Waiting on the Lord through crisis. Do you know how hard that is? Anyone who has ever had to probably does. Waiting on the Lord usually means waiting past the endurance of our faith. Let’s face it: It’s easy to be spiritual at the beginning of a crisis, before the reality of it really takes … Continue reading We have a perfect God who loves imperfect people.
When Moses said these words, he was at a crisis point in his ministry (one of many). The people were complaining. They wanted meat and not just the manna God was providing. Moses was overwhelmed and he told the LORD as much: Numbers 11:13-15 (ESV)(13) Where am I to get meat to give to all … Continue reading If only there were more like them!
Let’s be honest: some things are easier said than done. In our heads we know we’re supposed to rejoice in the Lord, but sometimes it’s really hard to get our hearts to come along. Paul wrote Philippians from prison and the key word in that entire letter is “rejoice.” I don’t know about you, but … Continue reading No matter what else happens, I will always have God.
You know how in the movies the good guy gets to give the bad guy his “comeuppance?” It’s so common that it’s cliché: The bad guy’s bad. The good guy is bullied and terrorized by the bad guy. The good guy finally puts the bad guy in his place, roll credits. If Joseph’s life were … Continue reading Life’s not fair! Part 4. Reconciliation, not revenge.
At one point in Jesus’ ministry He had 72 people who called themselves His disciples. These He empowered to go out and do miracles. When they returned, they were overflowing with excitement about the power they had been given: “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name!” (Luke 10:17b) The Lord was … Continue reading It’s easy being Superman
Leave it to Paul to find a way to encapsulate both the majesty and the simplicity of the gospel in one verse. “Mystery” comes from the Greek word mustērion. While to us “mystery” means something that is concealed from the viewer, the New Testament meaning is the exact opposite. A mustērion is something that was … Continue reading Wonderful and Simple
What if we could go back in time and visit Joseph in prison, and let’s say we could ask him one question: “Joseph, don’t you think what’s happened to you is unfair?” I think if we were to ask him that, he’d be puzzled by the question, not because he didn’t understand it, but because … Continue reading Life’s Unfair! How to Deal with It. Part3: We worship the same God Joseph does
For Joseph, living for the Lord was the worst thing he could have done with his life. Well, from the perspective of casual observers that’s what it looked like. Because Joseph went from being his father’s favorite and God’s chosen to being his brothers’ enemy number one, then to being sold into slavery, then for … Continue reading Life’s Unfair! How to Deal with It. Part 2 (Or, Wait! It gets worse.)
I would not be surprised if when we get to Heaven and ask Peter about 1 Peter 4:19 that he would tell us “I was thinking about Joseph when I wrote it.” Because if anyone epitomized this verse, it was him. Looking at his life, however, you never would have guessed it. His life was … Continue reading Life’s not fair! How to Deal with It. Part 1 (Or, A snippet of what I’m going to teach in Growth Group this Sunday)
Grace in Waves 