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“Worship the LORD in holy attire.” Psalm 96:9 NASB In Scripture, holy attire meant linen. Priestly garments were made from linen. God knew what He was doing because nothing outperforms linen when it comes to strength, luster, and durability. Stain resistant, linen gets softer with each washing and handles moisture well. Linen also: Filters chemical exposure,…

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 NIV Disciplined. Usually a word that describes me. However, as I get older, I’m fighting the flesh more. The temptation to indulge myself grows stronger and stronger. To…

Altars. For the modern believer, the altar represents a place of surrender, perhaps of petition, intercession, or a step of faith. For biblical characters, the altar meant sacrifice. And sacrifice meant death. Death and bloodshed. When Abraham and Isaac climbed Mount Moriah, it wasn’t for prayer. It wasn’t to rededicate their lives. It was to…

From the 26th floor of the office building, I gazed at the DFW skyline. A patchwork quilt of prairie and urban sprawl covered the ground below. The dusky sky deepened to indigo and the lights of the city switched on like a Lite-Brite board. Neon signs, office buildings with after-hour workers, skyscrapers outlined in yellow highlighting. The…

My children tended to learn one of two ways: by example—or the hard way. God prefers we learn by example. “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” 1 Cor. 10:11 NIV God’s filled Scripture with good and bad examples: Job’s…

One of my children has the gift of sarcasm. It’s all in fun, of course. Not. I have the same skill set, though I keep my comments to myself.  Entertaining such thoughts is damaging. A negative focus comes all too easily and before I know it, I’m stewing. Agitated. My hackles go up and I’m…

“And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.” Matthew 11:6 NASB Isolated. In prison. For doing the right thing. The hope of the coming Messiah had blazed like a torch as John the Baptist called Israel to repentance. One is coming whose sandals I’m not worthy to untie. I baptize with water. He…

Mary held the bottle with trembling hands. She’d planned this for weeks. Martha saw her, smiled, and nodded. Deep voices bantered over sweet figs and salty cheese. Mary slipped into the room and knelt behind Jesus. The men reclining at the table gave her little more than a nod. Until she broke the flask. The…

Flocks of lambs frolic, bleat, and bleed their way through Scripture. Old Testament fathers paint the doorframes with the blood of the first Passover lambs. Priests butcher lambs, following Moses’ instructions to the letter for sacrificial atonement. Fast forward to the New Testament. A roughly clad figure in need of a haircut points a grubby…

I love movie trailers, and as a writer, I know good ones use foreshadowing. God mastered the art of foreshadowing long ago. Let’s look at the preview of thorns He gave us in Genesis: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will…