When Life Gives You Lemons
The following is adapted from a talk given at a ladies luncheon, May 2022. A couple of months ago I was invited to speak at this luncheon on the topic, “When Life Gives You Lemons, ….” As I began to think about what I might share with you today, the first question that came to mind was this: What do people think of when they hear the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? [...]
B.O.L.D. Holiness
What do you think of when you hear the word, “holiness”? Do you picture angels with harps? Do you have a vague image of Old Testament priests in the Temple? Do you think, “Holiness is for Super Saints like Mother Theresa and Billy Graham…” Do you groan inwardly and think, “Holiness Again? Time to tune out…” Does hearing the word “holiness” make you feel a little guilty? Maybe you find yourself thinking, “I’ve tried but [...]
Living in the Forgiveness of Christ
Two weeks ago, I shared with you about Living in the Freedom of Christ. Last week we focused on Living in the Grace of Christ. This week, I want to share with you about Living in the Forgiveness of Christ. These three truths are closely intertwined, but, in my experience, forgiveness is the key to experiencing what it really means to live in the freedom and the grace of Christ. If you recall, I promised [...]
Living in the Grace of Christ
One of my favorite passages in the Bible appears in the book of Exodus. I imagine you have heard the story. Moses had spent many days upon the top of Mount Sinai in the presence of God, receiving from Him various instructions, including the ten commandments. But the people waiting below, became restless and impatient. They compelled Aaron to make for them a golden calf to worship, such as they had once had in Egypt. [...]
Living in the Freedom of Christ
Early one morning, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to test Jesus, hoping to find grounds to accuse Him. Jesus responded to them, saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And one by one, her accusers walked away. A little while later, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in [...]
Walking with God
The Bible tells us that in the beginning, in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God. Can you imagine it? You wake up in the morning. Have some fresh fruit. Inhale the crisp, clean, fresh morning air. You watch the animals grazing nearby, and then you hear a footstep and the sound of His voice! It’s the Lord God, your Creator! So, you run to Him and walk with Him and talk [...]
The Way of Compassion
Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. (Psalm 25: 4,10 NASB) Do you remember the story of Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector to follow Him? Matthew celebrated by throwing a big dinner party for Jesus at His house. And of course, when the Pharisees saw Jesus sitting at the table with [...]
Epiphany
For those of us in the Protestant tradition, Epiphany is one of those dates on the church calendar that is often overlooked. In the Western Church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th. In the Orthodox tradition, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th. This is due to a difference in calendars. The Gregorian calendar is used in most of the world and for the international date and time standard (ISO). But in some parts of the [...]
The Curse and The Promise
Have you ever sat back and thoughtfully read through the first few chapters of Genesis? Have you ever really contemplated Creation? The story begins with, “In the beginning… God” In eternity past, before Creation, before time as we know it began, there was the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. In Colossians, we read, Col. 1:15 [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all [...]
The Blessing
Have you ever been blessed by God? Jacob wrestled with God. Do you remember the story? He wrestled with God and refused to let go until he received God’s blessing… It got me thinking… what exactly does it mean to be blessed by God? As I studied the role of blessings in the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I found that although I had a sort of inner sense of what a blessing is, [...]
The Man of Sorrows
On the night of the Passover Feast, the night He was betrayed, Jesus knew exactly what was coming. Knowing He had but a few short hours, He chose to humble Himself and take on the role of a Servant. He laid aside His outer garments and attended to the needs of His disciples by washing their dirty feet (John 13:1-15). In one of the most beautiful Old Testament passages (Isa. 52:13-53:12), the prophet Isaiah writes [...]
Maundy Thursday: A New Commandment
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus knew He had but a few hours before He would be handed over to the authorities. So, He gathered His beloved disciples around Him and shared with them those things which pressed most urgently on His heart. He began by washing their feet. We know that washing of the feet was a common practice. After all, the people wore sandals, if any shoes at all. And although major [...]