Advent
-
A few days ago I was meditating on the Isaiah 2 text for the first Sunday of Advent. The challenge from the Spirit when I woke up that morning was this: pray differently. One of the texts for next Sunday is Isaiah 11:1-10. It seems I am still being stirred by the Spirit to pray differently. It is… Read more
-
16 Wash! Be clean! Remove your ugly deeds from my sight. Put an end to such evil; 17 learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are… Read more
-
It’s the first Sunday of Advent, so for the church… HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Church has been on a different calendar for centuries, but evangelicals and Pentecostals don’t always recognize it. It’s too much of a “dead ritual,” or some such thing. I’ve learned to appreciate these seasons, especially Advent and Lent, helping us prepare… Read more
-
Tomorrow in church, we begin a NEW YEAR! I serve an Assemblies of God church, so most reading this will probably go… “What? HUH? What?!?” But it’s a new year! We will be in the first Sunday of Advent, which is on the Church calendar. It’s the rhythm of the Kingdom, not this world. And…… Read more
-
I woke up this morning with text from Isaiah 2 on my heart and this challenge from the Lord: “Will you dare to pray differently?” This is what Isaiah saw. With the doom and gloom of Isaiah 1, he still saw something different (2:1). The Lord has challenged me over the past few months to ask HIM for… Read more
-
Tons of deals to be had on Black Friday… which has successfully leaked (in the view of retailers, anyway) into Thanksgiving. I’m not here to mourn the loss of Thanksgiving. We’re a culture bent on compulsive actions and I’m not going to cure that in one season… or twenty. We want to shop for good… Read more
-
The past few years I have been so abundantly blessed in my own life. When Christmas rolls around I realize I need nothing. I have my family. My teaching and ministry are so deeply satisfying. I have incredible friends. Outside of more coffee and another book, what could I want or need? In the past couple… Read more
-
The fourth Sunday of Advent. The longing for the Savior to come. I think of Simeon and his longing for God. God favored him with seeing Messiah before Simeon passed from this earth. Simeon longed for the Kingdom of God. Advent. Longing. He’s coming… How I long to see him whom my soul loves. He’s coming… Read more
-
Fantasy Headlines for the End of the Year: “Stores to close 4 p.m. Christmas Eve to give employees a break” “NRA admits they actually have about a dozen guns too many in the United States” “Planned Parenthood admits there are some abortions that should be turned into adoptions” “Democrats agree they like spending too much”… Read more
-
Now that the world hasn’t ended (again), maybe we could continue on with the actions we might want to take as the people of God. We need to live out Advent in our world. Christ has come. He makes the difference. 19 The poor will again find joy in the Lord, and the neediest of people… Read more
Apprentice 2 Jesus 