I did it. I knew I shouldn’t. But I did it anyway. I cut my own hair. Sigh. More than just trimming the bangs. I whacked off all kinds of rogue parts. Parts that are now much rougue-er than before. Every time I take the scissors into my own hands, I promise myself I’ll never do it again. That’s because I end up with stray strands and Spock bangs. And yet this is definitely no way to live long and prosper. When will I let this fully sink in? I am not good at cutting hair. When I try it, I’m … [Read more...]
John’s testimony from Patmos
This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com. In the visions John receives while exiled on the Isle of Patmos, he often records the words of Jesus foretelling his return. John may have recorded these visions as early as the A.D. 60s or as late as the A.D. 90s. In any case, Jesus assures his followers – and warns his opponents – that his return is certain. Here’s a … [Read more...]
The returning Son of Man
This is the second in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com. Many of Jesus’ teachings on the second coming revolve around his favorite self-designation: Son of Man. In fact, Jesus uses the title “Son of Man” roughly 80 times in the Gospels to refer to himself. While Jesus prefers to use this title rather than “Son of God” or “Messiah” to identify himself, it shouldn’t be assumed he … [Read more...]
Making space to know God better
That trash can, ya’ll. I’m sure I can do it. I’m always absolutely sure I can shove one more thing in there. It doesn’t matter that it’s already overflowing, or that I have to quick-catch some flyaway plastic wrap and wrangle an escaping tea bag resting on some soggy junk mail. I win if I can squeeze in one more thing. I guess the big question is: how many “one more things” can I shove in? My personal kitchen trash can is ever the clown car of wastebaskets. When it comes to squeezing in … [Read more...]
The certainty of Jesus’ return
This is the first in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com. Although it’s been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus ascended into heaven, we should not lose heart that his coming in glory is delayed. If we trust in Jesus for salvation, we should wait confidently for his return to glorify us, purge the cosmos of sin and its stain, and create new heavens and a new earth. After all, Jesus … [Read more...]
On cats, dogs and the paradoxes of happiness
This evening, as I began writing my editorial, a white Shih Tzu with patches of sandy fur stood on his hind legs, set his paws on my recliner and stared up at me. Unable to resist, I picked him up and set him next to me in the chair. He has now nestled his small, warm body against my leg and has drifted off to sleep. He’s an affectionate little puppy, the runt of a litter, and his name is Bear. Now, Bear isn’t our dog. We’re actually dog-sitting for family members, as we do every chance we … [Read more...]
God is not done with your story
Growing up, I lived in great fear of my abusive father. His treatment convinced me that I was unwanted, that I was a burden hardly worth being tolerated. By age 15, this led me to become very embittered and depressed. I felt rejected and covered up my loneliness and pain with a protective mask of anger. Void of love and acceptance, I often questioned why I was alive, and whether my life even mattered. Somewhere deep inside, I longed to know that there was more to life than the hard, angry … [Read more...]
Dealing with difficult Bible passages
The apostle Paul warns the Galatians about those who have “fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). The writer of Hebrews says it’s “impossible to renew to repentance” those who have “fallen away” (Heb. 6:4-6). Yet, Jesus tells his followers he has granted us “eternal life,” and he assures us we will “never perish” (John 10:27-28). So, how do we deal with seeming contradictions in Scripture, especially with those difficult passages that challenge such comforting doctrines as eternal security? Here … [Read more...]
New book invites families to ‘dive deep’ into doctrine
JEFFERSON CITY – High Street Press has just released Deep Dive Devotions for Families. The book is designed for parents and their children to read together and includes study questions and memory verses for each chapter. The devotions are intended to introduce the foundational teachings of Christianity, including the Trinity, the meaning of faith, prayer, justification, and forgiveness for sin. Deep Dive is authored by Daniel Carr, lead pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis; … [Read more...]
God’s Word a miracle, a gift that keeps on giving
Our world, as someone has said, is “awash with words.” Words wake us, entertain us, console us, pester us, defend us, teach us, lull us to sleep. From infancy, we learn how – with a puff of the diaphragm, a tightening of the throat, a twist of the tongue and curling of the lips – to speak a simple word, like “water.” As children, we struggle to decipher and then scratch on paper the intricate lines and curves that make up the written word, “w-a-t-e-r.” Then, as we age, we become used … [Read more...]
Fun, more fun, most fun!
“Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.” – Ecclesiastes 7:3 What? How can sorrow be better than laughter? We all enjoy a good laugh! However, is there any place in the Bible where we are told to channel our efforts toward having fun? Of course, we all like to have fun, but what does it accomplish to direct our efforts to constantly having fun? As I look through Facebook postings, I am appalled at how many times the word “fun” is used. It would … [Read more...]
‘Belt of truth’ holds us secure amid temptation
“Pablo Picasso’s creative genius towers over twentieth-century art,” Christian author and sociologist Os Guinness writes in his classic book, The Call. “But in his relationships, especially with women, he could be a devouring monster. The ‘Minotaur’ was his own name for himself, and ‘monster’ was the word used by friends such as sculptor Alberto Giacometti. ‘When I die,’ Picasso said, ‘it will be a shipwreck, and as when a huge ship sinks, many people all around will be sucked down with … [Read more...]
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