Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone. — Matthew 14:23 I have a theory that if you grew up on a farm, you probably don’t have a strong affinity for camping. If you’ve been out in the natural world all day, why would you …
Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”-– Mark 2:12 When Jesus healed a paralyzed man, whose friends had lowered through a roof to him, the crowd’s reaction wasn’t just …
Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. – Exodus 20:8 What does being holy mean? Sometimes it’s defined in negative terms. The old “holiness” movement conveyed that if you didn’t play cards, drink, and go to movies, you were approaching a holy life. It’s also been defined as something non-human. Some of the …
Now [Daniel’s] upper room had open windows that faced Jerusalem. Daniel knelt down, prayed, and praised his God three times that day, just like he always did. – Daniel 6:10 The chapel at Manchester UMC was built in the 1850’s. I always enjoyed stopping by and sitting a bit from time to time. Although through …
Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. – Deuteronomy 5:15 This is part of Deuteronomy’s version of the fourth commandment, about keeping the Sabbath. In it, Moses has just told the Israelites to make sure all …
On the seventh day God rested from all the work he had done. — Genesis 2:2 All the times I’ve read this ending to the first creation story, I never asked myself a very logical question. If God is almighty, all-powerful, omnipotent, omniscient…etc….then WHY DID GOD NEED TO REST? After all, the psalmist knew this …
I struggle getting past the anger that rises each time I read about a congregation disaffiliating with the United Methodist Church. I ask myself rhetorical questions that turn up the inner thermostat. What is it that makes them feel they have to break fellowship with those who are just as earnestly trying to follow Christ? …
Jesus did many other things as well. If all of them were recorded, I imagine the world itself wouldn’t have enough room for the scrolls that would be written. – John 21:25 I have, unfortunately, discovered an effective time-waster. I’m cruising down my Facebook page and up pops a chain of short videos. They range …
Moses issued a command that was proclaimed throughout the camp: “Every man and woman should stop making gift offerings for the sanctuary project.” So the people stopped bringing anything more because what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work. – Exodus 36:6-7 What an interesting dilemma Moses had. The …
But Jesus didn’t trust them, for he knew mankind to the core. No one needed to tell him how changeable human nature is! – John 2:24-25 (The Living Bible) Who Jesus didn’t trust were the people enamored by his miracles. He suspected they were seeking a new source of entertainment. What would be more entertaining …