A Daring Reach

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
-John 20:27
In moments of duress we respond with either “fight or flight.”  How many times have we heard that adage?  It’s become so commonplace, we often take for granted that [...]

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Return of the King’s

Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
-Matthew 8:21-22 
Being in grad school can be pretty demanding, as can any number of things we engage in with our lives — marriage and kids, ministry, jobs, a [...]

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How Far Will He Go?

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
-King David to the Lord God
How far will the Lord go to have us?
The King James translation of the Scripture quoted above uses the word “hell” for “depths,” an accurate translation [...]

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The Cry: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 4

Continued from An Old Man’s Encounter: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 3, or start from the beginning with The Question: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 1
Oh, and it’s important to know that the words Gabriel spoke to Zechariah, those that the desperate and frightened old man couldn’t believe, they were the first words God spoke to His people since [...]

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An Old Man’s Encounter: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 3

Continued from Setting the Stage: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 2, or start from the beginning with The Question: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 1
So here Zechariah is, standing at the altar of incense, doing his duty and minding his own religious business and just relieved that he wasn’t struck dead when he walked into the inner chamber of [...]

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Setting the Stage: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 2

Continued from The Question: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 1

John the Baptist has already been proclaiming some pretty wild stuff out there in the wilderness, wild words to match well his wild clothes and choice of food. John’s a wild man, and a passionate one. He is known as John the Baptist because he has been baptizing [...]

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The Question: Jesus’ Pursuit, Part 1

Be prepared to meet Him Who Knows How to Ask Questions.
-T.S. Elliot
When Jesus speaks to the disciples (who really, at that point, weren’t yet disciples) in John 1:38, he asks them, “What do you want?” Now, that in itself isn’t necessarily all that profound. I’m asked that question quite a few times a day. I [...]

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