All Scripture demands self-reflection of some sort. We often face biblical truth with the question of how it relates to us or what we must believe, do, or change. This week I faced a section of Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy that demanded a...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
If you read through Paul's two letters to Timothy, you quickly gain the impression that the fight of ideologies in and around the Ephesian church was an intense one. Multiple times Paul must discuss the false teachers and ideas that are unsettling...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
It's not often I use my blog to request prayer for myself, but this week I am burdened for the responsibility that is placed on those who preach and teach in their churches. You may ask, "What happened to increase your burden this week?"...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
For many years it has been a particular concern of mine that Christians sometimes assess the success of the church with a very superficial, and even localized or short-sighted view. In our own congregations and lives, it appears sometimes that...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Before coming to live in the USA, I would sometimes watch a show or movie and hear American soldiers encouraging each other by the words, “Semper Fi.” I didn’t think much of it at the time – it’s just the movies. When...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
It seems paradoxical to relate suffering to glory and blessing, but so often the Scriptures do just that. Jesus told us that we are blessed when we suffer for the sake of Christ. He said that the persecuted shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
It is never lost on me that Paul is often writing to encourage and embolden others from a jail cell. Especially in his last letter to Timothy, we find that Paul is expecting that his final day is closing in on him (2 Tim 4:6). One would think that...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
If you are a Christian committed to the tenets of the historical Christian faith found in the authority of God’s word, you sat up and took notice this week when the Respect for Marriage Act was passed through the Senate. You may have heard...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Perhaps you have the sounds of Elvis singing “Blue Christmas” in your head. Holidays seem especially hard for people in the pain and agony of suffering and loss. We may understand the description of a blue Christmas as we spend time...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
I want to put to you that Christians, especially fragile Christians, need warnings rather than our verdicts. While receiving a warning may seem difficult, imagine being a Christian who has difficulty with a besetting sin and only hearing that you...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
