"John tells us at the beginning of his Gospel that the thing that is going to differentiate the new era from the old, even including John the Baptist, is this baptism with the Spirit. Here is the first principle. It is possible to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ without having received the baptism … Continue reading Quote of Note #56–Receiving the Power
I love hand tools – old hand tools. My workbench and toolboxes are stocked with a wide variety of old hammers of all sorts, wood plains of several different types, chisels, and draw knives, and hand saws. I have a few very interesting old pipe wrenches, which I honestly hope I never have to use, … Continue reading Pastor Note #83 — God’s Toolbox
"To praise God for mercies received both with our voices and with our actions, and then to pray to God for the mercies that we need, devoutly acknowledging that they come from him, these two exercises in one form or another should make up the sum total of human life. A life psalm should be … Continue reading Quote of Note #52 — Prayer, Praise, and the Christian Life
Job is a tricky book to use. The book is a debate among Job and some friends over how to understand suffering and what God is doing in the midst of that suffering. We should not assume that everything that Job or the others say is correct. The only one who speaks infallibly in the … Continue reading Bible Note #35: Compassion for the Weak — Job 29:14-17
"Happiness is the great question confronting mankind. The whole world is longing for happiness and it is tragic to observe the ways in which people are seeking it. The vast majority, alas, are doing so in a way that is bound to produce misery. Anything which, by evading the difficulties, merely makes people happy for … Continue reading Quote of Note #48: Finding Happiness
"'The first thing to do in responding to God's presence and Word,' [Basil Pennington] repeatedly told me, 'is to notice what God is doing and to keep out of God's way. The second is to align ourselves with and participate in God's transformational actions in the world.' God is active and present in the world. … Continue reading Quote of Note #47: Being Part of What God Is Doing
This event – the reconciliation of Esau and Jacob – has long captured my imagination. The rupturing of their relationship was overflowing with emotion. So, it should be no surprise that the reconciliation here is also full of emotion. There is also a large measure of raw, burly physicality in the reconciliation of these two … Continue reading Bible Note #33: The Hairy Arms of Esau and the Embrace of God’s Grace — Genesis 33
"The Spirit which Jesus promised would lead his followers 'into all truth' is very actively at work wherever he is allowed. Some of his work is painful in the extreme. There has often to be the breaking-up of old ways of thinking, the expansion of responsibility, and the checking of priorities. Anyone who opens his … Continue reading Quote of Note #43: Being Re-Made by the Spirit of God
A few days ago, I received a message on Facebook from an acquaintance of mine. He had sent the message to a bunch of people. In my opinion, it was quite a politically inflammatory message. Accompanying the statement was the challenge, “If you don’t share this message on Facebook, you aren’t a true America.” This … Continue reading Pastor Note #80: Conversation with an Angry World
"Whatever our calling, we know this: We are not serving wicked kings, but the King of kings who fulfills all types and shadows of the Old Covenant Israel. His coronation did not come by earthly decree, but through his resurrection and ascension. Therefore, his way of conquering the world's kingdoms is also revolutionary. He doesn't … Continue reading Quote of Note #31: Overcoming Earthly Powers Through Heavenly Means
