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GOD’S KINGDOM OBJECT LESSON
God has a kingdom. Jesus came to herald the coming of that kingdom, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, for that is what I was sent to do.” Luke 4:43 Net Bible. When Jesus sends out the seventy, He tells them to say, “The kingdom of God has come upon you!” Luke 10:9b Net Bible. Interestingly in that same passage Jesus makes this comment as well, “The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Luke 10:16 Net Bible. Do you…
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Teaching Children to Respect Another’s Culture: A Look into Islam
Media coverage and conversations are everywhere about the President’s order to suspend visa entry into the U.S. from seven countries that have predominately Muslim populations. Our children are watching and listening. Unless we are proactive they will become afraid. Fear is one of Satan’s greatest tools for chaos. Throughout the Bible we are command to “fear not.” Fear of the unknown drives many to act in unwise and unkind ways. Knowledge based on facts can help us trust God and free us to treat others with kindness. As parents/teachers/Christian leaders we need to be examples. Let's teach our children to respect all people. Let's alleviate fear by teaching respectfully about…
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“Christian” Homosexuality Advocates?
“Rebuke your neighbor frankly so that you will not share in his guilt” (Leviticus 19:17b, NIV 1984). This column is the first in response to a man named Donald who wrote some replies to my column entitled, “Should a Christian Attend a Homosexual Wedding?” In light of recent events, I believe it would be best to answer Donald’s comments in a more visible way, not only in the response section of my previous column. Two things first: 1. If this column appears to start in the middle of a conversation, it does not; it simply follows from the above mentioned column. 2. I have slightly edited the responses to make…
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23 Books Reviewed in 23 Minutes
“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition” – Henry Miller. Here is my exhaustive review of all but one of the books I read in 2014. Skim the list to see if something piques your interest. Peruse as you please. Skip what does not interest you. For my reading list reviews for the past few years click on any of the following: 2011, 2012, or 2013. Now here we go, set your timer to 23 minutes. Go! 1. “Save Me From Myself” subtitled “How I found God, quit…
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They don’t call it work for nothing!
War and turmoil, conflict, anger and moral decay confront us on every side. The words of Francis Shaffer echo in my heart, “How then shall we live?” As we groan at the darkness, how can we make a difference for eternity? Where shall we turn today? What "works?" It helps me to recall that Jesus walked our planet in the flesh at the height of Roman rule. The Greco-Roman world was rife with idolatry, immorality, and all manner of depravity. His own people, Israel, were hard-hearted and resistant to His message. How then did He live and how did He instruct His followers to “make a difference?” My mind returns…
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Fight for Intimacy with Friends and God…right around your own table
This Friday and Saturday tens of thousands of women around the world will gather in homes, churches and Austin City Limits Live to enjoy the second IF: Gathering. I loved sitting on a friend’s comfy couch last February to watch the simulcast (my review). Also loved following up around a monthly IF: Table to share dinner and our life with God: 6 women, 4 questions, 2 hours. But you don’t have to sign up for IF: Table to be intentional about inviting the life and power of Jesus into a circle of friends sharing a meal. In his famous description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 I…
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Lead by Loving
If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any one of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love. . . A negative term has been substituted from a positive . . . The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. — C.S. Lewis The poignant words struck my soul. What if we lived and led by Lewis’ observation? What if…
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“I’m So Glad You Asked – The Lost Art of Redemptive Conversations”
The summer sermon series included interviews and answers to the questions submitted by our congregation. The topics ranged from human sexuality including homosexuality and sex outside of marriage; a Christian perspective on drugs and alcohol including addictions; Islam; suffering; brokenness; the impact of the Gospel on Culture; cultural engagement in new contexts to name a few. I was impressed with the courage of our pastoral leadership team to engage in these controversial topics. The presenters combined excellent biblical foundation with modeled discernment and grace which is exactly what this culture needs – respectful conversations. These were not presentations to preach against all the ills of our culture. They were, rather,…
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Has God’s definition of “bad words” evolved?
When Ashley and I met for coffee, she told me her story, peppered with potty language and a few "swear" words. Should I have confronted her with Colossians 3:8: But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips? What would you have done? Over the last couple of decades I've observed the slow erosion of wholesome language, especially among younger Christians. Not surprising in light of cultural disintegration, the crude soup in which we now swim. Ashley's way of expressing herself has been thoroughly influenced by that soup. But how should Christians respond? And should…
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The Marriage-Go-Round
It’s no secret that marriages are in trouble, no less in Christian homes than in any others. I regularly hear of marriages ending because one or both of the partners just isn’t happy or decides they want someone else. Hearts are scarred, children are torn between parents, and happiness doesn’t always ensue with someone new. In fact, the same struggles often follow in the new relationship. I have found that marriage moves in cycles, much like a merry-go-round. So often today, however, the partners choose to cut the trip short before they make it back around to the other side. Instead of expecting the best of one another and marriage,…
