Meditations in the Fire’s Forging

Real faith upends the pre-conceptions of who Jesus is from the tiny box of human expectation and understanding. The apostle Peter and the other eleven walked the crucible of disappointment as Jesus revealed Himself to the world, not as the reigning Messiah, but as the suffering Servant. Those three black days of Jesus’ silent occupation …

When All I Have is Jesus

A Biblical Counseling Series # 5 Rejection cuts deep whether it is a child, a spouse, a parent, or a love interest. Elisabeth Elliot writes of George Matheson in her book, “A Path Through Loneliness.” When George became blind, his fiancée broke off their engagement. Instead of becoming bitter, however, he lifted his blind eyes …

Stewarding Well the Plan B Path

A Biblical Counseling Series #4 “It is not supposed to be this way.” Right now I see many believers walking difficult paths on my social media feed. A teenage Pastor’s daughter died in a random accident. A young girl is on her journey toward Heaven from a brain tumor. A family is dealing with the …

Robbed or Rewarded

A Biblical Counseling Series #3 Have you ever been left home by your parents with a list of chores to do before they return? I remember one Saturday morning when my parents went grocery shopping. Each of my siblings and I had a room to clean, but we knew we had several hours. We spent …

What Do You Know For Sure?

“I am sorry to tell you that the results say you only have six months to live.” “The test is positive. Your situation is incurable. Let’s talk about how we can manage it now.” “Years of skipping annual check-ups have led us to a point of no return. There is nothing we can do now.” …

Another Jesus

Another jesus is masquerading as the Jesus of the Bible. This false jesus overlooks the murder of innocent babies in the womb. He understands and allows for the reasons people murder others in the name of their own rights. He loves without any call to repentance or righteousness. This masquerading jesus accepts what happens in …

A Christmas Song in the Night

The lights and the tinsel Sparkle like gold Singing a love song, With a story long told. When God became man, With humanity dwelt. Who walked here with us, Jesus, Immanuel. Imagine with me No gifts wrapped with love, No lights on the trees, No hope from above. Where would we be, If He had …

Free from Fear: Peace on Earth

It was an obscure benediction of Advent that jumped off the page of God’s Word. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, had been mute until that day his son was named. His first words poured out prophecy for the coming Messiah, and have been recorded in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 1:67-79. “That he would grant …

Free From Shame

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Shame is a topic of many parenting classes, and rightly so. Very few children grew up in a home where shame and guilt were not used as parenting tools. “How could you be so stupid?” “Why can’t you be more …