We are all familiar with Psalm 19:1, which says “The heavens declare the glory of God.” In this psalm David is saying that every inch of the created world—from clouds to vegetation, human beings to animals—screams the greatness of our amazing Creator. The uniqueness in each person’s face, the rain that falls on parched vegetation, the creation of a little life in the womb of a mother—every tiny detail reflects the glory of our great God.
Jesus is Not Your Boyfriend
Daniel and I have just finished a much needed vacation, hence the silence on the blog this past week! But I have been writing. This morning, Her.meneutics (the Christianity Today blog for women) posted something I wrote on a popular trend in Christendom--single women calling Jesus/God their boyfriend. I'm sure at some point you have heard someone say something along these lines, "until God brings me a husband, I am content to just have him as my boyfriend." Some have even gone so far as calling God their lover, as so many popular songs often do.
No Condemnation
If you are anything like me, you regularly (sometimes daily) come back to the truth of Romans 8:1, which says “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And if you have ever taken a bible interpretation class or listened to your pastor explain the context of a specific passage you know that whenever we see a “therefore” we must always ask what it is there for. Clever, I know. But it’s catchy and helpful isn’t it? So what is this “therefore” talking about in Romans 8:1?
A Quiet Father's Day
Our little apartment is pretty quiet this morning. There is no fanfare, no breakfast in bed, and no presents waiting on the table. At first glance, we are just another married couple getting ready for church on a Sunday morning. But we are more than that. There is a father here, just not according to the world’s definition of fatherhood.
Friday is for Food: Black Bean Enchiladas
This recipe is an adaptation of another enchilada recipe I really like. Daniel's brother and sister-in-law came to stay with us last weekend, and since my sister-in-law is a vegetarian I wanted to make something that we would all enjoy. Since I was making the beef enchiladas, I decided to try the same thing with the black beans, and it worked! I LOVE black beans, so I will definitely be trying this again.
When a Man Loves a Woman
We all know a guy like this. He’s outgoing, suave, sensitive, and flirtatious. Women flock to him, and because of this he always has a different one on his arm. Some are quick to write him off as a player. Others simply attribute his antics to a deep love for women. And with so many to choose from, there are a lot out there for him to love.
Unbroken: A Review
Jesus, Bold and Truthful (Part 3)
One of the unexpected emotions I have experienced as I’ve read the Gospels these last few months is shock. Jesus says some seemingly outlandish and authoritative things! On more than one occasion I have found myself rereading a particular passage or verse, thinking to myself, “did he really say that?” Any notion that Jesus is merely a mild mannered, even keeled personality is a misguided one at best. That is not the Jesus of the Bible at all. Instead, Jesus is bold, clear, and he speaks the truth without reservation.
Jesus, Compassionate and Loving (Part 2)
Last week I wrote that the first thing we must believe about Jesus is that he is fully God. Even a brief read through of the Gospel accounts draw us to conclude that there is no other explanation for his power, authority, and sovereignty even as he walked this earth. Every other description of him stems from this amazing and unique reality—Jesus is God.
Who is This Jesus? He is God (Part 1)
Jesus can be a controversial figure for some people. For centuries the outside world has viewed him as little more than a nice person who taught people how to live, or worse, a complete lunatic who led people into his crazy way of life. As Christians, we see him much differently. We have been redeemed by him, loved by him, and bought with his precious blood. But often we fall into similar patterns of thought regarding Jesus. We believe that he is more than a mere man, but we treat him as little more than an example for us to follow as we live our daily lives.