M. Scott Peck wrote: “one of the characteristics of evil is its desire to confuse.”* That makes sense. Jesus calls Satan the “father of lies” (John 8:44). If we’re always confused and distracted and spinning, we are unable to stand firm on God our Rock and live in a way which is consistent with his … Continue reading Clarity in confusing times
Make our hearts a map of heaven
The Puritans are often given a bad rap. If someone says you are “puritanical,” they are not giving you a compliment. This is an unfortunate result of people not knowing what they’re talking about. The actual Puritans (and not the modern, dismissive caricature) were a group of Protestant Christians who primarily lived from the mid-1600’s … Continue reading Make our hearts a map of heaven
Increasing winds outside the church
We’ve been exploring Jesus’ new command: “Love one another: As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). That statement is jam packed with meaning and possibility. Here’s something else which is easy to miss. We are to love “one another.” He was speaking to his disciples. Our love is expansive, … Continue reading Increasing winds outside the church
Failure doesn’t disqualify you
Jesus calls us to love one another. What’s more is that he provides himself as an example to emulate. “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Since he would lay down his life for us, that’s a pretty tall order! We are summoned to self-sacrificial love. Today I’m here … Continue reading Failure doesn’t disqualify you
Helping someone in their sea of alligators
In John 13:34 Jesus gave this new commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Sounds nice. But what is love? When you look at the use of this word in the New Testament here is what you find. To love someone in this way means acknowledging that … Continue reading Helping someone in their sea of alligators
Desperate times call for…
Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s an expression we’ve all heard. Maybe even used. Think of a hail Mary pass near the end of a football game. Or the person who is in such financial ruin that the only thing they can think of doing to help their situation is to rob a bank. … Continue reading Desperate times call for…
An alien visitor at Christmas
It’s December. Christmas is approaching. Indulge me with an illustration. Imagine an alien from another planet was sent on a mission to earth to learn about Christmas. And imagine that it came to your house to watch your celebrations and to collect data. And then imagine that it had to report back to its mothership … Continue reading An alien visitor at Christmas
Happiness and contentment
A woman named Sarah went to visit Martin Thielen. She had marriage problems, problems with her children, and overwhelming stress in her job. He asked her what she wanted most out of life. Turns out, she wanted to be happy. After thinking for a few moments she explained further: “I make a lot of money. … Continue reading Happiness and contentment
The Topsy-Turvy Kingdom
In the previous devotional I highlighted Henri Nouwen’s phrase “downward mobility.”* It stands in stark contrast to modern definitions of success (including “upward mobility”) which are focused on accumulating influence and power. When I was young we would sometimes read the Mr. Men books. One of them was Mr. Topsy-Turvy. Things were very unexpected in … Continue reading The Topsy-Turvy Kingdom
Striving to do good, or to look good?
One of Jesus’ most memorable actions was washing his disciples’ feet. The one who had walked on water and turned water into wine took the posture of a servant, even a slave. Foot washing was a job normally reserved for the lowly. But that’s what he did. Consider this context which helps us appreciate his … Continue reading Striving to do good, or to look good?
