My previous post was about Ephesians 3:20-21, which is the close of Paul’s prayer: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations […]
Prayer: filled with God
One time Jesus said “the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-46 NAS) Juan Carlos Ortiz shared a parable to illustrate Jesus’ teaching. It’s a […]
The new culture
Colin Woodward, a reporter for the Portland Press Herald, says that North America can be divided into 11 separate regions. Here’s his map of North America. Each region has its own culture that is different from the other regions. It’s not that everyone thinks the same as everyone else, he says, “rather that they are […]
Jesus reigns
At the end of the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he tells us about the power God exerted when he raised Jesus from the dead and seated him on his throne. Picking up at verse 21, Paul wrote that Jesus has been exalted “far above all rule and authority and power and […]
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 […]
Start over
Let’s study one of the most well-known sections in the Bible. Please read it in your own Bible or click on this text and open the link – John 3:1-21. As I said, this is one of the most well-known sections of the Bible, parts of it anyway. Everyone knows John 3:16. Everyone has heard […]
Now that he’s alive
Look with me at the last chapter of the gospel of John. It’s not merely an interesting add-on. This chapter is an important bridge from the facts of Jesus’ life, teaching, death & resurrection to our lives. John 21:1-19 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and […]
How Jesus became king
A lion woke up one morning in the jungle and felt pretty proud of himself. He decided to take a walk. He came across a monkey eating bananas and yelled, “Hey, monkey, who’s the king of the jungle?” and let out a tree-shaking roar. The monkey bowed low and said, “You, great lion, you are […]
Radicalized Christians
You’ve heard the term “radicalized Muslim” being used to describe people who have joined terrorist groups such as ISIS. It refers to a person who was living a basically peaceful and harmless existence then was convinced somehow to adopt a terrorist mindset and join a jihadist group or commit acts of terror on their own. […]
Jesus and rattlesnakes
True story. Name changed. 45-year-old Joe was hunting in the mountains of California. He climbed to a ledge on the slope of a rocky gorge and raised himself to look onto the ledge above. He caught a movement to the right. It was a rattlesnake. The snake struck and just missed Joe’s right ear. However […]