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The Place of Glory
3 Who among you is left who sawthis house in its former glory?How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it appear as nothing to you? 9 This house will be more gloriousthan its predecessor,says the LORD of heavenly forces. I will provide prosperity in this place, says the LORD of heavenly forces.(Haggai 2:3,9, CEB) In this passage the story…
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The Willingness to Give Up the Distractions
When the Kingdom of God invades your life there is a decision to be made. The disciples hear the call of Jesus in Mark 1 and by the time he calls to them, they have determined he is worth it. They set aside the distractions of nets, and boats, and servants. Jesus was worth their full attention. The Kingdom comes…
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Does It Get Old?
I love sports, and I LOVE the Kansas Jayhawks in basketball. On my bucket list is going to a game at Allen Fieldhouse once before I die. Just once. I was in there one time years ago. Roy Williams was in his first season. They had won the national championship the year before. A friend and I walked into the…
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Demons and Authority
In Mark 1 there is the story of Jesus casting out the demon in the synagogue. While we focus on the power encounter, Mark focuses on the authority. Twice in the same story he mentions the authority of Jesus to teach. 22 The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the legal…
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Longing for Home
The end of Revelation is a picture of longing. Paradise is restored. The tree of life that was guarded in Genesis is now found in the city of God. From its leaves come healing for the nations. It is home. These verses make me long for the home I know I have, yet have never visited. Come, Lord Jesus. 1…
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The Leading of the Spirit
12 At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him. (Mark 1:12-13, CEB) The Spirit did not lead very softly. The same Greek word for “force” is the same word used to talk about Jesus casting out…
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Our Faith Can Hold
The end of 2 Peter 1 is a powerful reminder of the faith delivered to us. The witness of those who carefully witnessed the glory of Christ, and those who came before who heard from God, stand in history as something to which we can anchor our faith. It is a powerful passage to reflect on! 16 We didn’t repeat crafty…
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Repetition is Necessary
In a “been there, done that” world, one of the great habits of the Christian life (and the Church world) is to go back over something. We’re not very good at it, but the habit is built in. In the tradition of the Church world going back centuries there is the repetition of the Lectionary readings. The gospels are visited…
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The Walk of Maturity
It is so hard to grasp that all truly is ours in Christ. It is learning to realize WE may be lacking, but in Christ we need not lack a thing. We can ASK. (Again I think of Dallas Willard: “The nature of the Kingdom is to ask.”) 2 Peter 1:3-11 is a marvelous passage to dwell on for our…
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Grace, Effort, and Earning
When I read 2 Peter 1:3-11 I am drawn into the magnificence of God’s character. I am crushed in my own shortcomings, but overwhelmingly I am still blown away by the possibilities of this life in Christ. I always think of Dallas Willard’s quote when I read this passage: Grace isn’t opposed to effort. It’s opposed to earning. 3 By his divine…
Category: Spiritual Formation
