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 […]
Blessing
Jesus told people why he came into the world. There are several layers to his purpose and goal; he described his mission several different ways. One is what he said in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The […]
Peace on earth
Are you familiar with the declaration made by angels who appeared to shepherds when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem? Here it is from various versions of Luke 2:14. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (KJV) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to […]
Who is with us?
Some children should be allowed to change their names as soon as they understand what their parents have done to them, like these: Audio Science Denim Derfla (a girl’s name; but read it backwards) Greedy Hellzel (a mashup of Hazel and Hell’s Angel) Jesusangel (no relation to Hellzel) Little Sweetmeat Moo Munpi (pronounced “moon pie”) […]
New regime, new culture
Just before the great Passover celebration, Jesus went to Jerusalem (John 2:13-22). He entered the Temple court. Various animals were being sold for sacrificing in the Temple. Moneychangers were taking foreign currencies in exchange for local money which could be used to purchase the sacrificial animals. In the Temple, Jesus picked up some cords, fashioned […]
Teeming with grace and truth
John the apostle wrote, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). John and others saw the greatness, the magnificence of Jesus. They saw the real God, the real […]
The after-resurrection hope alternative
I attended worship on Easter morning and heard a good sermon: “Stuck on the Road.” The message was based on Luke 24:13-49, the account of the risen Jesus showing up on the journey of two individuals to their home in Emmaus. The two said that before Jesus had been killed they “had hoped that he was […]
New creation
(Rivers of Eden by Yoram Raanan) Jesus began his public ministry saying, “The Kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). He was announcing that there was something new right around the corner. He went on to make it happen with his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. Another name for the Kingdom is New Creation. The […]
The challenge of Christmas
Well, yeah: peace, joy, good will. We all want that. Who wouldn’t? Umm, King Herod wasn’t very happy about it. You remember the story in Matthew 2 – after Jesus was born one of those angels appeared to Joseph and told him to take the child and Mary and run for Egypt because “Herod […]