Elijah Redux

It's cool that the book of Malachi comes at the end of the English Old Testament in light of the final verses and their fulfillment in the books that immediately follow it. In Malachi 4: 5 – 6 we read, See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of …

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Tattle Tale

Nobody likes a tattletale. Maybe you have a brother or a sister that always seems to know what you've done. They never fail to tell your parents and get you in trouble. In Genesis chapter 37 we read about Joseph and his 11 brothers. Now Joseph is famous for his coat of many colours but …

When God Won't Do What You Want Him To Do

There is a great scene in Bruce Almighty about 20 minutes in.  We have already met self absorbed Bruce and have watched his life fall apart.  After things go totally wrong Bruce blows up and says, "God is a mean kid sitting on a hill with a magnifying glass and I am the ant.  He …

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Getting What We Don't Deserve!

In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel teaches that every man (and woman) has the freedom to choose, good or evil and there will be consequences of these personal choices. Sin is not an unfortunate outcome that people innocently fall into, of no fault of their own. Without redemption, we would each bear the burden of …

Jesus in Disguise

Mother Theresa, when speaking of the the very poorest in Calcutta said that, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise."  In saying this she captures the extraordinary ordinaryness of her ministry.  She served even the most challenging person as she would serve Jesus himself.  Jesus teaches in Matthew chapter 25: When the Son of …

Our Lord and Master and His Church

I have been working in full-time ministry for a short time now and I find myself needing to be reminded routinely:   It is His church not ours.  His body not ours.  His Kingdom not ours. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100: …

The Trouble with Two Tunics!

In Mark 6: 7-13 Jesus sends out the disciples on a mission trip and it's interesting what He gives for instructions.  Don't take: food a bag money a second tunic Take nothing except a staff, sandals, and a partner.  Why such strange instructions? It appears that the premise was, travel light.  A second tunic would be …

Forty

"So you've started a blog and after two days you've run out of things to say?"  Well, here is the first in what I hope is a short list of totally random thoughts: Why does the number forty keep coming up in the Bible?  Coincidentally, the Sistine chapel (see below) happens to be forty feet wide and has …

The True Vine

A friend at church told me a story about his dad planting trees.  He had Willow trees at the back of his property growing near a meandering creek.  One day he cut a branch off a huge willow tree and walking over to some wet soil near the stream he stuck it in the ground.  Years later now that Willow …