The Voice of One

Slave

Below are lyrics to a song the Lord gave me a few years ago. You can listen to it here. *** I declare I love my Master, and I don’t want to go free (Exodus 21:5). He has shared His life with me, and I don’t want to be apart from Him (Exodus 21:6). …

Slimy

There are many days when I’m painfully aware of my shortcomings. My thoughts, reactions, feelings, and judgments flow by like sewage. If I dwell on things at all, it’s easy to start drowning in it. Psalm 40 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of…

Secret Place

I’ve been thinking about Psalm 91 lately. This passage teaches us about being in Christ. He is our secret place, our dwelling wherein we are safe and at rest (Psalm 91:1-2, 9). The New Testament tells us that, in Christ, we are crucified and dead to sin. In Christ, we are also raised from the…

Off the Clock

I’m going to move this week. I hadn’t planned on taking a blogging break until I realized it’s been four days since my last post! Planned or not, apparently I’m taking a break. Typically, when I take a break, I encourage people to read past posts of mine or check out some of the pdf…

Incomprehensible Union

Some good thoughts on the Lord’s supper from Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin… *** But as this mystery of the secret union of Christ with believers is incomprehensible by nature, he exhibits its figure and image in visible signs adapted to our capacity…. We now, therefore, understand the end which this mystical blessing has…

Can Wrestlers Baptize? (Part 2)

In part one, I asked readers what they thought about something John Calvin said about baptism in his book Institutes of the Christian Religion. Several readers made good comments on my Facebook page, and I thought I’d share them: [V]iewing the sacraments as only being able to be administered by clergy takes the emphasis off ‘Christ…

Can Wrestlers Baptize?

Baptism scene from Nacho Libre In other posts, I’ve mentioned I’m wrestling my way though Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. I’m currently reading a section about sacraments. Calvin sees sacraments like communion or baptism as signs of the work of Christ. Baptism, for example, pictures our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. Baptism doesn’t only signify forgiveness. It…

Trees and Mountains

Early this morning, I lay awake for a short time. My mind wandered to Genesis. Two trees take center stage in the garden of Eden: The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There was a commandment associated with the latter tree: “You must not eat from the tree…

Everything and Nothing

Today, I am encouraged that everything is working together to conform me to the image of God’s Son (Rom. 8:28-29). “Everything” includes successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses, righteousness and sins. Nothing is outside God’s redemptive power and use.

Break Time…

I’m going to clock out for a bit and take a blogging break. For the last month, my family has been very busy selling our house and buying another. It’s quite the transition. We’ve lived in our current house for over a decade. It’s the only house our kids have ever known. But it’s time…