I’ve been thinking about how Christmas comes upon us making things new year after year throughout generations. Whether it’s celebrated with Santa Claus or Jesus or both. I grew up with both influences. Santa made sure nobody went without a gift – every boy and girl all around the world would receive a gift – a nice one – or coal. The whole naughty or nice thing really puts pressure on kids to behave and control themselves as parents feel…..
I’ve been thinking about all the things happening in this world and the arguments for and against religion and people blaming war on religion and how others blame war on politics and I wonder why we don’t blame war on people? Yes – to me it makes so much more sense to blame war on people than on institutions. We blame human actions on institutions because it’s hard…..
We are nearing the season of Advent, the time of preparing for Christmas. There is a verse in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that tells us what God was doing ‘in Christ.’ Today, I want to suggest that we ask ourselves what everyone was doing when the Christ Child was born. What was everyone else doing when the angels appeared to Mary and Joseph? What…..
I’ve been thinking about the concept of Heaven on Earth. If you pray the Lord’s Prayer, then you are praying for things to be on earth like they are in heaven. Prayer alone won’t make it happen. We must participate in whatever way possible to help ourselves and other people have encounters that are a reflection of heaven on earth.
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In Colossians 3:16-17 The Apostle Paul encourages people to “sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God” with hearts that are filled with gratitude . . . “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
If you look to the Book of Psalms in the…..
If we are the leaves perhaps then Jesus is the Tree who sets us free for healing the nations
Rev. 22:2
How can we heal unless we are first healed? And what kind of healing is this verse about? Is it only about physical healing or is it more about healing of our belief systems? healing of our minds? healing of our thoughts? healing of…..
Observing how people respond to the change of seasons is rather interesting. It seems that we all have our favorite seasons, don’t we? Sometimes when we talk about the seasons of our lives it seems we all have different favorite seasons of our own lives as well. The good Lord provides people with certain spiritual and practical gifts and skills so we can have and be helpers…..
“What I’m trying to say is that as individuals, we have thoughts and attitudes that need to be overcome — thoughts of hatred or extreme dislike toward ourselves and other people when instead we should feel dislike toward behaviors. We also have extreme attitudes toward outward appearance that needs to be overcome. If you look at the life of Jesus, you…..
These verses wrap up the Sermon on the Mount bringing it full circle.
The kingdom of heaven gives to the poor in Spirit, filling them up so they may share the kingdom with other people who either have never heard of God’s love and a heavenly kingdom, or those who know but are depleted. Even Jesus went away to…..