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City of Home
Zechariah 2:1–13; Revelation 21:15–27 COVID? The New Normal? Back to COVID? What really is normal? After generations of ups and downs, the remnants of Israel were beginning to come home. The People of God were returning to the Promised Land. Zechariah’s vision conveyed many things. First, of course, was that the people were returning to
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Freely Abiding
Titus 3:1–11 The next wave is coming. All around the globe, the next wave of COVID is coming. Countries that thought they were done are back to a true lockdown state. In the US, certain states are returning to more limited engagements. It’s hard for those of us in the US. We really do not
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Moving Stone
Mark 16:1-7; Ephesians 2:11–22 The Resurrection was an event. Obviously. Yet, in many respects, we miss the extending power of the Resurrection. Yes, the Resurrection shows that there is something after. It also shows us that there is something more. The event itself begins with what cannot be done alone. The stone being rolled away.
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One Hundred and Twenty
Genesis 6:1–13; Judges 2:8–23 “The younger generation just doesn’t…” “The older generation just doesn’t…” The generational splits have grown. Much of that has to do with the acceleration of technology and the cultural changes that have gone along with it. Many times, the older generations say that they wouldn’t have behaved as the younger generation
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Circling Vultures
Matthew 24:36–42; Luke 17:11–37 One of the most famous concepts in End Times thinking is those “left behind”. Part of the was the “Left Behind” series. It was also the dramatic portrayals of how two people would walk together, and one would just disappear. As an unbeliever, that always sounded…strange (okay, maybe crazy). The problem
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Yieldingly Strong
Malachi 1:6–14; 1 Peter 2:1–10 Many years ago, there was a Star Trek show called Voyager. Overall, I don’t remember much about it, but I do recall this scene between Neelix (guest alien onboard) and Tuvok (i.e., Vulcan, humorless, emotionless, kind of like a robot): NEELIX: These are Keela flowers. Beautiful, and remarkably strong. The
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Now’s The Time
Matthew 16:1–4; Matthew 13:1–9; Matthew 13:18–23; Titus 2:11–14 Humanity has smashed the atom. Humanity has gone to the moon. Humanity can splice the fabric of life (DNA). Humanity sill hates. Humanity still wars. Humanity still fears. A generation goes and a generation comes,but the earth remains forever. What has been is what will be,and what
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Clear the Earth
Exodus 10:3–15; Joel 1:2–4; Mark 1:4–8 We read the Little House on the Prairie series to our kids. Ingalls relates how locusts one annihilated their crops. A family that barely lived on a shoestring certainly couldn’t afford that loss. That same swarm swept much of the United States, causing horrendous loss of crops and farms.
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Neglection
Proverbs 1:20–29; Hebrews 2:2–11; Hebrews 10:23–25 It’s been pretty normal that there will be some dramatic (and probably horrific) story of neglect that will be in the news. Children and animals recovered from bad situations; situations where the health and well-being (including mental and spiritual) of children is neglected. Most of us usually respond with
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Gather Where
Exodus 3:1–6; Ezra 3:8–13; Matthew 23:37–24:8 I visited Rome many years ago. I have never been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of church buildings. It seemed that there wasn’t a block that didn’t have one. There is a Roman Catholic church building dedicated to every country in the world, and that’s not even half