Context and Setting of Parables

 The parables of Jesus are as important as any of the rest of Scripture because they not only reveal the thinking mind of God, but they reveal His heart and Spirit as well. When Jesus tells a parable, it is to bring us into the thinking and attitude of God. It is the Holy Spirit who conveys both and stands ready to give us that inner…

The Beauty of Being Ordinary

 The ordinary man---he is an individual, unknown, not a public figure, average, no one gives him a second look, rarely memorable. However, this is the kind of person the Lord picks to do His work. Acts 3 recalls the Apostles Peter and John (common fishermen) healing a crippled man and then preaching about Jesus. The rulers in Jerusalem heard about…

Being a Disciple of Jesus

 Being a true disciple is not about evangelism, church, mission, ethics, behavior, religion or theology. It is about Jesus. It is about letting Him be our focus. It is about Him being our priority. It is about Jesus being here right now and being His disciple. He is to be our focus and our priority. Peter says it so well when he tells a crippled man to…

Psalm 18:1-3 Reassurance

 We all need reassurance, encouragement, consolation and support. There is no better place than the Psalms to feel the intensity of those words. If you take the first verses of this Davidic masterpiece, they will be a great start to any day, a comfort in any circumstance and the means to move into every next moment.

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Christmas and the Way, the Truth and the Life

 There are lots of philosophical systems to think with, lots of emotional avenues for the heart to stroll down and lots of things that promise a good life, but none are the combined balance of personal belief, heart trust and spirit action like Jesus exhibited and besides, remember this, remember that He rose from the dead and lives in our hearts.…

Christmas and the One-Track Mind

 The Lord Jesus had one attitude which He described in these words, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself (Mt.22, Lk.10).” As we said in the last blog, He was a one attitude person while we, on the other hand, tend to be multi-attitudinal. That is, we develop attitudes as we…

Christmas and Perception

 Perception is spiritual reality at work. But what shapes our perception? If we really look at it, the heart is the source and the attitude it dresses in is the deciding factor. If I do not believe in God, my attitude is emotionally conditioned and intellectually justified based on what makes me comfortable. If I believe in God, my attitude is in the…