Life This Side of Heaven

Long before the words "Shake it off" became the catchy refrain of a song, Jesus said something like it here in Matthew.  He told the disciples, “Shake the dust off your feet.”  And while it sounds li…

You can almost imagine the apostle Paul, shaking his head, like that announcer, when he saw what was taking place before his eyes. The Galatians had it all. Forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ…

Superhero movies continue to dominate the box office. Many of those heroes, who put right what was wrong, have the power to shoot fire and lightning. And two of Jesus' disciples even requested this …

When our Savior came across a man afflicted by demons, He was asked “What do you want with me Jesus?” It's worth knowing that this particular Greek phrase is not the easiest to translate into English…

Why did He choose _them? _Of all the people that Jesus could have called, what brought Him to pick this disciples, this group of twelve, and say, “Follow Me”? After all, knowing what they were like, …

Today, it's sometimes referred to as "canceling." However, the practice of attempting to silence someone for saying something with which another disagrees goes back a long way. Jesus faced this as th…

"Are you thirsty?" "Do you need a drink of water?" Wait a minute, isn’t that the same question? As it turns out, thirst isn't always a reliable indicator of our body's need for water. God has given u…

Amazed and astonished! Those are the words that Luke used to the awe with which the people present at Pentecost heard the disciples speaking in their own language. And yet, perhaps two more words mig…

The sound of a rushing wind reminds us that we're in the midst of storm season. However, on the Day of Pentecost, what followed next was not torn shingles, uprooted trees, and snapped utility poles.…

In Ephesians, Paul describes what it means that you and I have this day a Savior who has ascended to the right hand of the Father in glory. When he says that God has placed all things under our Savio…

Each week, in the creed, you and I hear the familiar words which describe the trip taken by our Savior forty days after His resurrection. And we stand to confess, “He ascended into heaven and sits at…

This week a royal celebration will get underway, a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, that will last for four days! Last Thursday, forty days after Easter, the Church celebrated the Asc…

Jesus’ promise to the disciples, that He would not leave them as orphans, may sound like strange comfort to our modern ears. But it wouldn’t have been lost on His followers. And it's tremendous comfo…

If someone was to ask, “What causes anxiety in your life,” a whole list may flood to mind. We may be tempted to ask, “Where do you want me to start?” But if someone was to ask you for the “reason fo…

In Revelation, God doesn't say that He will make things new, at some vague point down the road or simply in the future. No, He says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Did you notice the ongoing p…