Posts Tagged ‘Perspective’
A Sheep’s Point of View
The twenty-third psalm remains the most quoted and easily recognized passage from the entire inspired collection. Its words offer comfort and strength in times of trial and pain in ways to which other poets can only aspire. It is so deeply personal in its character that it resonates to this day with most everyone—despite the…
Read MoreTrue Greatness
We live in a nation, and perhaps even a world, obsessed with greatness. We admire greatness in all its various incarnations. Depending on their areas of interest, people will go to amazing lengths creating lists recounting the top entries in various areas, posting blogs and encouraging debate. We have countdown lists for the greatest presidents…
Read MoreThe Feast of Purim
Haman’s plot against the Jews, concocted in hate and malice but exposed through courage and faith, had called for the legal genocide of the Jews at the hand of all those who hated them, wherever they lived throughout the one-hundred twenty-seven provinces of the Persian Empire. So, while the king had executed Haman and authorized…
Read MoreA Lesson in Patience
If events of the last several years have you frustrated with society, angry at rampant immorality, concerned for your children and grandchildren, and wondering what will happen to the church, you are not alone. When the world lies in the midst of seemingly constant moral decline at an ever increasing rate, when people all around…
Read More“All This Avails Me Nothing”
You simply cannot satisfy some people. Trust me. I’m a preacher. No matter what you do to accommodate them, help them, be there for them, and encourage them, they will find some reason for dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction quickly leads to complaining, and complaining ultimately reaches that fever pitch where you might prefer fingernails on a chalkboard…
Read MoreHasty Decisions
Interestingly, the first name mentioned in the book of Esther does not belong to the heroine, nor does it belong to her guardian and mentor, Mordecai. Neither does it open with the antagonist, Haman. Instead, the Holy Spirit introduces us first to Ahasuerus, the king of the Persian Empire, known to us in history as…
Read MoreJudge Me
Society today extols the virtues of non-judgmentalism. This stems from their celebration of tolerance as the virtue to rule all other virtues (or perhaps vice versa). Regardless, if anyone dares utter a statement approaching the idea of universal moral truth, that person will be denigrated, insulted, and sent to a reeducation camp as soon as…
Read MoreA Merciful God
Following their captivity in Babylon, the Jews faced years of poverty and uncertainty as they slowly rebuilt their lives along with the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. Through the leadership of Ezra they had begun to reinstitute worship according to the Law and reconstitute an identity as the people of God. They had faced…
Read MorePutting Life in Context
Although the accusations of an angry contingent halted the rebuilding of the temple for some time, the work of Haggai and Zechariah revitalized the effort, motivating the people to return to their work despite the previous opposition (Ezra 5:1-2). However, some of those on the east side questioned them about their efforts, but on this…
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