“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16) No line in scripture is so well known or so often recited. Because we’re so used to these words, I sometimes think we don’t fully …
God — Our Engineer and Lord
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” (Jer. 17:7) Have you ever traveled on the Apocalyptic Train? Most often, when I get on this train, it’s in the middle of the night. I’m lying in bed, and this “end-time” train is taking me to terrible and terrifying places. …
Drinking Deep Upon the New Wine of Jesus
Jesus said, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and wine is lost, and so are …
Jesus Came to Help, Bless, and Serve
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited…” (Phil. 2:5-6) Exploitation is a dirty word because it’s ugly and heinous for one person to use another, one race to put down …
Keeping Awake in Our Faith
“And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” (Mk. 13:37) I was in Galveston taking a kayak trip. After two hours of paddling, I was tired. Because there weren’t any boats on the horizon and the waters were calm, I decided to take a short nap. I was awakened when I …
Fill Your Heart With Good Cheer
“A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” (Pro. 17:22) In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I was asked to become the Interim Director of a department at work. The previous director had been removed for misbehaving and bullying the staff, and I was installed to put the …
The Grace of Jesus
“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’” (Rev. 21:5) A friend, during a recent conversation, said she had just taken a DNA test. When I asked if she had learned anything interesting about her background, her eyes got real big, and she said, “Yes, …
Jesus can Lift Up, Heal and Mend Us
“When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’” (Jn. 1:38) When Jesus noticed that some people were following him, He turned around and asked, “What are you looking for?” Did they answer? No. …
The Living Water of Jesus
“Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’” (Jn. 4:39) We’ll never entirely know what happened during the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well in Samaria. He asked her for water, and before she had a chance to put …
The Presence of Jesus In Us
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb.” (Lk. 1:41) “… it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) The joy that Elizabeth and Mary shared in today’s first scripture could only have happened with God. Elizabeth was considered too old to become …