A Bondservant's Musings

(Earlier today I shared this tribute for my dear friend and brother in Christ, Mark Archibald, at his memorial service. Mark went home to his Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, 8 days ago.) On a cool March Saturday years ago I struck up a conversation with another dad as we watched our sons practice soccer in the forest preserve in north Hoffman Estates. It turned out to be a conversation that would carry on for 18-1/2 years with one of the best friends I will ever have. Given that Mark, my dear friend and brother in Christ, stepped into eternity as his earthly life ended last Friday night after a 2-1/2 year battle with mantle cell lymphoma -- yes, cancer -- I cannot confirm this part of the account with him, but knowing Mark it is more likely he started the conversation. Mark was wearing a Mizzou sweatshirt; I was wearing a Wisconsin sweatshirt. Both of us representing the alma mater. We started talking college hoops, the first of many such conversations over the years that woul...

After a 4-year battle with prostate cancer, my father-in-law, Larry's earthly life came to an end this past Thursday. The sense of loss I have at his death is overshadowed by the emotion I feel for my mother-in-law as she goes on without her husband of 50+ years and for my bride, Kim, as she was there this past week as her dad faded away. Kim and I visited her parents this summer to minister however we could and perhaps say goodbye to her dad. We talked of his assurance of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and prayed for him and my mother-in-law. We hugged and gave each other a holy kiss. That was the last time I would see my father-in-law. He is now home in the presence of his Lord, Jesus. Hallelujah! As his earthly life was coming to an end, I started thinking of what I would say about him, how I could honor him. This is an attempt at that. Here are several reasons I loved my father-in-law: • He thought the best of and believed greatly in his fi...

The Beginning - Worship My wife, Kim, and I had the privilege and blessing of leading a short-term missions team to Colombia last month with Revealing Hope Ministries . This trip was our second missions trip overall but our first with Revealing Hope and our first to Colombia. (I should mention that this is the second year I have served on the Revealing Hope Board of Directors ). This is my attempt to evaluate the experience, to reflect on the trip, what I saw and what God is teaching me. Two of our team members – my wife, Kim, ( Colombia Mission Trip 2012 ) and Scott Lewis ( Puerto Caldas, Mansome & Ecclesiastes ), a long-time accountability partner – have already written about the trip. I will do my best not to repeat what they have written and to make this personal. Preparation Our go team of six met three times in preparation for this trip. We worked through materials that Pete Stanke, the Executive Director of Revealing Hope, put together. We prayed together. We talked...

"Busy week." How many times each week do you hear that? How many times does that response come from a Christian brother or sister. I declare "busy" as the latest buzz-word. Not buzz-word as in those consultant-speak words that seem kind of cool and new when you first hear them, then lame when you start hearing them from seemingly everyone and then make you feel lame when you find yourself using it. No, what I mean here is buzz-word as in a game show buzzer meaning "wrong answer." I don't even want to argue with you or anyone else about whether you or they are truly busy. As a close friend of mine says, "Do you really want to compare calendars?" Rather let me suggest that we all need to open our eyes and ears to this default "busy" answer. I mean, what is it? Is it a badge of honor? Is it an expectation? Is it somehow a sin to not be able to answer "busy" when asked how I or how my week is going/was? You know, I am just...

In this third post about the various responses to the birth of Jesus, I turn to the wise men from the east who traveled for days to see this king who was to be born in Bethlehem. We find the account of their response in Matthew 2:1-12. From those verses, we know the wise men responded in the following ways to Jesus' birth: Sought Him "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2a) Went to worship Him "For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2b) Rejoiced as they were led to Him When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  (Matthew 2:10) Now that is a lot of joy! And they had yet to meet Jesus. But they had great anticipation as they went to see the King. Fell down before Him And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down (Matthew 2:11a) Think about it. These wise men encounter Jesus as a baby and humble themselves by falling before Him. Worsh...