Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Habakkuk 1:12-2:20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence. Habakkuk 2:20 The world has changed significantly since I first wrote through Habakkuk in 2020. You know what hasn't changed? The Lord God, Holy One (קָדוֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים יְהֹוָה), YaHWeH Elohim Kadosh (Habakkuk 1:12) never changes. In… Continue reading Revisiting Habakkuk, Part Two
I wrote a four-day reflection on the book of Habakkuk in January of 2020. I had just begun my second semester at UNLV. There were whispers of a strange new virus coming out of China, but no hint at how that news might unfold. Reports of anger, division, injustice, and violence dominated the nightly news.… Continue reading Revisiting Habakkuk
How do we determine the value of a life? I opened my Substack inbox on April 1 and was struck by the very pretty face of a young woman leaning contentedly on a man's chest. The story headline read, "I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May." It wasn't a joke. As I read… Continue reading Dignity, not Death
Confrontations and conversations during Jesus' last days Mark 11-12 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a… Continue reading Not just another Tuesday
God uses our brokenness for His glory Kintsugi, literally "joining with gold," is a centuries-old Japanese technique of fixing broken ceramics. When a piece of pottery breaks, the pieces are put together, not with invisible glue so no one sees the flaws, but rather with gold lacquer so that the fracture is obvious. These repaired… Continue reading Broken and Beloved
Personal acclaim and a desire for social influence must be secondary (at least) to our acclaim of and influence for the Kingdom of God. "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). When I started writing this series all… Continue reading Everything is Secondary: part five
Professional ambition must be secondary to our ambition for the gospel of God. "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for… Continue reading Everything is Secondary, Part 4
Political affiliation must be secondary to our affiliation with the people of God. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9-10). "For our boast… Continue reading Everything is Secondary, part 3
Ethnic allegiance must be secondary to our allegiance to God. "So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching the good news… Continue reading Everything is Secondary 2
A five-part series about priorities This is a five-session devotion considering the pre-eminence of Jesus over everything else in this mortal life. Ideology has taken over faith in many churches and among many people who call themselves Christian. I don't think anyone will argue that the world is bitterly divided in 2024. Wars, both heavily… Continue reading Everything is Secondary
Defaulting to Grace 