God killed Jesus. That’s what some people who stand in opposition to the gospel are saying. According to their teaching, this makes God a cosmic child abuser not worthy of their worship, assuming He is real. But there are two serious flaws with their reasoning.  First, Jesus is God. He always has been, and He always will be.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The ..read more

Some people shy away from speaking about Jesus or doing anything in His name because they’re convinced God can’t use them. In their minds, they have nothing special to offer, or they feel discredited by their pasts.  But Rahab, a prostitute living in the ancient city of Jericho, didn’t allow even her present sins to prevent her from doing what God had given her to do. And all she had to offer were her knowledge of the city, a rooftop and a strategically placed window. Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So ..read more

. . . and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.—Acts 5:40b-41 For years, Thanksgiving week became the time when I would focus on being grateful. But then a friend gave me a gratitude journal where I was to write three things for which I was thankful every day. Some days my list goes beyond the prescribed number. Some days—when I let life beat me down, or I’m weary of the same-old, same-old—I st ..read more

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar.—Psalm 139:1-2 (ESV) Our society has clung to the idea of speaking truth to power in an effort to effect change. The term often is used in the face of perceived oppression or powerlessness. What if the powers to whom we appeal don’t have our best interests in mind? What if they don’t listen—or worse, don’t care?  In our chaotic world, we can sometimes forget there is One who holds all power. There is One who knows—and is—all truth. There is One who listens and c ..read more

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)—Colossians 4:10 (NIV) In Acts 13, we meet John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, Paul’s friend and partner in spreading the gospel. But our first impression of Mark isn’t a good one. From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.—Acts 13:13 (NIV) The Bible doesn’t say why Mark left, but we can infer from what follows that he didn’t have a good excuse. Was he fre ..read more

He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.—John 1:11 Our nation appears more divided than perhaps since the days of the Civil War. But some of God’s children, all of whom are called to be peacemakers, are instead fueling division with a push for Christian nationalism. The idea is that force-feeding Christian principles at any price upon those who do not share them will restore our country. Does our country desperately need restoration? Absolutely. But our hope doesn’t lie in a change of behavior or a change of leadership, regardless of where we stand politically. It lies in ..read more

Jesus looked at him and loved him.—Mark 10:21 (NIV) As Jesus was wrapping up a visit to Judea, a young man commonly dubbed “the rich young ruler” ran up and knelt before Him to ask for the key to eternal life. Jesus cited some of the most common commandments—don’t murder, commit adultery, lie, cheat, or dishonor your parents—leaving the man feeling pretty good about himself. He even said as much. Jesus knew this man. He created this man. He knew the man’s words before they came out of his mouth. Moreover, he could see into the man’s heart. Yet as this man was about to reveal his true colors ..read more

My Border collie mix Biscuit and I got a late start on our daily walk one cool morning. As we got to the end of our driveway, I could see seven police cars and fire trucks in a nearby cul-de-sac. Two police officers stood in front of the community mailbox. “Is it safe for me to be out right now?” I called to them. “You’re good,” they calmly assured me. I quickly assessed the situation. Their stance was relaxed. No one was buzzing about. Yet the multitude of emergency vehicles remained. The gears in my head clicked as I approached the officers. Journalists tend to think like cops. “It’s the cre ..read more

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.—Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV) Do you remember how it felt to know someone significant loved you? It became the source of a secret smile and ..read more

And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.—Matthew 7:25 NASB Summertime means rainy season in Central Florida, where the skies will fall about the same time every afternoon, only to give way to the unrelenting heat of the sun. As longtime Floridians, we’re accustomed to summer rains. But this summer threw us a loop. By mid-June, our backyard was already beginning to flood as the lake behind us infiltrated the back of our property. A county stormwater and drainage official came out twi ..read more