SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:31-35 We are all related somehow; everyone is my brother or sister, not just immediate family members. Yet Jesus does limit the family bond to some extent: to those who do what God wants. What God wants (love, justice, truth, generosity, etc.) is what we need to enjoy God’s family blessing. Only those who…
Closing my mind to the Spirit of God?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:20-30 “He is out of His mind!”… “He is controlled by Beelzebub!” Jesus responds to how people accuse and attack Him, warning them to be very careful, that they may actually be closing themselves to God’s Spirit. What they see as crazy, what they feel as wrong, what they reject as demonic… is actually…
I am an apostle (and so are you)!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:13-19 These twelve disciples are not the first and only apostles, but the first of many apostles. Yes, they have a position of priority because they are first, and they walked with Jesus. They talked with Jesus, they worked with Jesus, they suffered with Jesus, they died with Jesus (eventually). But Jesus made it…
‘Mud-in-the-eye-refuse-to-die’ realistic faith
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 44 There was a time when my faith was simple: God was great, God was good, and everything made sense. In time things got more complicated: good people suffered, bad people prospered, not everything seemed to work out for good. Eventually I entered perplexity: what? why? how? when? nothing fit with my simple faith….
Do you talk about God with others?
When is the last time you have had a conversation about God with someone – outside of church? The Psalms encourage us to express what we are thinking and feeling about God. But outside of church settings, it seems awkward or inappropriate to talk about God. Some people bring up God in very unhelpful (pushy,…
Jesus holds everything together!
Laminin, God’s signature printed within you! “Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. He is first, and he is over all of creation. All things were created by him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He…
2 Samuel 18-24
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 18-24 What do you sense the Lord saying to you? PRAYER
When the church needs to be silenced
SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:7-12 There is something about Jesus that still attracts people. From the first Jesus-followers to the Jesuits to the Jesus People, crowds of people have gathered again and again, trying to capture what it is about Jesus that attracts. Even non-Christians have admitted a fascination and admiration for Jesus, though not for His followers….
Take your pick, and choose WISELY!
According to Sam Harris, these are the only options. I was reading about C.S.Lewis ‘trilemma’, where he says that Jesus is either “Lunatic, Liar, or Lord”. Critics accuse Lewis of using questionable logic, ambiguous terms and false premises. I wonder if they also accuse Sam Harris of questionable logic, ambiguous terms and false premises. God…
Everything God does is good?
You are good, and what you do is good. (Psalm 119:68) I believe that behind the universe there exists a thoroughly good Being… God. God IS good, and therefore God DOES good; whatever God does is good. But this does not mean that everything that happens is good. The reason: this good God created a universe…