Heaven Is at Hand
Read: Matthew 4:12-17; 11:1-6 Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (4:17) One of my earliest memories was opening my first Christmas gifts. My parents gathered my older sister and me in front of our Christmas tree. She said, “Time for presents!” A brightly wrapped package was placed […]
The Heavens Were Opened
Read: Ezekiel 1:1-9; 25-28 The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (v. 1) Once when I was young, my parents announced that we were going to Baskin Robbins. I’d never heard of it, and I was distrustful of new things, so I complained about going. Then when we arrived, I was overwhelmed. […]
Woe is Me
Read: Isaiah 6:1-10 Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips. (v. 5) When I was growing up, my family attended an annual Christmas St. Nicholas party with a group of friends. It was a much-anticipated event, complete with an appearance from St. Nick, the Dutch Santa Claus. […]
At the Lord’s Table
Read: Exodus 24:9-18 They beheld God, and ate and drank. (v. 11) I tend to be restless in worship. My mind wanders. I check my watch. After an hour, I look for the exit. But I once attended a revival service that changed everything. The service was a cacophony of prayer and praise; laughter and […]
Separated from Heaven
Read: Genesis 3:8-24 The LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden. (v. 23) A common disciplinary technique used by parents and teachers is the “time-out,” in which a disobedient child is temporarily separated from the rest of the group. Why is it effective? Because we were made for communion. Most of us […]
In the Beginning
Read: Genesis 2:1-9 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. (v. 1) One of the Bible’s best-known sentences is, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Biblical language scholars point out that the Hebrew word for “heavens” can be translated “sky.” One might read the Genesis creation accounts and […]
Dinner with Jesus
Read: Revelation 3:14-22 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (v. 20) Recently we had out-of-state relatives make the long trip to come and see us in Michigan, including one cousin I hadn’t seen in 30 years. We had […]
Breakfast on the Beach
Read: John 21:1-14 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” . . . They knew it was the Lord. (v. 12) Can you picture the scene? Sunrise on the beach—the beginning of a beautiful day. There’s breakfast on the grill, and good friends hanging out together. The most surreal aspect of this scene is […]
Known to Them
Read: Luke 24:25-35 He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (v. 35) When my late father-in-law led us in prayer, he would often add this thought: “Forgive us our sins and our shortcomings.” It was a reminder that we needed patience and forbearance—not just with each other’s sins, but with some […]