The 120 Clerks

Is it possible that the 120 believers who were gathered on Pentecost as described in Acts 2 were all clergy? At least 11 were apostles. If the Holy Spirit was OK with an apostle being chosen by means of winning a game of dice, there were at least 12 apostles (Matthias: Acts1:15-26). What about the rest of them? How many […]

Feeling Blue

Sadness, loneliness, discouragement – these come from the pain of feeling that things are not right in us or not right around us. Joy, peace, faith, courage, love – these come from observing the character of Yahweh and His power and His intent regarding the things that are not right in us or around us, and seeing His will coming […]

Working Out

Religious people rarely experience freedom. Disciplined people frequently know freedom.   Religion teaches us that we must make our own way, and hold our own line, and fear of failure keeps us engaged.   Discipline teaches us that we must stay ready – for our God to bless us, and use us, and lead us to overcome our pasts and […]

Isaiah 26

ISA 26 Our city is strong because of God Our city is strong because our God Has raised Salvation up as a wall With a Gate named Jesus (first ending of chorus:) He will throw evil principalities Lower than the poverty they’ve caused – The poor will trample on their heads God’s Kingdom will enter through our gates Our souls […]

Acts 3:16

Peter and John were going to prayer when they passed a man they presumably had passed many times, who was over 40, but had never walked. The man was brought to the Beautiful Gate to beg each day. This day, Peter had no money, and it seems to have caused him to think differently than the previous times he may […]

Full Time Ministry

Far too many people have been tricked into “giving up their careers” to serve Jesus. The misinformation that the few who are chosen to actually serve Jesus are called out of the work they are good at, away from leadership in government and education and information and business has caused people to feel less spiritual for staying in their field, […]

Saving the World

Noah was called to save humanity from destruction. We are called to that same task. Our method is very different from his, though. His ark was gopher wood, and was designed to preserve a tiny remnant of humanity, leaving the rest outside the safe place to pay for their sin and be destroyed. Our Ark is the One Who paid […]

Becoming His Reward

When we are learning about Jesus, we can sort ourselves into different categories of knowing Him. Some categories are not very lively – If I learn the Scriptures so I can pass catechism or the new members course, I receive a reward from men. If I learn the Scriptures so that I may know Jesus better, I receive a reward […]

Living Above the Sky

Five times in his letter to the congregations in Ephesus, Paul used a word that has been translated into English as “heavenly places” (NKJV), “heavenly” (HCSB), or “heaven” (CJB). The word could be translated very literally as “above the sky.” In Ephesians 1:20, our Father exalted Jesus from the dead to seat Him at His right hand in the heavens. […]

Inheriting Among the Saints

Much of my work currently involves managing and settling people’s inheritances. Some people think they have inherited one thing, but discover that it is another. Some people don’t know they have inherited anything, but discover they have. Some people try to settle one person’s estate and discover they can’t, because the deceased person never settled a previously deceased person’s estate. […]