During this sacred season we are reminded in Scripture of the great sacrifice God provided to save the world. In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites a ritual in Leviticus 16 that would symbolize His salvation. The priest would select scapegoat, impart all the sins of the nation onto the goat, and drive theContinue reading “It’s Friday…The Divine Scapegoat”
Author Archives: Vic Alvarado
It’s Friday…But There’s More
Keeping the faith, thriving in our relationship with God is constantly being threatened by distractions to compromise. The people of Israel knew this battle well. As God’s chosen people, they allowed their faith to be watered down. Many had turned to idols; others had simply turned to a lifestyle of apathy. And for that, theyContinue reading “It’s Friday…But There’s More”
It’s Friday…Compassion is Yours
God loves to save! He really does. And yes, there seems to be tension in Scripture between what we deserve and what God gives. On one end of the spectrum, there’s an overwhelming sense of judgment from crimes against the holiness of God. On the other end of the spectrum, there is an overwhelming senseContinue reading “It’s Friday…Compassion is Yours”
It’s Friday…A Holy Hostility
Fat Tuesday has passed. Ash Wednesday – for many marked another season of self-discipline and restraint against sin. But sinning against who? The “god” of popular mythology is so loving and compassionate that he (sometimes “she”) never rebukes anyone for sin. In fact, there is very little, if anything, he might even consider “sin.” He’sContinue reading “It’s Friday…A Holy Hostility”
It’s Friday…Time To Get Dressed
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Love is in the air, as they say. And is there any more emotionally satisfying portrait than a bride beautifully dressed for her groom? The gorgeous bride, dressed in splendor, radiantly smiling; and the groom, thrilled beyond description, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest with delight. It’sContinue reading “It’s Friday…Time To Get Dressed”
It’s Friday…Out of Balance
“It’s a conspiracy.” That was the assessment of a paranoid priest warning a corrupt king of a prophet’s declaration of God’s plans for Israel. When the prophet Amos told the Truth of God, he was considered a troublemaker, a disturber of the national peace, a mudslinger void of constructive criticism. (Things haven’t changed much, haveContinue reading “It’s Friday…Out of Balance”
It’s Friday…God Clearly Disagrees
Human beings – all of us – suffer, in some form, from an identity crisis. We don’t fully know who we are, what we are created to do, or how we are meant to go about it. We learn to make assumptions about those questions over time, as every culture and every family develops someContinue reading “It’s Friday…God Clearly Disagrees”
It’s Friday…It’s Good to be Stumpy
I like stumps. Stumps serve their purpose in the landscape of life. But not many people aspire to be a stump, but according to Isaiah the prophet, it’s a holy calling. “…as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” (IsaiahContinue reading “It’s Friday…It’s Good to be Stumpy”
It’s Friday…Don’t Let Yourself Rest
Many followers of Jesus approach their faith in Him casually. It’s more like a self-improvement endeavor – great to do, but not particularly urgent or intense. In fact, many believers are quite content with their casual relationship with God. It sufficiently sustains them. That’s one of the influences of our culture. The world supports thoseContinue reading “It’s Friday…Don’t Let Yourself Rest”
It’s Friday…The Beginning of Beauty and Peace
It’s a New Year. Even so, it is obvious that we live in a world in pain. Many people are being wounded deeply. Others are wondering if their scars from last year, or longer, will ever fade. Life is tough, especially for those who don’t know the Source of life and don’t know how theirContinue reading “It’s Friday…The Beginning of Beauty and Peace”
Vic Alvarado 