I remember reading or hearing somewhere that if a person is in an urgent situation where they have to evacuate quickly and they have time to rescue one thing (other than loved ones), they typically go for the thing they value most. I remember seeing this played out once. Jane and I were enjoying a … Continue reading Moving on means leaving some things behind.
Really? Just being honest here. If I had control of the “trials knob” in my life, I’d turn it all the way down to zero, turn off the breaker and rip the knob out of the wall. I wouldn’t even spackle the hole. I’d leave it there just for spite. Then there’s guys like Peter, … Continue reading Really?
I have a dog whose nickname is Gronk. He was named for tight end Rob Gronkowski because I’m a Patriots fan. (You can form opinions about my team choices later.) I mention my dog because as wonderful as he is, he tends to fret. It’s odd because he’s a seventy-pound Mastiff/Shepherd mix. The Shepherd in … Continue reading Are you down for this?
Being part of the Levitical priesthood had stringent requirements. Like the animals they sacrificed, the Levitical priests had to be perfect physical specimens (See Leviticus 21). After a certain age a priest was not even allowed to participate in some aspects of worship. Why so stringent? Because the priests and the animals they sacrificed were … Continue reading What most impresses God
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!
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)
Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah. His name means “Jehovah judges,” and he did his best to live up to that name. During his reign he brought about many reforms. He set judges over the people, men appointed to judge civil cases, and set them on notice: 2 Chronicles 19:6-7(6) And said to the judges, … Continue reading Tie a knot in your rope and hang on!
The goal of God’s discipline in our lives is never destruction. It is always aimed toward reconciliation. For most of us, when God brings chastisement, we see it as the end of the world. In a sense it is. Because there are some sins that carry heavy and life-changing consequences. Some of our actions can … Continue reading Reconciliation, Not Destruction
Grace in Waves 