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Especially While You’re Waiting For the first time in my lifetime, it’s not a cliche to say, “The whole world’s waiting.” Waiting for this to be over. Waiting for effective treatments to emerge. Waiting for an effective vaccine. Waiting for the economy to reopen. Waiting… Such waiting may be new to the world, but not the Creator of the world. First of all, “waiting” may not be something God does much of/any of,anyway. For our present moment God, the Great…

Even When The Odds Are Against Us What else can go wrong? We have all said that or some derivative – maybe lately. The pandemic has layered our busy, often complicated lives with multiples frustrations and fears that can magnify already existing issues (or birth new ones). The paradox for the Christian is this can be the perfect opportunity for us to see God’s work – always present and always loving – but now visible with our open eyes and…

Even When We’re At Our Worst Imagine being caught at your worst possible moment. Maybe it’s of a sexual nature and you were caught cheating or viewing pornography. Perhaps it could be binge eating with telltale signs of frosting all over your mouth. It might be financial like taking a credit card to its limit or cheating your employer or government. How about getting caught in a rage or throwing an adult temper tantrum that included pounding your fist on…

Psalm 42 As the deer pants for water So my soul longs after you My soul thirsts for God For the Living God Where can I go and meet with God? So the Psalmist introduces the longing you and I feel to be together, together, instead of together alone… My tears have been my food day and night While people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” As is typical of the psalms’ songwriters, they are not…

“Why Do You Seek the Living Among the Dead?” “Is that anyway to treat your sister?” “Do I look like the maid?” Have you ever heard any of these rhetorical questions in your family? They are designed to illuminate a transgression, or faulty thinking or just laziness. They are the starting point in correction or redirection. Did you know rhetorical questions are also used in Scripture? “Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?”…

It Is Finished! The most powerful and transformational event in all history is Jesus’ crucifixion. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – St Paul (2 Cor 5.21) No other ideology, theology or philosophy in history contains this powerful Gospel/Good News message. No one. Ever. And…it was arranged before the beginning of time. (Ephesians 1.4) Father in heaven, I cannot find sufficient words; I cannot…

Harsh Confrontations On Tuesday of The Holy Week, Jesus goes right back to Jerusalem to confront the religious, entrenched establishment. The institution of the church had overgrown the mission of the church and Jesus confronts it with a veracity and a tenacity that is unsettling – even shocking. In vain attempts to trap and embarrass Jesus, three political opponents unite to trip Jesus up on the hot-button religious issues of the day! As each public questioning is thwarted and rebuffed…

  The primary event of Monday of Holy Week is Jesus cleansing the temple in an obvious and public demonstration of anger over the misuse of the Temple. But Jesus also showed anger at the cursing of a fig tree that was not bearing fruit! In either case there is illustration of the wrath of God over the abuse of His design or the fruitlessness of His gifts provided freely but poorly invested (or not invested in the Kingdom at…

“Is Greater Than He Who Is Living In the World” …just wanted to remind you today… “He who is living in you is greater than he who is living in the world.” – 1 John 4.4 Here’s the same reminder in song! Remember who you are and to Whom you belong, Karl Thank You For Contributing Your Tithes and Offerings Thank you and thanks be to God for those who have sent in their gifts to the Lord while we’ve…

“Without One Plea” “Just As I Am” is a hymn that has been sung by God’s worshiping people since 1830’s. It came to mind this morning as a description of humanity’s condition (made more obvious by the pandemic). In a global heartbeat our fragility and insufficiency has been dragged out from behind our busyness and displayed on the world stage. Yet, this is the very spiritual condition – that we are “without one plea” – that makes us ready, oh…

“In the Eye of the Storm” You can’t talk about hard times without referencing the Bible’s Book of Job. Considered to be the oldest book of the Bible written, it addresses the enigma of suffering. Why, why me and even why not me are all questions stirred up throughout the book. Near the end of it all Job hears from God and asks him some questions. In Job 40.6 He speaks up “from the eye of the storm.” As we…

Transitions are by definition, uh, transitory. That is they take us from one place we’re accustomed to another place of potential comfort. Physical moves whether permanent or seasonal require the transition from here to there or there to hear (depending on your perspective). 🙂 The trip to the other place calls for planning, and preparation for variables and unknown possibilities. Things like the weather, highway construction or airport TSA lines, not to mention health and relationship separations add emotion to…