Which House Will You Choose?

Reflections from Jesus at the end of the Sermon on the Mount

. . . It had been a long day. It was time to finish sharing with these wonderful people. They had walked a long way to listen to me, and hear my simple message of what it meant to follow our Father.

Can I Step Out and Call to Jesus Too?

Reflections from a man with family members dealing with recurring pain and illness

. . . Jesus had finished his sermon, or his teachings, on the hillside. I was shocked by the simplicity, clarity and authority of it all. It was so different than anything I had ever heard. I had never heard anything like it before. It was like he was speaking right into my heart.

A Prophecy Fulfilled, A Cost to be Counted

The way Jesus cared for people, healing their sickness and freeing them from bondage, not only demonstrated His great love for them. It also fulfilled Isaiah’s 600 year old prophecy that he would heal our diseases and make us well. It was another sign that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.

The Indescribable Gift

A few years ago on “Good Morning, America,” Joan Lunden featured some amazing gifts. One of them was the Jaguar 220. To order the Jaguar 220 you go to the dealer and put down an $80,000 deposit. When the automobile is delivered you pay the balance of $507,000. If you purchase the Jaguar you may be interested in buying a special car wax for the ultimate shine. The wax retails for $3,400 for 225 grams. I guess if you can afford a $587,000 automobile you’re in the market for a $3,400 can of car wax!

Believing is Seeing

My wife was getting irked by my oft time failure to hear what she or others were saying. She urged me to talk to the doctor about it, so the next time I went in to see him I mentioned, “My wife thinks I’m hard of hearing.” He checked my ears and said, “Your hearing is fine. Tell them to speak up.”

An Eternal Love Story

Psalm 45 overflows with love language. Perhaps it was written for Solomon, or perhaps it was intended to be used for any of Israel’s kings. But the quotation from this Psalm in Hebrews 1:8 leaves no doubt that the early church took the Psalm to be Messianic. This double-entendre is captured in vv 6-7, where the distinction between the king and Christ is blurred. The psalm pulsates with life and points forward to the relationship between Christ, the groom, and the Church, his bride.

A New Kind of Kingdom

After Jesus’ arrest he was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. As Pilate tried to determine the nature of the charges against Jesus, he asked him about the accusation that he was a king. Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn’t belong to this world.” (John 18:36)

The Passover Lamb

The Israelites are instructed to take the blood of a perfect lamb, apply it to their doorposts, so that death would pass over them as it ravaged Egypt. The Lord required Israel’s participation in the final plague but not the others. They were not automatically exempt from the substitution of a life for a life. Obedience to God’s plan protected them and provided the escape from judgment

When an Outsider’s Faith is More Than My Own

Reflections from an officer’s friend

. . . Many Romans had been in our town before, but none like him.

This Roman officer was so different. He respected me, a Jew. He watched out for us. He didn’t abuse us. He was so different. He asked questions – really good questions.

Eyes of Compassion

Reflections from a mother

… Grief. Anguish. I had no more tears. My body ached with exhaustion. I felt like I was in a catatonic pain-filled walk. My soul was being squeezed as if it had no life.

My son had died. My only son. My only son.