Don't Tell Anyone?

"And He charged him to tell no one..." Luke 5:14, NKJV

It was the first time anyone had been miraculously cleansed of leprosy since the time of Elisha the prophet.  Undoubtedly, the initial shock over a leper even daring to draw near to Jesus (or any public gathering for that matter) was overshadowed by the crowd's amazement that the poor soul who was "full of leprosy" (Lk. 5:12) could now go home in full health.  Jesus' compassionate touch and life-giving words turned this

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Wholeness and Healing

And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Luke 5:17, NKJV

The crisis is real.  Mental health struggles are more common than we realize or admit.  According to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 8 people around the world suffer with mental illness (most commonly anxiety and depression).  And that was the statistic back in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The numbers are even more staggering in North America, estimating that 1 in every 5 Americans and C

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Unlimited Refills

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18, NKJV

Sit-down restaurants are a treat in more ways than one.  Of course, there's the satisfaction of consuming your favorite cuisine, but then there's the added benefit of relieving your household of kitchen duty for a night.  And depending on the restaurant, our family particularly appreciates the abundance of complimentary add-ons:  breadsticks & salad, chips & salsa,

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Part With Jesus

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” John 13:8, NKJV

The story of Jesus washing His disciples' feet is recorded in only one of the four Gospels, and its relative uniqueness in the Bible record reflects the distinctness of the experience itself.  In our 21st century Western culture, we don't have many norms that make footwashing today feel familiar.  Admittedly, most Christian communities do

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Hope for the Hopeless

At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” Luke 22:61, NLT

An old friend called me out of the blue.  The last time I had seen or heard from him, he was on fire for the Lord and growing daily in His relationship with God.  But this time over the phone, my friend's voice trembled with sorrow and disbelief about how he

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The Last Few Days

“You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked... (Luke 24:18-19, NLT)

It had just been hours since the tomb of Jesus was found empty.  Stories were spreading.  Emotions were flying.  Disciples were sulking...at least these two were.  Heading back from Jerusalem to their hometown, Cleopas and his companion were so lost in their confused thoughts that when "Jesus Himself d

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Slow-Cooked Community

"But Barnabas took [Saul] and brought him to the apostles..." Acts 9:27a, NKJV.

Instant.  Microwaveable.  Just add water.  It's a modern convenience to be able to enjoy certain things instantly that in other eras or settings would normally require a whole lot more time.  It's a convenience we enjoy when our lunch breaks are short (cup-o-noodles anyone?) or our fingers and toes need to be thawed by some hot chocolate. It's a convenience we can take for granted and even uncon

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Transformed By Grace

"And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple." Acts 9:26, NKJV

Complete 180.  One of the most incredible turnaround stories in all of Scripture.  At the beginning of Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus leaves Jerusalem bent on persecuting Christians, but by the end of the same chapter he returns to Jerusalem in hopes of joining the fellowship of Christian disciples.  What made the differ

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I Am Invincible!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10, NIV

Every year my Church did a campout in a botanical Garden called Hoomaluhia. During this campout, it was a tradition to go for a hike up the old Pali road. This was a steep winding road up the mountain that was used to go through the Pali mountains. This hike was a highlight of the trip. We would have...
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The Gospel Story

"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11, ESV

Last night in our Wednesday night prayer meeting, we reflected on the story of Elena who grew up in a Christian home but in her young adult years had become very hardened against God.  Her resistance to spiritual things was rooted in an unbelief that God could change her.  The addictions Elena failed to overcome were, in her mind, evidence that the gospel was powerless and

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Chosen

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." John 15:16a, NKJV

"Will you be my Valentine?"  Maybe you remember the amount of courage it took as a child to deliver that kind of note let alone make that kind of card.  Whether as children or adults, our lives are marked by moments of intense vulnerability and uncertainty like this whenever we put ourselves out there for others to receive us or reject us.  "Will you play with me?" on the playground.  "Can I sit with you?" in the

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Unceasing Prayer

"Never stop praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT

At one of my previous churches, I was blessed to have a retired pastor named Paul in our congregation.  Though he had retired from the profession of ministry, he never stopped ministering.  He had a way of coming close to people with a listening ear, but more than that, he did so with a heart that was instant in prayer.  It was common to see him in the church hallway or out by the front entrance engaging conversation with gues

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Effective, Fervent Prayer

"...The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16, NKJV

In our family worship times this week, we've been reading through Philippians, and a familiar but oh so necessary spiritual truth has been brought to our attention:   God calls us to invest ourselves in others' interests, not just our own (Phil. 2:4).  Call it service, ministry, or the you-first way.  Paul calls it "the mind of Christ" (v. 5) that we can let the Spirit re-create in us.  And

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Coming Boldly

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16, NKJV

It was the first day of a coaching workshop -- a special training experience geared toward equipping us with skills to listen well and lead others toward self-discovery.  When we huddled into small groups to practice some of those coaching skills, each of us was tasked with not only listening to each other but also sharing with each oth

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Praying Together, Part 2

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." Matthew 18:19, NIV

It may not happen often, but on occasion I experience a bit of parental overwhelm.  It happens when, like a perfect storm, urgent needs swell from all four of my kiddos at once.  One yells for help logging on to their virtual music lesson, another asks for assistance with their math homework, another says they're bored

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