“I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” – Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 10:16) E.G. David arose and went out of the cave, and David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to lies and deceive yourself? I have not sinned against […]

Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And Jesus was transfigured before them, and Jesus’ face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus [Matthew 17:1-3]. Questions… What were Andrew, Philip, […]

This morning my wife texted me to ask if Douglas Kaine McKelvey had written a liturgy for students graduating high school or college. So I looked in Dougie’s book (Every Moment Holy: Vol. I), and sure enough… on page 38 there is A Liturgy for Students & Scholars! In the liturgy Dougie prays, “Guard my […]

וְדָוִ֗ד עָבַ֤ר מְעַט֙ מֵֽהָרֹ֔אשׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה צִיבָ֛א נַ֥עַר מְפִי־בֹ֖שֶׁת לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וְצֶ֨מֶד חֲמֹרִ֜ים חֲבֻשִׁ֗ים וַעֲלֵיהֶם֩ מָאתַ֨יִם לֶ֜חֶם וּמֵאָ֧ה צִמּוּקִ֛ים וּמֵ֥אָה קַ֖יִץ וְנֵ֥בֶל יָֽיִן׃ וַיֹּ֧אמֶר הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֖א מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר צִ֠יבָא הַחֲמוֹרִ֨ים לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לִרְכֹּ֗ב ׳וּלְהַלֶּחֶם׳ ״וְהַלֶּ֤חֶם״ וְהַקַּ֙יִץ֙ לֶאֱכ֣וֹל הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְהַיַּ֕יִן לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת הַיָּעֵ֖ף בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאַיֵּ֖ה בֶּן־אֲדֹנֶ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר צִיבָ֜א אֶל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הִנֵּה֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר הַיּ֗וֹם יָשִׁ֤יבוּ לִי֙ […]

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” – John, son of Zechariah [Matthew 3:8] “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” – Jesus of Nazareth [John 12:24] “David’s heart struck him after he had numbered […]

This morning The Boss said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations!” But I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak. I am afraid and insecure.” And The Boss said, “Do […]

Yesterday and today The Boss walked me through Ecclesiastes. Here are the highlights: “Find enjoyment in your toil.” [2:24] “I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart – yet […]

“The targets of this story are not “wayward sinners” but religious people who do everything the Bible requires. Jesus is pleading not so much with immoral outsiders as with moral insiders. H wants to show them their blindness, narrowness, and self righteousness, and how these things are destroying both their own souls and the lives […]

Imagine if the Iranian government chose to lavishly finance the work of Christian orphanages. Imagine if Ali Hosseini Khamenei (علی حسینی خامنه‌ای) said, “Let all the expenses of Christian orphanages be paid from the royal treasury of Iran!” And imagine if Ali Hosseini Khamenei said, “Moreover, our military will aim all of their might at […]

Lee said, “People are interested only in themselves. If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And I here make a rule—a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting—only the deeply personal and familiar.” Samuel said, “Apply that to […]