Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’
5 Books To Read About Jesus (And One Bonus)
For at least one day this week people thought of Christ. We have just come through Easter and much of the world has considered the story of Jesus and the resurrection. But the person and work of the Lord should not be examined once a year – He should be pursued every day! There is so much more of Him to know and admire. You never exhaust infinite truth. Most people look better at a distance. Not so the Lord Jesus Christ. The closer you come to Him the more of His beauty and wisdom and grace you see. The more you investigate the more you will be attracted to the perfect Christ! Once again it goes without saying that…
Read More3 Times Jesus Wept And What We Learn From His Tears
Several months ago I preached a message on the tears of Jesus. Our Savior was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:5). This is more than mere emotionalism or shallow sentimentality – it is a reminder that He cares and that He carries our burdens. There are three times in Scripture that Jesus wept (John 11:35; Luke 19:41; Hebrews 5:7-9). Each is near the end of His life and each reveals what matters most to our loving God. He truly is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). His tears are a reminder that He loves sinners and cares for every soul. A few weeks ago I received a very kind email from a young…
Read MoreMy Morning Meditation
Christ’s greatest work was not done in a Temple or a synagogue. It was not accomplished through discussion with religious leaders or debate with skeptics. His work was done outside the city where the lepers lived. At the side of the road where the beggar sat. In the fields where the poor gathered to hear something from God. The work of Jesus was on full display next to a well in Samaria and in a cemetery where broken hearts wailed and wept. Christ’s work was not to reform Rome or deliver Israel from severe taxation. It was to set common people free from the bondage of sin. His associates were not the religious elite and politically correct. They were rough…
Read MoreHow to Be Happy In An Unhappy World
My favorite book of the Bible is the little New Testament book of Philippians. I love it for many reasons, but most of all, because it is a book of joy. Repeatedly we are told to “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). God not only commands us to rejoice, He shows us the way. I believe the Lord intended for us to enjoy the journey. One of Christ’s favorite words was “blessed” or superlatively happy. In His closing words to His disciples He gave them instructions and said, “Happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). How can you be happy in an unhappy world? Stop trying to be happy. Have you ever…
Read MorePortrait of a Peacemaker
In a world of strife peace is a wonderful thing. There is a peace that is connected to truth and there is a peace that compromises it. Peace can never become the goal; only the God of peace deserves that honor. But when the God of peace rules in a man’s heart it will show up in his relationships with others. If you find a man who loves contention and debate you have met a man in whom the God of peace does not have His rightful place. In our Lord’s most famous sermon He declared, “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). This is one of the distinguishing marks of God’s…
Read MoreMy First Sermon and What I am Now Learning From It
On a Thursday night in July of 1989 God made clear to me that He wanted me to be a preacher. I was 12 years old and full of fear about the future. Today I am more grateful to God than ever to be in the ministry. My first sermon behind a pulpit was given on Sunday, August 27, 1989. Several young preachers were speaking in an afternoon youth rally. My sermon was a simple one, taken no doubt from something that I had read or heard from someone else! “I Have a Secret” was the title. The Scripture I chose was the story of Paul pleading the case of Onesimus to Philemon. It is the story of a man…
Read More3 Days I Never Want to Forget
Every day is a precious gift from God. Even difficult days are reminders of God’s mercy and grace. I have enjoyed some wonderful days along the journey. June 13, 1997 was a great day. It was the day I married my best friend. (It was Friday the 13th, proving that good things do happen on that day!) I remember well the days that our three children were born. Amazing days! Christian people should seek to make the most of every day. There are three days that I remind myself of often – three days I never want to forget. Thinking about these days helps me to make the most of this day. 1. I never want to forget the day…
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