Yeah, that title should get your attention… We’re coming to the conclusion of our series on the seven sermons to the seven churches of Revelation and it seems that Jesus has actually saved the worst for last. If we thought things were bad in Sardis, a church that had the “name of being alive” but …
Laodicea and the Kind of Church That Makes Jesus Puke Continue Reading »
If you’ve visited Philadelphia, PA, you know that it’s famous as the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence, the home of the Liberty Bell, and the best cheesesteaks on the planet. It’s also a rival to the city on the other side of the state, which is why Pittsburghers and Philadelphians are often at odds …
Philadelphia: The Church of Brotherly Love Continue Reading »
One of the things drilled into young infantry officers is the ability to instantly analyze a plot of terrain and its tactical strengths and weaknesses. Like most things with the military, that analysis involves an acronym; in this case, it’s a soft-drink sounding one–OCOKA–which addresses the five features to evaluate when looking at any piece …
One of the required series of courses at Asbury Theological Seminary centers on Robert Traina’s method of Inductive Bible Study as a way of breaking down a particular text and mining the author’s original intent. Inductive Bible Study (“IBS” or, as we called it, “EB” for English Bible) involves looking at the original language alongside …
As we continue our sermon series looking at the seven sermons to the churches of Revelation, Jesus’ word to the church at Pergamum stands out as one in which there’s a lot of information packed into a few verses. Understanding some of the context will be helpful as you prepare for this week’s message. Pergamum, …
Ah, 2022–the year that things return to some semblance of normal, yes? Well, no. After two years of riding the pandemic roller coaster, it’s pretty clear that things have been permanently altered. As Doc Holliday says to Wyatt Earp at the end of Tombstone, one of my favorite movies of all time: “There is no normal …
Part VII of “The End of the World as We Know It: The Book of Revelation” Revelation 21-22 As most of you know, I served a wonderful seven years at Park City Community United Methodist Church in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah, before coming to Tri-Lakes. Park City is a place where …
Part VI of “The End of the World as We Know It: The Book of Revelation” Revelation 16; Matthew 3:1-10 When you join the United Methodist Church, you are asked a series of questions in the baptismal liturgy like, “Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and …
Part V of “The End of the World as We Know It: The Book of Revelation” Revelation 12-13 I was browsing the web this week looking at some books when I came across a web site titled “Books by the Foot.” For a bibliophile, that sounds like the way to buy books—by volume! When I …
Part IV of “The End of the World as We Know It:” The Book of Revelation People suddenly disappearing, infrastructure collapsing, wailing people wondering what happened to their loved ones and why they’ve been left behind, apocalyptic signs in the heavens, antichrists running amok. These are just a few of images from the popular “Left …
Part III of the series “The End of the World as We Know It: The Book of Revelation.” Revelation 4-7 Recently, Jennifer and I have been working on our estate plan—you know, the plan where you generate a legal document that decides where all your assets will go when you die. So, the last couple …
Part II of the series “The End of the World as We Know It: The Book of Revelation.” Revelation 2:1-3:22 Ephesus is one of the most amazing places in the world and is on my top ten of places I’ve enjoyed visiting. In terms of archaeological sites, Ephesus is a treasure trove of Greco-Roman culture, …
What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches Continue Reading »
Part I of the series “The End of the World as We Know It: The Book of Revelation” Well, it’s the beginning of a new year. If you’ve been paying attention over the last week or so to the myriad “year in review” shows and articles that always come out this time of year, it …
Revelation 21:1-6 One of the more interesting books I've read in the past couple of years is one titled, Your Flying Car Awaits: Robot Butlers, Lunar Vacations, and Other Dead Wrong Predictions of the 20thCentury, written by Paul Milo. It’s a look at some of the technologies and lifestyle changes that people from about 1900 …
Revelation: Back to the Future (Surprised By Hope – Part 5) Continue Reading »