verse4today: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
Posted on 2010-07-29 via Twitter
In today's reading from the One Year Bible, Joshua discovers that Achan violated the covenant of the Lord. He offers Achan the opportunity to confess his sins with these words: "Give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give him praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me" (Joshua 7:19). Then Achan confesses his sin and endures his punishment. My reading of that verse follows a conversation I shared … Read More …
From time to time, I come across writings that prompt fear about preaching, like Jeremiah's words to the prophets kicking around Jerusalem: "I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied" (Jeremiah 23:21). Then, in words which suggest things haven't changed much over the last 2,500 years, the Lord says through Jeremiah, "I have heard what the preachers say who speak in my name. They say … Read More …
Can't seem to get past what seems to be a contradiction between the desire of many pastors to count the number of worshipers each Sunday (coupled with the requirement by many denominational agencies to report attendance) and the story of King David counting his army. In I Chronicles 20:1 we read, "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab. the commander of the tropps, 'Go and count … Read More …
Interestingly, I did not read those words in a book on contemporary Christian worship. "Don't Mess With The Organ" formed the header of an article in the November 10 issue of the Chicago Tribune, an article about the Chicago Black Hawks, one of the “original six” teams in the National Hockey League. The heart of the article dealt with the sites and sounds of a National Hockey League game at the United Center. One of the sub-titles … Read More …
In Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship, author David Peterson summarizes one message of the Old Testament prophetic books: "These deal with the introduction of pagan ideas and practices into Israelite worship, or the attempt to worship other gods whilst still claiming to serve the Lord...." (pg 45). Reading those words I could not help but think about an experience this past Independence Day week-end while worshiping as a guest in an American Evangelical … Read More …
Can't think of another time when I preached with a child in my arms, but it happened this past week when Olivia made her way to me during the weekly gathering of Living Hope Church. What else could I do? Send her away? And what message would that haven given? So, I picked her up, held her, and continued to speak. Now as I look back, with the benefit of a photo, something about that experience … Read More …