Sometimes we make assumptions about God that lead us to frustration with Him or, in some cases, rejection of who He really is. Some of these assumptions are so deep-seated that we actually believe them to be the truth. We may wonder then why we struggle in drawing close to God. Our expectations are messing with our relationship. We want … Read More
When you picture Jesus walking around Galilee, do you imagine him with a pot belly and love handles? “Hey, Son of Man, you’re lookin’ a little pudgy.” I doubt it. Nor can you imagine him trying to eat 5-6 small meals every day to keep his metabolism cranking. As a good Jewish lad, he was probably brought up in the … Read More
Is it right to cremate your body or the body of a loved one at death? How people plan to handle their body at death tells us a great deal about what they believe and how they approach life itself, especially their view of the body. In particular, discussions about the body related to cremation rarely happen. It seems foreign … Read More
The role of the body in how we relate to God is a fascinating subject. Too long neglected by modern Christians, most have little understanding of the body’s significance in successfully living the Christian life. Included in exploring this reality is how we manage our bodies in general. At one end of the spectrum are those who abuse their bodies. … Read More
Why is my blog site called The UnCommon Journey? Because that’s a title that should be given to every Christian’s relationship with God. If your Christian life mimics most other Christians around you, you’ve settled for a comfortable expression of Christianity foreign to scripture and historic Christianity. Sadly, most Christians don’t realize this. I don’t blame them or accuse them … Read More
What is your view of the body? That’s right, your physical body. This question may be one of the most essential life-questions you’ve never thought of. Your answer makes a difference in every area of your life. How you eat, sleep, work, worship, relate, recreate, maintain, die, and deal with your dead body, are all affected by your understanding of … Read More
Today, take courage to battle. As a Christian you have, in the Triune God, the inner support, spiritual resources, personal help, and actual presence necessary to engage your enemies. You do not need to fear defeat. Let the truth of these Psalms give you boldness and courage to struggle with whatever comes your way. Three Realities to Help Us Understand … Read More
I remember sitting in Sunday School and the teacher putting up a picture of a soldier on the flannel graph board then dressing him with parts of the armor listed in Ephesians 6. I know. That really dates me. Today, a teacher can use videos that explain the “armor of God” with animation, music, and puppets. I’ve just now checked … Read More
Last Saturday, Rhonda and I spent 4-5 hours “de-cluttering” one of the areas of our house. The hidden mud room/pantry area had become a chaotic collection of small appliances, cookbooks, pantry-type foods, cleaning materials, and other random stuff. If we didn’t know what to do with an item, it usually ended up joining the disarray. We attacked the chaos of … Read More
Prayer is a mystery to me but not to Jesus. He knows what prayer is and how to do it. He knows everything there is to know about prayer. Our understanding of prayer is nothing in comparison to His. He is the teacher, we are the kindergarten students – maybe not even that developed – more like infants learning to … Read More
