Some standards are impossible to meet with our own abilities. Jesus provides what we are lacking in order to fulfill what He wants from us. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If […]
Have you ever stopped to think about why God would want us to receive His Holy Spirit and why it might make it onto God’s Christmas List? “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with […]
Of all the beautiful terms that have been skewed to pejorative status, the two words “Born Again” unquestionably tower above others for its disparity between perception in our wider world and its spiritual reality. What a pity because the image—properly understood—is so lovely. The idea is that we’re not tweaked, corrected, reformed, trying a little […]
Atop God’s Christmas List would be the First Commandment and the one like it. Indeed, when Jesus was asked “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” this was His reply: “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with […]
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to Him, and placed the child among them. 3 And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the […]
Do you ever see a pattern in your circumstances and think, “Okay, God is trying to tell me something?” A car bearing its name “Judge” on a truck carrying damaged cars headed for the junkyard…except this one which was a cool “muscle car” (a red-orange 1969 Chevy Camaro) maybe headed for the shop for a […]
Ingratitude abounds in our culture. Too often, we seem only to possess an appetite for more, more, more, never a refined “less.” Hearts which know God and have known mercy from Him ought to show mercy towards others. It’s as simple as that. God has simple things on His Christmas List. Think about it: In […]
If there’s one thing even the most secular among us associate with Christmas, it’s gift-giving. We’ve got that one down to a marketing plan and a future debt reduction program. But conspicuous consumption and outdoing one another, or even the Black Friday divide-and-conquer dash from store-to-store to quickly grab all the bargains, isn’t the kind […]
God wants nothing more on God’s Christmas List than for you to return to Him and receive His pardon. It’s why He sent Jesus and the Word became flesh. It’s the reason for a pregnant virgin and O Little Town of Bethlehem with a manger. It’s too hard for us, indeed impossible, for us as […]
This season of the year, plenty of good-hearted folks go from one holiday stress to another. Hurry online. Hurry in traffic. Hurry in the stores. Hurry in the supermarkets and farmers markets. The clock is ticking down … stress, stress, stress. Frankly, that is no way to go about the holiday season, but I’ll admit, […]
