Recently my town decided to graffiti its own Main Street sidewalks with the message: no bicycles or skateboards. I’m sure the intention is safety. People walk in and out of the shops and storefronts, and you don’t want anyone young or old to be taken out by a person on a bicycle. But it made me think of two things: (1) perhaps there is a better way to state the message, like a nice looking sign that reads for the safety of others, please walk your bicycles or skateboards on these sidewalks; and (2) how swift we are to shout No! even in church, and maybe we shouldn’t be. Of course, we get no … [Read more...] about ‘Yes’ in a World of ‘No’
Devotional Posts
That all the Lord’s people were prophets (a meditation on the work of the Holy Spirit)
But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” ~ Numbers 11:29 (NLT) In Numbers 11 we find a scene where the Exodus people were complaining, some wanted to return to Egypt, and Moses felt overwhelmed as the leader. In the midst of everything else, Moses cried out to God for help, saying, “I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me” (11:14). In response God told Moses to gather seventy of Israel’s elders on whom he will put a portion of his Spirit … [Read more...] about That all the Lord’s people were prophets (a meditation on the work of the Holy Spirit)
Remembering who you are…
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ~ Romans 6:1-4 In Romans 4-6, Paul keyed on the realities of salvation by grace through faith. Pointing back to both Abraham and David, Paul taught that no matter who you are, Jew or … [Read more...] about Remembering who you are…
A ‘Culture of Grace’
I was reading an article recently detailing the fall of a megachurch pastor. In the midst of it, the author made the point not to ascribe one man’s sins to the group. In other words, big church doesn’t equal big ego. The author pointed out another megachurch pastored by a man of humility and grace. The author said, one of the reasons for the pastor’s success without egotism was that he worked to create a “culture of grace.” Then the article moved on. The phrase struck me, though. After all, egos (inflated or wounded) are not found only in large churches, nor are they only found among … [Read more...] about A ‘Culture of Grace’
Don’t Settle for Silver
Now the country that we came from, They play silver melodies, And the kings and queens would write their dreams, On silver pages we would read. ... We were taken through the shadows, Were we carried through the night, When the sun appeared, My God my fears of silver melted in the light, And we saw the world with different eyes. From Silver by The Gray Havens Near the turn of the year I was introduced to a band (husband-wife duo) called The Gray Havens. I gave their songs a listen and they drew me in with haste. They combine melodic folk rock, storytelling, and theological depth in … [Read more...] about Don’t Settle for Silver
When scripture makes us uneasy…
“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. When you buy a Hebrew slave…” ~ Exodus 21:1-2 When we read though the Bible, inevitably there are certain scriptures that will make us feel uneasy and wonder, “Did God actually say that?” and make us wonder if the ‘God of the Old Testament’ is somehow different than the magnified love of God in Christ we see in the ‘God of the New Testament.’ In Exodus 21 and other places, there are a lot of laws that have to do with the handling of slaves. Exodus 21:21 even refers to a slave as property or money. How does this square with what we … [Read more...] about When scripture makes us uneasy…
You’re not a loser…
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! 2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! 3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. ~ Psalm 149:1-4 God delights in you. Let that sink in for a moment. Meditate on that thought. I have heard it argued that if you want to magnify the cross and the holiness of God, you have to realize how desperately wicked you are. I have heard … [Read more...] about You’re not a loser…
Give to God the things that are God’s
17 “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21 They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." ~ Matthew 22:17-21 Late in Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees and other religious leaders tried everything they could to entice Jesus into some mistake so … [Read more...] about Give to God the things that are God’s
When doing right brings trouble (a devotion)
7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me." 8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" ~ Genesis 39:7-9 Joseph’s story is given a lot of space at the end of Genesis. In chapter 37, we see him essentially as a bratty tattletale who … [Read more...] about When doing right brings trouble (a devotion)
When God laughs (a devotion)
17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” ~ Genesis 17:17-19 The Bible calls Abraham “the father of all who believe” (Romans 4:11), based on the fact that when God promised him descendants as numerous as … [Read more...] about When God laughs (a devotion)