Tag: witness
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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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Thieving Glory
Matthew 24:42–44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2–6; Revelation 16:12–16 Calling God a thief seems more than just a little ridiculous. Yet, Jesus uses the imagery of a thief to talk about the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is an ambiguous phrase. Many (perhaps even most) Christians, think of the “Day of the Lord”…
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Living
Deuteronomy 5:26–27; Ezekiel 33:11; Luke 20:34–40; John 5:39–40; John 8:56–58 A living God? To many people today, God is just a fairy tale who belongs amongst the pages of Grimm’s fairy tales and folklore. For them, God is no different than the ancient Roman and Greek gods, and of no greater value (perhaps even less)…
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Can God Get A Witness?
Deuteronomy 9:25–9:29; Titus 2:1–15 wit·ness: One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced. Deuteronomy is, in effect, the “Last Will and Testament of Moses”. Moses provides a contrasting snapshot of the Israelite witness and the Mosaic witness. The Israelite witness was unimpressive at best, worth destroying(?) at worse. What was…
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Mindset
Ephesians 1:17–19; Philippians 4:1–9 There is a pernicious thought floating around that if Christians really believed what they say they do; they would all think similarly. Sadly, that often comes from Christians who perceive they are not being heard or perceive that someone with whom they disagree is being heard. In my immediate family, I…
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Message Over Mammon
Luke 10:1–9; 2 Corinthians 12:1–14 There are many people who attract attention naturally. Some do it with mere charisma. Some do it with money. Others do it with the words (positive and negative). There are others that do it out of gain. Whether it is to gain the attention of people or to feel power,…
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Substantial Character
Daniel 6:1–24; Philippians 2:3–16 Adventure! Drama! Let’s see the big scene! Daniel and the Lion’s Den is a dramatic story. No question about that. It’s a great one for kids. Daniel, himself, is a great character. Daniel has great character. If you read the story carefully, you’ll notice something interesting. Daniel only has spoken words…
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Calling One; Calling All
Luke 3:7–16; 2 Peter 1:3–15 What is calling? For pastors, their calling is…being a pastor. Even how “being a pastor” changes depending on character, passions, and context. However, due to the influence of the Roman Catholic church (statement not fault-finding), most Protestant traditions (there are some exceptions) use the word “calling” for only one “calling”…being…