Daily Reading
April 14, 2025
One last thought as we sweep away some of the clutter about holiness.I don’t remember the issue my friend and I were talking about — it had something to do with Christianity — but I do remember my friend’s response: “Gosh, I’m not really sure,” he sa...
Daily Reading
April 13, 2025
How does God shape our character? We hate the answer but we know it to be true: affliction. If you say that God does not intend to use affliction, then what in your mind does he then use? Joy does wonderful things for our souls—it soothes, and stren...
Daily Reading
April 12, 2025
Picture in your mind’s eye an image of a great warrior, a renowned champion, returning home from far-off lands. His fame has long preceded him, and now the reports of his feats are confirmed by the scars he bears, the remembrance of wounds more noble...
Daily Reading
April 11, 2025
The child-heart wants to know, “Will there be animals in heaven?” and the calloused grown-up heart dismisses the question as theologically unworthy. May I point out that the whole debate ends when you realize that heaven comes to earth; our home is r...
Daily Reading
April 10, 2025
The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. "All men die; few men ever really live." Sure, you can create a safe life for yourself ... and end your days in a rest home babbling on about some forgotten misfortune. I...
Daily Reading
April 8, 2025
Jesus of Nazareth was sentenced to death by a vain puppet of the Roman government acting as district governor of Jerusalem. He was nailed to a cross by a handful of Roman soldiers who happened to be on duty, and left there to die. He died sometime ar...
Daily Reading
April 7, 2025
Your suffering is neither pointless nor isolated. Somehow, Jesus’ sufferings overflow into our lives; somehow ours are linked to his. This is a great honor. It grants our sorrows an incredible dignity; it invites us to know an intimacy and connection...
Daily Reading
April 6, 2025
Ignoring reality does not breed joy. Pretending that what is true does not exist is not holy defiance. The seeds of joy can only be firmly planted in the pungent soil of the here and now while at the same time being tethered to eternity. Joy is fully...
Daily Reading
April 5, 2025
Remember, when Jesus boiled his whole mission down to healing the brokenhearted and setting prisoners free from darkness, he was referring to all of us. Our modern, scientific, Enlightenment worldview has simply removed spiritual warfare as a practic...
Daily Reading
April 4, 2025
I think if we could recover a vision of what holiness actually is, we would be absolutely captured by it. I think we would see it as not only completely desirable, but attainable as well. King David was a man who knew well his character flaws, felt t...
Daily Reading
April 3, 2025
When God begins to shine his light on some issue in my life, be it internal or some issue taking place around me, I often have a hunch where things might be leading. You know what I mean — I see Christians do this all the time. We get a glimpse of wh...
Daily Reading
April 2, 2025
Our beloved family dog is dying. But I’m not going to drag you through that tragedy; I want to share something gracious I’m learning through it.Only yesterday our vet told us that our sweet golden retriever is very ill, and tonight we’re supposed to ...
Daily Reading
April 1, 2025
Think of consecration as “aligning” and “enforcing” — aligning yourself, or the subject in question, with Jesus and all the laws of his kingdom, then enforcing his rule and those laws over the matter in question. The first steps, which we have covere...
Daily Reading
March 30, 2025
Compare the shriveled life held up as a model of Christian maturity with the life revealed in the book of Psalms:You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (16:11...
Daily Reading
March 29, 2025
You have been ransomed by Christ. Your treachery is forgiven. You are entirely pardoned for every wrong thought and desire and deed. This is what the vast majority of Christians understand as the central work of Christ for us. And make no mistake abo...
Daily Reading
March 28, 2025
We can have joy, because we can know God’s strength in our weakness. Because God’s mercies are new every morning. Because as we walk through this valley of this shadow of death, we are never abandoned or alone. Our God goes before us, and He is behin...
Daily Reading
March 27, 2025
You are going to have to come to terms with the partial nature of this life. Have you come to terms yet with the partial?Are you able to hold on to your faith when only some prayers are answered?It takes genuine maturity.Most people don’t even try to...
Daily Reading
March 26, 2025
The battle of desire is not something that just takes place within us or even between us. It is also taking place against us, all the time. Our desire is under nearly constant attack. “We come into the world longing,” says Gil Bailie, “for we know no...
Daily Reading
March 25, 2025
Now — to find God, I have to look where God is. This might help folks who report that God “seems distant,” or as a friend recently commented (with a touch of cynicism), “He doesn’t seem to come around much.” If I want to find a hawk I look up in the ...
Daily Reading
March 24, 2025
The way to render a man happy, is to engage him with an object that will make him forget his private troubles. — PascalDon't be fooled by the apparent innocence of the object you've chosen as an idol; what is the function of it? Most of our idols als...
Daily Reading
March 23, 2025
I was reading the prophet Jeremiah a few weeks ago when I ran across a passage that referred to God as "the Lord Almighty." To be honest, it didn't resonate. There's something too religious about the phrase; it sounds churchy, sanctimonious. The Lawd...
Daily Reading
March 22, 2025
I think everyone prays at some point in their life, even if they’re not sure someone is listening. And I’ll bet that one of the most common prayers goes something like, Lord help me; give me strength.I really like that prayer. It has a genuine humili...
Daily Reading
March 21, 2025
Years ago some kind soul sent me a book on the devil. It was rather dated, from the 1960s I believe, complete with little caricature drawings of Satan as our adversary. I’m ashamed to admit my first thought was, I know plenty about spiritual warfare;...
Daily Reading
March 20, 2025
Spiritual warfare often tries to work like a computer virus — it loves to transfer around to as many people as it can, infecting whole households or even churches. You can witness this with great clarity when you are standing outside of it. You will ...
Daily Reading
March 19, 2025
You can tell a lot about a person by his effect on others. What is Jesus like to be around? What is the aftertaste he leaves in your mouth? Is this someone you’d want to take a long car ride with? We saw Zacchaeus’ reaction. Here are two more, from p...
Daily Reading
March 18, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!To be a human being is to be stained glass—beautiful in our brokenness, but a collection of many parts nonetheless. Someone once wrote, “You are every age you have e...
Daily Reading
March 17, 2025
Written centuries ago by St. Patrick, this is a profound and simple prayer for protection. We find ourselves returning to again and again:I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity. Through belief in the threeness, Through...
Daily Reading
March 16, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!Jesus sustains all creation by the mighty power of his command. Obviously, or Satan would have torn all creation to pieces long ago. Jesus—through whom all things we...
Daily Reading
March 15, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!We are seeking refuge as ordinary mystics growing into mature mystics who recognize that the refuge of God is dynamic and requires our participation—as when we conse...
Daily Reading
March 14, 2025
John's new book, Experience Jesus. Really., is available now – order your copy today!In Deuteronomy and in Hebrews we are reminded that our God is a jealous God, a consuming fire:Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made...