Monthly Archives: February 2012

RE Verse reading–Amos 1-2 (day three)  “The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa–what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake” (vs 1)  The Amos story is extraordinary.  Not because he is different than we are.  Just the opposite.  He is the “poster child” of ordinary life.  He is a “little bit country”, but [...]

RE Verse reading–Amos 1-2 (day two)  “This is what the Lord says, ‘for three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath” (vs 6)  It is an old trap–seeing the sins of others but not our own.  The people who listened to Amos enjoyed the first part of his sermon better [...]

RE Verse reading–Amos 1-2 (day one)  ”The Lord roars from Zion” (vs 2)  ”A lion has roared!  Who will not fear?”(Amos 3:8)  Ever hear a lion roar?  I have a friend who makes regular trips to Africa to hunt.  He says if you ever hear a lion roar in the wild (not having the assurance [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day seven)  “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”  (vs 20)  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed.  As a Pastor, a father, a husband, a citizen.  The darkness seems so deep.  My stength seems so inadequate.  It is not an unhelpful moment! As strange as it seems to self-absorbed, self-sufficient people, [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day six)  “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying. . .Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations”  (vs 18-19)  I just have one question.  Why?  Why would God choose to involve us in saving the world?  Why would He vest frail fallible folks like us with such a responsiblity?  Ok, that is [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day five)  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”  (vs 18)  Jesus Christ is the center of Christianity.  In a complicated and hostile world, He is our only confidence.  With eyes on Him, we experience progress and peace.  With eyes are on ourselves, defeat and fear.  Before the [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day four) “All authority has been given to me. . . go and make disciples. . .I am with you always”  (vs 18-20)  Long live the King.  As Americans we probably miss the meaning of such words.  We don’t have a King nor understand the hope expressed.  A good King is great [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day three)  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (vs 19)  A disciple is a learner.  The greek word is mathetes (english word “math”).  It referred to one who was learning from a teacher by means of association and instruction.  Think apprentice without Donald Trump.  The disciples had clear memories [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day two)  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”  (vs 19)  I borrow a title from John Lennon because I think he is psychologically correct. (His theology is a different story)  Our failure as children of [...]

RE Verse reading–Matthew 28:16-20 (day one)  “When they saw Him they worshiped Him; but some doubted”  (vs 17)  It is a completely unexpected detail.  If there ever was a moment when doubt should be impossible it would have been the reunion in Galilee between the disciples and the resurrected Christ!  Matthew, however,  has a different report.  He [...]