Tell me if you agree, Jesus' favorite day for healing someone was on the Sabbath. He does so again in John 9 (see vv.14 and 16). Sabbath was sacred. It was a day given to worshiping God, to resting from daily labor so one could be restored in God's presence and reflection on Torah and God's blessing was essential. The funny thing about Jesus' accusers is that they always worked on the Sabbath...it...  Read More

"We must be vigilant that, in all we do, the love of God has an odor that is so powerful none can miss it." (Brent Peterson on John 13:35 in the "Prayer Journal"). I don't know about you, but when I think of odor, I think of smelly socks or sweaty gym clothes...not pleasant. If I were writing that sentence, I would substitute the word 'aroma' for 'odor'...in fact, I did write it in my journal. A p...  Read More

If you know me, and were listening to our preacher yesterday, Rev. Wes Tink shared a testimony about reaching a neighbor for Jesus. When the man got to reading the Bible, his observation was, "I don't like the Old Testament, but I like the New Testament." I smiled. Passages like today's O.T. scripture are one of the excuses people use for not liking it. I was about to focus in on the genealogies u...  Read More

To me there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit made certain that John 8:1-11 was recorded in our Scripture. It is powerful, poignant and personal. The woman caught in a grievous sin encounters Christ and discovers God's great and amazing grace is real. It's personal. Those conniving scribes and Pharisees reveal their own great sin, and confronted with their own proud and judgmental sinfulness, slink...  Read More

The promise of Jesus (John 7:37-39) is for the fulfillment of the mission He authorized and commissioned His disciples to engage (Mark 16:15). Quite clearly the promise was fulfilled on Pentecost (Acts 2:1f) and has not ceased to be the mission of all Jesus' followers. We are to go everywhere with this Great Good News: Jesus saves...completely! Here is the reminder to the timid and reluctant...it ...  Read More

The difference between listening to respond and listening to understand is profound (see Michael Johnson's words in the Prayer Journal). We do not live in a listening culture, but when there is listening, it tends to be the former. Jesus' words in John 7:24 grabbed my 'listening to undertsand' attention this morning. In a world that listens little and then judges by appearances, listening to respo...  Read More