It is hard to imagine grief with hope. Losing someone or something, having deep sorrow and pain, suffering the irritation and grief in unmet expectations, and yet still being hopeful. Hope is the grounds for knowing something good is going to happen. How then can we have a hope of good to happen while suffering the grief of bad things? Is it possible to have emotions in tw...

Caring for another person is no small thing. Tending physical needs of clothing, shelter, health concerns is quite literally a matter of life and death. Taking another step is the regard for value of personhood beyond mere physical needs. Possessing a concern beyond one's own person, having regard for another's very soul, is a feat of cosmic proportions. Some might say th...

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"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."(1 Peter 2:11, ESV) Over the course of 2020 and starting into 2021, we've been privileged to deal with chaos. It could be worse. It could be better. It has been sort of an unraveled display of mankind's depravity. Maybe chaos is too strong of ...

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithf...

LAITY (lāı̆ty̆) Unless you have read from older authors or certain 'high church' denominations, you have probably never heard the term, laity. The most simple definition of the word is, "people". The greek word, ό, has three main glosses (or meanings)- people, crowd, or multitude. A great verse for this is found in Matthew 1:21, "She will bear a son, and you shall ...

I frequently breached the subject of judgment. I've often said, 'we need to withhold judgment'. A phase worth contemplation, even with it's frequent use, doesn't mean that it is well understood. What do I mean by such a phrase? Does it mean that we need to keep from being a judge? Yes, but it also means much more. Does it mean to be highly opinionated about every situatio...

R.G. LeTourneau, a successful and famous industrialist once penned, 'A Christian businessman owes as much to God as a preacher does.' No kidding! Isn't this a presupposed reality amongst Christians? Does it really need to be stated? Yes, it does need to be stated. And no, few presuppose that they are to be fully committed to Christ. Many assume full commitment to be the so...

"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?" (Galatians 4:89, ESV) Followers of Christ mustn't forget, we once were slaves to...

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,and the prisoners were listening to them," (Acts 16:25, ESV) I've often shared my astonishment of this passage. Intrigue, conviction, astonishment all flow at the same time when reading the midnight account. While it is not our desire to suffer punishment, it should be our desire to suffer well. Reading...

Prayer is more than _____________________. Fill in the blank. It's more than what? It is more than a set of honey do's for God. It is more than a list of ailments you would like healed. Prayer is more than a phone call checking in with the Big Guy to make sure all is well. Prayer is more than a tool to get things done. Notice how those statements are framed. It may be as...

Prayer is more than _____________________. Fill in the blank. It's more than what? It is more than a set of honey do's for God. It is more than a list of ailments you would like healed. Prayer is more than a phone call checking in with the Big Guy to make sure all is well. Prayer is more than a tool to get things done. Notice how those statements are framed. It may be as...

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"Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints," (Ephesians 6:18, ESV) 'Praying at all times' is not a hard task 'Psssh' should be your response to that first sentence. Have you ever tried to pray at all times? Yeah, but prayer is simple, it's just talking to God,...

"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence." (Hebrews 5:7, ESV) Hebrews 5:7 is an amazing passage for numerous reasons, but mostly because in it we learn that Jesus was heard because of his reverence. Jesus prayed. He prayed with c...

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"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, andthanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions,that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."(1 Timothy 2:12, ESV) Is prayer a discipline of the faith that Christians faithfully engage? Do you pray like you should? Is interceding on...

Find encouragement where it is to be found. A profound axiom for sure, at first glance it appears to be equal to a coach yelling the obvious. "You gotta make that shot!" or "Don't hit the ball into the net!" Like it was the athlete's intention to miss the shot or hit the ball into the net. Yet the apparent similarity of poor coaching, and 'Find encouragement where it is t...

Life's unexpected turns overshadow the big picture, but should they? The day begins. A plan is established. Yet rarely do things work as scheduled. Interruptions arise, things break down, others fail to do what they've promised. It becomes a frustration that one expects things to go wrong. A wise rancher trusts that the work will be there tomorrow. Error is part of his w...

""Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. "Sing praises to th...

Everyone is a critic, including myself. Judgment seems natural to mankind. We, and I mean we, like to look at something or someone and find flaws. Call it cultural influence, nurture of the parents, or even the consequence of fallenness. Whatever the label, it truly exists in all of us, even the person who wears the 'sweetest person in the world' crown. Followers of Chris...

Sometimes societal rejection of God can lead a Christian to feel like a car salesmen. Maybe that was just my feeling, but it was a feeling encouraged by people's faithless responses to the message of Christ. I hope you know what I mean, when those around you have rejected God, and in seeking to share with them the things of God, there is an irritable response where the mes...

Short meditation on confessions of faith and confessing Christ. ...