When we try to understand a person's greatness, we often do so by comparison. It’s the same in the Bible, we look back at the pillars of faith: Abraham, Moses, David… By comparison, we understand the importance of these great people. The author of Hebrews pulls out what seems like an obscure comparison to make a significant point. He compares a priest named Melchizedek to Abraham, Moses, and the entire sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law to show how much greater Melchizedek was to all of them. And by further comparison to Melchizedek, JESUS is even greater. In fact, He’s perfect.
Category: Grace
Time
In western culture, we are obsessed with time. Calendars, clocks, alarms, reminders. We carry around time on our wrists and have alerts that are constantly reminding us of our plans or schedules. We measure time unlike any previous generation. Modern day scientists and microchip engineers have split time down to infinitesimal measurements. A zeptosecond, for … Continue reading Time
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.
Leviticus Christmas
It’s often said that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. In the same way, Leviticus is the basis for Christmas. That’s right. Leviticus. At the very heart of the Christmas story lies the all-important doctrine of the Atonement. How can sinful people, separated from God in their sin and selfishness, be reconciled to a … Continue reading Leviticus Christmas
Good Friday
What’s so good about someone being crucified on a cross? After sixteen centuries and more during which the cross has been a sacred symbol, it’s difficult to realize the unspeakable horror and loathing which the very mention or thought of the cross provoked during the tyranny of the Roman Empire. In the first century, the … Continue reading Good Friday
A Mad World
When did the world get so angry? How did it happen so quickly? As we look ahead to a new year in 2018, we have some serious issues to deal with in the world of relationships － especially relationships in regard to race, religion, and politics. How did we get so full of frustration that the … Continue reading A Mad World
Resolving Conflict
As we gather together this week to celebrate Thanksgiving, we begin the Holiday season that provides significant time with family and friends. For many, however, the extra time with people is not a time of celebration, but of significant stress because of unresolved conflict -- maybe even many years of it. The easy thing, the … Continue reading Resolving Conflict
Raising Kids
“Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 This verse about parenting, like many of the Proverbs, is a general principle, not a guaranteed promise. Raising kids, like any relationship, can’t be reduced to a rigid recipe. It requires … Continue reading Raising Kids
Dust
On our own, we are nothing - we're made out of dust. But in Christ, we are His priceless work of art - raised from the dust of death's decay to be made alive to reflect His beauty and glory. You're not just a piece of work - you are God's Masterpiece!
following Jesus 