The Dangers of Advent
This year Advent begins November 30th and for many of us it kicks off a season of stress, as our schedule fills up with parties, holiday shopping, decorating our living quarters, and getting everything else ready for Christmas. The danger is that all of this activity often overshadows the very person the season is all about. This certainly was the case for our family until 20 years ago when my wife and I chose to simplify our lives each December. . .
Thanks Giving
As we approach Thanksgiving, I was reminded of an excerpt from a beautiful poem we included in my mother’s obituary over 5 years ago. The poem is titled “Thanks Giving”, written in 1926 by J. W. Wright (1871-1950), a little known poet and author, who after retiring as a newspaperman moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea and lived there for about 10 years. While in Carmel he set up a small printing press, known as the “Press in the Forest”, and became part of its Bohemian and artistic community. Wright’s private press produced a number of modest books in which he set the type by hand, printed, and hand-bound the books by himself, often in limited editions all made with great care . . .
Be Still My Soul
On Monday, November 3rd, around 3 a.m., my father peacefully passed from this earth. As a man of faith, he believed in the biblical promise of eternal life in God’s kingdom. For the past 15 months Dad was mostly relegated to his bed or recliner due to his declining health and as my sister and I lived only 10 minutes from his assisted living facility, we were able to be his daily companions through his remaining life journey.
You might think being being mostly confined to a small apartment would be depressing, but we had purchased for Dad a 65” smart TV and with YouTube we explored with awe the wonders of God’s creation . . .
Over the Rainbow
I first encountered the music of Eva Cassidy a decade ago, a young woman gifted with a mesmerizing voice that resonates with the yearnings of the human soul. Recently I rediscovered Eva with my father watching videos of her singing on YouTube. We were particularly moved by her captivating rendition of “Over the Rainbow”, a song that speaks to all people who long to escape the troubles of this world and who hope for a brighter future. This post includes the live performance of her song, Scripture that gives meaning to the song’s hopeful words, a 2001 Nightline profile titled “The Musical Story of Eva Cassidy”, and a personal article by Dave McKenna titled “The Never-Ending Resurrection of Eva Cassidy”.
The Pain of a Parent
In a world where we frequently encounter negativity and hostility, God’s Word encourages us to respond to evil with good. This is a challenging but rewarding principle that empowers us to rise above the hurt and seek Christ’s teaching and example on how we should live. As we embrace biblical wisdom, we learn that treating others with kindness, even those who may wish us harm, transforms not only our lives but often theirs as well. This post contains an affecting commentary titled “The Pain of a Parent” written by Suzanne Bowdey, six days after Charlie Kirk was killed . . .
Rave On Charlie Kirk
Over the last 24 hours I’ve been both saddened and inspired thinking about the life and sudden death of Charlie Kirk. He was a Christ follower of extraordinary courage and conviction who was willing to engage anyone in respectful dialogue about their beliefs. Late this morning it struck me that the moving song by Van Morrison titled, Rave On John Donne, not only fittingly applies to Charlie but to thousands of other souls whose passionate words have inspired humanity throughout the ages . . .
The Power of Forgiveness
What does forgiveness entail? Why is it necessary? Why is it so difficult to forgive others and forgive ourselves? What does the Bible say about our responsibility when we have wronged someone or have been wronged? Does forgiveness always lead to reconciliation with God and with others? Does forgiveness eliminate the consequences of poor choices we have made? . . .
A Story and A Song
Recently my father and I were moved by a YouTube video of the story behind the timeless hymn, "Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus", written by Helen Lemmel (1863-1961) in 1918. Helen’s inspiration came from a short leaflet a friend gave her titled “Focussed: A Story and A Song” written by Lilias Trotter (1853-1928), a gifted artist, who chose to serve the Lord as an Algerian missionary rather than pursue a lucrative art career. Lilias created this leaflet based on a diary entry she made in 1901, when early one morning, while alone in the woods, she was captivated by a single dandelion illuminated by the sun . . .
Between Faith and Doubt
Perhaps the most complete definition of faith in Scripture is stated in Hebrews 11:1; “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This definition of faith contains two aspects: intellectual assent and trust. Intellectual assent is believing something to be true. Trust is actually relying on the fact that the something is true . . .
The Gospel in One Minute
Many of you may have heard that expository preacher, John MacArthur, died this week at age 86. During his 5 decade career he taught Scripture to millions through taped sermons, radio broadcasts, Bible Commentaries, and a best selling study Bible . . .
Is Everything Going To Be Alright?
We live in times of ever-increasing instability and uncertainty and we often wonder if everything is going to be alright. Certainly how this question is answered will depend on one’s worldview . . .
Time In The Garden With God
In early spring this year my wife and grandson (age 4 1/2) planted a variety of seeds that were saved from last year’s harvest. Nearly 4 months later we are now enjoying an abundance of tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers. Early each morning my wife peruses our vegetable garden and gathers what has matured since the prior morning . . .
The News That Changes Everything
A few weeks ago I posted a message titled “What is the Gospel” which was intended to help clarify for both believers and skeptics what the good news about Jesus Christ is all about. For me, the gospel is the best news I’ve encountered in my life and, as this post title indicates, I believe this news has the power to change everything . . .
The Mystery of Hesed
The mysterious 3 letter Hebrew word shown above is pronounced as hesed (or khesed) and is found about 250 times in the Old Testament. It expresses an exceedingly wonderful aspect of God’s character. In his book, The Mystery of Hesed, Michael Card writes, “A good case can be made for the claim that this word, hesed, has the largest range of meaning of any word in the Hebrew language, and perhaps in any language.” . . .
To Everything There Is A Season
Last weekend my father and I watched an emotional movie titled “Taking Chance”, the true story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a voluntary military escort, who accompanies the body of 19 year old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, WY . . .
The Name Above Every Name
One of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus’ willingness to humble Himself for the sake of humanity is found in Philippians 2:6-11. Rather than coming to earth in power and glory as God and King, Jesus instead freely took on the form of a human being to serve others rather than be served. His public ministry climaxed when He gave up His life on a cross . . .
It Is Finished!
When Jesus proclaimed “It is finished” from the cross at Calvary, He declared that what was accomplished would span eternity. This passionate statement represents the pinnacle of God’s redemptive plan for humanity that was formulated by the Triune God before the beginning of time . . .
Pascal’s Wager
Fast forward centuries through the prophets of Judah and Israel, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the fall of the Roman Empire, then nearly 1,000 years of the Middle Ages followed by the Renaissance, and we arrive at the Age of Reason which dominated the 17th and 18th centuries . . .
Look Up
A few years ago I was preparing for an annual client retreat. One of the sessions was with the patriarch’s grandchildren on the topic of FOMO (the fear of missing out). A good definition of FOMO is the "anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website". This anxiety can lead to addiction in the use of social media, such that people begin to feel increasingly unhappy and isolated, thereby missing out on the fullness of life God desires for us . . .
What Is the Gospel?
The book of Acts begins where the Gospels leave off, recording the actions of the apostles and the work of the Holy Spirit who had been sent to indwell believers, as was promised by Jesus. Beginning in Jerusalem, the church was established and grew rapidly, then faced intense persecution, which drove the believers into the surrounding cities, and as a result of this dispersion, Samaritans and Gentiles heard the Gospel and many came to faith in Christ . . .