“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)“We are an Easter people.” I’m not sure when I first heard that expression, but it was probably when I was in high school. Being “an Easter people” means that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the defining aspect of what … Continue reading We are an Easter people
Playing God
[Ministry Announcement in the Footnotes Below] ~ Jim Carey was in a movie called Bruce Almighty. Carey played Bruce, and God was played by Morgan Freeman. In short, Bruce complained to God that he wasn’t doing his job very well. So, in a kind of cosmic experiment, God gave his powers to Bruce to see if … Continue reading Playing God
The fight’s been fixed
Happy Easter! Johnny Hunt once said: “In the end we win because the fight’s been fixed.”*I love it! But what does he mean? He’s referring to the victory of Christ. On the cross and through the empty tomb, he defeated the powers of sin, death, despair, darkness and even the Devil himself. Colossians 2:15 says: “He disarmed … Continue reading The fight’s been fixed
He was pierced for our transgressions
There’s a marine training facility called Parris Island. A young man signed up who was a bit out of step with the others. He was nice enough—but he just didn’t fit in. As a result, he got picked on—a lot.In his barracks, there were guys who were particularly mean. One of them came up with … Continue reading He was pierced for our transgressions
He washed Judas’ feet
Tomorrow is Good Friday. Today is a lesser-known day called Maundy Thursday—not “Monday” but “Maundy.”The word “Maundy” comes from Jesus’ words in John 13:34. Although he spoke Aramaic, the oldest record of his words are in Greek. Those words have been translated into many languages, including Latin. “Mandatum novum” is the Latin wording for “new … Continue reading He washed Judas’ feet
God’s Plan A for your life
I once heard John Ortberg make an analogy. He said that when people envision their future, they picture themselves standing before a series of doors. Let’s say there are ten doors. Which one will we choose? If there’s only one correct door, that can make us stressed. After all, we have a 90% chance of choosing … Continue reading God’s Plan A for your life
The true and eternal King
This is Holy Week. It’s the week where Christians all over the world remember and celebrate Jesus’ final days before his torture, trial, crucifixion and resurrection. When Jesus arrived at Jerusalem he rode on a donkey. At first, this might seem like a random or unimportant detail. However, it was packed with meaning. One of the most … Continue reading The true and eternal King
The physical realm and the unseen realm
There is a direct relationship between the physical realm and the unseen realm. As I often say to the congregation where I pastor, details matter. Take, for example, Daniel 10. That’s where we learn how he was mourning and fasting for three weeks: “I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did … Continue reading The physical realm and the unseen realm
Holiness and worldliness
[Note: New podcast episode and blog -- link in footnotes.] ~ Peter Wagner writes: “Without holiness we can expect very little power in spiritual warfare. The opposite of holiness is worldliness…”*I’ll be honest. In an earlier chapter of my life, I would have grimaced at a statement like that. What in the world is he … Continue reading Holiness and worldliness
Have these 2 things weakened your faith?
In the past hundred or a hundred and fifty-years or so, many Christians have started believing and doing things which have impacted how many of us live—or don’t live—as followers of Jesus.First, a significant tradition has emerged which treats the Bible exclusively as a historical document. And don’t get me wrong, it is most certainly … Continue reading Have these 2 things weakened your faith?
