Yearly Archives: 2016

231 posts

Thanksgiving Day Is About Worship!

493 years ago, Governor William Bradford proclaimed that Thursday, November 29th, 1623 would be a day of Thanksgiving and corporate worship. This day marked the third year since these pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Over half of their group died in the brutal first year of their new colony. Why did they make the journey? Why did they endure the hardship? And why did the 33 year old Bradford call them together on that November day? The answer: they came to worship their God in freedom! Would you risk losing your life, the lives of your children and all that you have just for the privilege engaging in corporate worship that honored God and not the State? Thanksgiving Day is […]

Grateful For What God Withholds

Thanksgiving Day focuses on all that you have been given. That is a good thing! It is arrogant, unwise, and selfish to take God’s blessings for granted. But, there are unexpected ways that God is good to you. It is important to be thankful for what God chooses to withhold. This thought may seem not to “fit” well. After all, you pray for things, as the Lord teaches that you should. So, why should you be thankful for what you don’t have? Psalm 23 begins this way: “The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need.” The beloved psalm combines in all that you need to know about God’s loving commitment to you in two short phrases. The […]

Late at night, wide awake

Sometimes at night I find myself awake, wide awake, hopelessly awake. In these moments I am confronted with piercing clarity about past sins, the stupidity of thinking I had a good reason to trust my flesh and ignore my God. I remember the allure of self-justification, of the fog of self-pity. Why could I not have had this awareness of the deceitful awfulness of sin forty years ago, twenty years ago, twenty hours ago? The opening plea of Psalm 130 perfectly describes the state of my heart with eyes wide open in the bleakness of night. From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Also in […]

The Fork In the Road

Each day you have a choice. You can follow the path of death or follow the path of life. Sound dramatic? Actually, no, it is just reality. The whirlpool of death swirls all around you. It is easy to be confused into thinking that it is just the hectic pace of life that keeps you feeling unsatisfied. “I’ll figure it out tomorrow.” But tomorrow turns out to be just like today, and so it goes. Choosing to consciously identify with God is choosing life. Moses told Israel that each day they must love their God, listen to his voice and hold on tight to him: “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love […]

Wisdom for Parents

Contentment is knowing that God has arranged all the events of my life so that at this moment I can live for his glory and experience his goodness. Contentment means I can do everything God wants me to do. I can know God’s peace regardless of my circumstance. Paul talks about contentment this way: “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11b-13. Here are some […]

Pleasant Words and Christ

Somehow the idea of pleasant words combined with discipline or instruction seems a little strange. Most memories of being corrected don’t evoke happy or pleasant thoughts. Often correction means stern or harsh warnings, even when given with the best of intentions. However, in the Proverbs instruction is to be received as precious jewelry, something to be worn with honor. How does this happen? Proverbs 16:20-24 provides a guide for how to make your instruction valuable. Solomon stresses the obvious, but neglected value of instruction. Those who pay attention to instruction do well. Understanding is like a fountain of fresh water to those who are thirsty. Instruction flows from wise lips and is to be desired. This description of loving understanding […]

Obedience Is Better Than Deliverance!

Three young Hebrew men served faithfully and well in the government of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. But their faith and success was bothersome to those in the elite ruling class. So when the King made a 90 foot tall image of gold and held a dedication service that all of the government officials were to attend, these three Jews were under scrutiny. The royal herald shouted that at the sound of music everyone was to fall down and worship the image of gold. Failure to do so would be punished by a fiery death. These three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, did not follow the politically correct path of safety. They like Daniel had demonstrated excellence in their service and had […]

Parents: It Is Not About Your Agenda

God has not called you to implement your agenda, but his. Anger is an indication that your desires and your agenda have become too important. Human anger must not characterize your discipline. If it does, you have made discipline about satisfying your requirements. As a parent you are granted authority to enforce God’s commands, not your own preferences. Your authority is derived, not earned. Human anger and biblical discipline do not mix. Man’s anger will not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:20) The key phrase is the righteous life that God desires. God did not give you your children so that you could teach them to follow your desires and wishes. When you make parenting about […]

Rejoice In Judgment!

To rejoice in judgment seems a strange idea. Normally judgment carries the idea of revenge or retribution for evil. For those who have done wrong judgment is something to fear. And as we examine our own hearts, even though we may attempt to avoid the thought, we know judgment is coming. Then as we look around our neighborhoods, our cities, our country, our world what is good is overshadowed by what is evil. Even the creation itself suffers under godless disregard for the treasure that it is. Judgment is inevitable. So, again, why rejoice in judgement? If you or I were to judge, there would be no reason to rejoice. If the judicial system in our country were the ultimate […]

Does the Bible Light Up Your Eyes?

This past week, Cubs fans across the country were aglow with joy over the World Series victory. There was light in their eyes! How many things bring light to your eyes? One of those things should be the Bible, specifically the commands of the Bible. The psalmist describes it this way: The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. Psalm 19:8 This is stunning – God’s commands bringing joy to the heart and light to the eyes. Is this your experience? Are God’s commands radiant to you? This week there was no difficulty in identifying “Cubbies”, they were easy to spot. But finding people […]