Luke 19:16-31 (NIV) 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his …
Selling out the Holy Spirit
Acts 8:9-23New International Version (NIV) Simon the Sorcerer 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called …
Thoughts on Psalm 42/43
Why do the two questions in 42:5, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?", lead the writer to refer to geographical locations? The writer of the Psalm is in deep despair. He began to answer his questions first by a declaration of hope. "Put your hope in God, for I …
As for me and my house…
Why did Joshua challenge the nation of Israel in the midst of the covenant renewal? Before we get into the challenge Joshua gave to Israel inverse 15, it is important that vs. 14 is properly understood. Joshua is issued a challenge, but what does this challenge really man and why is it important that he …
Bridegrooms, unshrunk cloth, and new wineskins
"Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees[e] were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they …
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On Forgiveness…
The power that lies in forgiveness and in unforgiveness is immense. It is also something that is universal to the human experience. Because we live in a world that is fallen and sin abounds, all of us in some form or another have to go through periods of needing to forgive and needing to be …
Words mean things
This week I have been really focusing on the sections of the Face to Face book that deal with cultivating my character. Maybe it is because I am reading the book of Proverbs along with the book. On Day 22 this one struck me: “What is desirable in a person is kindness, And it is …
Do we really take at His word?
This week, as I was reading through my devotional material, I was looking for a theme to be thinking about. To be honest, that theme did not come until Sunday’s sermon. Pastor Paul had one line that just struck me, wrapping up all that I was thinking and reading about this week. He was reading …
I hate journaling…
Let’s just get out of the way up front, I don’t like journaling. It’s not that I don’t think that it is beneficial or helpful. Nor do I think that it is a waste of time. It is that journaling seems “unnatural” to me. I have tried many times to undertake the discipline of journaling, …
On withdrawing form the culture…
This concept of spiritual growth is faulty for several reasons. First, it neglects the second of the most important commandments, to love others as we love ourselves. Loving is a doing verb – it implies, in fact, necessitates action. Loving others requires us to go outside of our spiritual bunker. By loving others, we can …
Suffering as a discipline
This threw me at first. Aren’t disciplines something we should seek to do? Aren’t they actions that we do to develop our spiritual lives? Well, yeah, they are. And when I have read that suffering is a spiritual discipline, it took me a while to think and ponder on it, but it made sense. Disciplines help to …
On Consumer Christianity…
“Consumer Christianity” does not offer deep answers to deep problems. Fast food offers a quick fill up of the belly with little to no nutritional value. In fact, eat fast food with regularity and you will find that your health will fail. The same is true with our spiritual life. Having a life of transformation …
Philosophical Foundation for Theism
Hi all, Here is a great video I stumbled across that give a positive argument - an apologia - for theism. Take an hour and watch:
Cycling through the West
My Father’s Eulogy
As you have read in my previous posts, my father was a pivotal person in my life. His alcoholism and his subsequent sobriety still has a profound impact on my life. On January 14, 2014, my father had an aneurysm and went to be with Jesus. Here is the Eulogy I gave for him at …
Testimony Part 2
Testimony Part 2 God is Good So much has happened since the Spring of 1995, which is where I left off in Part 1. From 1995 to 2000, I continued to work at CAB Health and Recovery Services as a detox nurse. Eventually, I wound up being the admissions coordinator. Lots of challenges! Our …
Sometimes Daddies Fall – Testimony Part 1
Sometimes Daddies Fall I remember the look on Karry’s face as we walked along the beach back in the summer of 1995. It was a look of hurt and betrayal. What was most disturbing was knowing that I had been the one to cause that look on her face. Our little boy, Ian, …
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The Wandering Wesleyan 