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Angels, feathers, and the need for comfort when experiencing grief
During a recent Bible Study, I listened as a woman shared about her Christian friend whose godly mother had recently died. This sorrowing woman was grieving and needing comfort. To help with her grief, she drew from something she had heard in the culture—that her mother had now become an angel and was present with her, communicating with her. As we talked about this, looking into what was true or not and how to help someone grieving like that, our discussion encompassed three different issues. 1. Do Christians become angels when they die? 2. Can our loved ones in heaven see what is happening in our lives on earth and…
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Unanswered Prayers
When someone dies, we struggle with the “why”. Why didn’t God answer our prayers? Why didn’t God answer the prayers of everyone else? Why was this life cut short? As Easter approaches and we solemnly remember the Last Supper and the gruesome events that unfolded, the “why” questions of the disciples are laid bare. Jesus was taken by force from the garden. He was tried for false crimes, beaten to the edge of life, and brutally hung on a cross to die in agony and ridicule. His disciples and followers watched it all. They had grown up in the Jewish tradition of prayer. And Jesus, their esteemed rabbi, taught them…
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The final victory
Title: The final victory Aim: To be prepared for the Savior’s return. Scripture: Revelation 19:1–21 The song of triumph, Revelation 19:1–10 Revelation 18 narrates the diabolical nature of Babylon and the future demise of the sinister world system that Babylon represents. First-century A.D. readers would have associated this entity with Rome. Imagine how joyous believers would be at the end of the age when the Lord destroys the demonic system of evil that has corrupted humanity since antiquity. Babylon’s demise would be so complete that no person would inhabit her again. Instead, only demonic spirits and unclean birds would make the place their hideout. The above…
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Worship While You Wait
Waiting is the hardest thing I am ever asked to do. If I am waiting for something good, then it is difficult because I am so excited and can hardly wait for the party or the present or the event to happen. If I am waiting for something bad it seems even harder. I don’t want it. Yet, I know it is coming so I just want it to happen already. How good are you at waiting? When it comes to children and waiting…well, if you are a parent, you know how draining that can be on everyone. In my last blog I talked about the importance of waiting…
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The Son, worthy to redeem the lost
Title:The Son, worthy to redeem the lost Aim: To turn to the Savior for help, especially in our times of struggle. Scripture: Revelation 5:1–14 The worthiness of the Messiah, Revelation 5:1–5 The major literary segments of Revelation have an introductory throne room scene, which lays the foundation for the verses that follow. For instance, the vision of the exalted Messiah recorded in 1:9-20 is a preface to the messages to the seven churches found in chapters 2 and 3. Likewise, the throne room scene recorded in chapters 4 and 5 is a prelude to the seal judgments. The first six of these are recorded in chapter 6, followed by…
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The Father, worthy of unending praise
Title: The Father, worthy of unending praise Aim: To encourage praising God as our Creator and Sustainer. Scripture: Revelation 4:1–11 The throne of God, Revelation 4:1–6a The first three chapters of Revelation brought to light the temptations and persecutions that Christians faced in John’s day. Some broke under pressure and compromised their faith, while others refused to waver in their commitment to the Lord. Throughout the Savior’s messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor, He declared that He would vindicate the upright and one day bring them to a place of eternal rest. This leads us to chapters 4 and 5 of the Apocalypse, which together form a literary…
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Work in Heaven?
As Labor Day approaches, most Americans anticipate a well-deserved day off work. For many of us, the daily grind has become just that––a complete grind––and we regularly count down the days to weekends, holidays, vacations, and even retirement (5,406 days for me). But what if work isn’t supposed to be a grind? And what if our work doesn’t end with our time on earth? Have you ever considered what the Bible reveals about work in heaven? We know that the Bible represents one continuous story from Genesis through Revelation, and God’s story starts in a Garden (Gen 1–2) and ends in a City (Rev 21–22). This Garden to the City…
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Money as a Spiritual Barometer
Jesus taught a lot about money, for He knew that the making and spending of it occupies much of our time and thought. The Savior did not tell us in what ways to make more and spend less money. Instead, He encouraged us to be compassionate and faithful stewards of the financial and material resources He has entrusted to our care. In the parable about the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31), Jesus put His finger (so to speak) on a basic truth about money. It’s not really ours. Indeed, the Creator has placed it in our hands to use in a prudent and godly manner. This means that the…
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Treating others as if they were Jesus
It seems as if each generation is labeled as being excessively self-centered and self-focused. Take, for example, the millennials. According to the former Time columnist, Joel Stein, millennials are the “me me me generation.”[1] He also thinks they are “lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents.” Baby boomers don’t escape similar accusations, either. For instance, cultural historian, Amy Henderson, stated in a Smithsonian column that “when it comes to Baby Boomers, it is still about ‘me’”.[2] In fact, she maintains that the aging members of this generation have “merrily embraced their selfhood.” Scripture, it turns out, urges Jesus’ followers to resist the temptation of becoming lifelong, career narcissists, regardless of…
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My Written-in-Real-Time Blog of Billy Graham’s Funeral
A speaker by speaker, song by song, verse by verse summary, with brief commentary, of Billy Graham's funeral in Charlotte, NC on March 1, 2018. To me, it felt a little bit like the days after 9-11. The enchantment of this world was momentarily broken, and the curtain pulled back on the ultimate reality of what is good, true and beautiful. Thank you, Billy Graham, for pointing the way home in life and death. Setting—Tent for 2,300 people (representing 500 countries) positioned for the view to perfectly frame the Billy Graham library/museum, an enlarged dairy barn-styled building with a silo beside it. And to the left, the relocated…
