Worthy Words

It has been said that one of the deep overriding themes of the Old Testament is memory.   Again and again the Words of scripture prompt us to remember.   “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me” (Isaiah 46:9). We must remember who we are and whose we are.   We need to know that we are a people set free, a people who were once slaves.   We could summarize the Old Testament: Remember. Without memory we are lost, we no longer have the continuity of community, we are totally isolated.   Memory is one of the links that makes living together possible.   Even the New Testament has serious overtones of the function of memory in faith. Jesus tells us that when we celebrate the supper, we should do it in remembrance of him (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).   In remembering Christ, we remember ourselves.   We know who we are in the middle of our relationship with him.   I will never forget...

When you’re hungry and need something quick, there’s the drive-thru at the Jack in the Box that’s ready to satisfy your hunger.   But when it comes to needing a friend “instant relationships” just don’t happen.   I estimate that’s why Jesus spent three solid years with his disciples.   It was through that investment of time that the disciples were able to see real love in action, to gain faith in who Jesus was, and to build trust in Jesus’ promises for the future. Unlike some parents, most of today’s teenagers place a high value on relationships.   Christian researcher George Barna says this need for relationships is a reaction to the “poverty of emotional connections many of these kids had while they were growing up.” He continues by saying that the young people who make up our youth groups “tend to be raised in a more isolated environment due to divorce, household transience, their own diminished communication skills, and the dissolution of neighborhoods.” N...

I was noodling around in the Genesis story of Noah. Thought I would review the text before I saw the new, already controversial, movie “Noah,” that’s due for release March 28, staring Russell Crowe as Noah. In the eighth chapter we’re told that the Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat and after 265 days Noah opens the window sends out a raven and a dove to check out the receding water. If you recall, the dove made three recon flights. The second returned an olive branch indicating life had returned to the earth and the third indicated living life had a new fresh start. So, after one year in the Ark, God sends Noah, his family, and all its creatures out into a new genesis. The dove’s first attempt in verse nine is a worthy word to footnote. “But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself.” (Genesis...

The apostle Peter claims Jesus is precious (1 Peter 2:7). I would have to agree with this claim. His radiance far out shines the sun. There is not a gemstone as exquisite or a pearl as stunning that can compare to the value of his preciousness. Peter did not and could not put a value to our precious Jesus Christ because he is priceless and all other things compared to him are worthless. All of our words cannot speak to the elegance of the Lord Jesus.   All of our joy is centered in him. Yet it is still difficult as his followers to fully articulate how essential he is to our satisfaction and happiness. Without our Savior this world is a weeping wilderness. I believe that without the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2) shining down on the planet that the flowers in our gardens and the fruit on our trees would have no purpose and wither away — even the birds would stop singing. Christ is the life of our life. He is the light of our light. He is the soul of our soul. What would th...

Living for Jesus does not exempt you from the jaws of temptation. Jesus was tempted. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil” (Matthew 4:1) . Being a Christ-follower and possessing godly character does not make you immune from temptation. In fact it is you that Satan desires to entice the most by taking the bait of his alluring ways. Many a believer has fallen prey to him—but this is not the case with Christ. The devil went up against him during a time of physical weakness. Like a metal grinder, grinding away at him. Christ turned away those abrasive taunts. It was like shooting sparks on the water but the evil one continued his deceptive work towards Jesus. Now think of it, if the devil continues to grind even when there is no result, how much more will he grind on us who he knows has lesser resistance.   By the saving grace of God you’re marked as holy, sanctified and set apart for his glory, but don't be surprised that the fer...