Our brief survey of persons important to Jesus during His Passion would not be complete without an exploration into Mary, His mother. Prophesy Foreshadows Jesus’ Death. Mary had known before His conception that Jesus would be the Son of God, and thus holy. [Luke 1:35] But, when she and Joseph presented Jesus (still an infant) … Continue reading “…seeing His mother…Jesus said…” [John 19:26] / Mary
Category: Uncategorized
Miscellaneous thoughts or writings that do not easily fit into a defined category.
“…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:44 // Christ the Servant
Christ’s focus on being in service to others. Much of our theology and religious thought revolves around Christ as our Savior. And, it’s true that His primary purpose in coming to Earth was to be just that person, our Savior. His selfless sacrifice allowed the reconciliation of Man to God, thereby restoring the opportunity for … Continue reading “…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:44 // Christ the Servant
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12 / Prayer as Worship
Continuing the series on Worship, this week we explore how Prayer is Worship. We consider some aspects of Prayer. And we offer some ideas for how to deal with our perception that our prayers seem frequently to be unanswered.
“For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11 / Need
Prologue. Last week our Exploring Christianity post dealt with the story of the Good Samaritan and its meaning for our lives today. The point of the post was to highlight the hypocrisy rampant in the religious practices and attitudes of Jesus’ day, where supposedly “religious” people could ignore the plight of those truly in need … Continue reading “For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11 / Need
“Truly I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 / Redemption
Prologue. One of my friends recently engaged me in a discussion about Redemption. Specifically, they wanted to discuss “death bed conversions.” Their question was, “Can someone who’s not been a Christian suddenly ‘convert’ as they are dying? And, can that person then go to Heaven?” Their observation was that such a conversion seemed somehow to … Continue reading “Truly I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 / Redemption
“Are we there yet?!?” / A common family refrain
The following first appeared in the Christian Blog, Coracle published by Smyth & Helwys. I wrote this as an homage to all the family journeys that will take place this Summer of 2019. ******************************************************************************************************************* Summertime is here. And the Great American Migration (aka summer vacation travel) is about to begin. Along with this annual Rite … Continue reading “Are we there yet?!?” / A common family refrain
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Psalm 98:4 / Singing as Worship
Singing As Worship. This week we resume our series on Worship by focusing on Singing as a form of Worship. For me, the music portions of church services have always been very important. I recognize that some denominations allow singing, but without musical accompaniment. There are others which eschew singing and music altogether in an … Continue reading “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Psalm 98:4 / Singing as Worship
“…for the LORD has comforted His people…” Isaiah 49:13 / Turning to God for Comfort, Part 1
The Scriptures are full of verses encouraging us to turn to God for comfort. Psalm 23:4 says, “…I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me….” Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” … Continue reading “…for the LORD has comforted His people…” Isaiah 49:13 / Turning to God for Comfort, Part 1
“Test me in this says the Lord Almighty…” Malachi 3:10 / Turning to God for Comfort, Part II
Last week, we began our series on Turning to God for Comfort by defining “need,” “distress,” and “comfort.” We also considered the question, “Why are we so distressed?” This week we’ll address the second question raised in last week’s post, “Why is it so difficult for us to accept and recognize His “comfort?” A True … Continue reading “Test me in this says the Lord Almighty…” Malachi 3:10 / Turning to God for Comfort, Part II
“Your word is a light unto my feet, and a lamp for my path.” Psalm 119:105 / Study as Worship
Worship. This post continues our series on Worship. Previously we considered Individual and Corporate Worship (Post 48, 05/10/2019), Prayer as Worship (Post 49, 05/17/2019), and Singing as Worship (Post 54, 06/22/2019). This week we will look at Study and how it also is a form of Worship. The Bible is filled with scriptures advising us … Continue reading “Your word is a light unto my feet, and a lamp for my path.” Psalm 119:105 / Study as Worship
