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
evil
The hedge of protection
As a pastor, I’ve had many people pray for a “hedge of protection” around me. I’ve also prayed it for other people. Maybe you have too. But what is it? And where does the idea come from? As far as I can tell it comes from the biblical book of Job. Job was a faithful … Continue reading The hedge of protection
Cheerleading envy, losing the farm, and Jesus
This week I’ve been talking about how spiritually RICH we are because of our identity in Jesus and all the eternal and spiritual blessings he gives us. It’s good to ruminate on this perspective-shifting fact because our society spins and weaves a different story: that material things are more important than spiritual things. I heard … Continue reading Cheerleading envy, losing the farm, and Jesus
Letting go of revenge
A lot of people wonder about Judgment Day. They’re curious about how and when it will happen. And trust me: there is no end of books that jump on the profitable bandwagon of speculation. But there’s a much-neglected facet to Judgement Day that can positively impact our attitudes in the here and now, regardless of … Continue reading Letting go of revenge
Satan
A lot of people don’t think about Satan very much. Sure, they read about him in the Bible sometimes, and hear an allusion to him in a movie now and then. But he probably doesn’t really figure into their daily thoughts. But that’s the thing. He often DOES figure into our daily thoughts. It’s just … Continue reading Satan
Temptation in the age of the quick fix
Because you’re human, you get tempted. Like many other people you get tempted to do or pursue something that seems good at the time, but will immediately or eventually lead to harm in your own life or in the lives of the people around you. Some temptations are obvious. Like the temptation to steal something, … Continue reading Temptation in the age of the quick fix
Manchester
Is the Manchester bombing terrible? Of course. Should we pray? Absolutely. But we should also disagree with Cain and do this...
The Up Devotional 