Reflections on the presence and power of the grace of God.
I was revisiting the beginning of the Beatitudes today, and as I read in R. T. Kendall’s commentary on the subject, he offered this definition of the kingdom of heaven: The kingdom of heaven is “the rule of the un-grieved spirit in the believer”. This was a strong reminder for me that in the...
Read more →After word had spread about Jesus walking on the Galilee, Rakak, the son of Gershem the Boatmaker, spent his mornings and evenings walking along the shore, looking for the Teacher. “Maybe if I can learn to walk on the water, I will find him,” Rakak thought, and he prayed that God would make his...
Read more →It’s a basic principle in Christian theology, at least within Reformation churches, that there is a grand gulf between God’s holiness and our fallen, corrupted souls. It was a common refrain in the Evangelical Explosion materials I learned in my teens, and sewn up front into the basic Four Spiritual Laws tract so many...
Read more →Jesus… said to him, “Follow me!” Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” – John 21:19-22 It’s...
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“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” – James 5:7 Growing up as a Southern Baptist kid in the evangelical tradition, I didn’t go to a church that was all...
Read more →I’ve had several good conversations with a work colleague this week about Christianity, and how it should impact a life. These conversations grew out of some reflections I had talking with a friend and also from considering the experiences shared by others I have known that felt similarly: Christianity is negative. The key complaint...
Read more →The Gospel is first described in the New Testament as the message that Jesus and his followers shared with those they encountered about the Kingdom of God. “It is near”, they said. It’s also the message that Paul says his life was set apart for, that inspired his missionary journeys, his work with Gentiles,...
Read more →Appreciative of systemists like James Fowler, I offer here an artificial framework for thinking about grace. Recognizing that God and His workings are mysterious, this post in no way suggests that I have “figured out” how God sprinkles His grace into the events of human lives. When He does, though, this article suggests how...
Read more →Tommy Nelson is the longtime Senior Pastor of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas, and someone whose teachings I have listened to and highly regarded for years. Tom sends out a weekly email in which he shares his thoughts on a topic or two. For anyone who is a Christian, I thought this week’s...
Read more →I’ve continued my slow trek through the Old Testament by striding through II Samuel over the last few weeks, and have been grateful to take a closer look at the life of David. There are moments when reading passages about him that I have breathed a sigh of relief and thought “If this guy...
Read more →In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.~ Judges 21:25 How interesting it is that this is the verse that concludes the Book of Judges. It aptly summarizes the history of Israel in this period as the nation, without clear leadership and convictions, tumults from strength into weakness, and...
Read more →I have a good friend who lost a sibling to cancer six years ago today. My friend loved her sister dearly, and she feels it every year when the anniversary comes up, if not only because she lost a sister, but also because that was one of the hardest years of her life, and...
Read more →It may be a stretch, but I think the best scripture passage I have heard that is probably most helpful for the addict is the story of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman, found in John 4:1-26. I became aware of this when I heard my cousin Jeremy Pummel preach a sermon from this passage...
Read more →In my continued variation in reading, I have been reading “Surprised by Grace” by Tullian Tchividjian, in which he takes a look at the story of Jonah as a vehicle for the gospel. I really like Tchividjian’s writings because as a teacher, his thought and theology is firmly planted in the primacy of Jesus’...
Read more →It’s been a couple of days since I have written and posted anything here. I guess the silence has been useful to let me know that at least two people read these posts. It’s always encouraging to hear back from friends that they miss your posts. Encouragement to write is always well received. For...
Read more →I started trying to write a really deep and cool post earlier today which I thought would totally come together this evening- a post about how becoming a Christian is like a making a big move from one country to another, and how it is not only like making a big move like that, but...
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