Photoshopping Jesus—Because He Just Refuses to Fit In
Have you heard of a raster graphics editor? It is an application that makes it easy to create or edit or retouch photos as one sees fit, and then saves them in formats of JPEG, GIF, PNG, and others. If you haven’t heard of a raster graphics editor, maybe you’ve heard of Adobe Photoshop—one of the most popular raster graphics editors out there. Personally, I’m not that familiar with it, but I live with techies who try and educate me
The Gift of Kindness
If you’ve spent even a little time watching the disheartening news on television or looking over the headlines of your magazine—or even found yourself waiting in a long line of Christmas shoppers, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why is it so difficult for someone to be kind?” Or worse, “I wish I had been kinder.” Jesus was born into a “troubled and turbulent world”—not a kind world. Long before his birth, the prophet Isaiah said, “The people that walked in darkness have
Light of the World
It appears that we are moving at warp speed toward Christmas, too rapidly in my view. It all goes by like a flash. I like to linger and savor all the sights and sounds (and flavors) of this season. And I find it very unfortunate that we don’t spend more time focusing on the Advent and Christmas passages of Scripture, except in this one season, because there is so much Gospel in them. For example, Isaiah 9, the amazing prophecy of
Nothing Can Separate Us
This coming Sunday, we’ll be looking at two famous passages of Scripture: Psalm 139 and Romans 8. Both say essentially the same thing in different ways, and since Paul was so familiar with the Psalter, I can’t help but think that he had this particular Psalm in mind when he penned the last part of his chapter. David declares that that there is no place in the universe where God is absent so he is safe and secure because he is
God’s Love: The Best Christmas Gift
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! God is love. We hear this all the time whenever his name is mentioned. We are told in Scripture that his character is the very essence of love. Yet we make the mistake of defining his love in terms of what we habitually think it is, rather than first coming to an understanding what his love actually
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Dear Friends, This Sunday, we’ll be joining together to celebrate Harvest Festival and Thanksgiving. Both events, British and American, have one aim—to thank God for his provision and grace. The tradition of Harvest Festival in today's format began in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service for the harvest at his Morwenstow, Cornwall, church. On September 13, 1843, he put up a notice in the church for his new service: "Let us gather together in the
Why Is God Doing This to Me?
Two weeks ago, we took a look at Job’s suffering and questioning and the counsel of his ignorant “comforters.” Finally, tired of their useless ramblings, God breaks in and assures them that only he knows everything that can be known. In fact, only he holds in his hands the explanation for all that happens. We don’t, and can’t! Last week, we focused on the bedrock truth that we all fall back upon when we have no other understanding of our own
Good Lord, Morning?
How do you begin your day? Do you wake up, jump out of bed, and enthusiastically look forward to all that life is going to offer you? It’s a happy, “Good Morning, Lord” type of day! Or, is it a “Good Lord, morning!” kind of experience for you? If it’s “Good Lord, morning!”—ask yourself this question, What is it that makes God happy? We talk a lot about what makes us happy, how God can bring us joy, all the benefits of being
Feelings of Inadequacy
What do you believe about your self worth? Do you sometimes feel you have nothing to contribute? The only way to combat this false thinking is with the truth: We are designed by a brilliant creator God, who put us here by strong purpose for a strong purpose. When we finally leave the earth, whether early or late, we do so by divine appointment. There’s more. We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27), that is, we bear the
Living as the Body of Christ
I was talking to a strong believer who had stopped going to church and I asked him what it was that had changed for him. He thought about it for a while and came up with the things we usually hear: the infighting, the pettiness, the church games, etc., besides, he could worship God anywhere and he didn’t really see the purpose for the church. I love the body of Christ and consider it a privilege and joy to be a
