Much of John 5 is Jesus responding to the Jewish leaders who were criticizing him for performing miracles on the Sabbath. More than miracles on the Sabbath, they were upset that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. Jesus launches into a discussion about authority and testimony. His authority comes from God and God himself testifies to this fact. In the midst of this, Jesus drops this line about John the Baptist: "John was a lamp that burned and gave light" (John 5:35). What a great depiction of the kind of life God honors. Not all lamps burn. In ancient days, a lamp without fuel would be a dark lamp. Today, there are lamps in my house that will only give light when they are plugged into the wall. They may look nice, even decorative, but that's not what a lamp is for; a lamp is for providing…
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How should Christ-followers respond to tragedies like the one that recently occurred in Connecticut? What should be our response to a world that continually bears the scars of spiritual darkness? James Kelly once said, "I would rather light a candle than curse the darkness." There are some among us who have chosen to curse the darkness. That's easy to do. One doesn't need to look far to see the evidence of society's moral slide. We have lived in the mud for so long that we no longer see the tracks. It's easy to blame "them." Some of the purveyors of moral sludge are obvious targets and easily lend themselves to attack. So, some choose to whine, complain, argue, boycott, or fight against the darkness. For a moment, it may make them feel better. But does it make the world a better place? I'm not convinced that it does. Only light will dispel…
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This past Friday started as a normal Friday for me. I fixed coffee, went to a 6 am Bible study, and took the girls to school. After that, I started on my thrift store circuit (I bought a Thermos!). But this would not remain a normal Friday. Mid-morning I began to notice a few posts on Facebook about a school shooting in Connecticut. At lunch, I fired up Google News on my phone and sat in stunned silence as I read the news about Sandy Hook Elementary. I cut my thrifting short and went home to turn on the news. The only way I can describe how I felt is this: heart-broken. That feeling hasn't changed much over the past three days. The question that always gets asked in these kind of situations is this: Where was God? I understand where that question comes from. It's the question a broken…
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"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:1-2, ESV). When I think of taking a walk, I typically think in terms of a nice afternoon stroll with my wife. Unless she's in a real hurry, it's usually a pleasant experience. Usually. This is not the kind of stroll the apostle Paul is talking about. As opposed to an afternoon stroll where there is freedom and beauty, the walk Paul is referring to is one that is dead. Not deadly. Dead. Lifeless. When we lived according to the principles of this world, we were walking in step with their values. Left foot, right foot, step after step was an exercise in slavery and condemnation. The weight of sin entangled our…
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There is a difference between challenges and setbacks. A challenge is an obstacle, problem, or difficulty that must be confronted. Not all challenges become setbacks. Some challenges are overcome and we grow as a result of being stretched and tested. We gain confidence, climbing a mountain we never thought we could climb. And then there are the times we fall. Or, more specifically, we fail. What started out as a challenge became a setback. Rather than advancing forward, we actually lost ground ... or money ... or reputation ... or friends. When Peter was asked if he knew Jesus, that was a challenge. When Peter uttered those words, "I do not know the man," that was a setback. How we grow through a challenging experience seems obvious. But how do we bounce back from a setback even stronger than before? When Jesus predicted Peter's betrayal, he also predicted it would not…
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