The Bread and the Cup: Beholding Glory
Four Scenes of Glory
The Lord’s Supper sets before us four scenes of glory: the crucified Son of God,2 our risen Lord seated above at the Father’s right hand,3 Christ with His people on earth,4 and the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven.5 The Lord’s Supper calls us to respond to God’s work to give glory to His Son, Jesus... Continue Reading
How (Not) to Use AI: Three Principles
I will not let AI thwart the development of my character or the joy of being human.
If you depend on AI to perform certain tasks, you might dull your potential to grow and flourish as an individual endowed with unique strengths and interests. I offer an example from my area of work. I’m a pastor, so at least once every week I’m responsible for researching, writing, and delivering a sermon based... Continue Reading
That Baby!
Nothing about the birth, life, and death of Jesus fits the human idea of a hero.
He came to upend life as we knew it and to open the way to the kingdom that is not of this world. He blesses what we despise and declares woes on what we treasure. Movies give us one picture of a hero. ChatGPT puts it like this: Heroes are strong, brave, confident, determined... Continue Reading
On Waiting
The waiting is the gift.
In the waiting we learn to turn to the God of all Comfort, the God who is our food, the God who is broken for us. We learn to long for the age to come. Waiting reorientates our disposition away from this fleeting moment to the eternities to come. I’m experienced at waiting. I... Continue Reading
Emptying Yourself for the Sake of Jesus and Others
Sometimes, when we choose servitude under the submission of God, we will have to be emptied out for His sake in ways we wouldn’t dream of.
The advent season reminds us of what it means to be poured out on behalf of others. When the apostle Paul refers to Christ’s emptying himself, he pulls our gaze first to the baby in the manger (Philippians 2:7). He awoke earlier than the rest of us. The night before had been filled with... Continue Reading
Three Ways to Celebrate Christmas
How would Spurgeon advise someone to spend Christmas day?
Spurgeon helps us navigate the Christmas holiday, whether we choose to participate in the festivities or not, by encouraging us that there are various reasons to gather on this day outside of tradition or superstition. To most modern Western Christians, it might be a surprise to discover that Spurgeon did not celebrate Christmas with... Continue Reading
How to Flourish in the Festive Season as a Follower of Jesus
Deliberately make much of our Lord Jesus in the company of those who don’t know Him.
Celebrate Jesus with the world. Tell them he came to the world to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Joyfully point to “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). For “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”... Continue Reading
Three Simple Christmas Reflections
As we enjoy Christmas, let it push us to think of the greater joy that awaits us in Jesus.
God is no killjoy. He wants us to enjoy ourselves. He gives us good gifts so we can enjoy them. But that joy is but a taste of the joy incomparable that is ours in Christ. One day, when Jesus comes again, we will have joy beyond measure. As I’m in the mode of... Continue Reading
The Shadow of The Cross Cast Over The Manger
I would never paint the manger scene without a shadow of the cross stretching over it.
Join me this Christmas in stargazing, contemplating the divine mystery – “God became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1: 14). Such contemplation can have a purifying effect in our lives and help us to set our sights... Continue Reading
Seeing Christ This Christmas
Do you want to know what God is like? Look at Jesus.
It was the ultimate condescension. The Son laying aside His God-powers temporarily and leaving the halls of heaven to inhabit a human body. The greatest work had to be done, and this was the way it had to be accomplished. And now, God was literally with us in flesh and blood. The birth of... Continue Reading
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