Psalm 103:12 "…as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." Abounding grace! How far is the east from the west? It is hard to say. The east is not a place, but a direction. The west is also not a place, but a direction. To try to measure the distance between easternliness and westernliness is to approach … [Read more...] about As Far as East from West
Articles
Biblical Background of Solitude
What is the biblical background of solitude? In short: Jesus. Jesus often sought out solitude. As you can tell, Jesus's ministry is shot through with retreats to solitude. He seeks solitude frequently. He seeks solitude at crucial moments. He seeks solitude despite the craziness, because of the craziness. He seeks solitude for short stents. He seeks solitude … [Read more...] about Biblical Background of Solitude
Good News Retold
I love this good news (i.e., Gospel) retelling from Speak Life: This video provides a 90-second summary of the good news about Jesus, and the summary is insightful. How do you capture the joy of the Trinity and the beauty of original creation before sin? How about "light" and "life" and "love"? Light = Truth, God's ways. Life = Literally aliveness and true … [Read more...] about Good News Retold
Literal Metaphors
One of my favorite poems is "Birches" by Robert Frost: "When I see birches bend to left and rightAcross the lines of straighter darker trees,I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stayAs ice-storms do…"1 Frost imagines the weeping birches as the result of some boy's play. But he knows better. Fun-loving boys, swinging on … [Read more...] about Literal Metaphors
What Heaven Means
When we say "heaven," what do we mean? J.I. Packer, in Growing in Christ, writes: "Heaven" in the Bible means three things: (1)The endless, self-sustaining life of God. In this sense, God always dwelt "in heaven," even when there was no earth. (2) The state of angels or men as they share the life of God, whether in foretaste now or in fullness hereafter. In this sense, … [Read more...] about What Heaven Means