10minas Blog
#98 – The Tainted Ones, 3
“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.” Matthew nine, ten kjv IS THERE – –Is there something inside of you that wants to dine with Jesus like the publicans and sinners did? To just be…
Read More#97 – The Tainted Ones, 2
How could Jesus call Matthew, a corrupt tax-collector, to be His disciple? Or others with personality handicaps that would make them unfit to represent many of our fine churches? Like impetuous Peter for example. And why did He choose a woman from the red-light district as a special friend? Didn’t He know her history and…
Read More#96 – The Church in Action
We are “being the Church” when we come alongside our brothers and sisters in need. It’s simply the flow of the Life of Jesus from us to others. Elaine and I were planning to make some chicken-noodle soup for a FB friend who has major health issues. We’ve been touched by her pain, her persistent…
Read More#95 – The Tainted Ones, 1
I recently read the genealogy of Christ in Matthew One and was reminded of His messy lineage. Wow! One might think that Creator God would have orchestrated a sequence of exemplary, law-abiding, and morally pure citizens through whom the Messiah would come. People whom He could feel honored to claim as His own – –…
Read More#94 – Good Shepherds
If a pastor or elder asked, “Ken, what do you really expect of us?”, I’d say, “Jesus expects you to shepherd the flock.” That’s simpler when you don’t prioritize managing an institution. In addition to giving regular care, a good shepherd will be alert for wolves and will have a plan to protect the sheep…
Read More#93 – How Can It Be?
Surely it is obvious to Christians that something big is going on. Surely we can feel the encroaching darkness. Surely we know that the stock market; the ongoing growth of personal wealth; our booming housing market; and Washington’s incessant borrowing to expedite our transition into a socialist society – – are unsustainable. The bubble will…
Read More92 – The Meaning of “Soon”, 3
Don’t we immediately think of timing when we hear “soon”? We get all excited about “the soon return of Christ” because it means that He’ll deliver us out of the mess that we’ve made of His creation. But there’s more and it matters. A powerful “therefore” is implicit in Jesus’ use of “soon.” He left…
Read More#91 – “Soon”, the Parable of Ten Virgins
WORDS TO BE HEARD WITH OUR HEARTS 25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4 but the…
Read More#90 – The Meaning of “Soon”, 2
So, picking up from last time, can we assume that “soon” in the text* means soon in a way that should influence how we live – – or am I reading something into it? Am I taking things to extremes? When Elaine says “Supper will be ready soon,” it gives me a sense of anticipation…
Read More#89 – The Meaning of “Soon”, 1
MANY scriptures clearly communicate an urgency about the Church being prepared for our Lord’s return. It is presented as a life and death issue which profoundly shapes the Christ-follower’s life, but can we argue that we take it seriously? Scripture’s use of the word “soon” is perplexing to an earth-bound mind and it’s easy to…
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