I think Jesus may have hacked into our bank account. Somehow, he always seems to know when my wife and I are low on cash. Now that I am a seminary student, our cash supply is often limited, and at times, nearly nonexistent. But when we reach the bottom of the barrel, we are always provided for. This has happened over and over again. God knows all along what we need, and He is always there to help. TV and prosperity preachers give such a bad rap to the ideas of blessing and prosperity. In the guise of fancy suits…
Missional has become a buzzword in Christian circles, but what does it mean? There are many different responses to that, but in my mind, here are a few descriptions of what it means to be missional: Incarnational: You display God’s good news in the way you live. Contextual: You connect God’s good news with everyday life. Personal: You view yourself as a missionary wherever you are. Communal: You connect with others in order to spread the good news. Cultural: You communicate God’s good news in a relevant way. Continual: Your entire life is committed to God’s mission. Looking at that…
I wonder how much time we spend wanting something else. When a child, we want to be adults. When we are adults, we want to find a job and a spouse. Then we want a child, maybe a few. When we have children, we want a house, then a bigger house. We also want a car, a television, a computer, and so on. Our cravings never seem to cease. I was reminded of this today when my daughter ate her first ice cream cone. She never asked for ice cream because she never knew that it existed. But when it…
The book of Leviticus can seem daunting, irrelevant, boring, and downright frightening. Honestly, I have avoided the book from time to time, as have many others. It is easy to overlook the book because the “rituals” no longer apply to us, and it can be difficult to discern what those rituals teach us. After reading just the first few chapters, though, here are a few reasons that we can be thankful for its message: * God has a plan for His people. * God gives answers, so we don’t need to figure out problems on our own. * God sets…
It is good to ask God, “Where are you?” Some of us are afraid to ask, thinking that our faith or our soul is in jeopardy. But in reality, it is quite the opposite. If we are asking God where He is, it means that we care and that we want to know where God is. In fact, we are better off when asking this question. As Scripture says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) Living in New Testament times, we are apt to answer this question too quickly. We dismiss passages like…
For Christians, the “good life” is not something reserved for an exclusive few. It is not hidden, or kept for those who have an ecstatic vision or some kind of secret experience. It is not monopolized by a particular class of people. Christianity is unique in that life is accessible to everyone, regardless of who you are. In 1 John, we are told that this life was “made manifest.” In other words, God fully disclosed His plan, so that all could see. It was a revelation that could be “heard,” “seen,” and “touched.” It is difficult to imagine what it…
Spiritual revival, or the renewal of our relationship with God, does not merely happen by chance, nor does it descend from heaven without our awareness. Both Scripture and history attest to the fact that certain conditions need to be met before we are spiritually resuscitated. We do not slip and “fall” into revival, but we prepare for it. Thankfully, revival never feels very systematic, but if we were to analyze it, there are certain factors that are absolutely necessary for revival. By that I mean that true, long-lasting revival cannot occur without these factors being present. I have identified several…
Colossians 3:23 was intended for all aspects of life. In that verse, Paul reminds us that “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men.” Our work should be defined by maximum effort and the right motives. Unfortunately, most of miss the mark in one way or the other. Some people become accustomed to what is common and slow down in their efforts. They may have good reasons, such as fatigue or a low salary, but they forget the ultimate purpose of their work. Other people work hard, not wanting to fail,…
Psalm 16, a golden psalm of David, is quickly becoming one of my favorite psalms. One of my favorite parts is verse 2, where David writes, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, I have no good besides you.’ ” It is a simple reminder of how God should be exalted above all else in our lives — not out of legalistic obligation, but because He truly is the only good in our lives. Everything that is good comes from Him. If we claim Christ as our Lord, we should regularly remind ourselves of that commitment. Matthew Henry…
Yesterday, at about 2:30, a doctor told my wife, “Worst case scenario… you die.” They were worried about a blood clot in her leg. Needless to say, we were at the hospital for 8 hours, but the test results showed that nothing was wrong. She went home without needing any treatment at all. As some of you know, this scenario has happened before. In late August / September, two doctors were worried that I could be dying, but it turned out to be a relatively minor condition. Yet another time this year, God has changed our red flags to white.…