Sometimes We Blame God for Our Pain, When We’re the Source of Our Troubles A lament is an expression of grief, sorrow, pain, regret, despair…you get the picture. Lament occurs when life overwhelms our hearts and steals our tomorrows. Many of the Psalms are laments. Though lamenting is biblical, our church services seldom includes the […]
The God of the Old Testament Seems Different Than in the New The book of Hebrews says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And since Jesus is God (John 1:1), doesn’t that mean the God never changes? That’s what I’ve been taught. That’s what this verse in Hebrews seems to […]
Don’t Dismiss the Holy Spirit Most Christians believe that God is three persons in one; we call this concept the Trinity. Though it never uses the word Trinity, the Bible does portray the godhead as three beings who function as one interconnected entity. Though I believe this and revere this, at times it makes my […]
It’s Time to Plant, Water, Nurture, and Prune A friend recently shared how much she was enjoying spring, of seeing flowers bloom and once dormant grass turn green. I connected with her joy, warmed by the thought of spring and the new life it represents. I was happy for her, but then I grew somber. […]
Last week we asked if seraphim are the same as angels? We discovered there is no biblical evidence to suggest they are. Now we ask the same question about cherubim. The Bible mentions cherubim much more than seraphim. In fact, there are 69 verses (in the NIV) with either cherubim (the plural form) or cherub […]
Understand the Word of God In the letter Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus he tells them to put on spiritual armor. Included in his list of gear is only one offensive item: “the sword of the Spirit,” which he says is the word of God. Many people understand this as a reference to […]
It’s Your Job to Spiritually Feed Yourself Have you ever heard someone grumble about church by saying, “I’m just not being fed”? Perhaps you’ve even said it. I have. However, we’re not talking about physical food, but spiritual sustenance. When we say this, we sound so righteous, but what we’re really doing is complaining that […]
God Never Calls In Sick For the first time in several years, I have a cold. I’m too wired to sleep but too drowsy to do much else; I alternate between too hot and too cold. I don’t deal with illness well, just ask my wife. My cold has thrown me off my routine, detracting […]
To me, God is a mystery: a beautiful, elusive mystery. I cannot possibly comprehend all there is to know about him. I will never have an answer to every question people ask about him or fathom how he functions. I’m okay with that. In fact, I celebrate it. There’s an allure to not knowing. If […]
The prophet Amos had some condemning words for the people of Israel. Through Amos, God unleashed a lament against his chosen people. He says he despises their religious festivals, and their assemblies are a stench to him. Yeah, I get that. Those people sure rebelled against God. They deserved his stern rebuke. They went through […]