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
Category: Jesus
Tired (of Social Media)
In our modern era of social media, we love to post pics of our family, vacations, the food we ate, parties we went to, the games we played or watched, links to funny videos, and so much more. It's a great way to share a part of our lives with our family and friends. Those … Continue reading Tired (of Social Media)
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
Chronicles
By the time we get to the Old Testament Chronicles (reading through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation), we’re tired of history. Done. After all, the Chronicles seems to repeat what we’ve just read in Samuel and Kings. Making it more difficult, it seems, is the really slow beginning of nine chapters of genealogies. Name after … Continue reading Chronicles
Resurrection (Easter) Sunday
When considering something so critical and potentially life changing, like the resurrection of Jesus, the facts need to be solid, witnesses have to be credible, evidence must be persuasive, corroboration is always crucial, and alibis have to be dismantled. But ultimately, facts about Jesus don’t save us, it’s faith in who He is that matters. … Continue reading Resurrection (Easter) Sunday
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
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
Read thru the Bible
Want to read the Bible with others and me in 2019? Here are a couple options: read thru the entire Bible (http://bit.ly/2F0ABCn) or just the New Testament (http://bit.ly/2s1xRgq). The most important thing is taking time to know God through His Word on a regular basis and living it out each day with others. "Let the … Continue reading Read thru the Bible
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
Christmas Clothes
Born on Christmas morning, Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a feeding trough (Luke 2:1-15). Transfigured on the mountain, His clothes became dazzling white to reveal His heavenly glory (Luke 9:28-36). Condemned by sinful men, He was dressed with a purple robe and mocked as the King of the Jews (Mark 15:16-20, … Continue reading Christmas Clothes
following Jesus 