Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
Do you do self-endorsements? Or act happy when you’re not? Or try to be more profound than you are? Call it low-level posturing. Wanting weight while living like a pillow. It’s pretty common. How many online identities are efforts in wannabe? Yet as we’re with others the truth emerges. We’re mostly like everybody else. I …
Read More Ordinary yet UltimateEarly this morning, at 6:30, I got a call from Rick in Africa. He knew I’d moved to Idaho earlier this year after a trip to the beach to pray about the prospect. So he asked how to encourage Nigerian pastors to go on prayer quests. It’s afternoon by now and he’s waiting for an …
Read More With JesusLife is a scramble among competing priorities. The time, energy, and money available for the opportunities and demands that come our way are too limited. And God gets this. Which is why he’s so clear in calling us to what really matters. He is an ultimate “Who” among a myriad of “whats.” We were made …
Read More “What’s important?”We’ve looked at Deuteronomy 6:4-5—the “shema”—that Jesus called the greatest commandment in Mark 12:30. So we’ve listened and see it as the pathway for life. It started with the “eyes of our hearts” being opened. So faith isn’t our moral self-improvement. Or our endorsement of doctrines. Or our working to achieve marks of orthodoxy. Instead …
Read More A Vision for Life: ConclusionHow’s our faith? Does it work? Or is it a work in progress? A key: faith starts with God, not with us. The story of the “rich young ruler” helps here. The man asked Jesus about heaven. Was his pristine religious life enough to gain eternal life? Jesus answered by first asking him about his …
Read More A Trustworthy GodIn the United States the President, head of the executive branch of government, stirred an angry march against the Congress, our second branch, in an effort to overturn the recent election. This even after the third branch, the Supreme Court, endorsed the election results. It was a short-lived but dangerous insurrection, with repercussions still unfolding. …
Read More Truth MattersWe need prophets. Weeping prophets. Who love Jesus and his Father. And who grieve over the tragic spiritual state we’re in today. Think of the difference between a doctor who tells a wife of her husband’s terminal cancer with a tear in his eye; and another who is professional and distant. We prefer and trust …
Read More Weeping ProphetsAntwuan Malone is black. He’s a pastor. He loves Jesus. And in an online interview this Friday he asked listeners an important question. Why has the church been so passive—so silent—during the national upheaval of recent days? I shared the question so his voice was encouraging and stirring. In the welter of angry speeches and …
Read More Finding VoiceBible history offers contrasts between God-seeking hearts and hard hearts. Let’s chase some heart stories here and see what we can learn. King Saul, for one, had it all. All except a heart for God. He certainly acknowledged God. He also had a big physical presence. He was king over God’s chosen nation. But God …
Read More Calling all heartsOne of the most-watched US television shows in recent days was the National Football League draft. Here’s my layman’s snapshot of the basic features. Each team has many needs and a few selection slots. The “skill” selections are crucial—the passers, pass receivers, and runners. And if a team has enough skilled men their next need …
Read More What to look for in a God