verse4today: As the Lord said to Moses may he speak to us: "I have seen..., I have heard..., and I have come to rescue you.... (Exodus 3:7-8).
Posted on 2012-02-01 via Twitter
Mention the word "prayer" in a small group of people and you will witness a variety of responses. Even among a group of Christians, we will find those who readily admit that they would like to establish a more consistent prayer life and those who will testify to a pretty diligent prayer life. We will also find some pretty confused about the purpose of prayer and others who aren't always sure God really answers prayer. Here … Read More …
I would like to think that I am a Reformed Charismatic but I wonder what that means. So, here’s one attempt to clarify the convictions of a Christ-follower who believes that the Holy Spirit is alive and well and that John Calvin had a pretty good understanding of the apostle Paul. What is a Reformed Charismatic? First and foremost, a Reformed Charismatic is that person who seeks to harmonize the dominant convictions of the Reformed faith, as … Read More …
As noted in my last blog post, while on my most recent vacation I read the new, 500 plus page biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. It is a masterpiece. I have still not yet compiled a list of takeaways from the book for it would take some time and be quite long, but I remain most impressed with Bonhoeffer's view of the Bible. For him the Bible was and remains the living Word of God to his people. Hence, he read the … Read More …
As disciples we may be compared to sheep of a flock following a shepherd. But how do we live as sheep in the flock? What does our life together look like? Those familiar with the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer may seek an answer to those questions in his excellent book titled Life Together. It is a must read for the contemporary Christian.But we can also look at the apostle Paul’s teaching in this area … Read More …
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is wonderful, powerful, delightful, and astonishing, as well as a source of life and hope for each Christian. As believers we can try, but never really live without the aid, assistance, encouragement, presence, and prayers of the Spirit. Yet, when it comes to understanding the Holy Spirit, I am a novice. Perhaps that's why I resonated with the following description of the work of the Holy Spirit. It is by the late Luis M. … Read More …
I never wanted to be one of those guys, one of the guys people look at it and say “There’s a Christian!” You know what I am talking about. I am willing to bet that once in your life you looked at a person walking down the street and you said, “There’s a Mormon!” So it felt good to come face to face with Jesus’ teaching about public displays of piety. In his “Sermon on the … Read More …
This past Sunday Living Hope Church followed Jesus from his baptism in the Jordan River to the desert where he fasted for forty days before being tempted by Satan. After reviewing the historical data of that confrontation, we asked “How does Jesus’ experience speak to us today?” The obvious answer to that question is that as Satan tempted Jesus, so he tempts us. Moreover, we discovered that, more often than not, Satan builds his temptations about the good stuff … Read More …
Each Advent Debbie and I not only put up our Christmas tree and the decorations that have been amassed over the years, but we also pull out our growing collection of Christmas books, movies and music. Included in that special collection is Preparing for Jesus a collection of meditations on the “coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas, and the Kingdom” written by Walter Wangerin Jr. It's a lovely little book with devotions for each day of Advent, … Read More …
Our Father in heaven, what shall we render to You for the Gift of gifts, Your own dear Son, begotten, not created, our Redeemer, Substitute. Herein is wonder of wonders: He came below to raise us above, was born like us that we might become like Him. Herein is love; when we cannot rise to Him, He draws near on wings of grace, to raise us to Himself. O God, take us in spirit to the … Read More …
Why pray? I tried to answer that question in my sermon this past Sunday. In that message I offered five reasons to pray, though given time, I would have added one more to the list. So, here are my six reasons to pray, although I am guessing there may be more: Because prayer is natural for human beings created in the image of a Triune God. As St. Augustine said better than anyone: Our hearts are restless until they … Read More …
Over the last 100 years, nearly every industry has experienced significant change. Take the ice business as an example. My grandfather was an ice man. It was a good job for a dependable man who loved hard work. In the early years of his business, he delivered blocks of ice (like the man in the picture). Early in the morning, he went to the ice house, loaded his truck with 300 pound blocks of ice, and … Read More …
This past week I heard a great story about an American Christian couple living in Lithuania contemplating adoption. God had blessed this couple with three biological children but, through their volunteer interaction with a local orphanage, the couple wondered if God would have them provide a loving home for one or more additional children. As they prayerfully considered this option, they concluded that they would adopt another child, but, then, they couldn't decide whether to adopt … Read More …
It has been observed that Jesus talks about money more than any other subject. I wonder if the apostles write about the communal life of believers more than any other subject. They get at that subject in many ways, such as comparing the human body to the church (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4). They also seldom miss an opportunity to call believers to improve their relationships with "one another." In fact, a fun and … Read More …
This past Sunday, 53 pioneers gathered on the campus of Trinity Christian College to pray and think about the emerging Living Hope Church, a suburban, multi-ethnic congregation in the Calvinist tradition with dreams of embodying four specific goals: passionate worship, relevant teaching, authentic community, and dynamic partnership with God. Each one of those goals holds its own set of challenges. In the coming weeks, we will look at each one of them. Last Sunday we … Read More …