Posts

Showing posts from 2019

What do you want me to do for you?

            Depending on who’s asking that question, the reply sprouts from a multitude of possibilities. If a parent is asking a young child, the child’s reply may simply be, “Help me tie my shoe.” If a store clerk is talking to a customer, the reply might be, “I want help picking out some items.” But what if the person asking that question was the Lord of the Universe, the King of kings, the One who holds all power in the palm of His hand? What would your reply be then?             This is the scenario we find twice in Mark 10. The first episode involves two young disciples, James and John. Some feel they were teenagers at this time, which there is some good arguments to support that idea. They come to Jesus (though Matthew 20 reveals they actually sent their mom) and ask Jesus to do whatever they ask Him. This may seem bold, yet on other occasions in the gospels Jesus encourages his disciples to approach God the Father with boldness in His name and He would do whatever they as

The Beauty of God

“ One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple .”              Psalm 27:4 My wife and I recently took in the sights, sounds, and smells of fall at Itasca State Park. I’ve grown to look forward to this fall activity, though there are years it doesn’t come to pass for various reasons. The trees filling the park explode with color in the fall: red, orange, pink, yellow, etc. It’s a smorgasbord for the eyes. I love it! When you behold something beautiful you sometimes get entranced by it. Have you ever witnessed a sunset that captured your attention or looked upon a mountain scene and just been in awe? Even manmade beauty can captivate us, whether it be a painting or a beautiful home or a finely crafted vehicle. Now think about David’s words in Psalm 27:4. David had a request for God. He desired to dwell in the house of the LORD al

Angry with God

Have you ever been angry with God? I have– on more than one occasion.  When I was fresh out of seminary, I had grandiose visions of how I would reach the world for Jesus Christ. I would grow a church to thousands of people who would be reaching friends and family for Jesus on a regular basis. I received my first call to a church in Bismarck, ND, and I began planning how I would grow that church. The church had sold some of their property just before they extended a call to me and I was a little disappointed. I figured we would need that property for the growth we would experience. When I arrived, the church was averaging around 55-60 on Sunday mornings. Over the next 6 years I prayed, provided outreach events, enhanced the Sunday morning worship, modified the church interior, discipled men in the church, added programs, and by the time I left, I had managed to grow the church to about 35-40 (and, no, I didn’t forget to add a zero to those numbers). I was angry. I was trying ever

Other People Matter

As I read my devotions this morning in 2 Samuel 11, something caught my attention that I hadn’t noticed before (at least I don’t remember noticing it before). Many are familiar with this tragic story of David and Bathsheba. And when we read it, we tend to focus on a few main characters. They consume our attention. There is David who committed adultery with Bathsheba, there is Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband), there is of course Bathsheba herself, and then there is Joab who carries out David’s plot. But with our attention so fixed on these characters, we miss a key player. I’m not talking about the messenger sent by David or the Ammonites who actually fire the arrows that kill Uriah. I’m talking about “the servants of David among the people.” These men are mentioned in verses 17 and 24. These verses inform us that these men died as a result of carrying out David's plot to kill Uriah. It wasn’t only Uriah who died. After Joab carries out David’s plot, he sends a messenger back to Davi