In golf a “do over” is a mulligan. God’s mulligan is grace. You have it, over and over again. It doesn’t go away—ever! Translation to all of this—you have unlimited fresh starts with God. In fact, every second of every day is a fresh start with God. Continue reading “God’s Mulligan”
Tag: Jesus
Passing Over into Easter
We’re all connected, sisters and brothers under God. At sundown today, Passover begins and leads into Easter next Sunday. The Jewish people commemorate fleeing from Egypt and, right before his death, Jesus did the same by celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples. The escape from the captivity of physical slavery and the escape from our sins with Jesus’ sacrifice of his life are both connected. As are we! Continue reading “Passing Over into Easter”
I Have No Time to Pray!
Funny how this works—I write a post earlier in the week about how prayer works, Then, I spend the rest of the week with little time devoted to prayer. Busy? Hypocrite? Do what I say, not what I do? Continue reading “I Have No Time to Pray!”
The Big “I” in Sin
There’s a reason the word “sin” has an “i” right smack in the middle—and a big “I” at that! Sin is all about me. When my world revolves around me, with me at the center of everything, sin is bound to result. It may not be anything you do wrong but it will at least be something you don’t do at all—sin of omission.
Who’s More or Less Important Than You?
Is Warren Buffet more important than you? Is the homeless person you passed on the sidewalk less important than you? If the criteria for “importance” is money, status, etc., the instinctive answers may be “yes” to both questions. For God the answers to both are an emphatic “no.”
Is the Lord Among Us or Not?
“What kind of question is that? It’s the question (Exodus 17:7) that the Israelites asked all the time as they wandered the desert for 40 years. It’s the question buried in the devil’s temptation of Jesus in his desert of 40 days. It’s the question that we ask as we wander the deserts in our own lives. There’s a consistent theme at play here—wandering and questioning. As long as we wander our deserts we will ask the same question—Is God really with us, if he’s real at all?—or simply stop asking because God is nothing to us. Continue reading “Is the Lord Among Us or Not?”
Don’t Ask for Forgiveness if You Can’t Forgive!!!
I added the 3 exclamation points after my heading today for very intentional emphasis—Don’t ask for forgiveness if you can’t forgive!!! And I’m writing this not for you and others but for me. I’m preaching to myself this morning not to bother to ask God for forgiveness if I can’t forgive others. God is always less than a heartbeat away ready to forgive us, no matter what we do or don’t do to others. The question is do we dare to ask for forgiveness if we can’t forgive those around us. The answer is an emphatic “no!” Continue reading “Don’t Ask for Forgiveness if You Can’t Forgive!!!”
Living Like a Shamrock Today and Everyday
Everyone knows the green and the beer—and the green beer—that has come to symbolize March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. But don’t let the day go by without focusing on the real story behind the day. There is a St. Patrick’s Day because of a man who took it upon himself to bring God—Father, Son, and Spirit—to a lost people. He used a little shamrock, the simple three-leaf clover that grew everywhere, to convey the often-complex notion of God being three-in-one—Father, Son, and Spirit. It’s a life lesson for all of us, not just today but everyday! Continue reading “Living Like a Shamrock Today and Everyday”
Break Out of Your Desert This Lent!
It doesn’t matter if you observe Lent. It’s just a great time to put yourself in Jesus’ shoes and contemplate life, with all it’s temptations. Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit, spent 40 days dealing with the devil, got his head together, then broke out to fulfill his special, unique purpose in life. He had to go through that process. We do too in our own deserts. Continue reading “Break Out of Your Desert This Lent!”
Whatever You Face, the Lord is Always With You—And I Mean ALWAYS!
The Lord is always with you. You may not be with the Lord, but God is ALWAYS with you! The Lord never leaves us. We leave him. Just like he commanded Joshua after the death of Moses, God is talking to us right now:
“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Continue reading “Whatever You Face, the Lord is Always With You—And I Mean ALWAYS!”
The Real Secrets to Life™ 