Jesus knew His purpose. Nothing was going to divert Him from that purpose. He came to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45). And timing was everything. The gospel of John makes this perfectly clear. Seven different times we are told that “His time had not yet come” and then in … More The Hour Has Come
I had a strange encounter with an older gentleman in a local restaurant last week. Let me give a little context for the scene. The restaurant owner and the cashier were behind the counter. At a table close by (within ear shot) was a family of five. One other person had just come through the … More Christians More Political than Christian
Psalm 32:1-2 (ESV) 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Can a sinner in need ever grow weary of these verses?This one can’t. An offering for the Poetry Project Read … More When Sin Caught Me and Sent Me to Mercy
I love cucumbers. Last year I probably had a dozen plants in two different varieties in my garden. The year before, I had more in three varieties. Ten neighbors benefited from the bounty of those gardens. And our house had plenty to munch on and put on everything from sandwiches, to hot dogs, and salads. … More Paint Me a Picture (A Cucumber’s Journey)
When I was in college there was a cult pouring its poison into unsuspecting students who didn’t know their Bible. Truth is there were dozens of these cults stalking the spiritual lives of young impressionable students. The one that I am thinking of called itself “THE WAY”. They used biblical words, talked a lot about … More “This Life” / “The Way”
David writes to be remembered. It is not himself that he wants to be remembered. It is his God. David is enthralled with YHWH ( יְהֹוָה ). He is intoxicated with a vision of God and the knowledge of God’s greatness. Sixteen times he invokes the name of Israel’s God. Sixteen times he remembers that … More Have You Been Humbled into Gladness?
It was the opening paragraph in the third chapter titled “Come to Me”. Five different biblical texts head the chapter and set the theme to be discussed. Every passage records Jesus’s invitation/command to enter into His discipleship. (Mt. 11:28, John 7:37, 6:35, 5:40, and 11:43-44). We might summarize them this way: “Come, . . . … More What Does it Mean to be Born Again?
“Paint Me a Picture” . . . is a new weekly feature of the ChosenRebel Blog. Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words, maybe more. Like the picture above or the one below from another angle. It looks like an artist painstakingly wove the fence with grass for as far as the eye … More Paint Me a Picture (God in a fence)
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations,if you live near him.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit ( Ballantine Books, 1937, 1938, and 1966 ) p. 207. This post relates to all planning but I have church planters in mind most particularly. I love church planters because of what they are … More Planning Pitfalls
Because of my love for Russian novelists, I was recently asked why people think Dostoevsky is so great. So for what it’s worth, here’s my short answer. Because his character descriptions are densely textured and believable. Because his phycological understanding of humanity is complex and yet understandable. Because he deals with universal issues and questions. … More Why Dostoevsky is Worth Your Time
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