Of course, it is essential to know that the guidance is from God and not just an echo of yesterday’s podcast. How can we “hear God” in a practical kind of way? Well, I “tripped” into that hearing — if you can call it “hearing.” “Attending to God’s leading”
About a year and a half ago I decided I wasn’t happy with who I had become physically. I wanted to do something about it, and I was ready to invest time, money, and effort into it. So, I joined a group of friends working out with a trainer a couple of times a week, became a member at a
In order to create more clarity around disciple-making, it benefits us to spend more time coming to agreements about what we mean when we say certain words. This matters because we often agree on which words are important. We just do not mean the same things when we say them. For instance, my shortest possible definition for disciple-making is this:
Pain and our ability to cope with pain are problems common to all people of all cultures. For years, mission organizations have realized that helping people deal with physical issues opens the door to deeper discussions about Jesus. Many people have benefited from this work worldwide. However, we do not always do an adequate job helping our people connect to
Are you primarily a fiction or a non-fiction reader? I’ll confess I can’t remember the last time I picked up a fiction title. I know, it’s bad. But ever since my dad gave me a copy of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” when I was 14, I’ve been hooked. I have bookshelves packed with non-fiction titles, from
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