Darkened Glass Reflections
Living today with an eye on eternity
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Parkland, FL School Shooting: An Opportunity for American Soul-Searching?
A shooting at a Florida high school on Ash Wednesday/Valentine’s Day 2018 provides an opportunity for national soul-searching. I share a few questions and random thoughts about this subject.
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Transfiguration, Glorification, and the Christian Life
Perhaps the great lesson of Lent is that we miss out as we continue to devote our time, resources, and energy to trivial things, when God is eager to pour out His blessings upon us and conform us to His likeness. We are His children: may we come to look more like Him as we…
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Renewal of the Mind by the Holy Spirit
Before a disciple follows Christ, he is conformed to this world. He clings to worldly ideas about human nature, God, the universe, right and wrong, relationships, and virtually everything else that matters. A significant part of spiritual growth is renewal of the mind, as the Holy Spirit changes your thoughts and perspective. This leads to…
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Walking in the Light of the World: II. Filled with the Holy Spirit
God is relational. He does not merely give us a list of tasks and obligations, demanding that we do our job right. He draws us into relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. A major element of that relationship is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We cannot walk in the…
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Walking in the Light of the World: I. Time and Wisdom
Ephesians 5:6–14 tells us that we can expose the deeds of darkness by walking as children of light. Ephesians 5:15–20 gives us several priorities for walking in the light. The former passage tells us what happens when we reflect the light of Christ to a dark world; the latter tells us a few ways to…
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Light of the World: Exposing the Deeds of Darkness
All of these forms of “Christian advertising” are great ways to begin a conversation about the Gospel and what Jesus has done in one’s life. However, when there is a conflict between our bumper stickers or Facebook statuses and our lifestyles, the answer is not to hide the light. The answer is to tap more…
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A Prayer Acknowledging Jesus as the Light of the World
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and…
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Reflecting the Light of the World
Jesus is the Word that became flesh to reveal God to us. He is the light of the world, so that we may see. Also, He is life so that we may live. His life is the light of men. His light, His life, and His love guide our steps. We cannot see the path…
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Wise Men and Wisdom
The flaw of worldly wisdom and common sense is that it focuses on everything that happens “under the sun” and does not recognize its source and focus in God Himself. The pleasures, passions, and purposes we often seek are temporary; a focus on God Himself is eternal.
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The Blood and the Name of Jesus
On the eighth day since the birth of Jesus, we commemorate the circumcision of Christ, at which time He was formally given the name “Jesus.” On the eighth day, Jewish boys would be circumcised (Leviticus 12:3), and it is during this ceremony that the baby received his name. One can essentially say that Jesus shed…
Darkened Glass Reflections 