Psalm 84:1-12 Enjoying The Presence of God This Christmas A true story is told of Mendelssohn, the great composer and musician. He went to a cathedral in Europe. They had just bought a new organ. The guy whose charge it was to take care of the organ didn’t recognize the talented musician. Mendelssohn said, “Sir, may I please play this organ?” The caretaker of the organ said, “Oh no! This is our brand-new organ. We can’t just allow anyone to... Read more
Isaiah 61:1-3 Proclaiming God’s Favor This Christmas One major effect of the commercialization of Christmas is that every year the gap between Christmas and Thanksgiving seems to grow smaller. It is common now to hear Christmas carols in early December; by this time many people have not only bought but have also decorated their trees; Christmas parties abound in offices and places of business. Virtually the only place where one does not see Christmas cribs and hear Christmas carols is... Read more
#IStandWithMoore Against SBC Hypocrisy #IStandWithMoore is a hashtag for those who support Dr. Russell Moore. I am proud to be one of them. Dr. Moore has recently come under fire because of statements he made about Donald Trump during the election. Dr. Moore has correctly criticized the religious right for supporting a man who does not support the values of the religious right. He has been a prophetic voice during the 2016 election season and I applaud him for it. The... Read more
Top Ten Events of the Year 2016 I have compiled the top ten events of the year 2016 below. I believe the following ten events are the ten most significant events of the year. 10. The Death of Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia The death of one of the stalwarts of the conservative group of judges created a vacuum that has still not been resolved. The Republican Congress has refused to confirm President Obama’s choice. Scalia’s death may have led... Read more
Reclaiming Your Story by Merle R. Jordan Reclaiming Your Story by Merle R. Jordan is about as the subtitle states: family history and spiritual growth. The central premise of the book is that (1): “deep spiritual transformation may occur when you have differentiated from your family of origin so that you harbor no ultimate loyalties that would block a total commitment to God in Christ.” Jordan offers his spiritual biography as an example of one person who has “reclaimed his... Read more
James 5:7-12 Exercising My Patience During the Christmas Season During the Christmas, many of us are not a patient people. A survey1 of 1,003 adults done in 2006 by the Associated Press and Ipsos discovered the following: • While waiting in line at an office or store, most people take an average of seventeen minutes to lose their patience. • On hold on the phone most people lose their patience in nine minutes. • Women lost their patience after waiting... Read more
Revelation 18:1-24 Voices Cry Out The Fall of Great Babylon In the evangelical world, we have sometimes been comfortable “using the language of culture” to communicate the gospel. We frequently talk about taking the timeless message of the gospel and “packaging” it in ways people can understand. But if we are not careful, we can move from “using language” to baptizing idolatry. One extreme example played out on Easter 2010. As a means of “reaching out” to the community, a... Read more
6 Ways That God Is a LEADER to Leaders December 7, 2016 Year A Psalm 21:1-13 Have you ever thought about the leadership style of God? Have you ever considered how God leads people who lead others? Psalm 21 was written by a leader (King David) who is dependent upon God to help him lead. It is a reflective psalm on the ways in which God has helped him as David leads the nation of Israel. This psalm reflects on... Read more
Romans 15:7-13 How to Glorify God Together This Christmas THE PURPOSE – GLORIFYING GOD IN UNITY The purpose of Christmas is to bring people together. The purpose of Christ’s first coming is to bring believers together. The opening words express the main point of this paragraph: “receive one another.” Paul thereby returns to the theme with which he opened his exhortation to the “weak” and the “strong.” But there is an important difference: in Romans 14:1, he urged the Roman... Read more
5 Ways to Love Others Through Self-Discipline December 5, 2016 Year A 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 It takes self-discipline in order to grow. If I want to have a healthy body, I need to stay in shape by getting exercise and eating properly. If I want to have a healthy loving relationship with others, I need to also “stay in shape.” Staying in physical shape requires that I engage in exercises that tone my body. Staying in the proper requires a... Read more
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