Wet Willies for Jesus: Gifts of Healing and Workings of Power (1 Corinthians 12)
Peanut butter and jelly, fries and ketchup, milk and orange juice. These combinations complement each other to produce something even more delicious than if one was to eat just one of the ingredients alone. (Try the third one with a dash of sugar; it tastes like a creamsicle milkshake!)...
Gotta Have Faith: The Gift of Faith in 1 Corinthians 12
Previously we discussed the gifts (or manifestations) of knowledge and wisdom. The next gift is faith, one of the most misunderstood of the nine listed in 1 Corinthians 12. Throughout the Bible, faith has several different definitions depending on the context in which it is used. Usually faith means trusting...
The Prodigal Father (aka The Prodigal Son parable) Luke 15:11-32
Centuries ago someone came up with the title The Prodigal Son. As a result, much of its original meaning was lost in translation. The parable is not about the son! Most of us don’t need to be reminded of our rebelliousness; our fathers probably even have photographic evidence to...
Knowledge is Power: Understanding the Gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12)
Right now there is someone reading this blog wearing Spiderman pajamas and bunny slippers and eating a snack consisting of pretzels, nacho cheese, popcorn, and chocolate syrup. Sound plausible? Maybe. But what if I was exactly right? What if my description was so exact that the person described dropped...
Born to die, Raised so we can live: The humanity of Jesus
Click on the picture and get ready to laugh! I might risk a stoning by saying this, but it needs to be said if we are ever going to learn how to truly live. The miracles of Jesus were not born out of His divinity; the miracles of Jesus...
Apocalypse Maybe Later, but Definitely Soon: The End of the World according to Matthew 24
Once again an end-of-the-world prediction has proven false and once again the media is heaping on the shame for guys like Harold Camping. Yet we will continue to hear about other predictions like the end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012. Why do we pay any attention...
Do You Cower From Girl Power? On Women in Authority (1 Timothy 2)
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For centuries, this one verse has held women back from ministry. Often it is coupled with 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 for support,...
Charlie Sheen isn’t the only one who is winning: more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)
More than conquerors Often I have heard people try to encourage me as I endure the storms that inevitably come my way in life. They’ll say with fist high in the air, “We are more than conquerors!” This phrase has never encouraged me because it begs the question: “if...
Good Friday, Better Sunday
Lift Jesus higher, Lift Jesus higher. Lift Him up for the world to see. He said “If I be lifted up from the Earth. I will draw all men unto Me.” This is a song I used to sing in youth group. Perhaps you sang it loud and proud...
God’s return policy: “His Word will not return void”
“His Word will not return void” If I had nickel for every time I heard this phrase, I would have at least ten dollars. (Guess I should ask for more than a nickel.) Here’s my two cents on this topic. This phrase is a paraphrase of Isaiah 55:10-11. “As...