what I read from others
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Sabbath Eve Prayer
One of the things I learned months ago from reading Marva J Dawn’s “Keeping The Sabbath Wholly” is to intentionally prepare our hearts and minds on the “Eve of Sabbath” (Saturday night) before we gather to worship on Sunday morning. Too often we rush into church with our minds set for self-idolatry. I found this…
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Calvary is Like Judo
“Calvary is Judo. The enemy’s own power is used to defeat him… Satan’s end was God’s means. God won Satan’s captives – us – back to himself by freely dying in our place.” – Peter Kreeft
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Holding On To Your Own Pleasurable Imaginings
“Maybe we wonder if God can take all that goes on in our mind and heart. Maybe we simply want to hold on to our own pleasurable imaginings, afraid that in showing them to our Lord, we may have to give them up. Thus, we are constantly tempted to fall back… out of fear or…
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Don’t Over Analyze Yourself
A good reminder for me as I seek to transition healthily into my sabbatical… It’s all about my focus… “Know yourself” is good advice. But to know ourselves doesn’t mean to analyze ourselves. Sometimes we want to know ourselves as if we were machines that could be taken apart and put back together at will.…
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A Thousand Ways to Kill Jesus
Who in your life told you the truth about yourself so clearly that you wanted to kill them for it? …Who in your life has represented Jesus Christ in your life? True friends love you in truth, show you the way and want you to know full life… so much that they’re willing to die…
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Stay Awake.
Watch, learn, act. Watch for God at work. Do not miss Him as the world does as it dozes with day-dreaming, self-pity, gluttony, boredom, fighting,… Lost is the opportunity to be alert to God at work, alert through renewal, reading, prayer, teaching, service to the needy, justice and peace-making… Keep awake and watch. Learn all…
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Are You True to Truth?
Truth never asks for mere admirers, but for followers. Admirers can turn into followers or they can turn into traitors. Admirers are infatuated with greatness, but pull back at first sign of trouble. Admiring truth rather than following it can turn into hate, jealousy, and revenge. At first sign of danger, admirers become offended by…
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Suffering in Love, But Love for Whom?
The effect of suffering on us depends on what we love. If we love ourselves, suffering is hateful and we will do everything we can to fight it, and avoid it. And worse, if one loves himself and learns that suffering cannot be avoided, he may take pleasure in the suffering; it becomes a love/hate…
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Paul Went to His Own Funeral? Not Like An Elvis Impersonator
Did Paul say, “I’m determined to imitate Christ?”, or, “I will work at following Him?” No, he said, “I been crucified with Christ. I have been identified with him in His death.” Elvis impersonators are quite happy to look like him and get all the glory and accolades and don’t usually kill themselves as the…
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Three Pastors Tell All
Pastors were asked, “What’s your best piece of advice for someone who wants to become a pastor?” One answered… If you can do anything else, do it! The pay ain’t great, criticism is over the top, and in this age when everybody just downloads podcasts of their favourite preacher, you don’t stand a chance. However,…
Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 