Dig Deep

You Are Beautiful

You can clearly see the beauty of your Lord, though you have never seen Him. You see Him as wonderfully beautiful because you know something of the depth of beauty. Beauty, to you, is easily discernable without sight. You know beauty apart from visibility. You can measure your own beauty apart from a mirror; you are the mirror. In Christ, you know truths many others may never know. You know of the deep reality of a deeper beauty. Before the throne, there is a sea of glass, clear as crystal. This sea acts as a mirror reflecting the beauty that […]

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Abiding Joy

In Christ, you have access to a priceless, almost-hidden treasure. You can pursue, possess and be possessed by a God-ordained joy. Some pursue a fleeting and certainly temporary happiness, but not you. You can be apprehended by a lasting, sustaining joy, emanating from the One who purchased it for you. In a friendship with Christ, He excitedly gives you access to His joy, laughter and contentment. You were created to enjoy Him no matter what. You can chuckle, belly laugh, or sit as still as you can in silence and enjoy His joy.   Regardless of circumstance  The feelings of […]

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There Are No Step-by-Step Rules for Christianity!

I long ago lost count of how many times I’ve heard unbelievers object that “Christianity is nothing more than rules and regulations!” Let me begin by saying that that when the unbelieving world sees our faith as nothing more than a list of “dos and don’ts,” we have done a poor job of presenting the beauty and the blessing of the good news of the Gospel. Christianity, first and foremost, is Good News — the good news of a relationship, NOT a list of rules. John Piper put it this way: “It’s like we’re in a war, in a concentration […]

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Dawn and Dusk

I was recently sitting with Lisa watching the sunset. I reflected on the experience of dusk, that in between time before darkness and after light. I noticed that everything was ideal. I thought about what life would be like if we lived in permanent dusk. I couldn’t help but also think about how dusk emulates dawn, again that in between time, but in that case the time after darkness and before light. What I thought was interesting about these two in between times was how little effort life required. The color was about perfect – enough light to recognize objects, […]

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God Lead Us Down Your Path

God Leads us in everything we do. In our current cultural moment, one which is steeped in deep skepticism, absolute truth is separated from matters of religion and spirituality as far as the east is from the west. A typical postmodern response to the statement that absolute truth exists would sound like, “That may be absolutely true for you, but absolutely not true for me.” This view is as deluded as it is dangerous in matters of reality, blurring the lines between preference, opinion and truth. To be sure, the promise in the era of modernism that human reason was […]

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Drip… Drip… Drip…

Summer, my favorite time of year because our pace changes, actually slows down. I see things from another perspective. I savor God’s provision and blessings. I also rest and become refreshed. I also am reminded during the hot South Florida summers of just how important water is. Water is essential to life. One does not have to go too long to realize just how essential water is. Sometimes we need water without even being thirsty.  The lack of water will often lead to a slow death, often without even realizing it.  The poet, king, warrior, David, acknowledged that a tree planted […]

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Explosive Growth of the First Century Church

Last month we studied the reality of the Resurrection by sharpening our focus on two different eyewitness accounts: the embarrassing eyewitness accounts and the enemy eyewitness accounts. In the ancient world, women were regarded as second-class citizens whose testimony was inadmissible in a court of law; therefore, no gospel writer would ever invent a story of the Resurrection with women being the first to peer into the empty tomb and see Jesus alive. To say that a woman was the first to see the risen Savior was too embarrassing. Growth of the Church Then we looked at the dramatic conversion […]

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Full

A Mile in God’s Sandals I remember hearing a well-known author speak about how he asks God every year for a word… and that word becomes his compass heading for the year. I liked that. I chose a word this year. The word was perspective. I am asking God to let me see things from His perspective. Some of my musings this year have been on that subject. I find it interesting how God sees stuff. Some of the conversations I have had, the people I have met, the books I have read have all been around seeing things from […]

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Eyewitness Accounts – Was Jesus Seen Alive?

“. . . and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). I would like to sharpen our focus on two different eyewitness accounts: the embarrassing eyewitness accounts and the enemy eyewitness accounts. I’ve found that this approach seems to capture the attention of the skeptics, causing […]

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Shiny Rocks

A 1986 movie entitled, “The Mission” tells a story of violence, tragedy, sin, penance, forgiveness, conversion and restoration. In one iconic scene the character, mercenary and slaver Rodrigo Mendoza, played by Robert De Niro must carry a large bag filled with weighted items wherever he went, to signify his sin and his punishment. The burden was excruciating, especially as they journeyed through the harsh rainforest and up the side of a slippery and ferocious waterfall. The climactic scene of the story is when Mendoza is released of his burdens and forgiven for his murderous behavior in view of his enemies […]

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