James 4 seems like a downer: “Don’t [fights and quarrels among you] come from your desires that battle within you…you adulterous people…change your laughter into mourning…grieve, mourn, and wail…who are you to judge…what is your life?” Many of our conflicts arise from an attitude of “if only so-and-so would do such-and-
The movie Twelve Years a Slave is an intense movie about the story of a free black man in the pre-Civil War North who was kidnapped and forced to work in the South under a harsh master. He would have suffered more abuse if he spoke things that were true—that he was technically a free man and that he was educated. The movie conveys a
Events surrounding the return of Christ are an important part of Paul’s message to the Thessalonian church. It is, however, easy for these concerns to be divorced from anything practical. Our understanding of how history ends is incredibly practical.
The Wise and Foolish Builders
When I think of a building, I think of it as something not quickly accomplished. This is also true of the work of a lifetime–a lifetime of obedience and faith. I usually think of this parable as referring to the sum of one’s whole life;
Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem, and whatever needed to be done was done. There was need, and other things took a back seat. What does this mean in the light of my life? How does this apply to me? I need to remember that my life is not my own. I am in the service of the Lord. I may not have any idea of why I am called
I have always been aware of, and even fascinated by, words. Over and over again, I witness the power of words. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this
“…when you acknowledge that heaven rules…” That’s the part that caught my attention. Leading up to hearing that, some circumstances had caused frustration and strife at home, and I was wishing that others would get their acts together. These were ongoing circumstances that I just couldn’t fix no matter how much I knew I was right.
It’s said that Christianity is narrow-minded…one-sided…full of hypocrites. But in fact, it’s the opposite. It’s freedom–freedom in Christ! It’s giving over everything that is holding us down and restricting us to Him. It’s asking Him to break us of the chains of guilt, fear, anger, addiction, jealously, greed, anxiety, control, doubt…
Are we truly open to God? Do we truly seek him with all our heart? Do we compare our faith to others…or are we wary of a true expression of worship by others, just because it looks different from ours? When he leads, do we follow, even if it seems a crazy step of faith? Let us remember Ephesians 3:14-21, that we serve a God whose love is wide and long and high and deep, more than knowledge can possibly contain, and more than we could ever dream. He can speak to us, reach us, transform us, and use us in surprising ways.
In verses 1-4, Jesus talks about forgiveness…how many times we are to forgive. Isn’t it interesting that the apostles’ response is, “Increase our faith”? What does forgiving have to do with faith? If God commands us to forgive, we are to have faith in him for the results of that forgiveness. We can accomplish nothing without
