One writer has called it, Christ’s “magnificent obsession,” and I would say that he is correct. All of His life, Jesus lived in the shadow of the cross. Especially in the last three years of his ministry, everything that Jesus did led inexorably to the destiny of the cross. In you mind’s eye, envision the last few days that led up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Continue Reading »

We live in an age that is well supplied with impersonators, pitch men and con artists. I once heard of a farmer whose horses kept slobbering over everything. He saw an advertisement in a farm magazine offering a cure for this for a fee of $20. He scraped together the money and wrote in, asking for the secret. In return he received a very thin envelope containing a single sheet of paper, on which were written the words, “Teach your horses to spit.” We laugh at that kind of simple-minded deceit, but deceit is no laughing matter when it involves matters of the utmost importance.
Continue Reading »

If I were to ask you to describe your relationship to God, how would you describe it? What words would you use? What picture would you create? I think if we were honest, many of us would have to describe the Lord as more of an acquaintance rather than a deep and abiding friend. It is an incontrovertible fact that some Christians seem to experience a much closer intimacy, a much closer relationship with God than others. They appear to enjoy a reverent familiarity with Him that is foreign to some of us. Is it a matter of favoritism or whim on the part of God or do such people qualify in some way for that close friendship with God?
Continue Reading »