I Come From Him
Jesus spoke these words in the temple court, during one of His visits to Jerusalem. The last time he had been in the city he had healed the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, on the Sabbath, and now his…
Foothold for the Devil
It is curious to me that Satan has to ask Jesus permission to come against Peter, enticing him eventually to deny Jesus, but just a few verses earlier in Luke 22, Luke records that "Satan entered into Judas..." I realize…
Why A People?
From the moment God called Abram to follow Him, out of the desert of Haran to the land of promise, God's intention was to have for himself a people. Specifically, God told Abram, "I will make of you a great…
Peace, What is It?
Whenever we hear the word, peace, we tend to think of the word mainly in the negative... that peace is the absence of conflict or war. But, in the original languages of the Bible, the literal meaning of the word,…
Power of a Heart Cry
When a tragedy happens, most look for ways to support and help. When it's a friend or family member, you might bring a meal or send flowers or write a thoughtful note. But when the tragedy is outside of your…
You CAN Handle the Truth
First century Corinth had many gods, many religions, and many philosophies about life... many ways to god. You could choose your favorite god, worship at your favorite temple... some offered pretty exotic celebrations. You could get together with other thinkers…
The Great Divide
The homeboy got invited to speak at the very synagogue he had spent time in as a boy. He would have been interrogated by the elders in that very building, regarding his understanding of the Scriptures, before his bar mitzvah…
Love = Repentance
Reading Luke 7 this morning, specifically Jesus’ reaction to the sinful woman at Simon the Pharisee’s house. No water to wash Jesus’ feet. No warm greeting welcoming Him to dinner. No oil or fragrance to refresh Him. This was more…
Still Standing After All These Years
I am a history buff. And I may even be willing to admit that I am a romantic. By romantic I mean it is not hard for me to close my eyes in significant historical sites and imagine the things…
A Lesson from John Wesley
The spiritual condition of England, right before the great 18th century awakening, was worse than what we are facing in America today. Interestingly, the social commentators of that day are quoted as laying the blame at the feet of "passionlessness…