We who are learned in the ways of Scripture, whether by professional preparation or by personal devotion or both, are vulnerable to a grave danger. We are vulnerable at the point of taking control of the Word for our own designs. Pastors may do this by taking the Word as a tool of the trade …
Category Archives: Devotion
MLK’s “Auto-Eulogy”
Fifty years ago, tonight, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of a Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. I believe that all Americans, and people from every other part of the world, who love freedom should grieve this tragic and traumatic event in our history. Likewise, every American, and all others, who cherish …
Caiaphas, Caesar, Christ
Can we live in the way of Caiaphas or Caesar in the name of Christ? Are there multiple ways Messiah can wage the battle, achieve the victory and save the world and us? Does the supreme value of Kingdom-come justify whatever means are necessary to get there? When Jesus told them what being Messiah …
Kingdom, Lent, and Blessing
The Kingdom that begins with Lent also begins with blessing. There is the call to turn—repent!—which is Lent. There then comes a pronouncement: “Blessed!” Consider how stunning this is. When Jesus begins to teach about the Kingdom of God, the first word is “Blessed!” This is not what we expected, not from God almighty in …
I DON’T SEE JESUS!
“But I don’t see Jesus!” That is what little Ari, our granddaughter, said at bed time when we asked her whether she wanted to pray. She hesitated or declined to say the prayers because she couldn’t “see” Jesus. She had spent Christmas Day with us, along with siblings and parents, and then had stayed over …