Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
NO–If you view God as a divine Amazon Prime. Find something you want at a reasonable price, make a payment, get free shipping, and it magically appears one day at your front door. And this is our religious default. We want a higher power on our side, delivering things to us on our schedule. YES–If …
Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. — Hebrews 11:1 Confession time: I have a problem with reciting affirmations of faith in church. The intent of those creeds, of course, is good. It’s to express what we believe to be the basics of the gospel. But …
The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:13 I feel pulled between two worlds. Do you? There’s the daily world where we build our lives, individually and as a human race. It calls for all of our talents and strengths. It’s also where our weaknesses and blind spots are …
They treat the wound of my people as if it were nothing: “All is well, all is well,” they insist, when in fact nothing is well. They should be ashamed of their detestable practices, but they have no shame; they don’t even blush!Therefore, they will fall among the fallen and stumble when disaster arrives, declares the Lord. — Jeremiah …
If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God. — Romans 14:8 I cringe at the thought of taking a long flight. That’s because I’m at the mercy of forces beyond my control. Bad weather, mechanical problems, …
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. — Matthew 9:36 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick. — Matthew 14:14 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they followed him. — Matthew …
Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? — Matthew 6:26 Being of the AARP variety, complete with my retirement card, I can title this meditation the way I did. …
Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” — John 3:3 I started out as, and still consider myself to be, a “born again” Christian. But that phrase has changed and expanded a bit over the decades. The default setting is that, when you’re born again because you’ve …
Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 There’s a place in Scotland called, “Rest and Be Thankful.” It’s a scenic overlook where people stop, get out of their cars, and allow the overwhelming beauty to awe them. The picture you see above is from there. …
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. He taught them, saying… — Matthew 5:1-2 Have you ever noticed that some of the Ten Commandments are written negatively, framed in the “thou shalt not’s?” That’s on purpose. They restrict the way people will live …