The Cross and Power
“And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” – Philippians 2:8 Here Jesus endured the powerlessness that many feel. At any moment, Jesus could have chosen to free Himself from the cross, but He actively maintained His powerlessness for hours through the torture for our benefit. Any time we think power is the answer, we must…
Keep readingThe Tribulation of the Cross, Part 2
When we read Matthew 24:13 – “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” – what do we think of? I’m currently reading a book about the life of Queen Elizabeth I of England that focuses on her life before becoming Queen, and there is a lot that reminds me of Matthew 24:9-10, which says, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to…
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The Tribulation of the Cross, Part 1
Do you ever get so frustrated with the world that you just want to check out? I certainly do. For example, as a blogger who posts to both Facebook and on WordPress, for me it is a lot easier to keep up with WordPress, since I can choose to see only what I want to see. Facebook, on the other hand, exists to sell advertising and sometimes the best advertising…
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Christianity is Not in Decline. Ever.
Too often I start reading something thinking it will be encouraging, but find it filled with phrases like “post-Christian world,” or “Christianity’s decline.” I just read that apparently, I’m “living in the ruins of Christendom.” However, because Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” our faith and hope are not based on any ruin or decline we see in…
Keep readingThree Blessings to Count Today
Some say that grace stands for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, but what are these riches? David says at the end of Psalm 144 that: “Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!” The desire of the Lord is to bless His people, in part in this world, and fully in the next. The verse above follows verses 12-14, which…
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Redeeming the Time
Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca said that “People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.” Unlike other resources, time cannot be replaced. If I waste a dollar of my income, another dollar can be earned to replace it. If I waste a minute, it’s gone forever.…
Keep readingDo You Do Well to Be Angry? Rewind Wednesday
For Rewind Wednesday, check out the short post below from November 2021, on Jonah’s anger at God’s grace.
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My 3 Rules of Writing
Dear fellow travelers, After a long stretch of daily posts, the blog went silent for a day. The reason wasn’t that there was nothing to write about. Ironically, the reason was that sometimes the topics I most want to write about are the hardest ones to do. Around the time I launched the blog, I decided each post should meet 3 criteria as a way to keep myself disciplined not…
Keep readingThe Death of Chairman Mao – History for September 9
On this date in 1976, Mao Zedong, or Chairman Mao, founder of the communist People’s Republic of China, died at the age of 82. Some look at Mao’s death as a positive turning point for Christianity in China, since under Mao China had expelled all Western Christian missionaries between 1949 and 1953. However, while it is impossible to come up with precise numbers across a 3.7 million square mile country,…
Keep reading“Life Liturgy” Update
Dear fellow travelers, Lacking time to write what I intended to write for today, instead here’s a quick update on my Life Liturgy routine. I wrote about this in January and March, but in short, I attempt to make a small, permanent change in habit every 40 days, starting each New Year. The idea is that even if I fail at some of the changes, I learn from the experience,…
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Driving Toward the Morning Sun 