We’re all familiar with the Apostle’s charge in 1Cor 11.1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” It’s a call to follow him in so far as he follows Christ. He actually says the same thing in several places. E.g. “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us,” (Phil 3.17). The Epistle to the Hebrews echoes this sentiment with, “[be] imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” (6.12); and with “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith,” (13.7). Today I’d like to introduce you to a Christian brother worthy of imitation… Continue reading “How far have we come?”
Living to die well
Everybody wants to get the most out of life, to make sure that nothing good passes them by. They want to live to the full, to make every day count, to move closer to their dreams every day. But is this why we have the short breath of our lives given to us–to fill it to the brim with stuff and busyness? That would be like reducing a race to the mere steps along the way and caring nothing for the finish line. Who enters a race with no thought of actually finishing, and finishing well? Shouldn’t we stop and think about how we plan to end this thing called life? Shouldn’t we consider what kind of living would ensure that we die well? Continue reading “Living to die well”
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Meditations on Jesus Christ
I’ve told you before of my great appreciation for Private Thoughts on Religion by Thomas Adam. Today I would like to share with you some of the entries in his chapter on Jesus Christ. Read these thoughtfully, a few times over, and let the depth of what he’s saying reach your heart. Mull it over in your mind until it impresses you in the way it’s meant to. Meditation–deep, prayerful thinking with an eye to change–is a forgotten and neglected means of grace and Christian growth. We would do well to recover it. Continue reading “Meditations on Jesus Christ”
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Learning to hold things loosely
Our kids teach us a lot of lessons, don’t they? They challenge us in ways that others do not––which really just means they confront us with ourselves in a way that no one else can. One lesson I’ve been forced to learn as a parent is to hold everything with a loose hand. Continue reading “Learning to hold things loosely”
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Sin is still here
Nothing grieves me more than to discover every day that sin is still here. I don’t mean still here in this world; for I expect it to be here until Christ comes to eradicate it. This is, after all, a fallen world, a world under the curse of Adam’s rebellion against God. The Lord said “In the day you eat of it you shall surely die,” and the world of men has been under the curse of that death ever since. Nor do I mean still here in my family and friends; for I know full well that my wife and children, my dearest friends and loved ones, and every member of my church is a sinner living every day as pensioners of God’s grace and mercy. So what, then, do I mean? Continue reading “Sin is still here”
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Is Jesus precious to you?
Precious things are things we dearly prize, things we keep close, watch closely, and, in a sense cannot live without. We like many things and would not easily part with them, but precious things are things we love and can’t bear to be without. I wonder, how precious is Jesus to you? Continue reading “Is Jesus precious to you?”
