“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Luke 12:40 In all my years of attending church services and hearing the Bible taught, I cannot remember hearing much said about the importance of worship as we await Christ’s coming. But it is clearly an emphasis […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Luke
The Wind and Waves Obey Him
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. Luke 8:22–23 I’ve not done a great deal of sailing, […]
Read MoreSeeing What’s Truly Significant
But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:10–11 Things haven’t changed much, have they? Every Christmas season the significance seems to get lost […]
Read MoreThe Reality of Hell
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 MoreIs 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 […]
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