Monthly Archives: October 2018

“Take this cup from Me.”   That was Jesus’ prayer to His Father in the Garden minutes before His betrayal. Then He prayed, “Yet not my will but Yours be done.” He viewed the “cup” of His suffering as coming from His Father’s hand even though the horrific suffering was delivered by wicked people. The intersection of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in a world where God allows evil to thrive is frustratingly mysterious beyond my ability to fully comprehend……

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Unfortunately, Daniel of lion’s den fame isn’t running for office this year but perhaps the example of this Biblical politician could help us think about what we should look for in those we vote for rather than simply voting for a personality, party, platform, or promises as to what he/she will do for us or our cause.   Historically, Christians have always said that “character matters” and have cast their votes on that basis. Do we still hold to that…..

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Do you ever borrow a prayer? Jesus did. On the cross He “borrowed” a prayer of David (Psalm 22) and used it as His own. He taught us to borrow a prayer He gave us to use every day (“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name . . . , Matthew 6). I keep The Book of Common Prayer by my bed and sometimes borrow a prayer and make it my own. Here was one from last night: “Holy…..

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For Jesus’ followers, living in the intersection of vocation and mission is an essential mindset and commitment. Think of vocation as our jobs. Think of mission as living to bring glory to God (1 Cor. 10:31) — that is doing everything so as to show how great and good God is. Christ-followers do not have the deceptive luxury of merely living for vocation. Our God-assigned mission must inform, permeate, and flow through everything we do. Soli duo gloria.

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My friend, Jeff Cook, shared these thoughts on his FB page. They are thought-provoking with their implications for how we understand the Scriptures, and how we see the world and our own government and political landscape. All the kingdoms of this world are “Babylon” (including the USA). That’s why we pray, “let Your Kingdom come.” You can read the full post on Jeffs’ FB page: “Are we reading the same Bible? Close your eyes, point to any chapter in the…..

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Last  month I bought a rock tumbler to polish stones—a new hobby. I gathered a variety of small stones, dumped them into the tumbler, and turned it on. Actually, I completely forgot about my new hobby and left the tumbler going 24/7 for about 30 days. To my astonishment, when I dumped the tumbler on my kitchen table, more than a dozen little stone figurines spilled across the tablecloth (see picture). The intricate detail and variety were stunning! I could…..

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Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? My morning Bible reading was from Matthew 26 which describes history’s worst betrayal. Although none of us, like Jesus, are without sin, there are still lessons to be learned: (1) Jesus was betrayed by a friend/a member of His “staff” (2) Jesus had loved, helped, and given him incredible opportunity (3) Not content with Jesus’ plan and timing, Judas saw something in the betrayal for himself (4) It was not Jesus’ fault…..

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One of the most-broken of the Ten Commandments is the last: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Obviously our 21st century application would change part of the list, but think about these things: (1) Coveting isn’t about wanting something you don’t have, it’s about wanting something that is off limits to you because it belongs to…..

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After all, according to His eye-witness biographers, Jesus did raise several people from death: His friend Lazarus, the widow’s son, and Jairus’ daughter. So why didn’t He do that much more frequently? Wouldn’t it have been a staggering witness of His identity and power to unbelievers if He had regularly robbed the grave and restored life to those who had ceased to live? Couldn’t God still do that today? What a witness it would be if God regularly brought people…..

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My morning Bible reading included these words of Jesus from Matthew 24: “So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” Even those of us who really do believe His promise to return, seldom live in expectancy of that momentous event. He anticipated that response in those who reason, “My master is staying away a LONG TIME” (24:48). Perhaps this was a tip off that His return would…..

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