GraceWaves Articles

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” Philippians 3:10 This article is not about heaven. That’s not what I mean by “the other side.” I have in mind what a friend said to me about a particularly difficult time she was going through. With a heavy sigh she said, “I just want to get to the other side of this.” We all understand that sigh and sentiment. In the middle of a stormy blast we long to get to the safety of the shore.

“These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:25-26 Jesus spoke these words the night He was betrayed. The next day He would die on the cross. He knew it, and so did His disciples. These stunned and bewildered men felt their hope dying within them. The Gospel of John provides unique insight into those tremulous hours, recording Jesus’ efforts to teach

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” Rev. 21:1 John did not live to see the literal fulfillment of this great promise, but he did seem possessed of a vision that sustained him even on a rocky island of exile called Patmos. The other prisoners on that island saw misery and isolation. The aging disciple saw an unconquerable God who would make all things right. Faith gave him new sight. I like Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s line: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every bush afire with God.” The daily challenge for every Christian is to see what other

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26 One day when I was a student in New Orleans, I went to my seminar on early Christian preaching led by one of my favorite professors, Dr. Gene Hall. The seminars usually consisted of someone’s presenting a paper or book review and the rest of us discussing the subject, but that day Dr. Hall began by asking us to take out a half sheet of paper.

“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds.” 2 Timothy 4:14 One of last month’s GraceWaves was “Dealing with Difficult People.” The main points of that effort were that you cannot be surprised when people act according to their lower natures, and you don’t need to give up on anyone. I want to revisit the topic this week because I sense people struggle mightily in this area and need some practical support. Let’s use Paul and his experience with Alexander the coppersmith as an example. First, remember that all people are like

“And hope does not disappoint us because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 Christians are people of hope, and this hope is not just an insurance policy you cash in at the end of life. Hope is the spiritual oxygen enabling us moment by moment to bring a positive witness to a hopeless, hurting world. You must let hope take hold of you. This soaring, tenacious hope is the direct result of God’s love that has been poured into your heart through the very

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 Self-fulfillment? Or self-denial? Which characterizes you? No self-respecting Christian would claim the former, for we all know we are supposed to deny self. The scripture this week, however, alerts us to a potentially lethal spiritual problem. Our self-fulfillment desire may be so deeply ingrained that we are not even aware of it. Thus any pretense to self-denial is simply another rationalization, only this one is in religious garb. I came of age in the 1970’s, and have since been able to reflect on the

“Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Psalm 139:23 Early morning racquetball was a staple of my daily routine for the six years I was in Houma, La. Every day, 6-8 of us would gather, play the game, review news of the day, and generally celebrate the grandeur of the y-chromosome. Occasionally the topics would veer into theology, and as that area of the country was well-represented by Catholics these conversations proved to be a time of mutual enlightenment and occasional ribbing. One such occasion was at the beginning of Lent. A close friend of mine, a deacon in

“Our citizenship is in heaven.” Philippians 3:20 “I have learned to be content wherever I am.” Philippians 4:11 Coming back from a trip to Colorado one time, I overheard two men on the plane discussing their own return to home and work. They spoke with long sighs. Neither wanted to return home and to the routine of daily life. I am sure these men had good families and looked forward to seeing them. I would imagine they both had jobs that provided some measure of security, and careers they had both worked for. So why the sad tone? Was the

“But Jesus did not trust Himself to them . . . for He Himself knew what was in man.” John 2:24-25 These words come after Jesus’ first visit to Jerusalem for the Passover. After performing some signs (John’s word for miracles) some people believed in Jesus, but apparently their faith was based solely on the signs and not on the person. In return for this shallow faith, Jesus literally did not have faith (this is the Greek word behind the translation “trust”) in them. In other words, Jesus knew people could be shallow and fickle. He was not surprised when

“As each has received a gift, employ it for one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:10-11. This lovely passage distills three great biblical themes. First, you are gifted. Everyone reading these words has a gift from God. You have received a gift. When the topic is “gifts of the Spirit” we usually either become too rigid and treat them like a spiritual MMPI, or we become too literal and assume that the New Testament writers covered every possible gift (we find at least three

“Cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 Let me begin by saying that if none of the following three paragraphs connect with you, then you are perfectly fine, a good Christian, and 1 Peter 5:7 will be eternally accessible and meaningful. The verse stands nicely on its own. When you are anxious, God assures you that He will take to Himself your fears because of His great love for you. You can stop right here and be encouraged! However, I have been thinking for a few days about the significance of the verb

“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.” Jeremiah 29:5 The people Jeremiah preached to were in exile in Babylon, a dark and difficult time. Jeremiah’s message was not one of sunny hope, but sober challenge. He said, “Build houses and plant gardens.” The people must have wondered, “What does he mean build houses and plant gardens? You only do that if you are going to be in one place for a long time. I can’t stay here! I want things the way they used to be! What’s the point of building houses and planting gardens

“By His great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter. 1:3-4 Remember when we got three channels, and they were all in black and white? With all the technology and instantly available real-time information today, it’s inconceivable to present generations that we grew up in such deprivation. I recalled those fuzzy, rabbit-ear days recently when explaining to my son how I used to watch Kentucky basketball games. Home games were seldom

“And I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 This wonderful verse assures us that God continually works in our lives. Like a diamond in the rough, God chips away and polishes everything that prevents us from shining for Him. Paul’s confidence should be our confidence. I know that God is working in my life. You should be confident too. But someone understandably will ask, “why is it taking so long?” Cannot God simply make us whole now? Wouldn’t we cause a lot