Jan 29, 2012
As we come to the middle of Luke chapter 5, we find a story of great compassion, and of troubling confrontation. Jesus expresses incredible power as He cleanses a leper and heals a paralytic. We see faith expressed by a group of friends who bring one beleaguered to Jesus, and are challenged to consider how often we invite friends to Jesus. And we...
Jan 14, 2012
Over the past few days, much has been written on the subject and problem of “religion.” Some of this activity was initiated after a short video was released that has gone (using internet jargon du jour) “viral.” When I last checked, this video had collected well over 6 million hits! The video is presented in pseudo-rap style with artsy video...
Dec 27, 2011
God’s Word inevitably conflicts with the plans of man. For instance, the Word directs us to acknowledge the God of the Bible as the One True God—we are to have no other gods but Him. Yet the sinful heart of man is inclined to persistent idolatry, seeking to satisfy our need to worship and find assurance in anything and everything but the God of the...
Dec 25, 2011
This week, we consider a very unusual text for Christmas Day, the text which chronicles Jesus’ genealogy from Luke 3:23-38. Some may wonder what this text has to do with Christmas. But, it actually has everything to do with Christmas. It helps us to understand the goodness of God in giving us family, in giving us a reason for living, and for...
Dec 11, 2011
In Luke 3:1-14, we enter the next major section of this Gospel, which is the ministry of Jesus. However, Luke first introduces the forerunner of the Lord, John the Baptizer. He comes upon the word’s scene, in a time of great political and societal intrigue, with a very simple message – repent! And, his message is one we need to understand and to...
Nov 30, 2011
Each evening, our family gathers together at the dinner table to enjoy the evening meal and some stimulating conversation. This evening was typical. Discussions ranged from shopping adventures, the wild weather we’ve had, and birthday dinners. Then, one of my daughters brought up a new topic. She asked me if I had seen a particular video that was making...
Nov 25, 2011
This coming Sunday, November 27, marks the first Sunday in the season of Advent, which marks the beginning of the Christian calendar. It is the four week period that precedes the day set aside to acknowledge Jesus’ incarnation (December 25). In these four weeks, many Protestants historically have used this time to ponder the wonder of what we read in John...
Nov 21, 2011
This week, many citizens of these United States will be descending upon temples of American enterprise, malls, to sacrifice expressions of their labors to the god of consumption. We call this day Black Friday, a day where retailers go from being in the red (posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (turning a profit). In recognition of this...
Nov 2, 2011
At Providence Church, we enjoy singing the wonderful words of the Psalms. Centuries ago, the Psalter was the hymnal for the church. Recognizing the different gifts God bestows upon His people, we gather to learn these psalms in four part harmony, blending our voices in praise to the King. Our prayer is that this psalm is a blessing to you. This is a portion of...
Oct 31, 2011
Just after midnight on October 31, 2011, Danica May Camacho was born in the Philippines. This young one was given the title of the earth’s 7,000,000,000th inhabitant. For the first time ever, the population of the earth is now estimated at seven billion people. For some, the news of this milestone is not a reason for celebration; instead, they see it as a...
