There is a fork in the road of life. There is a sign by the side of the road that bends to the left. It says, Follow this road and you can be anything you want to be. It is a big, wide road that has obviously seen lots of traffic. You imagine that onContinue reading “The Fork In The Road”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Seeing Ourselves Correctly
It wouldn’t be impossible to feel compassion for Haman (he was, after all, someone’s son), but you’d have to work at it. The portrait painted of him in Esther is of someone who long ago said goodbye to any attempt to be a decent human being. In place of that is a dark, foreboding, destructiveContinue reading “Seeing Ourselves Correctly”
The Heavy Heart Of Hate
While we might be challenged in several ways to understand and appreciate the significant differences between Esther’s world in the 5th century BC and ours today, Haman presents no such problem. That’s because unfortunately, there’s nothing new or novel about hate. When I speak of hate, I’m not referring to the label some are soContinue reading “The Heavy Heart Of Hate”
Less Than Paradise
The Book of Esther is a head turner. It’s about a Jewish woman (Esther), who parlays a place in the king’s harem into becoming queen of Persia. And oh yes, her cousin (Mordecai—who is her surrogate father), encourages and helps her to accomplish this. Sounds like the latest from Netflix or Hulu, doesn’t it? ButContinue reading “Less Than Paradise”
Esther
Less Than Paradise (background) The Heavy Heart Of Hate (3) Putting Ourselves In The Place Of Power (4) Seeing Ourselves Correctly (6) Remembering Who We Are (8)
Shine Jesus Shine!
The background of Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world is the Feast of the Tabernacles (John 7:2,37; Leviticus 23:33-43). During this feast, not only did the Israelites live in booths/shelters for seven days as commanded, but the Levites built huge menorahs which they placed in the temple courtyard to illuminate the eveningContinue reading “Shine Jesus Shine!”
The “No” That Is A “Yes!”
In Titus 2:11-14, Paul is discussing the grace of God that has appeared and offers salvation to all. Of course, it has “appeared” in the person and work of Jesus Christ. His appearance changed history, it split time in two, and it continues to transform the world one person at a time. But not onlyContinue reading “The “No” That Is A “Yes!””
Hand Grenades, Barbeque, And Frontier Law
Both believers and non-believers are capable of hurling what the Scripture says like hand grenades at the expense of failing to pursue the deeper, more primary issue of what the Scripture means by what it says. This predictably produces more heat than light and in turn results in more factionalizing than uniting. Interestingly, the Scripture zeroes in on thisContinue reading “Hand Grenades, Barbeque, And Frontier Law”
“Go Tell John”
Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me. (Luke 7:23). Have you ever wondered how John took these words from Jesus? I have. The message from Jesus came to him some time after he had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas. Antipas was part of the Herodian dynasty. The Herodians embodied Lord Acton’s adageContinue reading ““Go Tell John””
God’s Will And Circumstances
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel are concerned with David’s ascension to the throne of Israel. The writer wants Israel to know that the great king, the man after God’s heart, didn’t come into power through coercion, duplicity, or coup. He waited on God. He put his trust in Yahweh to bring him to the throne when the timeContinue reading “God’s Will And Circumstances”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 