January 7, 2025
“Happy are the poor, the mourners, the hungry, the thirsty…” (Jesus’ Sermon(s) on the Mount) The Cambridge Dictionary defines a paradox as a “situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics.” In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the Christian life is the […]
December 24, 2024
He came unto his own and his own did not receive him. [John 1:11] Happy Christmas Eve. By the end of today, our deadlines and preparations ought to be complete. Now we can prepare for the celebration of the Coming of Emmanuel. The Rescuer. The Worth-Affirmer. The Answer. The Restorer. The Life-Giver. And yet, from […]
December 17, 2024
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” [Luke 2] These familiar words stir up plenty of emotion and thoughts in our hearts and minds. The stark contrasts that the […]
December 10, 2024
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. [Romans 8:1] Joseph was told to name his son Jesus, for “he will save his people from their sins.” A beautiful benefit of the Christmas event: God mercifully addresses our guilty consciences and our shame. In a world ready to cancel anyone at the […]
December 3, 2024
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [Galatians 6:9] Don’t grow weary in doing good—if you are caring for an elderly parent.Don’t grow weary in doing good—if you have a special needs child.Don’t grow weary in doing good—if […]
November 26, 2024
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. [Hebrews 12:28] More than an annual holiday, but certainly expressed in a kind word or handwritten note or an unexpected gift, thankfulness is first a disposition. A person chooses to be thankful and then readily expresses gratitude and gives thanks. […]
November 19, 2024
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40:31] Allow me to vent a little as I begin this Tuesday Afternoon blog on a Friday morning in the Frankfurt, Germany airport. There is […]
November 12, 2024
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. [Matthew 5:9] “Peace.” Just the sound of the word slows the heart rate and brings calm to the soul or the home. But let’s not pretend: “Peace” is a rather rare experience these days, whether on the global scale or the personal one. Yet […]
November 5, 2024
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world. [James 1:27] Last June, Sue and I had the opportunity to go to Assisi, Italy and serve in an Evangelical church there. (With the help of AI, their […]
September 2, 2021
A Word about the Word The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods…like firmly imbedded nails. [Ecclesiastes 12:11] One last nod to our summer examination of the wisdom of Solomon in Ecclesiastes: Though “life under the sun” is often frustrating, the Bible’s words of wisdom are life-giving and faith producing. In our days of […]
