When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22).
They’re called watershed moments. Critical turning points. They’re moments in time when nothing that follows will ever be the same as before. And for the most significant of those, we may spend a lifetime unpacking what actually changed.
The watershed experience in the life of Jesus described above – when He was baptized – reminds me of the most significant watershed experience you or I could have – the day Jesus comes to indwell our lives. And just as the experience of Jesus was a triune experience, with the Holy Spirit descending and the Father affirming, so, too was mine. And the same is true for you, if you have trusted Him as your Lord and Savior.
Just what did you receive at conversion? [click to continue…]
God is making your obedience known to all – far more people than you realize.
They see the work He is doing in your life.
And those who hunger for God will be drawn to you.
In your past you have been wise concerning what is evil.
You must now pursue the wisdom of the pure.
And soon the God of Peace will crush Satan under your feet. [click to continue…]
Two extremes.
Two in-your-face, He-can’t-be-serious statements made by none other than Jesus Christ.
Two simple statements of fact covered up and made sleepy by years of self-initiated religion.
I’ll tell you right up front – you’ll say you believe it. But I would gently challenge you that on typical days you probably don’t.
The statements? Read this slowly as if you’re reading it for the first time (maybe you are!): [click to continue…]
Take me again to the Chamber of the Beloved –
To the place where I can remember my place again.
Sing over me with love and delight.
Restore my soul, oh, restore my soul. [click to continue…]
Years ago I was shopping for a stereo and learned an interesting lesson in the store. I cranked up the volume on a set of speakers and was impressed with what I heard. But the sales assistant told me that even a mediocre set of speakers could do that. The measure of a speaker’s quality, he said, was how low you could turn the volume and still hear quality sound. Then taking the volume all the way to zero, he slowly raised the level. Before the dial reached “1” I was hearing a full range of music from a quality set of speakers.
The same idea is true in the spiritual realm, as no less than Elijah from scripture can testify. [click to continue…]
(Unlike the previous story, this one actually happened)
Day 0
Morning seems to come more quickly in Bethany. This village, whose name means “House of Affliction,” sits on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Seems fitting, I suppose. One of three designated healing centers in Israel, Bethany is certainly no place for slumber. Even one of the town’s leaders, Simon, has earned the nickname “the Leper” for obvious reasons.
This place gets up early for healthcare.
In one particular house, the residents have yet to sleep. There a man named Lazarus lies very ill, and nothing seems to help. His sisters Martha and Mary care for him around the clock. Martha has spent the night on her feet; Mary has spent the night on her knees. Nothing has helped.
If only Jesus were here. That’s the conclusion both sisters – usually so different in perspective – agree upon. They know Jesus loves them uniquely; their home has been His refuge. Jesus faithfully and completely heals perfect strangers. Lazarus He loves! This is a no-brainer, if they can just get word to Him in time. [click to continue…]
It isn’t “Peace on Earth.”
It isn’t “Good will to men.”
It isn’t “Wise men still seek Him” or “Joy to the world,” true and wonderful as all those things are.
Read through the different accounts of the first Christmas, and the most common thing you will find is a variety of ordinary people like you and me coming to grips with their fears. And the message of Christmas again and again is, “You don’t have to be afraid.” [click to continue…]
(The Twelve Names of Christmas, Part 1)
As you may have detected from one of the previous posts, we spent last week in the magical confines of Disney World in Florida. “We” means all 15 of us – kids, spouses, and grandkids from age 5 to age 11 weeks. And, of course, about 12 thousand of our closest friends.
Every once in a while in this sea of strangers, about half of whom weren’t speaking English, I’d see somebody with that familiar cursive “A” on a cap or shirt, and out it would come – that instant bond forged among strangers as the result of two simple words: Roll Tide! And brother, it was instant. Truth be told, I did see a few people wearing blue and orange and was tempted to say “War Eagle!” to them, but just couldn’t get words to form in my mouth.
And if you have no idea what any of that last paragraph means, never mind.
There is another rallying cry, however, I do want to tell you about. In times of trouble in ancient Israel, including times of going into battle, they would summon courage and unity with one simple word:
Immanuel!
Immanuel was their way of expressing confidence that God was present with and fighting for the cause of his people. And it was no accident that when Jesus arrived on the scene in Bethlehem at that first Christmas, one of his biographers made mention of it: [click to continue…]
You wouldn’t believe it. Not unless you saw it with your own two eyes.
You wouldn’t recognize him. Not unless you were with that band of misfits that united under his leadership.
But here you are and there he is and My God, what has happened? This is the guy whose exploits they sang about. This is the Giant Killer. In one afternoon you saw him rally his own people and send an army of Philistines running in fear.
And now he and you are living like pathetic dogs in a cave. Dirty. Haggard. Weak. Exhausted. And there before your eyes the man you knew would be king is at the end of his life.
Why?
Because he’s at the end of his courage. [click to continue…]
It’s one thing to feel a little distressed or stuck. Jordan was way past that. Jordan’s soul was imprisoned, and he saw no way out. His winsome smile and kind eyes belied the addictive behavior that Jordan was powerless to control.
Haley had a soul prison of her own. Her chains bore the marks of a woman who felt completely alone and desperate for connection – any connection. Her life zigged and zagged from trying too hard to living as a virtual recluse.
For Joni, the imprisoned soul took the form of simply assuming that her life would always be this way. Her dreams long dead, Joni spends her days going through the motions of a life stuck in mindless ruts from which there is no escape.
How about you? How free are you to dream, to feel, to choose? Do you have the power to choose joy, love, or paths to fulfillment? Do you still believe, with conviction, that it’s possible to live the live you have imagined, not just the hand you’ve been dealt? If the answers to those questions are, well, questionable, maybe you, too, have an imprisoned soul. [click to continue…]
