Matthew 4:17
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

It’s interesting that the first message Jesus ever preached during His earthly ministry was about repentance. It was a sharp message, not the kind of topic you would want to talk about if you want to win friends and build a winsome reputation.

If you really think about it, preaching repentance can be offensive. It is built around the assumption that the people you are talking to are sinful people. Nobody wants to be thought of as sinful. We humans love to give the impression that we are good, at least to a certain extent. And even if we know fully well that whatever good is in us cannot offset our internal corruption, we still hope that people would just overlook our faults and focus on our merits. When we meet someone who insinuates that we are bad, we avoid that person. [Read more...]

Luke 2:52
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

From the time that the boy Jesus was found in the temple courts talking to the doctors of the Law up to the time when He started His public ministry, this is the only summary of His life. This is the period when He entered the awkward adolescent phase and moved towards adulthood.

I marvel.

Jesus’ adolescence is the purest that I’ve ever known; a far cry from the drinking binges and sowing of wild oats and irresponsible years we are all familiar with.

The Lord must have a soft spot for runaway people. From Hagar to Jacob to Elijah and Onesimus, God seem to specialize in meeting runaways on their flight. Are you running away from something in your past? Take heart, you are never too far from the reach of the mercy of God. Is a loved one running away from you? Be encouraged, the Lord is on His way to meet him.