If we see Jesus only as we want to see Him, we deny the reality of His life on earth, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. Not every image of Jesus is the real Jesus… There's the Conservative Jesus—who is against tax increases and activist judges, for family values, and owning firearms. There's … Continue reading Who is the real Jesus?
The famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, tossed away the truth imparted to him in his Christian home and sank into a deep depression and destructive lifestyle. By the grace of God, he later began to embrace God's love again and found he was given a second chance. Van Gogh's life took on hope, and … Continue reading Second Chances
Over the years, the “R” word has developed a bad reputation. Repentance has often been used as a threat rather than an invitation—spoken as though it were the doorway into eternal life rather than a gracious warning from a loving God. As a result, repentance has been confused with the Gospel itself. But when repentance … Continue reading The “R” Word
Over the years, you’ve probably heard people say, “I love Jesus, but I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” Recently, we asked some people why they aren't involved with the church and got some pretty honest answers. Here are a few of the responses: “My parents MADE me go as a kid. I … Continue reading Why Bother with the Church?
Those in other parts of the world - and probably even my city - would consider some of my daily anxieties silly because I've never had to wonder about my next meal(s) or worry about an empty closet to keep me and my family warm. From a purely physical perspective of basic human necessities of … Continue reading His Eye is on the Sparrow
Contrary to popular opinion and New Years' optimism, the world is not getting any better. Read any year-end summaries of 2013 global events and people (Time, WSJ, Yahoo, Dave Barry, and even Facebook) and you'll see there are still wars (Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan) and rumors of wars (Iran, South Korea, Pakistan). There are still murders (Trevon Martin, … Continue reading Wisdom for a world gone wild
I remember it was last August, in the heat of summer with 100+ temperatures in Texas, I saw my first glimpse of preparations for Christmas. The store where I was shopping had already cleared out the seasonal section to begin the merchandising build up for Christmas shoppers. Since then, we have had weeks of anticipation … Continue reading Jesus is so… yesterday.
"You better watch out, You better not cry Better not pout, I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town He's making a list and checking it twice; He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice Santa Claus is coming to town." For many people, Jesus is essentially Santa Claus. Like Santa, many think that Jesus is … Continue reading Santa Theology
Have you ever looked under the Christmas tree to inspect still-wrapped gifts for size and shape and weight? As a child, I used to think, “the bigger, the better.” But over the years, I’ve discovered the wonderful reality that big things come in small packages. In fact, the greatest things come in small packages. This couldn’t … Continue reading Big things come in small packages
Jesus didn't come just to make us happy, happy, happy. He came so that ruined people could be declared holy, holy, holy before a righteous God. Happiness is a temporary feeling based on our personal circumstances. Holiness is our eternal standing before God based on the finished work of His Son, Jesus. The LORD God says, Be … Continue reading Holiness is what I need for Christmas
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