On June 5, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower issued the order for the Allied Expeditionary Forces to storm the beaches of Normandy and press the offensive against Hitler’s military. The order stated: “Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen… You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of […]
The making of a masterpiece
When we mention masterpieces, we often think of fine art. Here are a few: Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci Water Lilies by Claude Monet Turn Him Loose by Frederic Remington 1963 Corvette Coupe by General Motors While all of these are masterpieces of art, one of the greatest painters and sculptors in history, Michelangelo, […]
Freed and forgiven
An ancient castle sits in an even more ancient forest. Down deep underneath there’s a dungeon. It’s dark down there; no sunlight has ever shined in. A heavy musty dampness saturates the blackness. A woman sits on the bare floor in the dungeon. Cold, heavy iron shackles clasp her neck and wrists. She’s captive, chained […]
Chosen (part 2)
You can read part 1 below. God has chosen us in Christ to once again be holy and blameless – in the likeness of God and nothing to be ashamed of. He has decided and planned and worked out that we will be restored and renewed in Christ. We will become what it really means […]
Chosen (Part 1)
Do you know what it’s like to be chosen? You may not fully appreciate it if you don’t know what it’s like to not be chosen. When I was a kid, I was not very athletic, so when we chose teams to play baseball or something, I was always near the bottom of the list […]
Trespassing, skinny-dipping, and being in Christ
One summer day when I was about 13, some of my friends and I got together to spend the day in the woods. It was land owned by the family of one of the boys. I don’t remember the exact number but there were about 6 of us. We explored, climbed trees, fished, and just […]
Radicalized Christians 2
No condemnation A man pulled up and stopped his car in the street next to my home in a small town in Texas. I had just parked my own car and gotten out. I didn’t know the man. He knew I was a pastor, maybe because I was living in the parsonage of a […]