There is a time to arise and build. Something broken, a relationship ruined, a business bankrupted, or a sudden death. It’s good to take the time to grieve and evaluate. But one day, you will wake up in the morning and think. . . I must move on! The Book of Nehemiah gives great advice […]
The OG on the Book of Nehemiah ~ Part 5 Read More »
I’m almost finished writing about all the psalms for “Psalms On Saturday,” but I’ve been avoiding Psalm 88. Why? It’s a psalm of trouble, sickness, defeat, and the betrayal of friends — yes, a psalm about a lifetime of trouble, sickness, defeat, and the betrayal of friends. We would think that such a desultory psalm
Psalms On Saturday ~ Psalm 88 Read More »
C. S. Lewis writes. . . There exists in every church something that sooner or later works against the very purpose for which it came into existence. So, we must strive very hard, by the grace of God, to keep the church focused on the mission that Christ originally gave to it. An insightful and
The Purpose of the Church and The Buckeyes! Read More »
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1, NLT). When I first started reading verse one, comparing love to a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal, I thought, “How odd.” Of all Shakespeare’s sonnets,
Let’s Read 1 Corinthians 13 Read More »
Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire (1 Peter 1:7a, CEV). Fire. A word used in the Bible to describe trials. All followers of Jesus will experience their faith tested by fire. There’s also literal fire — your house burns! The testing of faith by fire and the testing
Three Lessons from a House Fire! Read More »
If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32, ESV). As disciples, we must tell the truth. Jesus taught that telling the truth would set us free, but often, we say what’s expedient, perhaps just a white lie, to avoid conflict or offending.
The Sin of Expediency Read More »
The return of the Jews to Jerusalem from Babylon, described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, can be confusing. It’s not a simple trip of “purchase your plane tickets, pack your bags, and back to Jerusalem we go.” It was three groups of Jews traveling back over a period of 1oo years. Admittedly, it’s
The OG on the Book of Nehemiah ~ Part 4 Read More »
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! (Psalm 123:1, ESV) Fifteen. . . Psalms 120 to 134 are fifteen psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent. These psalms were sung for over 1,0oo years (from the building of Solomon’s temple to its destruction by the Babylonians) by Jews returning
Psalms On Saturday ~ Fifteen Psalms of Ascent Read More »
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people (Colossians 3:23, NASB). This is Interruption #1455. Some notable facts: To write Interruptions, most mornings, I get up early, read my Bible, pray, and then ask the Lord what I should write about. A topic forms in my mind, and I sit
An Interruption Update Read More »
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! (v. 1, ESV) An open door. We all want open doors — for a job, for opportunities, and for our desires. Open doors mean invitations and welcoming. The open doors we have walked through tell our story of success or distress. In Revelation
Let’s Read Revelation 4 Read More »