Tag Archives: Bible
Certainty about the future: 2012 and beyond
Apparently 2012 will not see the end of the world, but just the transition into a new era. This is according to Australian researcher Sven Gronemeyer, who said the Mayan calendar ends at 2012 because the ancient Mexican culture was … Continue reading
Posted in Current Events, Discovery, God's will, Judgment, Society
Tagged 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians 2, 2012, antichrist, Bible, biblical, Bolon Yokte, current events, Daniel, Daniel 9, doomsday, doomsday prediction, Hebrews 11, Mayan, Mayans, prophecy
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Speaking of Jesus: Antacid anyone?
I hear the oft-quoted St. Francis of Assisi comment from Christians nowadays: “Preach the gospel at all times — If necessary, use words.” I understand Francis’ point that our behavior and acts of service should be a light in this … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Conversion, God's will, Interior life, Ministry, Personal growth, Salvation, Society
Tagged anxiety, anxious, Bible, conversion, evangelism, faith, Jesus, nerves, nervous, saving faith, speaking, St. Francis, witness, witnessing
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Forthright and sincere
I admire forthright people. That doesn’t mean I’m always forthright, but I admire it. I hope that I aim for it in my relationship with God and with other humans.
What do I mean by forthright? This kind of person is straight up about what they believe and why they believe it. They don’t hem and haw about motives and reasons for doing things. They’re candid, not afraid to tell you their own mistakes or reveal their wrong thoughts or behaviors. They aren’t proud of those mistakes and missteps, just honest.
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Posted in Personal growth, The church, Values and priorities
Tagged Bible, Christian, confessing, confessing sin, Ephesians 4:15, Forthright, genuine, God, guileless, honest, honest about mistakes, honest with God, honesty with God, Jesus, John 1:47, motives, no beating around the bush, not false, real, sincere, speak the truth in love, straightforward, true, WYSIWYG
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God’s front lawn
With all the recent financial woes, 401K plans nose-diving like kamikazes, Wall Street losing its mind and who knows about the future, I had to conclude: whether it’s my yard or my friend’s yard, my mother-in-law’s car or the new Honda we just purchased, the flat-screen monitor I picked up at a garage sale or the house I’m living in right now, it all belongs to the Lord. The tall fescue belongs to Jesus. I’m just asking for the ability to enjoy it while these toes of mine still grip the earth.
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Posted in God's will, Making life count, Values and priorities
Tagged 1 Cor. 7, 1 Timothy 6, ascetics, backyard, Bible, Christian, comfort, Dave Howard, don't hope in wealth, emotions, engrossed, enjoy things of this world, financial woes, garage sale, gloomy, God, grass, happy, how does it make me feel, Jesus, Jim Elliot, loose grip, morose, our house, soft grasp, tall fescue, temporary versus eternal, turf grass, wealth, Wheaton
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Sabbath of My Heart
I’ve been thinking lately about the Sabbath. Now, mind you, I’m not an Old Testament “observe the Sabbath” kind of guy. My thoughts on this topic are firmly grounded in Colossians 2:16-17. The Sabbath was a “shadow” or more correctly a “foreshadow” of the peace and rest that we have in Christ. It was a picture of what God intended for the Israelites and for all people in regards to knowing Him.
Posted in God's will, Identity, Interior life
Tagged 10 Commandments, Bible, centered on God, Christian, Colossians 2:16-17, Ezekiel 20, Ezekiel 22, failure to keep Sabbath, false gods, foreshadow, God, heart, intermarry, Isaiah 58, Israelites, Jeremiah 17, Jesus, lifestyle centered on Christ, Old Testament, permanent Sabbath, relationship with God, rest, Sabbath, worship
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Wide open ain’t easy
Maybe you’re one of those extremely self-confident people who can just lay it all out there for the world to see. You don’t care how you’re perceived or you’re just naturally secure or you have such a grasp on your identity as a child of God nothing phases you. God bless you. That isn’t me.
Posted in Identity, Interior life, Personal growth
Tagged 2 Cor. 6, Bible, Christian, friends, friendship, God, Jesus, love as I have loved you, loved by God, open, open hearted, open wide your hearts, Romans 5:8, secure, self-protection, sensitive, tender hearted, warm feelings, who I am, wide open, withdrawal
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Exercising the Right Kind of Influence
We should be salt – seasoning our relationships with grace and kindness, patience and compassion. We should be vessels of God’s love to our families, but not stop there. We should be known as the neighbors with the open door policy. We should have a reputation among our co-workers as the person who can be counted on in a pinch. That’s a short list.
Posted in Ministry, Society, The church, Values and priorities
Tagged Bible, charity, Christ, Christian, Christians, eternally, eternity, God, high-profile, Identity, influence, influencers, Jesus, John 13, Lord, relationships, salt, saviour, who we really are, work
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Are You Sane?
I’ve been thinking about the topic of sanity lately. I think, over the last 20+ years of knowing God personally, that I’ve become a more sane person. Not that anyone would have said, “Wow, that guy’s insane” (well, maybe a few 
But one of the side benefits of meeting Jesus and learning and applying God’s truth has been increasing mental wellness. Continue reading
Posted in God's will, Interior life, Personal growth
Tagged Bible, caring for people, giving my life away, God, God changing, insight, Jesus, meet the needs of others, mental health, mental wellness, moral failure, moral failures, morality, personal relationship, Philippians 2, Romans 12:3, sanity, thinking sanely, Who is God, wholeness in Christ
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The Danger of Summer Slumber
Summer is a funny kind of season for me. I love the extra time with the kids, the freedom to explore new things because I’m not hamstrung by life’s normal commitments, getting outdoors, going on vacation and hopefully, throttle down just a bit. But I’ve also discovered that summer is a season where I need to exercise extra diligence – spiritually. I find it easy to drift into the endless summer mentality and begin to think that all’s well with the world. Something usually happens when I shift into that mindset – I fall asleep.
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Posted in Ministry, Spiritual Warfare, The church
Tagged 1 Peter 5:8, 24/7, Bible, Christ, church problems, discipleship, fellowship, getting outdoors, God, Jesus, Lord, make the most of every opportunity, Matthew 13, prayer, press on, sleeping, spiritual hiatus, spiritual sleep, summer, vacation, wise, Word
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