Life This Side of Heaven

The image that Jesus shares with us in this beloved passage may seem detached from the challenges we face in our current situation and what’s going on in our lives today.  However, it would be a mistake for you and me to pass off these words as quaint advice for a quieter, sepia tone time in the past.  Our Savior's invitation, here in Matthew, is to all who are weary and worn out.  He’s not referr...

If you’re tempted to think of the Christian life as defined only by moments of triumph then chances are good you feel out of place at church and wonder if you really belong. When you stumble and fall, you may even question whether you're a fraud or a failure. But there's a reason that the Holy Spirit led the apostle to record these words in Romans for you and me to hear.

In Psalm 145, David gives thanks that you and I have a God who catches us when we fall and lifts us up.  It’s a celebration of God’s faithfulness and mercy. It's a useful reminder that this is how God’s heart is predisposed toward us. However, that loving response may happen according to our timing or take the form that we expect.

The directions that Jesus gave His disciples for following Him sound counterintuitive.  Losing yourself, or more specifically, losing your life, sounds like the exact opposite of the path to take.  In this section of the Gospel, Jesus was preparing to send out the disciples to the lost sheep of Israel.  What He shared with them, and the warning He passes along to us, sounds shocking but it’s impor...

When someone tries to deceive us and blind us from seeing the truth of the situation, they’re described as “pulling the wool over our eyes.”  Here in Romans, Paul pulls back the wool back from our eyes, “in order that” as he puts it “sin might be recognized as sin.”  Instead of trying to convince ourselves sin isn’t that big a deal, we flee for refuge to His infinite mercy, seeking and imploring H...

When God dispatched Jeremiah to warn that nation against danger, it wasn’t because He enjoys delivering bad news.  It’s because He wanted them to wake up and take evasive action to avoid the crash to come. Peace doesn’t come by barreling through life asleep with our eyes closed to sin.  Peace comes through faith our Savior who has taken our sins away.

“I’m with Stupid."  Who wants to stand beside the guy wearing this on his shirt? In 1 Corinthians, Paul says, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.”  The world wears a shirt which says, “I’m with stupid,” and the arrow points to you and me. That may tempt us to hide who we are and blend in so as not to be noticed. But take a look, instead, at what God has given...

“God is my refuge and my fortress!”  If you’re like me, your imagination soars to images of a medieval castle!  So, why does the Psalmist then describe features here that seem inconsistent with this picture?  He goes on to describe birds, wings and feathers!  At first, it seems like a mistake, a mixed metaphor, a holy hodgepodge of images.  But take a closer look.  There’s more here than meets the...

Living as a Christian is this fallen world may feel like you're caught between a rock and hard place.  Some may snicker and suggest you’re dim for believing in Jesus and going to church.  And, as a result, you may have told yourself that it’s easier to simply not make any reference to God in conversation or explain why you’re busy on Sunday mornings.  Who needs the grief? But consider that for a m...

Studies have revealed that the idealized selfies we take, through the filters on our phones, can have a negative impact upon how we see ourselves.  And having an unrealistic image of the disciples can do the same.  But take an unfiltered look at the twelve.  It reveals a clearer picture of our Savior’s amazing grace and what it means to follow Him.

What God has done, in sending His Son to be our Savior, is such great news that Paul wants you to know it. There's no hidden catch in the fine print.  Here’s why he takes such care in this section of Romans to proclaim it boldly so that there’s no mistake about it.

With arms stretched out on the cross, and with His dying breath Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them.”  But those are not famous last words.  That's good news. Have a listen to today's devotion and find out why.

When an ambulance pulls up, crowds gather, with folks watching and praying that the paramedics will bring aid to someone in distress. They don’t usually ask them why they came? Which begs the question:  “Why did the Pharisees question what Jesus was doing as they found Him in the midst of tax collectors and 'sinners'”?

In Romans, Paul describes Abraham as "the father of us all." However, his purpose in telling this isn’t to say, “Take a look at Abraham’s amazing faith.”  He's telling us, “Take a look at God’s amazing promise.”  He wants us to realize that you and I have a God who keeps every remarkable promise He has made – including our redemption from sin and eternal salvation in Christ. Episode Art...

There was nothing pretty about Judah and their practices and plight. As you hear Hosea describe God’s love for His wayward and unfaithful, the only thing that made it possible was pure grace.  Remarkably, it's the same grace that God has brought to our relationship with Him.

In English, we hear that Jesus has promised to be with us – always.   It’s hard to imagine how it could get more comforting than that.  And Greek has a great word for always.  However, Jesus didn’t use that word here.  Instead of one word, Jesus actually used three.  Literally, what He said was, “I am with you all the days.”  It means the same thing but take a look at how it sharpens the focus of...

Here in Matthew, Jesus assembled the disciples shortly before His ascension and gave them a now familiar call to action.  It sounds like four commands but it’s actually just one – to “make disciples.”  In Greek, it’s the only imperative in these two verses.  But our Savior used three participles to explain how it’s done. Here's how God grows His Church.  Here's how the Holy Spirit makes Christians...

What’s the difference between doubt and disbelief?  Matthew tells us that Jesus assembled the disciples together before blessing them and then ascending before their eyes into heaven, “When they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted.” You and I live in a time in which doubt and disbelief are thought to be the same, but they're actually quite different. As the disciples discovered, while th...

John tells us that “on the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said something which would certainly have drawn a lot of attention.  He described a source of water that was, and is, limitless!  He announced, “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” On this day our Savior announced rivers of water – not the kind that brin...

It's remarkable to hear how Artificial Intelligence is helping with the task of translating God's Word into different languages. It makes you wonder what the folks in Jerusalem, who were present on the day of Pentecost, would think about the advances of AI. God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples and, as they proclaimed what God had done, we hear that "each one heard them speaking in...

This Sunday, the Church celebrated the Festival of Pentecost.  It’s the day that God poured out His Holy Spirit just as Jesus had promised.  It’s hard to overestimate the blessings that we’ve received in this wonderful event. When the apostle says, the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” he’s not talking about some impersonal cosmic force or some kind of galactic energy. He’s talking...

With Jesus' ascension, it's tempting to imagine that He’s far away in heaven.  We may dream wistfully of what it would be like to see Him in a video call.  Like online chat, we may yearn for that day when our Savior is right here with us, in person.  But listen again to the remarkable reminder that Jesus Himself has given to us.  And take a closer look at what took place at His ascension.

Since Mark tells us that “He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God,” it would seem easy to assume that any contact we have with Him now would have to be considered “long distance.”  But if that were true you could be sure the disciples would have been muttering among themselves, crying their eyes out, and looking to restore a lost signal with their Savior.  Instead, Luke tel...

Did you know that this Thursday marks a number of significant historical events?   They’re not marked on your calendar and it’s doubtful anyone will notice. However, the changes they have brought about in your life cannot be underestimated. And there's one event, in particular, that tops them all. On Thursday, it will have been forty days since we gathered in worship on Easter morning and celebrat...

When it comes to our sins there are those transgressions where the guilt just seem to linger. They remain deeply embedded in our memories and leave our consciences soiled in guilt and shame.  Even after having confessed them to God, and heard His absolution, we still may struggle to feel completely clean.  Here’s why Peter wants you to hear why the washing you’ve received in your Baptism isn't lik...