Men of the Morning Prayer Line

We’re all seeking something out of life: career or relationship fulfillment, identity, security, purpose, truth…the meaning of life. What are you seeking? The Christmas story recorded in the Bible highlights three original “seekers,” looking for something more. I’m referring to the three men from the East. Known as the Three Wise Men" they weren’t Christians or Jews, but they too were searching for meaning and truth.  God spoke to them through the heavens with the appearance of a new star. In a step of faith, they chose to follow that new star, which they believed signified the birth of a new king. Along the way, God used Scripture to point them to prophecies of the Messiah born in Bethlehem. So there they headed, seeking this foretold Messiah and future King. When they finally arrived, they found the answer to life in a little baby boy named Jesus. They believed that He was God, who had become a man in order to be our Savior. They found what every seeker needs—Jesus, the answer t...

Christmases come – Christmases go, but there are always those who miss out on experiencing the real meaning of Christmas.  It’s always been that way, since the and the first Christmas was no different. The Innkeeper : He was too busy –  a full hotel with so many customer needs.  He had no time or place in his inn for Jesus at Christmas.  (Gospel of Luke) Religious leaders : When the wise men came inquiring about the birth of a kingly Messiah, the religious leaders told Herod that God’s word pointed them towards Bethlehem.  Yet, they were so focused on staying close to worldly power that they didn’t take God’s Word seriously. They preferred to stay where they were rather than seek after this Messiah. They too, missed Jesus at Christmas.  (Gospel of Matthew) King Herod : He tried to eliminate Christmas before it even got off the ground – to remove Jesus from Christmas. Even today, there are people still seeking to use political power and influence for this sa...

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone…?" Job 38:4-6 The Creator, God, is speaking to a frustrated man named Job, pronounced Jobe, in this passage. Job was a good man, but he was experiencing some agonizing times and dared to question the sovereignty of the Lord. God is reminding Job of just Who is in charge. It's hardcore. Sometimes in our finite human minds, we may do the same thing, but when we step back from things, we should realize the God of the Universe is so much bigger than our understanding or even our thinking. At its core, this is a meditation on humility. Man wants to “know.” God made us so perfect. Scientists try to explain away creation but doing so creates more questions than answers. Many skeptics gravitate to the Big Bang Theory of creation; I wonder how they would respond if they wer...

Samuel L. Jackson is Jules Winnfield, a mobster in a tight spot. Jules and his partner Vincent Vega (John Travolta), have just pulled into the home of Jimmie (played by Tarantino himself) with a dead body in the car which they have to dispose of pronto. Under pressure from Jimmie to get out of there as fast as possible, Jules calls his mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) to apprise him of the situation and plead for backup. Wallace reassures him he'll be sending "the posse" in the form of "The Wolf" to help. Jules, obviously as relieved as he's ever been in his life, utters a line similar to this one, “Brother, That's All You Had To Say.” Roll with me here. What kind of faith pleases God? What constitutes a belief in God that receives His approval? These words of Jesus from Luke 7 rest in the middle of a story about a Roman centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant. A centurion going to this much trouble for a servant demonstrates great love for th...