I’m so thankful for the Spiritual Blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 NIV After spending the last two months in his letters, I woke up on …
Indignant -adjective feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base. What makes me indignant? Do my feelings mirror those of Christ? There are only two times in the gospels (NIV translation) where it speaks of Jesus being indignant. Certainly there were more than two occasions where Jesus felt this emotion. Wasn’t …
In our North American context, we as Christians have three major holidays we celebrate: Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Jesus grew up in a Jewish family where they annually celebrated the three “Pilgrimage Festivals.” “According to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths, the New Moons and the three annual festivals- the …
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Luke …
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“ Acts 1:8 Witness. When we hear that word, we think of evangelism. Sharing our faith. Proclaiming the gospel. We think of a …
I recently read a blog post from a number of years ago that was entitled “Why You Should Consider Canceling Your Short-Term Mission Trips.” In the post, the author began by quoting Robert Lupton from his book Toxic Charity, “Contrary to popular belief, most missions trips and service projects do not: empower those being served, …
Have you ever considered the miracles Jesus performed and the potential purpose for these events? A friend asked me this week if Sonlife had a study specifically on the miracles of Jesus, and though our Harmony Study does cover these events, it doesn’t specifically look at them as a group. How many miracles did Jesus …
John 14 concludes with Jesus and the disciples leaving the Upper Room, so Jesus’ teaching and prayer in John 15-17 happens somewhere between the Upper Room and the Kidron Valley opposite the Mount of Olives. On the walk down toward the valley, before crossing over and entering the olive grove in the Garden of Gethsemane …
Have you ever thought about how Jesus strategically used His teaching to prepare His disciples for the harvest work He had invited them to join Him in? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each record large portions of teaching that the disciples were exposed to, and besides considering the themes and audience present for Jesus’ teaching, …
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NIV How are you doing with rest these days? There’s this interesting …