Neither of the two major political parties or platforms fully represents the values of the Kingdom of God. Instead, the church represents God’s Kingdom party. While I’m a citizen us the US by birth, I'm an eternal citizen of the Kingdom of God, I answer to one Lord, and I'm ultimately accountable to one King - JESUS.
Category: Church
Lament
God welcomes our laments. In fact, nothing is more freeing and healthy in our relationship with Him than voicing how we really feel and knowing He totally understands. Our questions and frustrations don’t frustrate Him. In fact He wrote the book on them. The bulk of what we call the wisdom books of Scripture, Job and Psalms, are laments. The wisdom of God, it seems, is lamenting to God.
Church
The recent global pandemic of COVID-19 or Coronavirus and the need for physical distancing has raised a significant question, "What is the Church?" All of a sudden, the meaning, significance, and purpose of the church has raised some interesting, practical questions. If we can’t meet at a particular place or gather together at a specific … Continue reading Church
Barnabas
Over Thanksgiving break during my sophomore year of college in 1987, Walt Baker asked me to consider going to Haiti on a 9-week missions trip with him and others the following summer. As a struggling college student, finances were tight to say the least. I anticipated needing to save money and work all summer long … Continue reading Barnabas
Saints
“Saint” seems to be the apostle Paul’s favorite name for Christians. He used it 39 times to describe faithful followers of Jesus: Romans 1:7 To all who are in Roman, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:27 And he who searches our hearts … Continue reading Saints
Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent
Growing up in a non-denominational, evangelical tradition of worship, I was never particularly encouraged to participate in a liturgical event like Lent. Historically, after the Reformation, many Protestant churches abandoned the observance of Lent and other liturgical practices in distancing themselves from abuses in the Catholic church. Personally, the obscene excesses of Mardi Gras, the licentiousness of Fat … Continue reading Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent
Love One Another
At the core of every person's life is a need for relationships — with God and with God’s people. God designed us, as people made in His image, with a desire to love and be loved. And yet, in our selfishness and sinfulness, it seems all we can think of is ourselves - me, myself, and … Continue reading Love One Another
Revelation
Reading thru the Bible over the last 365 days, I'm finishing with the vision revealed to the Apostle John who was exiled on the island of Patmos because of His testimony about Jesus some time after 90AD. What John wrote in the book of Revelation fascinates us and has caused generations of Christ followers to … Continue reading Revelation
church fights
It has been said that “church fights are the worst fights,” perhaps because they break out among people who profess to believe in unity and love. You name it, Christians fight over it. Sometimes the disagreements are over trivial matters, but often they are serious conflicts from different viewpoints. Many Christians have been so hurt … Continue reading church fights
Racism and Racialization
Most of the people I know are not guilty of racism, but many (whites) like me, and including me, are culpable of racialization - the collective misunderstanding of cultural position or unintentional misuse of power which causes racial division and results in diminished life opportunities for other racial groups. Racialization is so embedded within our … Continue reading Racism and Racialization
following Jesus 