http://www.123rf.com/photo_21098327_cartoon-boy–speech-bubble–vector-illustrations.html See Part 1 here “The disciples did not simply come to understand Christ in the light of the Passion. Rather, only when turned again (or were turned by the risen Christ) to the scriptures (meaning what we now call the ‘Old Testament’) did they begin to see there all sorts of references to Christ,…
Category: The Gospel
And I Quote!
“The crucified and yet living Christ is the concrete summing up of the Christian message and the Christian faith. He is Himself the wholly concrete truth of Christianity.”—Hans Kung, On Being a Christian, chapter VI. “The scriptures declare Christ. And anything else you find in there is a product of your religious imaginations.”—JW Luman, Covenant Ministries Int’l. “Go to…
St. Francis Wasn’t a Sissie
Francis of Assisi Francis of Assisi is known for giving it all. His father, a wealthy merchant, demanded Francis relax his zeal for Christ or renounce all claims to his inheritance. Francis answered by removing his clothes and returning them to his astonished father. This attitude marked the rest of Francis’s life. I have always…
What the Lord Said Today
Picture by Darrell Creswell Something the Lord said to me today: “You have been discouraged about who you are. Be encouraged by who I am.” ” Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the…
Compass, Cross, Bungee, and Buddha
My freshman year of college I became deeply troubled by questions: “Why do I exist?” “What is true?” One night, I stayed up late talking philosophy with a friend. My distress was reaching critical mass. I spent the rest of the night and the whole next day awake, wrestling with my lack of answers. I…
Those JELL-O Loving Antichrists
Scripture tells us “God is love,” and that God’s love was most profoundly shown through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (1 John 4:16; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16). At one point in my walk I wondered: Is Jesus the historical person important? Or is it just the spirit of love He demonstrated that matters? There…
I Need Thee Every Hour
My mother-in-law posted an arrangement of this hymn on my Facebook page. I had never heard it before. Besides being a gorgeous arrangement, it struck a nerve (no pun intended) because I have been recovering from ankle surgery. The Holy Spirit reduced me to tears as I listened. That is saying something because I’m definitely…
Less Is More: The Gospel of Surgery
I recently had ankle surgery. Almost two weeks later I still can’t walk on that leg. I am in pain all day. Evenings and nights (OK, and mornings) are worst. My wife does everything to care for the house, our kids, and me. Sometimes, for long stretches, I can’t do anything but groan…
The King’s Chambers
“Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is more delightful than wine…. Take me with you—let us hurry. Oh, that the king would bring me to his chambers” (SOS 1:2-4). Pieces of clothing, like pretenses, are removed, like explanations, are cast aside, like self-image, collapse into hollow, rumpled piles, and…
What More Do You Want?
I was mildly stunned by what she said. In my hands was a letter from a lady with whom I had been corresponding about spiritual things. To paraphrase, she said something like, “What more can you offer people other than Jesus and His wonderful sacrifice?” I can’t remember what I wrote back word for word…
The Voice of One 