He was a transgressor. A thief. A loser. He deserved to die. And so on that fateful Friday he and his comrade in crime would be executed. They would die alone and unknown. Except for an unexpected intervention in providence.
Between the two thieves would be an innocent man. A good man. A blameless man. Actually, a sinless man. It was the man called Jesus. It was the day Christ was crucified between two outlaws. Continue reading
Filed under Cross, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” –Jesus, John 14:6
Jesus’ statement seems simple. Straightforward. Clear-cut. Right?
Apparently Dr. Steve McSwain doesn’t think so. In a Huffington Post blog entitled, “Six Things Christians Should Just Stop Saying,” he says that we need to quit saying “Jesus is the only way to heaven.” Continue reading
Filed under Christ
“It isn’t inerrant and not likely even in the “original manuscripts.” But then, I cannot say that with absolute certainty, anymore than anyone else can either, writes Steve McSwain in the Huffington Post regarding the Bible.
McSwain, who is billed as a “Thought Leader, author, speaker and spiritual teacher,” posted this under the title “Six Things Christians should just stop Saying.” Why does McSwain make this charge? His answer?
Continue reading
Filed under Bible, Uncategorized
Norma Jean and I like to walk. It’s not only good exercise, but it’s a time for conversation and connection. From our house we walk to a park close by and enjoy its beauty and serenity, the fountain and an occasional deer in the woods.
However, the Kansas City winters have severely limited our outdoor walking. So, when it’s cold we walk indoors on the treadmill. Now the treadmill is not as much fun. There’s nothing to see. No scenery to enjoy. Only a small TV in front of us to look at. Sometimes we find ourselves in an almost trance-like state staring ahead and walking the treadmill.
All of this got me to thinking how life is like a cross between the treadmill and a walk in the park. Continue reading
“As white as the driven snow,” wrote Shakespeare in A Winter’s Tale. In Macbeth the poet used the expression “pure as snow.” Is there any better metaphor for whiteness than snow?
We witnessed this first hand recently in Kansas City, Missouri. We’ve had snow. Lots of it! Over two feet. Following the first snow, Norma Jean and I marveled one night on how light everything looked behind our house. The snow was so white. So bright. So intense in color that it looked like day light!
But do you know what’s whiter than snow? Continue reading
Filed under Salvation, Sin, Uncategorized
It has been said that a man is made in a crisis. I don’t think so. Rather, I believe that a man is revealed in crisis. Problems declare our demeanor. Either kind or caustic. Adversity unveils our underlying attitudes. Either positive or negative. Hardship displays our true character. Either honorable or disgraceful. Continue reading
Filed under It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!, Uncategorized
Since I’m in Texas this week here’s a story about the famed Dallas preacher Dr. George W. Truett, who ministered in the same church for 47 years.
Once he was the dinner guest of a wealthy West Texas rancher. Following the meal, the rancher took Truett up on the veranda of his massive ranch house. As the sun set, the man pointed south toward some oil rigs and said, “”I own everything in that direction as far as you can see.” Continue reading
Filed under Spiritual
This couple had a fight. And they were not talking. It was a classic case of the “silent treatment.” It had gone on for about a week. Neither was giving in.
One evening, the husband realized he needed his wife to wake him up early for a business trip to Chicago. Since he didn’t want to be the first to give in, he wrote her a note, “Please wake me up at 5:00 AM.”
The next morning, he woke up and it was 9:00 AM. He had missed his flight. And was furious. Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Family
Sunday evening Norma Jean and I were invited to join the young people of the Eastside church in Baytown, Texas, where I’m holding a meeting, for their monthly devotion. Following the food, fellowship and singing, I was asked to share a few thoughts. It’s always fun to be part of youth activities. I love their enthusiasm. Their energy. Their excitement. Not just for life. But for spiritual matters.
So, what would I share with them? I decided that if I only had one chance to encourage them, there is a topic that will impact every area of their lives. Their school work. Their social activities. Their relationships. Their spiritual growth. Their morality. Their succeess or failure in life. And it will help you too. Young or old. Here it is. Continue reading
Filed under Discipline, Uncategorized
The journey was long and arduous. It was eight hundred miles from the North African city of Cyrene in Lybia to Jerusalem. But the time, effort and expense would be worth it. No doubt this dark-skinned man, a Hellenistic Jew, named Simon, was eagerly anticipating the feast days. The Passover. The fellowship. The communion with other worshipers. An opportunity to honor the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
We don’t know if it was his first trip. Or his last. Or maybe he settled there. But we can know this. He never forgot it. And neither did his sons, Rufus and Alexander. Continue reading
Filed under Cross, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
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