The Insolent
Insolent. It is not a common word. But the Holy Spirit used it quite a bit. It’s found, in some form, 22 times in the Bible (ESV). Almost a third of the time it is found in Psalm 119 which is where I stumbled across it. English dictionaries define the word as someone who is […]
Moving On
Life is changing, moving and rushing onward. No matter how badly we wish to slow it down time just keeps moving. Sometimes we get stuck. Life moves on, but we are caught in a relationship or an event that seems to hold us back. How many hours will we squander on a lost cause? Christians […]
On Being Thankful
A good Christian is nothing if not thankful. Our example and savior, Jesus, demonstrated his thankfulness to God through his often prayers (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21; John 11:41). The psalmist wrote: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1) “Sing praises to […]
Church and Government
It’s time to talk about the church and government. It seems we are confusing the two. As a result, many Christians are wringing their hands over a federal judge who decided to mandate same-sex marriage in Alabama. There are some facts we should keep in mind. The Church and Government Are Not the Same While […]
Of God and Birds
I’ve been thinking a lot about God’s care for his people. I get in a rush sometimes and forget just how important his care is to us. Nothing happens secretly. He knows our every care and struggle. That means volumes to me. As I write this morning I am sitting in our front room looking […]
No Fear
Life is a scary place. Unlike television shows which portray trouble real life is trouble. You cannot switch it off or change the channel. Life happens. Sometimes we try to deal with life issues by pretending they are not there. Denial. Maybe we put it off. Ignore it and hope that it will go away. […]
Resolved: 4 Simple Steps for 2015
Let’s do something a little different today. Let’s make 5 New Year’s resolutions that we can actually keep. I’m the worst at keep resolutions. If I make it to January 2nd it’s a big accomplishment. I want to do something different this year and commit to doing some things that I can really stick with […]
Desperately Seeking Vashti: Three Lessons from a Deposed Queen
Vashti was beautiful to behold but today is overlooked and stands in the shadow of Esther. We must give Vashti her due. Vashti is only mentioned in the first part of Esther. Yet she leaves a legacy worthy of imitation for women today. ((I know modesty applies to men too but Vashti is especially well […]
What Now?
Christmas is history. Presents exchanged, meals prepared and much love exchanged by family and friends marked the holiday. All that remains is to pack away the ornaments, throw out the trash and wave goodbye to family as everyone returns home to begin a new year. It’s been busy. Among all the food, frivolity and fun, […]
Words
Two families in New York City are grappling with the power of words this morning. For the past few weeks citizens have been protesting police actions which resulted in the deaths of black men. Sometimes those protests turned nasty and resulted in looting and lawlessness on a grand scale. The message portrayed in the media […]
