I was reading this morning in Mark and saw something that I had never seen before. Side note: Isn’t that remarkable in itself! I have been a Bible reader for over 50 years, have read the Gospel of Mark at least 100, maybe 150 times, and I am still making new observations and discoveries in … More Why Did Jesus Bless Children?
Read Psalm 57 (NASB95) For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth [“do not destroy”].A Mikhtam [Possibly, Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm] of David,when he fled from Saul in the cave. [1 Sam 22:1; 24:3] 57 Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge … More Let the Glory of God Fill This Pain
I was a baby believer in Christ when the power of these words first impressed themselves on my spirit. It must have been around 1976. There was a rumor going around, against the fraternity I was a part of, and some of the brothers were laughing about it. These were serious allegations and I thought … More A “Mic-drop” Moment
The ‘prophet’ Amos is actually a shepherd from Tekoa, to whom God gave several visions of God’s soon-to-be-revealed judgment of eight nations, including Israel and Judah. All of these small ‘nations’[1] are being judged primarily for their unfaithfulness and cruel treatment of the poor. Their collective violence and lack of compassion for the needy has … More “Yet You Have Not Returned to Me?”
Purpose: God uses Amos to give a summons for justice. His purpose is to hold up the plumb line of His own righteousness against the crookedness of the people of God and shame … More Beginning to Study the Book of Amos
Fishing pools, fishing trips, or fish catching or, mixing metaphors, fields, fruit, and harvest: are all different things. 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will … More Fishing Pools and Fishing Trips in the New Year
We are driving down the road together. The “we,” being my bride, who is driving, and me, the one who can no longer drive at night because my eyes don’t function without the brightness of day. We are listening to National Public Radio. People are telling stories for an audience that laughs and “oohs” and … More There are Stories that Make Me Weep.
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Silly question. All of us have at one time or another. Sometimes it was minor. Sometimes it was life-altering. Always, it was painful. Even the Savior of the world was falsely accused which puts us in good company. King David wrote about his own “valley of the … More Without Cause
Yesterday evening, I attended a Christmas service that included a wonderful message and an impromptu children’s reenactment of the Christmas story. Just before the message, the pastor gave the microphone to anyone in the congregation who wanted to answer the question, “What does Christ mean to you?” “Here’s the catch,” he said, “you have to … More Christmas: What does Christ mean to you?
This is not a comprehensive or even a broad meditation. It couldn’t be, since I try to limit these blog posts to 500 words or less. I don’t know who it was who said it, but it seems completely on point when I think of the long history of mankind. “Before Christ came, no man … More After Christ: The Difference in the World
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