We are addressed/identified as… exiles of the Dispersion! We are to think of ourselves (and we are to be regarded) as sojourners …like Hadassah (a.k.a. Esther), Daniel (a.k.a. Belteshazzar), Hananiah (a.k.a. Shadrach), Mishael (a.k.a. Meshach), and Azariah (a.k.a. Abednego). And we are ALL ABOUT/FOR —> obedience to Jesus Christ and ALL ABOUT/FOR —> sprinkling with […]
I was meeting with The Boss recently, and I was telling Him about a particular frustration. And The Boss said, “What are you scared of?” And I said, “I’m not scared …I’m frustrated.” And The Boss said, “You’re scared.” And I said, “Why would you say that to me!? I’m complaining to You about someone […]
Thanksgiving is almost here. Families will be gathering. Every family has that person who always has an explanation for their lamentable behavior (e.g. “I was just joking.” “I’m misunderstood.” “I’m being vilified for no reason.” “I had a physical ailment, and I am the victim.” Etc.). What this person doesn’t have is – – – […]
Judah, son of Leah (Part I) The instinct to keep the shameful details of my story hidden was very strong. On some level, the decision to reveal the truth was (and is) a mystery to me. Certainly, there are moments when I wish people didn’t know; there are those who criticize and cast scorn, but […]
“Dear reader, you have to understand the point of all these stories. What they add up to. Schererazade was trying to make the king human again. She made him love life by showing him all of it, the funny parts about poop, the dangerous parts with demons, even the boring parts about what makes marriages […]
“I learned the first rule of repentance: that repentance requires greater intimacy with God than with our sin. How much greater? About the size of a mustard seed. Repentance requires that we draw near to Jesus, no matter what. And sometimes we all have to crawl there on our hands and knees. Repentance is an […]
If you really want to understand the living and active truth of Scripture then you MUST thoroughly and personally imaginatively immerse yourself in the stories, and you must rigorously reflect on what it would actually be like to meet the characters described in the Bible. So let’s imaginatively immerse ourselves in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, […]
The Bills Mafia holds to certain traditions. For example the folding table ritual and spraying ‘Pinto Ron’ with ketchup & mustard. These rituals might seem impersonal, painful, unnecessary, and/or wrong to outsiders, but devoted Bills fans are thrilled and galvanized by these customs! Well… when it comes to the week of unleavened bread (Exodus 13:3-10), […]
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” “When a child first catches adults out — when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not always have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just — his world falls […]