In Pursuit

Psalm 23:6 says, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…’ Which sounds nice. Really nice. But the Hebrew word translated ‘follow’ here (radaph), suggests a much more intensive verb. More like chasing, pursuing, even hunting down. Strong’s concordance calls it ‘purposeful, even covenantal, pursuit’. Which sounds better yet. The …

Faith First

Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel for a reason. We must first believe in order to have a desire and a motivation to follow. Without the belief, we wouldn’t have any reason to act. But there are other gifts of faith that make its preeminent position purposeful and beneficial. When …

Influence

You’ve heard the adage that we become the sum of the 5 people we surround ourselves with the most? Expanding that thought, we tend to adopt the philosophies, energy, and values of our environment and influencers. Because we are human. We like to fit in, no matter how much we claim individuality. We tend to …

Casual & Covenant Love

The legend of St. Valentine purports that in the face of great opposition he performed Christian marriages against the edicts of the rulers of the time. He refused to deny his faith in Jesus Christ and was eventually martyred on February 14. I don’t know how much of the story is true, but I love …

Come With Haste

I wonder what the shepherds who saw the angel and hosts of heaven thought about the message they received the night Christ was born. Did they immediately recognize the significance of what was happening? Consider why the Savior of the world would be found lying in a manger? Did they question whether or not it …