4th Day Letters

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was from Nazareth. No prophet had ever come out of Nazareth. In John’s Gospel, the people wondered if anything good could come from that town. When you look at the wounds and brokenness in your own life, do you sometimes wonder if anything good can come from you? As we…

It seems strangely paradoxical to assume something can already be and not yet be at the same time. Oddly enough it is possible. It is the stuff movies are made of. Understanding how this can be is of utmost importance to you and me. A day of reckoning is coming. There is an urgency to…

In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the ghost transported Ebenezer Scrooge to his Christmas past. He was saddened by his misdeeds and past mistakes. He was permitted to peer into Christmas future. He saw his death and was terrified. His Christmas present was no less disturbing. He knew he had to change. We are…

Life presents us with two big lies. The first lie tells us that we are supposed to have our act altogether. In response to this lie, anytime someone asks us how we are doing we often say, “I’m fine”.  The second lie tells us everybody’s life is perfect except mine. Our response to this lie…

During this past month, several people have shared stories with me about their pains, struggles and unimaginable grief. Too often, people try to face difficult life issues alone and in silence. For much of my, life I tried that too. It didn’t work well.  It was a bad idea. Through this ministry, I try to…

What does it mean to you when you read these words from Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost”? Many of us fail to truly comprehend the key point in this reading. Too often we act like the Pharisees who questioned why Jesus would dine…

Walk into any store and it’s clear retailers are now ready for Christmas. Ready that is to make money off it. Many no longer even call it Christmas. For them, the “holiday season” as it’s called, is simply a time for making profits. What is this time of year for you? Advent begins in just…

Miracles did not stop occurring after Jesus’ death on the cross. Miracles increased after His death and the number of people through whom these miracles were occurring, increased as well. “Rise and walk” were the words Peter used in Acts 3:6 when he cured the crippled beggar.  Jesus has been working miracles through His followers…

We all know the story of the Wizard of Oz. The truth was hidden behind the curtain. The wizard wasn’t a wizard after all. Life itself bears a strange resemblance to the Wizard’s curtain. Much of God’s eternal plan, at least for now, remains hidden. This time it’s not hidden behind a curtain, it is…

Do a google search for the word sincere and you will find a debate regarding the origins of the word. One story, most likely arising from folk lore, states that sincere is derived from two Latin words: sine (without) and cera (wax). I am no expert in etymology, but I can state emphatically, that as…