The Boat Sanctuary
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Psalms 3:3
I was studying for a lesson in Mark
4:35-41. You probably recall the story of sleeping Jesus in a boat with His
disciples and a storm came up suddenly and He calmed the storm with His
command. So while doing some research on
the subject, I ran across an article that talked about cathedral architecture.
Just as I was going to click back because the search engine had pulled up
something I thought was totally unrelated, it caught my attention. The article said that churches during the
middle ages were constructed with a rectangular sanctuary with a curved ceiling
to remind their worshippers of the fact, that first century Christians in
hiding had their churches under large boats.
That the curved ceilings with the large columns represented the spars of
the boat, so it was an homage to those who had to resort to worship the Lord in
hiding for fear of persecution. Never saw that before!
Read more...
The Promise of Resurrection
John 3:13-25
the Temple in 3 days. An impossibility that the Jews realized and were quick to
point out to Jesus. There is no way you can
Read more...
Leaning and Learning
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The words of Jesus have always had an effect on people. Even the days before what is known of the printing of the Red Letter edition of the Bible (1899), the words of Jesus have been sought out for consideration, comfort, counsel, and even criticism.
In the passage printed, Jesus was speaking to persons from all walks of life who were in need. Yes, we should consider ourselves to be a people who are in dire straits and need. As I reflect, there are periods in our life where our needs are magnified.
Read more...
Jesus Wept
“Jesus wept.” John 11:35
This is commonly referred to as the shortest verse in the bible. For such a small verse, it certainly holds a lot of weight. At this point in the gospel of John, Jesus has just learned of the death of one of His closest friends, Lazarus. Lazurus’ sister Mary and some of the other Jews come out to meet Jesus, weeping. Jesus takes notice of this and “is deeply moved” (John 11:33). He then asks where Lazarus has been buried and is led to the tomb. Jesus, overcome with grief, weeps over the loss of His friend.
The beautiful thing about this verse is that it points directly to the humanity of Christ: fully human, fully God. As humans, we have the innate ability to experience a multitude of emotions – love, joy, peace, fear, pain, anger, etc. – and some even simultaneously. I take comfort in knowing that God, through His son Jesus, meets us in our sorrow and pain to offer comfort and healing. As followers of Christ, we can act as an extension of this unconditional love by joining with others in their sorrow (or joy).
What or Whom Do You See
Text: Luke 10:25-37
What or Whom Do You See
This is one of the best known stories that Jesus told; the
story of the Good Samaritan. It is definitely one of my favorite stories
because it helps us be reminded that Jesus does not see things from the same
viewpoint that you and I do. It also reminds me of Mister Rogers telling of how
his mother would remind him that in difficult times we are to look for those
who are doing good – the Good Samaritans.
Read more...
Respect
Read more...
Work For Me Today
Read more...