Tag: providing
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Prayer Signs
Psalm 65; Exodus 7:14–24; Acts 27:13–38 Do the right thing! Then, do the next right thing! If there is a question of what the right thing is? You’ll just know. Right? Sounds completely rational. You’ll just know. Except it doesn’t always (or even often for many) work that way. Many times awe-inspiring stories are told…
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The Fruit We Yield
Psalm 52; Jeremiah 22:1–9; Luke 6:43–45 Have you ever been somewhere with a beautiful bowl filled with fruit, then picked up a piece of fruit, and realized that it was fake? It looks pretty and improves the ambiance, but beyond that, it is useless for living. Christians have a discrepancy (okay, we have many). We…
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Burning Light
Just as “Star of Bethlehem” drew Gentiles (the “wise” men or magi) from afar, so does the speaking and reading of the Scriptures bring light into the world that is in pain and dying. Similarly, a lighthouse casts its light into the dark seas, providing guidance and the promise of security to ships.
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What’s in the back?
Matthew 6:5–9; Mark 9:43–50; 1 Corinthians 5:9–13 (read online ⧉) Prayer closets are a thing for some people. They have taken Jesus’ words in such a way to step into a private and personal space to pray to God. This is not a bad thing. Most do not pray solely in a prayer closet. If…
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Silence is Not Always Golden
Deuteronomy 5:1–31; Matthew 26:57–62; Acts 6:8–15 (read online ⧉) Perjury is a crime. Knowingly providing false witness under oath is a criminal offense, as it should be. Knowing our system, however, perhaps the penalty is not severe enough. People speak “white lies” thinking they are doing the right thing (again, in a court case). People…
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28 November 2019 — Thanksgiving
Psalm 147, Deuteronomy 26:1–11 (read online ⧉) There are plenty of tales around Thanksgiving. While historians try to break out the supposed truth of what “really” happened, people are still adding pieces of their own making to the legend and story that surround the “first” Thanksgiving. There will be people that will try to paint…
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From the Heart
Colossians 3:12–17 οἰκτιρμοῦ (oiktirmou) :: mercy and concern with sensitivity and compassion χρηστότητα (chrēstotēta) :: giving to or providing for a person as an act of kindness ταπεινοφροσύνην (tapeinophrosynē) :: humble attitude and without arrogance πραΰτητα (prautēta) :: gentleness of attitude and behavior / not harsh with others μακροθυμίαν (makrothymian) :: emotional calm despite provocation…
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Blindly Seeing
Luke 24:13–35, John 20:1–18, John 21:2–14 Poor Cleopas. Literally walking with Jesus and he didn’t have a clue. Luke’s choice of words makes it pretty clear. Cleopas couldn’t have been that oblivious. He had to have been prevented from recognizing Jesus. That makes perfect sense from Luke’s perspective. What is it about this resurrected Jesus…
