In January 2000, I had the opportunity to study and travel in Israel with a group of students from The Master’s College in the IBEX program. We lived at Moshav Yad Hashmonah just west of Jerusalem, and took regular field trips throughout the holy land. It was an incredible, life-transforming trip that still shapes my thinking and my understanding of the Bible. I thought maybe some of you would enjoy reliving the experience with me.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Spring 2000 (how is that possible?), I plan to post some of my journal entries and emails on this blog, and will include a few pictures we took along the way. If you’ve never been to Israel, or want to reminisce about your own time here, you might want to follow along. Stay tuned, because tomorrow, we take off for Israel!
Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
I took this photo this afternoon from a hilltop in West Hills, looking southeast toward the Palisades fire. This is the same fire that destroyed Pacific Palisades a few days ago. Now it has crested the mountain, and like a hungry beast, is heading toward the communities of Brentwood and Encino along the 101 and 405.
It’s hard to believe these wildfires just started on Tuesday. Our hearts go out to the people of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and others who have been completely devastated. Other areas face heavy losses and evacuations, and many are still on high alert. Those of us in the San Fernando Valley are literally in a “ring of fire” with various fires burning nearly all directions. Thankfully, several have been contained and mitigated, but others continue to be a threat, and there is still more wind in the forecast.
Screenshot
We all have suspicions of how these fires started. We all have frustrations with the mismanagement and poor planning by city and state officials. These leaders need to be held accountable. Meanwhile, we continue to pray for those in harm’s way and thank God for the incredible skill and courage of first responders.
Our prayer is not only that God would provide physical safety, but that he would use this tragedy to turn hearts toward him. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a disaster to get our attention and help us think about eternal things. It would be wonderful to see a genuine spiritual revival in Los Angeles. So many have lost so much. Early estimates say this will be the costliest wildfire event in US history, and it’s not even done yet. People have lost not only homes, businesses, schools, and church buildings, but tragically, some lost their lives.
One of the most jarring scenes this week was seeing a street full of luxury cars, all empty, as people had run for their lives to escape the flames. Firefighters had to send in bulldozers to push the cars out of the way so they could get emergency vehicles to the front lines of the fire. In just a matter of hours, these people’s lives were turned upside down. How quickly we can lose everything!
Jesus says it this way: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21)
Earlier in the week, I wrote a prayer and shared it on social media. Please join me in praying this over our city.
Father in Heaven, you control the wind and the waves. In times of disaster, we remember how frail we are. We pray your protection for the firefighters, and for the tens of thousands in evacuation zones. Please cause the winds to die down. In times of chaos and panic, cause people to consider the frailty of life and look to you for strength. This life so quickly passes by along with all its treasures. Set eternity on people’s hearts, and be glorified today even through this tragedy. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Does your family have a baby book? My mom made one for me, and I would sometimes pull it off the shelf and enjoy reading stories about my birth and early childhood. Along with pictures, my mom wrote out what day and time I was born, how tall I was, how much I weighed, the name of the hospital, the nurses on duty, even what movies were popular at the time.
Eventually, other details and mementoes were added. There was the little wrist band from the day I was discharged from the hospital. There was a snip of blond hair from my first haircut. Early school projects were added as well. I loved flipping through the book because I could honestly say, “this is my story!” I was there when it happened of course, but was too young to understand. By looking through this scrapbook, I could learn more about myself and others God used in my life.
In a similar way, Colossians 2:8-15 is like a spiritual baby book, chronicling the details of your rebirth. It explains where you came from, what life was like before you were saved, and the transformation that occurred when God saved you.
For some, the event happened like a lightning bolt. Bam! God got your attention, you believed and surrendered to him, and immediately you felt different. For others, you may not have fully understood right away what was going on. Maybe you can’t put your finger on the particular day God saved you. It took time as God softened and changed your heart. But you can honestly say, “Now I believe.” For some, it was a radical moment when you were “circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands.” For others, it may have felt like a process, even though technically conversion does happen at a point in time.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” This passage gives the answer. It’s wonderful to go back and be reminded of how it all began to get you to where you are today. And if you haven’t yet surrendered to Christ or repented of your sins, this passage explains who you could be, and who you should be.
