Today is December 26, also known as "The Day After." Just as John 3:17 has lived in the shadow of its more famous predecessor, December 26 is the day that is privileged to follow Christmas. It's the day when we clean up, throw away, and rest. Some families have a tradition of opening a gift on Christmas Eve; none that I know of save one for The Day After. This morning, the morning of The Day After, I'm sitting at the table with my second pot of coffee and thinking about the past few weeks. Here are a few of my reflections: Christmas in America has become more than a season. It now begins before Halloween. The fourth quarter should be renamed the Christmas quarter. Many people are trying to do Christmas differently. They are trying to simplify and are more intentional about how they spend their money. People are…
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Years ago, I read a small book by Rubel Shelly and Randy Harris entitled "The Second Incarnation of Christ." It opened my eyes to new ways of understanding the nature of the church. First, a little refresher. The incarnation of Christ simply means "God became flesh" or "God in the flesh." In other words, when Jesus arrived in Bethlehem, that was no ordinary baby in the manger - it was God himself. Jesus was the living, breathing manifestation of God. When we talk about the church being the second incarnation of Christ, we mean that the church is the body of Christ. We are the physical manifestation of Jesus to the world. We become his hands and feet. Unlike the first incarnation, however, the second incarnation is far from perfect. I wonder how our attitude towards "the church" would change if we saw it as the second incarnation of…
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“Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God tests us to help bring out the best.” - Warren Wiersbe
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Are you living a life on mission? One of my favorite scenes in the Blues Brothers is when Jake and Elwood start getting the band back to together. When asked why, the answer is simple: "We're on a mission from God." What if more Christ-followers felt like they were on a mission from God? We tend to equate a "life on mission" with being a missionary -- more specifically, a person who uproots themselves and travels to a foreign land. In reality, every believer is a missionary. Every Christ-follower has a mission: to make Christ known. Wherever we go, we take Jesus with us. That means if you are an accountant, you are also a missionary to those in the cubicles around you. Be the best accountant you can be in order to bring honor and glory to God. Earn as…
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When John , who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor" (Matthew 11:2-5). John the Baptist is asking Jesus an important question: is Jesus the promised Messiah? Rather than respond by pointing to fulfilled prophecies, Jesus tells John to look around. There are people who once were blind who now can see. There are people paralyzed since birth who now can walk. Don't forgot the lepers and the deaf and the dead. Miracle after miracle points to Jesus being the Messiah. But we might…
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