And the Holy Spirit, Too

So many times I’ve wished I had more help in my life, to ditch a bad habit (I’ve had lots of those, and still have some) or just be happier. Although I hope your life is

Jesus Is Over Our Heads...Sort Of.

Wouldn't it be strange to start a story with the departure of the story's hero? But that's just what the book of Acts does: chapter 1 is the summation of Jesus' personal ministry on earth, showing him being raised up into the clouds! Why did that action lead

Epiphany: the Revelation of Jesus

This season in the Christian calendar is called Epiphany. (This season in the Colorado calendar is called "shiver"!) 'Epiphany' comes from the Greek word which means 'revealing or manifestation.' It refers, broadly, to the various ways Jesus Christ was revealed to the world, beginning with his birth, presentation at the temple, and so forth, even as far as his first

Confronting Ourselves

Do you ever get somewhat depressed, troubled, disturbed or just off kilter but aren't really sure what started it? Maybe you feel like you get upset with others for no good reason that you can name, but you say something you shouldn't, or retreat and hide, and it hurts relationships. Well, we should realize that emotions don't

Making Your "Awesome List" of Blessings

Have you ever made a 'gratitude list'? You know, one of those exercises in which you list everything you should be grateful for? It's a good exercise, of course, to remember what's good about life. But it can go deeper. Here's how.

Psalm 136 takes it beyond a gratitude list, to a list of some times God 'showed up' in Israel's history. It starts off with praise for his many acts of creation,(verses 1-9) and moves

Loved by the Father

"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love."  (John 15:9, The Message). Our prayer group meditated on that scripture last night, in amazement. Wow! We were all bowled over by the idea that Jesus' love for us is the same as the Father's love for Jesus. But since God is love, (1 John 4:8) why

Even More than You Can Imagine

I'm sure I'm not the only one around who gets discouraged sometimes. It's a human trait that we allow to get to us, mostly when we don't get something we want in the time we want it. That's perfectly understandable, as long as we only look at what we can understand, or see, or do all by ourselves. But there's more

Would You Like Peace with That?

Prophecy is very popular these days. Looking at Amazon.com, I see about 1200 entries -- even bible studies for children (really?). I stay completely away from prediction of the 'end times' (we've been there for 2,000 years, see Acts 2:16-17)  or speculation on when Christ will return (we can't know, see Matt. 24: 36).  But one of my favorite topics, since childhood, is what's

"Renewal Information Enclosed"

I pulled an envelope out of the mailbox the other day, with "Renewal Information Enclosed" in big letters across the front. I opened it excitedly -- maybe it was an offer for a free vacation somewhere, or even better, a retreat where my spiritual energy could be renewed. No such luck, they were just billing me for another year's membership in this organization. Bummer! But the good news is, renewal information is already inside

You Won't Want to Miss This!

You may remember the story of Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 20 years and woke to a much different world. Have you ever felt like that? I sometimes think that way about my journey through legalism and the first decades of beginning to understand grace. Oh, how good it would be to see all that again, with what I know now! Some days I still miss the point (I'll get back to that). How is

Jesus the Good Shepherd

I’m continually amazed by the number of references in Scripture to the identity of Jesus the Son of God. One that he takes on himself directly in John 10 is The Good Shepherd, There’s a lot wrapped up in this identity, including many details of life in what’s called the Ancient

To Do God's Work

Jesus has called you and me to a life filled with his blessings and everlasting joy. We can be completely certain that our sins taken care of, and on top of that, our

I Have All I Need

The list of things I wish I had is very, very long. More time to golf. More money saved for retirement. A pickup for camping trips. Time to fish. Time to read the rest of my books. And on it goes! Besides being dissatisfied by my wants, I can get bothered by

Epiphany and Risk

Today, January 6, is the celebration of "Epiphany" on the Christian calendar, and it's celebrating something awesome: the first 'public appearance' of the baby Jesus, the Son of God now in human form. What's that about? And what

Darkness, and Jesus the Light

Waaay back in history -- around 1500 BC -- the children of Israel were in Egypt, enslaved by the Pharaohs, and working long hours under the lash, for no pay (and you think your job stinks!). The Lord sent Moses and Aaron to set them free, but it wasn't a simple process -- if it had been, the book of Exodus would be about three chapters shorter! Along the way, some of the events look

A Blessed Life

There are some great words of blessing in the Bible. Some of them are so wonderful they bring me to tears. The one I was reading last night with a couple of friends really struck me. Here it is in

Plants and People Grow

It's planting season in our part of Colorado, but even if you start seeds indoors under lights, it's a slow process. If you've ever gardened with children, you've seen them put

Oh, For Joy!

I can't get over it. There was something going on in the minds of all the followers of Jesus after he was crucified and then raised out of the grave, that keeps coming back to surprise me and to make me,

Invited Into our Father's Business

By Randy Bloom, Regional pastor for GCI

Trinitarian theology teaches us that God (Father, Son and Spirit) is “on mission” in the world and we are invited to participate! We participate as we actively engage with Jesus, by the Spirit, in

God Always Makes the First Move

Isaiah 65:24 says "I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"  And this is a statement from the same God who says earlier in the same passage that he had been reaching