The last of the beatitudes is an elaboration of the previous one: "God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for...
We would hope that doing what's right would be accepted, perhaps even rewarded. Often this is the case. If we do what's...
From a biblical point of view, a pure heart is a heart of integrity. It entails singlemindedness in devotion to God. Moreover, those who honor God with their whole hearts will also live...
Real Live Preacher has an interesting piece up about the ancient craft of scribal calligraphy. We aren't the first generation to consider that our daily work is a calling. The big surprise at the...
Our partner ministry, Laity Lodge is pleased to have Dr. Marva Dawn as their speaker at the June 5-8 retreat (along with...
What is mercy? The biblical language for mercy suggests compassion for those in need as well as forgiveness for those who have done wrong. Proverbs 14:21, in language very similar to Matthew 5:7,...
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the...
What does it mean to hunger and thirst for justice? The Greek word translated here as "justice" is dikaiosune, a term that...
One of our county parks here in New Jersey has a wonderful display of honeybees. The bees created a hive, and the park rangers created a window so that visitors to the nature...
I've known for years that bad times often make us stronger, often lead us to good things, often turn out to be somehow in God's plan. I've learned this over the years as...
The funny thing is, the humble are probably not interested in inheriting the earth. Yet in the kingdom of God, things are turned upside down. Those who haven't aspired to personal greatness will be...
The Sermon on the Mount begins with The Beatitudes of Jesus (from the Latin word beatus, which means "blessed").
Every Square Inch continues his series on what it means to be a succesful person, from a Christian point of view. He's...
Jesus invites us to acknowledge the presence and power of God's kingdom. He urges us to think and live in a new key. But the center of his invitation is essentially personal: Come...
I have three daughters. In watching them grow up and deal with peers and popularity and teen-age pressure, I have come to understand that we put an enormous amount of pressure on our...
When we think of the good news of Jesus, we're apt to consider the good news about him: that he died for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead, thus...
Let's face it. Sometimes things seem hopeless. Sometimes no amount of goodness will make up for the bad. Sometimes no amount of...
For much of my life as a Christian, I didn't really believe what Matthew 4:1 says. I didn't have a problem with the idea of the devil interacting with Jesus, trying to get...
<< Read Part One of this article. 2) GET BEYOND FAULTS As I schooled myself to see Pam as "compassion," my next...
For three decades or so, Jesus had lived a fairly ordinary life. We don't know much about him during that period of time, but we do know that, like almost all Jewish boys...
