Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. This beautiful expression of God’s love from the hymn “The Love of God” speaks of the measureless immensity of His love toward us. It’s a love that has no fear in it. A love that never fails. A love that endures forever. God assures us…
With warmer days and summer around the corner, one of my spring rituals is putting away the winter coats and sweaters for another year, and bringing out the short-sleeved shirts and shorts. Many of us give much care to the upkeep and choosing of clothes. And surely we wouldn’t consider going out into the world without clothes on! Yet as we begin each new day, how often do we venture out without putting on our spiritual clothes—the presence of Christ? And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. (Galatians 3:27…
Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? To live, speak, and function as He did while on the earth? What quickly comes to mind may be His many miracles, or His powerful teaching through parables. But what if we looked at His operating focus? Were there specific strategies underlying His purpose? Can we imitate the same? Following are 5 key points from the Scriptures that give us insight into how the Son of God operated while on the earth: Jesus did nothing of Himself. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly,…
This morning I heard a renowned pediatrician and child psychologist on Christian radio talking about the important role a father plays in a child’s life. It caused me to reflect on my dad, and the effect his presence has had on my life. It’s well known that our childhood experience drives us toward certain behaviors or attitudes, sometimes carried throughout our adult lives. No one had it perfect. Where there was lack, we often seek to fill the void, sometimes with things that bring more pain than blessing. If we’re honest, in different ways we’re all broken people—in need of…
FIVE—FOUR—THREE—TWO— I’m teetering at the top of a 130’ vertical rock face high in the mountains of New Mexico, knees shaking, heart pounding, and after two false starts am expected to take that first courageous step at the count of –O-N-E—to begin my rappel down the cliff—face first! It’s an Australian rappel: a controlled descent, face first using ropes, off a vertical surface. Standing at the top, I wondered how I could even walk facing down a vertical cliff. Believe me, it goes against all natural instincts! Trusting to do what appeared impossible was huge, even with the assurance that…
