“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven…” Acts 1: 1-2a Luke’s former book is the gospel of Luke. The book of Acts is essentially Luke, Part 2. It picks up where the gospel of Luke ends – -with the final days of Jesus on earth. The earthly ministry of Jesus lasted three years. During those three years, He invested in the disciples. He taught them. He lived the truth because He was the truth. And the work that He …
What or Who is Your BAE?
I learned that term BAE from my millennial daughter. It’s an acronym representing the phrase, Before Anything Else. And it’s a good phrase to use when doing a little self-assessment on the topic of idolatry. As followers of Christ living in the 21st-century western world, we may assume idolatry is one sin we can cross off the list – we may readily acknowledge struggles with envy, pride, gluttony, etc, but since our home is free of statues and we don’t make trips to bow to graven images, we are okay – right? Perhaps not. In our study …
Blessed Is The Nation
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” Psalm 33:12 Regardless of the yardstick you use to define what blessed means, our nation (and the life we enjoy here) still measures up. Our democratic republic was an experimental idea that invoked smirks from some, disdain from others, and hope to many more. And almost 250 years later, it’s still working. We are blessed. Recent world events are a reminder of just how great those blessings are. Each day, as we see heartbreaking stories of military aggression, bombings, callous disregard for human life, and displaced families fleeing …
Choosing to Trust God
Even in a time of great suffering and affliction, David begins his worship with a declaration of his trust in God:In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. What if we chose to do the same? How easy it is to declare our trust after the crisis, after the provision, after God has answered our prayers, and after He has provided all we need. It requires little faith to declare we trust Him after—but a great deal of faith to trust in advance (and in the midst) of the crisis. Perhaps it is a mindset that comes …
Time to Trust
“Trust in him at all times, you people: pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 The Psalmist instructs us to trust at all times. “All times” includes: Times of plenty and times of want Times with and times without Monday morning and Friday night Anxiety and peace Debt-free and bankrupt Benign and malignant Rough waters and smooth sailing All means all. Life tells me that believers run to God in times of difficulty but tend to “drift” when all is well. Has that been your experience? Looking over my shoulder, I …
Trusting That He Knows
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 God has a plan for us. It is a plan for our good. His plan includes prosperity and hope. Is it enough that we know that He knows what the plan is? Do we insist on knowing all the details in advance? Knowing that He knows and being okay with not yet knowing ourselves is choosing to walk by faith. By its definition, faith includes an element …
Trust Brings Overflowing Hope
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Overflowing hope. Hard to ponder the magnitude of what that means. Hope on steroids? Hope beyond imagination? Hope that defies the imagination? Perhaps it is all that and more. And it can be ours … it is ours! This overflowing hope is one of the many by-products that come to those of us who trust in Him. To trust in God is to rely upon Him. …
Trusting Him for Then…and for Now
When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him … those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Mark 3:8a, 10b As word of His ministry spread, Jesus was forced more and more to retreat and pull back from the crowds. They pressed in and followed – not because they wanted to hear His teaching, but because they wanted to experience and see the miracles He could perform. They wanted the blessings…but they didn’t necessarily want HIM. It sounds a bit like the prosperity gospel teachers of today who try to “market” Jesus with promises of …
Love — Protects, Trusts, Hopes, Perseveres
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:6-7 If asked to define love, many of us would use words like joy, delight, and acceptance. Some might describe butterflies in the stomach, floating on air, or extreme happiness. But when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he talked more about what love does than about how it feels. And he also used an extreme qualifier: always. He tells us that love protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. And he added that love always does these things. In …
All My Heart
“I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands.” Psalm 119:10 These words are both a declaration and a plea. The Psalmist boldly declares with confidence: “I seek you with all my heart…” And then immediately follows with a plea for protection from wandering: “Do not let me stray from your commands.” Centuries later, time and circumstances have changed but the human heart is the same. Our desire to know and follow God is still great. Those of us who follow Him still have the longing to be “all in” — to embrace …
Eyes Wide Open
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Psalm 119:18 Do you find the Bible boring? Have you tried reading it, but either it doesn’t make sense, doesn’t seem to apply to your life, or you just don’t seem to get it? Perhaps the problem lies in not preparing to read it. Just as we must shop before we cook or pack before we travel, savoring the journey in God’s Word also requires some preparation. How do you get ready to read the Bible? I’m glad you asked! The answer: You pray! If you have no words …
The Word of God-Is It Your Delight?
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2 If we were watching ‘The $100,000 Pyramid’ game show, and the category was “The Bible” … what clues would you expect to be offered? Perhaps your list might include: Rules Dos and Don’ts Legalism Some people might even add: Drudgery Unattainable Oppressive The writer of Psalms would use this word: DELIGHT. Our attitude towards the Word of God provides great insight into our relationship with God Himself. While we humans may sort ourselves into an ever-increasing number of …