I preached this passage back in July at Calvary Church and recently uploaded it to my podcast. You can now watch or listen to the sermon below…
Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please visit the Sermon Page on my blog.
Our son Dylan graduated from high school last June, and one of his final projects was to dissect an animal for biology class. This is something that none of us were exactly looking forward to. But finally the time came, and we couldn’t put it off any longer. Since we’re a homeschool family, we ordered the dissection kit, and the postal carrier delivered a box with a vacuum sealed cricket, worm, and frog inside. That box sat in our house for several months, just waiting for us, mocking us, reminding us every day that dissection day was coming. Finally, on Dylan’s last week of high school, we could put it off no longer.
Natalie graciously went through the process with Dylan, figured out all the instructions, and helped Dylan dissect the worm and the frog. When I came home for lunch that afternoon, Natalie was happy to report that by God’s grace, the dissection went really well overall, and that Dylan could show me what he learned.
So, Dylan took his little scalpel and pick, and showed me different parts of the frog. There was the liver. And down there the digestive system. Dylan pointed out how the eyeballs kind of go inside the body and help the frog to swallow its food. Dylan also showed me the heart, and even the different valves. It was not only a relief to have this project finished, but it was another amazing reminder of God’s intricate design in creation.
When you look at something and begin peel back its layers, you get to see it in a different light. It helps to go beneath the surface. In Colossians 1:24-29, Paul essentially “peels back the layers” of his heart to help us see what makes him tick. As it turns out, what drives and motivates him above all else as an apostle is to see people conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
Paul says in Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” That statement has become a kind of theme verse for my ministry over the years. I preached this passage several months ago at Calvary Church, and together we learned:
Why we can rejoice in times of suffering
What’s the difference between teaching and preaching?
Simple ways we can serve the Lord
The role of admonishing in our spiritual growth
You can listen to the message or watch using the links below:
Sermon audio:
Youtube link:
Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please visit the Sermon Page on my blog.
Conflict is a fact of life. The question is not if you’ll be mistreated, but when you’ll be mistreated, how often, and to what extent. How are you handling trauma right now in your own life?
From Genesis 3 to Revelation 20, the Bible reminds us this present world is a broken place, full of hurt and hostility, injury and injustice. In the Old Testament, Cain murders Abel. Jacob swindles brother Esau. Rachel envies Leah. Israel rebels against Moses. David covets and commits adultery. Job suffers and is mocked by friends.
This pattern continues into the New Testament. Peter betrays Jesus. The Corinthians file lawsuits. Euodia and Synteche can’t get along . John Mark quits halfway through a missions trip. Alexander the Coppersmith does Paul great harm. Diotrephes loves to put himself first. Demas abandons his team of friends.
As you read the Bible and then look around, you discover the world is full of broken, dysfunctional people living in broken, dysfunctional relationships. Not everything is doom and gloom, but let’s be honest, a lot of people are hurting and a lot of relationships are strained in this world.
Just as conflict is inevitable, peace is possible too. How can you become a more peaceful person? If you want to love others and establish more peaceful relationships, you’ll need to start by loving God and letting his love pour into your heart. Then, out of your love and affection for him, you will grow in your love for your neighbor and even, amazingly, for your enemies.
This change doesn’t typically happen overnight. We are a work in progress, like a road construction zone. It gets messy at times. But the end result is worth it, and the work will finally be finished when Jesus returns.
In Colossians 1:23, Paul urges the church to not to give up, but to keep pressing on, to keep pushing through this process of being made holy and purified and living in light of the reconciliation that is ours through Jeus Christ. He says you will be “holy and blameless and above reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard and which Paul says he himself preached.”
I preached this passage several months ago at Calvary Church. You can listen or watch using the link below. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Audio link:
Youtube link:
For a complete list of my sermons and Bible studies, please visit the Sermon Page on my blog.
Pinch Of Clay 