Ezra: The Sovereign God Over the Hearts of Men

Last week, we left off in a bad spot.  The Israelites had been carried off into exile.  Their city had been burned.  Their temple was ransacked and destroyed.  Their leaders were murdered and their king was in prison.  Their freedom was taken.  For seventy years they lived as slaves.  And a question was left lingering.  Is there any hope for God’s people?  That’s the question we will be asking every week and we’ll be seeing a fuller and fuller answer every week.

The King did WHAT!?

Read Ezra 1

                Does King Cyrus not strike you as crazy?  The Israelites are his slaves.  He owes them nothing and they are in a position where they owe him everything.  What does he do with them?  He frees them!  Even if that was all he did, it would be above and beyond what anyone would expect.  He is giving up over 50,000 slaves!  What a guy!

Feature Friday: Secret Santa gives away $20,000

Did you hear about the real life Secret Santa?  On Tuesday of this week, a man who wished to remain anonymous handed out $100 bills to complete strangers.  He passed out money on bus stops, in laundromats, and all over town in Reading, Pennsylvania.  He said he got a lot of joy from being able to help people and he encouraged the people he helped to do something kind for someone else this Christmas season.  When it was all said and done, he had given away $20,000!  You can read more about it Here. 

What a great modern day Santa.  Do you know the story of the original Santa?  No, I'm not talking about the jolly guy from the North Pole who flies around in a magic sled pulled by mystical reindeer.  I'm talking about the man behind the legend, Saint Nicholas.  Have you heard his story?

Theology Thursday: Why do bad things happen to good people? Part 1

As a pastor, I get this one a lot.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Its a tough question to answer for two reasons.  First, its an incredibly big topic with much more than just one quick answer.  It will take time to answer it in full.  That's why I've decided to make this a series.  This will just be the first piece to my answer and, if you'd like to hear more, you can vote on this topic again in the future (vote on the right side of the screen).

Second, this question is not asked when everything is great and we are happy with life.  People usually ask this question in the midst of tragedy.  The grief, pain, and sadness that go along with this question often make us angry.  All of those things put together make this a difficult discussion.  So let me start by saying, I'm sorry if that's you right now.  I hope and pray that God comforts you in your time of need.  I assure you that God is good and I urge you to let this difficult time cause you to rely on God more rather than turning from Him in anger and unbelief.

Is there hope for God's people?

The Ezra Project

As part of my studies at the Moody Theological Seminary, I have been doing an in depth literary study through the book of Ezra.  I’ve learned a lot and been convicted by God’s Word through this study.  As a result of that work, I’d like to share what I’ve gleaned with you.  Would you join me over the next five Tuesdays on this study?   You’ll be able to choose the depth of your involvement, but the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.  I’ll give you reading assignments, study questions, and homework that will help you apply the book of Ezra to your life.  Its up to you how deep you want to go.  If you choose to study along with me, please let me know in the comment section of the blog and please share what you are learning and any questions you have.  I look forward to doing this study with you!

Rest to the Glory of God

Do you remember the stories of the mighty prophet Elijah?  He's the man who prayed that God would hold back the rain and God withheld rain for three and a half years.  Then he prayed again and it rained.  He's the guy who outran a chariot drawn by horses.  He's the one who didn't just die like the rest of us, but was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot!  He's also most often remembered for standing up all alone against the many prophets of Baal and defeating them in a worship contest.

But do you know the story of his depression?  Elijah had been serving God hard.  All day, every day, he was going all out for God.  He preached to a people who didn't want to listen.  He rebuked a people who grew angry instead of repenting.  Every day he lived among a people confused by idols.  After his victory against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the evil queen Jezebel ordered him hunted down.  As if Elijah didn't have enough problems, he is now running for his life.  He is burned out, exhausted, hopeless, and afraid.  The prophet was depressed.

The Lesson of the Seat Hogger

Normally, I put up Feature Friday blogs about a recent movie, song, or news article.  But since the big talk of the town is the new Twilight movie and I can't stand them enough to write about them in length, I'll be sharing something I saw in real life this week. 

So I was riding on the train this Wednesday when I saw this.  Notice anything wrong here?  There were a lot of people standing who had no seat, including an older woman not shown in the picture.  The seat in front of me, as you can see, was occupied by two plastic bags.  A few people who got on the train would actually look right at the seat, then at the guy next to them, and back at the seat.  But the guy sitting there looked the other way every time.

Theology Thursday: Darwin, Evolution, and the Bible

What is evolution?  Does the Bible disagree with evolution?  Has evolution been proven a fact?  These are some questions I intend to answer.  Answering these questions could take up volumes, so I will not be able to address every little detail.  I will try to summarize but this is going to be a lot of info.