Life This Side of Heaven

It’s easy to empathize with Elijah’s frustration.  Living in this fallen world of sin there are times when you and I are left feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.  It’s difficult being ridiculed for your faith.  You may not feel like you’ve much of an impact in sharing Christ with your family and friends.  No, it’s not hard to feel like Elijah.  There are days when you may feel like throwing up your hands and crying, “I’ve had it.”  ...

Here in Galatians, Paul tells us that “the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ.”  The interesting Greek word he uses to describe the role of the law is _paidagogos. _ And while it’s often translated as “schoolmaster,” “tutor” or “guardian,” another good word to describe it is “nanny.”  That’s because the role of the law is temporary.  Just like a child's nanny, it serves an important role until that role is no longer needed....

Today, it's sometimes referred to as "canceling." However, the practice of attempting to silence someone for saying something with which another disagrees goes back a long way. Jesus faced this as they attempted to cancel Him and silence the proclamation of the Gospel. So did the disciples. However, the Good News is that we have a Savior who has come and brought forgiveness of sins by canceling the record of debt that sto...

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood to proclaim that Jesus, who was crucified, had risen and is alive.  And he told this to a crowd who didn’t realize the great hope this gives.  Having heard God’s Word often, it still hadn’t sunk in what it was telling them. Sadly, that may also be true for many today. God Himself assures you of something that's an absolute certainty.  In fact, you can live each day right now confidently –knowing...

How would people describe you?  Let’s make this interesting.  If they were to select two adjectives to describe you, which words do you think them might choose? On the surface, hearing Jesus described as "the power of God and the wisdom of God" may not seem very personal.  You may be thinking, “How about words like compassionate or loving?  What about adjectives like patient or kind?” However, when it comes to our Savior...

“Let’s agree to disagree.”  Have you ever heard or shared that phrase?  On the surface, it sounds useful.  When two people have differing opinions on a topic, it’s a way of ending an argument while recognizing that nothing is going to change the other person’s mind.  And in many cases, in our increasingly polarizing culture, it seems best.  However, when it comes to our unity in Christ, it’s neither helpful nor true. But wait unti...

“Come again?”  There’s a phrase that’s usually accompanied by a look of bewilderment.  It’s slang.  It’s a way of saying “I’m sorry, but could you repeat what you just said.”  Either they didn’t hear correctly or what they heard doesn’t seem to make any sense.” It's a phrase the disciples could have used on one occasion ... but for two very distinct reasons. And when you and I are baffled about things going on our lives, it's one...

Today, it’s hard to imagine passing through a grocery store without seeing a whole aisle set aside for the endless varieties of “fresh spring water.” So, the image that Jesus uses here in Revelation is not that difficult to imagine. The fact that Jesus invites us to drink "without cost" from the spring of the water of life should raise a few eyebrows. However, it’s the nature of this gift that should have us licking our...