Category: Faith

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The Power of Pentecost

cereals-228726_1920In the midst of celebrations of natural harvest, Jesus promised a spiritual harvest that would be like none that had come before. He told the disciples to wait for the promise of the Father that would cloth them with power from on high. (Luke 24:49) All other work was to be placed on hold until they were equipped with what God had for them.

This coming Sunday we will celebrate Shavuot – though most us refer to it as Pentecost coming from the Greek signifying that it is celebrated 50 days from the celebration of First Fruits. While many churches celebrated Pentecost on May 15 this year, Jewish people around the world will celebrate it on June 12. While I am delighted to celebrate it twice, I feel that untying the date from Passover and First Fruits was a mistake.

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Lighthouses and Mixed Messages

lighthouse-168132_1920I love lighthouses. There is something fascinating about those tall towers that provide guidance and hope to travelers tossed around on the waves of the sea. Unbeknown to the casual observer, lighthouses do much more than serve as interesting tourist attractions and beacons of light.

Each individual lighthouse can be configured to emit a specific pattern of light that synchronizes it with navigational charts. Without any other instruments, sailors can determine their position simply by observing the light. Each lighthouse is also painted uniquely in case the light is not easily seen or is broken. And in the case of very poor visibility, a unique foghorn signal conveys the same unique information.

As the United Methodist Church (UMC) struggles with its spiritual identity, I can’t help but wonder if they have forgotten that they are called to be a lighthouse. In one of the most famous passages of scriptures, Jesus related the idea of the importance of our uniqueness:

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A Word About God

faith-507810_1280It’s a huge risk! I could lose half my readers in the very first paragraph of this blog. But, still, I have to say it! THEOLOGY! I know that many people avoid that word like the plague, but the truth is, you are already learning and practicing theology every day of your life – even when you don’t know it. The important questions are, what is the brand of theology? Is it correct?

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Are You Boring Your Angels?

angel-428077_1920One of the great promises of God is that He assigns angels to watch over and protect us:

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.  In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Psalm 91:11-13 (NKJV)

Have you ever questioned where angels were when you needed them the most? Be assured that they were there keeping even worse things from happening. But perhaps they could have accomplished even greater things, if you had just known how to activate them.

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Magnificent Moms: Ten Biblical Attributes

mothersdayHappy Mother’s Day to all the great Moms! You make us who we are and we are grateful!

Today we are going to take a look at some of the Biblical attributes of Magnificent Moms. I doubt anyone hits all of them perfectly, but I know a lot of Moms – including four very special ones in my life – that get awful close. (Four? – For those wondering, I have a great Birth Mom, a wonderful Adopted Mom who married my Dad, A Blessed Covenant Mom I got when I married my Wife and of course my Wife – and Mother of our two girls – is one of the greatest Moms I know.)

Now that we got that complicated explanation out of the way, here are Ten Biblical Attributes of a Magnificent Mom:

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Some Confusion about the Apocalypse

explosion-123690__340The Apocalypse has been the subject of fascination by Bible students, Hollywood and many in between. Unfortunately there are many misconceptions about the “End of Days” that are way off base when compared to what the Bible actually has to say. Here are a few common misconceptions to help stir your intellectual juices:

 

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What Islam is Teaching Me about Christianity

knowledge-1052010_640I have undertaken a serious study of Islam. There are so many messages in our culture today about what it is and what it is not, that I wanted to know the truth. One historian said that when he started researching Islam, he felt as if he had been sucked in a black hole. I can relate to that. Although it is getting a little better now, moving beyond the platitudes and myths was quite overwhelming at first.

There are many things that this study is teaching me about my own faith journey and people in general, but I will focus on one particular area today. After cutting through the surface rhetoric, I found that there are at least three kinds of Muslims:

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ChurchIs the Christian Church prospering or is it falling apart? Depending on who you listen to or which statistics you study it appears that it could go either way.

Those of us who deeply love the Church, can take great solace in the fact that this is not – as they say in Texas – our first Rodeo. There have been many times throughout history where all hope seemed lost. Gnosticism, the Nicolaitans, the political takeover of the church by the Romans, the crusades, the inquisitions, the indulgences of the middle ages, church splits and the list goes on. Continue reading “”

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Big Mouth Christians

Big Mouth HippoIn the quintessential definition of rebellion, much of modern American culture appears to be tolerant of everything EXCEPT the traditional morals and values of our ancestors.

What was once considered obvious common sense is now labeled “out of touch”, “antiquated”, “bigoted” and “hateful”. 

From protests to Nightly News and Social Media, some members of our communities are increasingly being told to keep their big mouths shut. The rhetoric is mind-numbing. Continue reading “Big Mouth Christians”

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Jesus Judo for Biblical Blessings

 

judo_penguinHave you ever experienced a moment when you were having an exceptionally joyful day – one where you felt love for everybody and everything – when all of a sudden, and out of the blue, you were smacked in the face with an insult, rude behavior or someone’s bad attitude?

Isn’t it amazing how our happy, loving and carefree attitude can almost instantly change to anger, hatred and violent thoughts when someone says or does the wrong thing? Believe it or not, there is a Biblical prescription for just such moments. I can’t say that the medicine is sweet, but it is always effective. Continue reading “Jesus Judo for Biblical Blessings”