Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Month: July 2015 (Page 2 of 3)

Jesus Elicits Awe

Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.      – Matthew 15:29-31

The response of the crowd tells you something about Jesus. This crowd watched Jesus display his power, his ability to heal and his overwhelming kindness to those in need. Their response? Awe and wonder and praise to God above. Like Disneyland to a 6-year old.  Think of the joy infusing this mass of humanity as formerly hurting, desperate people strode forth in health and vigor. Think of what it would have been like to sit and watch. Person after person, the next case worse than the last. Jesus heals and the crowd’s awe-response grows and grows. Wonder if people cheered?

Then, to top it all off, Jesus miraculously feeds everyone before sending them home. All you can eat, with plenty left over!

If I could pick a day to go back in time and see Jesus at work, I’d be hard pressed to pick a day different than this one. Thankfully, Jesus is still generous with us, still available, still healing and feeding us. All good things come from his hand. Maybe we should cheer?

GO – Following Jesus to the Ends of the Earth

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My book is published and available! You can order by going to: crustore.org.

Picture it. A handful of his followers, mostly uneducated, certainly not powerful or wealthy or well connected, sitting on a hill in a subjugated country at the edge of the Roman Empire. Jesus gives them an audacious goal, a great commission that will consume their lives. Jesus tells them to go and make disciples of all the nations. So what do they do? They go…

GO – reflections on the Lordship of Christ, the Great Commission, and a life of adventure and eternal significance.

 

The Acropolis in Athens, Paul’s sermon backdrop

The view of the Acropolis from Mars Hill, site of Paul’s famous sermon in Acts 17. As he revealed the truth about Jesus, “the unknown god,” to the Athenians, they would have been gazing at the temples atop this hill. Some scoffed, some questioned, some believed, all in the most cosmopolitan city in the world.

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Amazing Grace

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William Wilberforce gives me hope. I’ve seen the movie but I’d never read the book – what a story! Evil can be defeated when good people believe and act. Wilberforce pursued the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire for years and years. He pursued this change politically, using his position in parliament, all the while spurred on by his Christian faith.

Wilberforce enlisted others in the cause. He endured painful defeats, ongoing ridicule and merciless scorn. For years he pursued the fight when no one appeared to be listening. Finally, in the last days of his life, his bill passed and slavery was abolished. It seems that the Lord graciously let him live long enough to see the victory.

This is a compelling book about faith and friendship, as well as about fighting institutional evil and remaining resolute despite years of setbacks. The church needs many young “Wilberforces” today and this book will encourage you in that direction.

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