The Comfort of God in a Hard Time
August 25, 2018 § 3 Comments
On August 19, 2018, Sam Leuellen, my 13 year-old nephew, took his own life. Sam had a deep and kind empathy for people that surpassed that of many of adults I have known. Perhaps he internalized the burdens of others too much; but his heartfelt kindness and sweetness are a benchmark I aspire to reach myself. « Read the rest of this entry »
Glory to God! Part 1: The Glory of God in Creation
December 21, 2016 § Leave a comment
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.–Genesis 1:1-4
God spoke—and where there was once nothing there was at once the heavens and the earth. It is must not escape our attention that the first thing God did with his creation as he began to form it was shine upon it with the light of his glory: “Let there be light.” This is not the light of the sun or stars—those were yet to be created. The Scripture tells us that God is light; not the light of luminescence, that is, the physical shining by which we see the physical things in our world, but the light by which we understand, the light that gives meaning to our world. God is with us by the light of his presence in his world.
It is God’s essence to shine his light, so that, even when sin came crashing into creation, his mercy shined a promise of redemption to those responsible for that sin. That shining promise to Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham—to all who would believe its unfolding glory—gave hope that the darkness could not overcome the light. It could not because he who is the light stepped into his creation as himself a creature. No wonder, then, he would make the promise that “the Sun of Righteousness would rise with healing in his wings”! In his becoming flesh and bone, the light of life who shines into the world, dawns.
Glory to God!
December 21, 2016 § 2 Comments
This past Sunday the Sanctuary Choir of McIlwain Presbyterian Church presented its annual Christmas program. This year’s offering was entitled Glory to God! In addition to both classic carols and music by Keith and Kristyn Getty arranged by McIlwain Music Ministry Coordinator Donny Monk, I supplied a series of narrations designed to explore the glory of God in four progressive themes: the glory of God in creation, the glory of God in the promise of redemption, the glory of God in the Gospel, and the glory of God in the return and reign of Christ. Although these were summarized in the program, we explored the themes respectively each Sunday of Advent this year. « Read the rest of this entry »
How could a good God allow evil?
November 19, 2015 § Leave a comment
As we approach the first full week since the Paris attacks, it is apparent that far too much has become all too familiar. There is the initial news of the attack, followed by conflicting information about deaths and injuries, then the ubiquitous and continual television coverage for the next 12-24 hours, and, simultaneously, the flooding of social media with messages of anger, shock, condemnation and, for the victims and for Paris, of solidarity and prayer. It all has a numbing, regular rhythm because we have been here too many times before. « Read the rest of this entry »
Ah, the refreshment of Spurgeon!
May 21, 2014 § 4 Comments
In studying for this week’s sermon on John 1:15-18 I discovered this sermon by C.H. Spurgeon. Entitled, “The True Tabernacle, and Its Glory of Grace and Peace,” it was preached on the Lord’s Day morning of September 27th, 1885 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England. What refreshment the Prince of Preachers still offers!
…if God has come to dwell among men by the Word made flesh let us pitch our tent around this central tabernacle; do not let us live as if God were a long way off. « Read the rest of this entry »
Faith Forward
June 1, 2013 § 4 Comments
Last night I again had the privilege of addressing the graduating class at Trinitas Christian School. I had been asked to speak about, simply, faith. Here is the text of what I shared.
Tonight I am talking to you about faith. Not faith in general—but the faith that is the foundation of our living, moving and being. It is the faith that Paul speaks about in two passages. The first is Hebrews 11:1-3:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3) « Read the rest of this entry »
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