In this passage, Jesus angrily clears the temple because his Father’s house of prayer had been turned into a marketplace. A place where there ought to be worship and surrender and devotion to God had been intermixed with non-religious activities such as buying and selling and making deals. How did this happen? People traveled far […]
Silence in heaven for about half an hour
In Revelation 8:1-4, in the midst of breaking of the seven seals and as the scroll of history is set to be fully unraveled, right before the trumpets of God’s judgment are sounded, there is an interesting verse. Verse 1 – "there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Silence is such a […]
Matthew 25 – The Sheep and the Goat
Introduction I recently realized something about myself. You may find this hard to believe, but I realized that I am no longer in the physical prime of my life. I watch other people in the movies like Daniel Craig jumping from rooftops or crashing through a wall and I think I can do that. […]
Give Careful Thought to Your Ways
If you are feeling complacent or smug in your faith, please take some time to read the book of Haggai. Its chilling words to Christians in their generation stands as an indictment against Christians of all generations, particularly those of us in the West. This book was written 16 years after freedom from Babylon. The […]
Reflections from Mary Poplin's "Finding Calcutta" book and a retreat with Pastor Don Overstreet
There were 2 things on my heart prior to the retreat – Mother Teresa and John the Baptist. First, God gave me a portrait of the Christian life through Mother Teresa as I had just finished reading the book, “Finding Calcutta” the weekend before the retreat. It’s a book that inspired me, but also disturbed […]
Who is Jesus to You? (John 1)
John 1:4-5, 14-17, 19-22, 29; 3:16-21 What are some common misconceptions about Jesus or wrong expectations that people place on him? Who is Jesus to you? What expectations do you have for Jesus when you approach him? Common misconceptions: Jesus as a vending machine, Jesus as the path to blessing and prosperity, Jesus as my friend […]