A Call to Battle
Photo by Niklas Ohlrogge on Unsplash It has occurred to me that the season of Advent/Christmas is a season when our enemy Satan is hard at work on our hearts. For many, many years I have struggled with feeling cranky at Christmas. The pressure to bake the best treats, build the biggest gingerbread house, give the cheeriest greetings, send 100 Christmas cards (with a beautiful family photo!), make it to every party, make my house super pretty, buy presents for everyone I know—to make this Christmas the VERY BEST ONE—it exhausted and depressed me. Christmas carols became old-hat
Traditions
Photo by Diliara Garifullina on Unsplash This time of year seems to revolve around traditions. We work to recreate old traditions each year and often look at how to add new ones. Traditions give us a sense of place and belonging and bind us closer to those we love. During this time of year, we can see traditions everywhere we look, from Christmas pajamas to Christmas popcorn to the town Christmas tree. A few weeks ago I started listening to the podcast “Luther in Real Time” (which I highly recommend), and then, completely by accident, I came across an
The Promise
Photo by Davide Cantelli on Unsplash When we come to Ahaz, king of two tribes of Israel, and God's prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 7, the king is under great strain. As other nations are devising ways to invade and take all of Israel's territory, Ahaz must choose to either trust God's guidance or rely only on himself, rejecting God's help. And in the middle of that immediate political and military strain, God makes an unexpected statement. Ahaz is worried about the army over the geographic horizon, but God is giving him a view of His plan over the horizon of time. Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz: “Ask for a sign from
Advent: Anticipation, Expectation, and Awe
Photo by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash Read: John 1:14 Adapted from Paul David Tripp, Come Let Us Adore Him. p. 9-11. It is a mind-boggling, hard to grasp, awesome story unlike any other story ever told. But what makes this story so wonderful and so important is not that its plot is way beyond anything you would've ever conceived. What makes this story vital to know and understand is that it is not a well-crafted fantasy. The thing that should make you stop in your tracks, activate your heart and mind, and fall to your knees is that this
Why God Teaches Us To Remember
This time of the year, Americans get together with family and friends to feast and reflect. Over this American Thanksgiving Holiday, my wife and I will be gathering with some of North Wake’s Far Flung Families, friends living and working for God’s kingdom all over the world. It’ll be our first time missing a gathering with family around poultry, fall vegetables, and pie. Like many families, we take time at Thanksgiving to discuss ways we’re thankful to God, especially His goodness. If the point were simply to reflect on the past year, it would become easy to be depressed. Our family is probably like yours: we’ve experienced loss and lots of tears.
The Genius of the Wrong People
Read: John 20:21-22 I was sitting at a table with an old friend who leads a large and thriving church. "We try to make everything easy for the members of our church," he said to me. "We encourage them to get to know people in our community, whether in their neighborhood or office or anywhere else. Then all they have to do is invite those people to church. At church, those people will hear relevant, gifted communicators in a warm, attractive, and appealing environment where their children can be a part of top-of-the-line programs." He concluded, "If our members will
Discipleship and The Long Journey of Joy
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with
Rejoice & Give Thanks
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7 As we have given thanks to God today, I want to talk for just a few moments with you from this passage about thanksgiving’s twin sister: “joy”. (They usually go together in the Bible—joy and thanksgiving). And so before we leave this
Everything and Always
Read Matthew 28:19-20 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (CSB) There are two words that struck me while I was meditating on this passage. The first is the word everything, as in, ‘Teach them to observe/obey everything I have commanded you…’ EVERYTHING! How often we get caught up in one or two of Jesus’ commands but neglect the
Why Make Disciples?
Why do we "Make Disciples?" It started, in a sense, with the Great Commission given by Jesus shortly before He returned to Heaven: Now the eleven disciples [the original apostles, before Paul] went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
