A particular story Jesus once told comes to my mind every time I think of life after death. Because it is descriptive and brief, we are able to get a fairly uncomplicated picture in our minds of this subject of hell.
Read MoreTag Archives: Luke
Is Fatigue Next to Godliness?
Now here’s a rhyme I’ll never understand: Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been? / I’ve been to London to look at the queen. / Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there? / I frightened a little mouse under the chair.
Read MoreTwo Perspectives on Stress
There is an old Greek motto that says: YOU WILL BREAK THE BOW IF YOU KEEP IT ALWAYS BENT. Wise words, but how do we loosen the strings? Even when we make every effort to slow down and relax, others place high demands on us. Their “shoulds” and “oughts” and “musts” hit us like strong gusts of wind, driving our lives onto shallow reefs of frustration—and even despair.
Read MoreCommitted Disciples
“So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” Luke 14:33 I must confess that I misunderstood the teaching of Jesus in Luke 14 for many years. Within the context of declaring the extreme terms of discipleship, He slips in two stories that explain why the terms are so costly. The first […]
Read MoreLooking at the Big Picture . . . and Finding Hope, Part 1
The Christmas story has been so sanitized and romanticized over the centuries that even Hollywood—as jaded a culture as can be found anywhere—fails to capture the gritty pathos that surrounded Jesus’s arrival. Truth be told, even some churches annually idealize the birth of our Savior. Yet it was anything but ideal.
Read MorePersistence, Part Two
Yesterday, we focused on Philippians 1:6, noting that God “who began a good work . . . will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” And, since we are to be “imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1), it seems to me we oughta be about the business of persistence. It sure is easy to bail out theologically. You know, the age-old sovereignty cop-out. “If God wants such-and-such to happen, He’s gonna have to do it all.
Read MorePeter’s Failure
At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. Luke 22:61–62 Hope. It is something as important to us as water is to […]
Read MoreDetermination
When Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God,” the very word “seek” implies a strong-minded pursuit. J. B. Phillips paraphrases the idea with “set your heart on.” The Amplified Bible says, “Aim at and strive after.” The Greek text of Matthew’s Gospel states a continual command: “Keep on continually seeking . . . .” The thought is determination, which I define as “deciding to hang tough, regardless.”
Read MoreA Model for Us
And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. —Luke 23:48 (NLT) Our Lord has modeled the art of dying. Though mercilessly tortured, He refused to retaliate. Though seared by pain from thorns thrust on His head and iron spikes nailed through His […]
Read MorePaid in Full
The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. —Luke 23: 45 (NLT) How do we know that Christ’s atonement satisfied God the Father and fully covered humankind’s sin? First, the veil of the temple which separated the Holy Place from the […]
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