So, are we glorifying God in the ways we live and the things we eat and drink, thus obeying His mercies and decreasing suffering in our world?
Did you see the Super Bowl ad about washing feet? This controversial ad shows people washing the feet of others who are different from them, an act reminiscent of Jesus washing…
More than physical rest, the Sabbath is a different rhythm, a relational rest, a theological rest.
Instead of clinging to old modes of self-improvement, which so often end in failure and broken promises, I am seeking the new wine Jesus offers.
Gathering with family to share a meal is what makes Thanksgiving so special to me. It’s about family and lots of food, and with such a great feast, it’s easy to include…
I prefer to focus on the attractiveness of God’s character as revealed by the beauty of Jesus’s faithfulness, which makes the pagan vestiges and lies about God lose their…
Knowing the difference between holiday festivals and Levitical festivals is important and helpful.
Are we attentive to earthly needs and sharing the fragrant message about God’s love? Are we emitting a wonderfully soothing and life-saving odor, or has our scent become…
God truly desires to be with us. I want my heart to be won by the love of God, who is always for me and whose heart pulsates with desire for me.
The human story began in the beautiful Garden of Eden, which was to be the vision for this earth. The emphasis on vegetarianism in Genesis seems to be generally understood as…
Perhaps the suggestion presented in Daniel 1:12 points us beyond fad diets to a meaningful way of eating at the “time of the end”—a dietary choice that manifests the…
Could it be that our cravings bury us?
God is in the business of healing and transforming the world, not merely wiping out past wrongs. May I live every day in ways that allow this wonderful experience to occur in my…
God’s grace is so beautiful to me; it’s like a compassionate father running to welcome his prodigal son home and wrapping him in arms of uncondemning love, where willfulness…
What kind of festive merriment can be there without the turkey, ham or any of that lard infused gravy?
Jesus spoke the truth when He said that not a sparrow falls to the ground without God noticing. He is tenderly watching over you. Our heavenly Father cares more for us than He…
God proved to be Job’s friend, not the villain who took his money, children, and health.
God still shows Himself through a thick cloud pulsating with glory and power—but how is God using His power? When wind, earthquake, and fire are stripped away, what is left is…
The more you observe Jesus, the more you will be attracted to the beauty of His character. It is this attractiveness—this loveliness and beauty—that makes Him so unique.
Given the traditions of my Jewish and Hindu friends and the sensitivity of my vegan friends who demand compassion for all creatures, they would be highly offended if I consumed…
I vividly remember the day my father became a committed Christian. I helped him remove all the bottles of alcohol from the entertainment bar in our basement, and then we dumped…
When God hears the cries of His people, His heart is triggered to rescue and redeem.
When I experience the beauty God’s character, I find that faith is an experience that happens to me, not something I make happen.
However, God wants us to recognize that He sees, that His peace and joy can alleviate the shadows of pain and distress. We are sought after and kept by the most powerful Lover in…
God’s power strengthens and holds together our fragile jars of clay, so that they can manifest the life of Jesus. Our life’s purpose is to contain and carry this treasure,…
What obstacles, public shaming, and longtime assumptions are we willing to overcome—as did the courageous woman in this story—to touch Jesus and be in His healing presence?
to give us eternal life instead of eternal condemnation. American revivalist Johnathan Edwards summed this idea well in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry…
The common theories and methods for describing the process of justification had become a puzzle for me. I was not a terrified sinner plagued by guilt and seeking justification…
Can you imagine God literally skipping and singing boisterously with joy over you and me? The very idea is astonishing. How breathtaking it must be to see God whirling about,…
So, where do we stand in our wrestling matches with God? How has God been wrestling with you? Do you feel powerless and alone, enduring a dark night? Are you struggling to face…
Perhaps you believe that the antidote to fearing the world is fearing God. Should we be afraid of Him instead? Is the alternative to worldly fear a reality that anticipates dread…
For centuries, Protestants have championed Martin Luther’s legacy of justification by grace through faith, not works. Habakkuk is the prophetic context from which Paul speaks in…
In the Bible, the “tent of meeting” is described as a portable tabernacle—a sacred place or sanctuary that visualized God’s desire to dwell in our midst.
Preachers preach the message that we must return to God because we have forsaken His law. Somehow, we have forgotten that many have been let down by religious people and groups, feeling left out, shunned, and excluded. Some have been pushed out by the coldness of religious people, and the light of people’s faith has grown cold and dim.
To follow the ethics of Jesus is to live in the spirit of mercy and compassion with a view toward God’s future benevolent kingdom, when God’s ideal will be achieved on the earth.
We can be religious yet unkind, generous in almsgiving yet guilty of harming others, and devout yet unrighteous. Such cases are what God calls vain sacrifices. They are empty worship.
Christ came to the earth and stood before the children of men with the hoarded love of eternity.
The story reveals a God who gives. It reveals a God of self-giving love, leading Abraham to a profound realization.
Imagine God loving you today, just you and the Lord touching souls, and become convinced that there is nothing that can separate you from His wonderful love.
God’s need reflects His heart’s desire that we actively participate in His compassion and love.
May God help us follow Jesus so that the world can see the glory of His love shining. May we become bearers of His glory on earth, proclaiming His goodness alone as we hum the angels’ song.
By design, the sanctuary is an experiential journey of ascent into the presence of God (Psalms 77:13; 122:1–2). Its increasing levels of holiness carry a profound spiritual lesson about making our way to God.
His Name means something like “astonishing advisor, champion of the universe, exact identity of the Father forever, absolute authority of peace.”
Theological InTents 