“For we know in part . . .”

~ 1 Corinthians 13:9

When I was in my early 20s, I was active in serving the Lord. I was a serious student of the Scriptures and people would often ask me questions about various issues.

Like many 20-somethings, I fell into a particular trap that I see many others who preach and teach fall into today. It’s the pressure to have an answer for every question posed to you.

There’s an idea that somehow got into the evangelical Christian mind. That idea is that if you teach the Scriptures, you are obligated to have a conviction on every issue that the Bible addresses, let alone mentions.

I don’t know who invented this idea, but it’s just plain wrong. And it leads to all sorts of problems.

On the one hand, certainty is overrated. On the other hand, the idea that we can’t be certain about anything doesn’t square with the New Testament (nor with reality). Continue Reading…

 “Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words.”

~ George Eliot

In a previous post, I pressed the question, what constitutes a true friend? I thought the responses were great. They were so good I’d encourage you to read them all.

As promised, I’m going to answer the question also.

Let me first say that friendship is paramount to me. I cherish my friends, and I’m always open for God to forge new friendships in my life. For me, friendship is one of the most treasured things in life.

I can’t prove this, but I have a notion that I haven’t yet met the people who will end up being some of my closest friends.

Jesus once said to His disciples:

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

So what makes a true friend? Continue Reading…

“How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?”

~ John 5:44

Charles Spurgeon once said that the jewels of the Christian are his/her afflictions.

I’d add that those jewels are rarely seen by human eyes.

The word “blessing” means to speak well of. Blessing is the word from which the term “eulogy” is derived. (The Greek word translated “blessing” in the New Testament is eulogia.)

Sadly, most of us wait until someone dies before we eulogize (bless, speak well of) them. (I’ve written on this previously, in fact.)

Let’s be clear. We have but one Person to please. Impressing people isn’t the name of the game. Today’s heroes are tomorrow’s zeroes. The story of Paul and Barnabas in Lystra teaches us this lesson in spades.

The story is found in Acts 14:11 & 19. In the space of 8 verses, the same people who set out to worship Paul and Barnabas were ready to send them to their deaths.

What changed their minds about the two apostles so radically and rapidly? The “evil report” (rumors) leveled by Paul’s detractors in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium.  Continue Reading…

It’s great to be back in 85 degree weather here in Florida. Some of you wanted to know why I didn’t blog Thursday or Friday.

Last Wednesday, I flew to Orcas Island (where I met rain and 45 degree weather). Leonard Sweet (whom I affectionately call Lynyrd Skynyrd) kindly invited me to be the guest speaker/facilitator for his 2-day Spring advance in his home in Orcas Island.

This was the second time I made the uncommon journey to Orcas. To give you a flavor of what that trip is like, let me rehearse the first time I visited Sweet. After arriving to his home in November 2010, the first thing I said to him was, “Which mob boss did you rat out? This is clearly part of the witness protection program!”

That first trip made me feel as though I were living out a deleted scene in Trains, Planes, and Automobiles.

I flew from Florida to Atlanta, and was laid over for several hours in Atlanta. Caught the red-eye in Atlanta to Seattle, WA (a 6-hour trip). Then there was the 2+ hour drive from Seattle to catch the ferry (someone picked me up and drove me, which was nice).

We missed the ferry, however (which I understand is not uncommon). So we sat in the car for 3+ hours waiting for the next ferry to leave (it was freezing outside). Then the 1-2 hour trip on the ferry to Orcas (I can’t remember how long it was as I believe I repressed the memory). Then the car ride from the ferry drop-off to Sweet’s home.

Yep, witness protection program. Continue Reading…

I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.

~ Luke 7:47

Women have a large part to play in the New Testament story. They funded Jesus’ earthly ministry (Luke 8:1–3). They were also the most faithful of His disciples, staying with Him to the bitter end.

But of all the women mentioned in the New Testament, none can compare with Mary of Magdala.

Magdala was a city along the Sea of Galilee. The town was very unclean—filthy and unkempt—and known for its rampant prostitution. Continue Reading…