Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10b, ESV). Our lives will be interrupted — hopefully for good, but we know difficulties too. What happens when our lives are interrupted? We need wisdom and encouragement for those moments — whether good or bad. That’s why I write Interruptions! In March […]
The Joy of Being Interrupted Read More »
Have you prayed desperately? How did you pray? And how should we pray desperate prayers? Daniel 9 contains one of the most desperate prayers in the Bible. Let’s consider the conclusion of this prayer. . . O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God,
Anatomy of Desperate Praying Read More »
King David, in my opinion, is the most significant figure in Biblical history. The Old Testament stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and the Patriarchs all coalesce upon King David. As Acts 13:22 (ESV) describes. . . He [God] raised up David to be their king, of whom he [God] testified and
They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity (2 Corinthians 8:2, NLT). In 2 Corinthians 8, the Apostle Paul writes to the Macedonians. With famine in Israel, Gentile churches throughout the Roman Empire had pledged offerings to
Life-Altering Generosity Read More »
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37, ESV). Decades ago, I memorized Romans 8. Initially, I thought, “This chapter looks like a Chinese menu.” (Editor’s Note: This isn’t the most sophisticated theological explanation of Romans 8!) Chinese menus contain soooo many items — things like Moo Goo Gai
Romans 8 and a Chinese Menu Read More »
Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever (Psalm 145:2, ESV). The word “praise” is found 150 times in the 150 Psalms in the Old Testament. The words “psalm” and “song” can be used interchangeably, with all the Psalms set to music, though we no longer know what that music
Psalms On Saturday ~ Praise in Psalms Read More »
Let’s understand the power of confession. . . If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9, ESV). When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” He meant that sin and death were defeated. Now, through confession, we
Confession, Cross, Freedom! Read More »
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5b, ESV). I was raised in a denomination that, while believing in the Holy Spirit as a part of the Trinity, had no practical use for the Spirit in the daily lives of believers. I often heard
My “Today” Theology of the Spirit Read More »
Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5, ESV) When we fail — It’s not an “if” but a “when” we fail. A quick AI search reveals abundant witticisms on failure. . . Failure is simply
Dealing with Failure Read More »
And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26, ESV) Recently, my wife and I began watching the new Prime Video