What is it about a person that makes thousands of people drop everything to race after Him? Jesus was dealing with some bad news that was sad news. His cousin, John the Baptist, had been murdered by Herod and He needed some time to process it all. As was often His practice, He went away to rest and pray. But when He gets ashore, there is a massive crowd already waiting for Him.
Read MoreGeographically, we Minnesotans still occupy the same physical space - the same part of God’s good creation - we always have. Culturally and politically, however, one could make the case we no longer live in the same state, or even the same world, we did even a few years ago.
Read MoreGod declares each day of creation to be “good.” Yet, on day six, the day human beings are created, He intensifies that description: “God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good” (Gen. 1:31).
Good—pleasant, agreeable, excellent, superb. That’s how we think about God’s declaration, as an adjective that describinges His act of creation. But good is also a noun. Good—decent, blameless, upright, moral, righteous. So, which is it here? I’d argue for both. One that describes the beginning of all that there is, the other that describes the origins of all that there is.
Read MoreAs people who are citizens of this state and also followers of Jesus, one of our primary duties is to recognize the divinely instituted nature of government. As such, we regularly ask God to guide and bless those in elected office, that they might act in God-pleasing ways for the common good. We do this regardless of our personal evaluation of their degree of success in achieving that goal and we will continue to do so.
Read MorePaul exhorts the Philippians to stand firm in the face of an unbelieving and deceiving world. He reminds them of their heavenly citizenship, while also championing the power of the one who fights for them—Jesus Christ—noting that He will one day change their mortal bodies into resurrected glorious bodies like His. It is the essence of Christian confidence still today.
Read MoreIn a cultural context like ours, seemingly intent on spiritual suicide, intentionally deconstructing and dismantling human identity and purpose, it’s essential we keep our bearings. Doing so means we must stand upon the truth of God’s Word and rest in the power of His Holy Spirit. They are what allow us to confidently and boldly go first, speaking truth and acting in love.
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