“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). These words of Jesus communicate both his heart and purpose in leaving the glory of His Father’s presence (John 17:5) and joining the likes of mankind (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus was on mission: His Father’s mission, which He had owned for Himself. We are called to join in that mission, and we share that call with one another, God’s church, “the called-out ones.” I encourage everyone to invite others to join us for the month of December, as we ask an important question: Why did Jesus become man?
What is it in our human nature that struggles so hard with thankfulness? Why are our blessings so often on our periphery while our complaints and demands grab our full attention? We are reminded this week to take time to be thankful. It may, in fact, be the one time each year that a majority of our nation acknowledges reasons for thankfulness. However, a holiday instituted by our nation to direct attention to God has been edged out by a new “holiday” of sorts, in which we forget the blessings we just counted, instead storming the stores and flooding the websites with fresh material pursuits.
In a society that is deeply wounded with the rampant rise of divorce, broken families, fatherless children, and identity crisis, there has been a healthy resurgence in recognizing the importance of family. Husbands and parents are urged to guard their family time and balance their priorities to honor their Lord with their families. Without caution, however, we can overcorrect and veer off the road on the other side, embracing one extreme to avoid the other.
It was five years ago today, that I lost my dad. I loved him deeply, but I had no idea at the time how much my identity was sunk into my father and my relationship with him. I still remember the shock of the news, and the horrifying reality setting in that there was a sudden end to the visits we would pay him, the conversations we would have, and the memories that our children would enjoy with him. Deep, gut-wrenching pain only begins to explain the feeling that pervaded then, and even the feeling that continues to reverberate now.
Romans 14 compels the Christian who is strong in his liberty to surrender his rights for the spiritual well-being of his fellow believer that has convictions. But when does that become excessive? What if this is abused? Should Christians with convictions desire this loss of liberty? Stronger brother: don’t flaunt your liberty, and be sensitive to your weaker brothers. But, weaker brother: don’t wield your convictions as a trump card against Christian liberty! Nine questions for the weaker brother:
What music should I listen to? How should I dress? Who should I vote for? Should I participate in Halloween? Should I join a party with my coworkers? What Bible translation should I use? Should my kids go to public school, Christian school, or be homeschooled? How do we know what's right?
I rarely cry. To some, that would look good. Like true composure. But I think I’ve trained myself in a harmful way. “Sadness” is a barely recognizable and identifiable emotion. Instead, it is stifled, along with any hint of tears. Sadness may instead express itself in silence, withdrawal, or anger. Its suppression is actually a manifestation of pride. And I struggle in denial of a God-given emotion, and its expression in tears.
When’s the last time you had a spiritual EKG? An EKG measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat. Have you considered what makes your heartbeat? Let’s have a look... Does the good news of Jesus drive you each day? Or is it shelved each week to be remembered again on Sunday? Are you freshly excited about God? Or are you drifting in boredom with familiar biblical concepts? Are you restless with desire to know Him more? Or are you comfortable with a casual pursuit of Jesus? Are you passionately engaged in hungry pursuit? Or are you dispassionately withdrawn with indifference? If your vital signs are waning, you are in serious danger!
How well do you know some of your fellow church members? I don’t just mean their name, that on most Sundays they’re doing “good”, and a few standard facts about them. I’m not advocating for knowing more about people. I’m suggesting that it’s time to invest ourselves into deeper relationships with our family in Christ!
For those of you who have smartphones, please take a moment to check the battery status of your phone. In the battery section, it will give you a percentage of what app is used the most. Where is your Bible app in comparison to Facebook? Where is your Bible app in comparison to Instagram? How about Snapchat? Whatsapp? Knowing that many of you do read your actual physical Bibles, the same application still applies. How much ...