Living as Spiritual Family
When I began studying my Romanian Bible, passages that I had interpreted for years as You (Singular), (or just to me) burst within me into a new understanding of life together as God’s family.
Biological and nuclear families are indeed significant and a gift designed by God. However, Christians also believe that God establishes an eternal family only between those who are born spiritually through faith in Jesus Christ. He identifies these people as his children, guiding us through his Word regarding life together as siblings in the household... Continue Reading
What Does it Mean to be Led by the Holy Spirit?
We must speak reverently and correctly about the Holy Spirit's Person and work.
There are many who often affix the phrase, “The Holy Spirit led me to,” upon their decisions and decision making. Perhaps that may seem like the easier way to discern things in life. But, isn’t that subjective and experientially based? What does it mean that the Spirit led them? What did the Holy Spirit do to lead them? How... Continue Reading
The Peace We All Long For
Jesus Christ, born of Mary, born in Bethlehem, born on Christmas morning, brings permanent and ultimate peace on earth. The peace we all long for is found in Christ.
Because Jesus Christ is the God-man, He can do what all of these other sons could not. He can bring an end to our sin and misery. He can still the storm-tossed seas, as well as the foaming and frothing of strife and conflict. He can bring in the still, calm waters of peace. He... Continue Reading
Apologetics: Do The Gospels Borrow From Pagan Myths?
Do the New Testament stories of Jesus represent the myth of ancient mystery cults, or is there something different about the accounts of Jesus’ earthly sojourn?
Could it be that the New Testament stories of Jesus represent the fictive myth of an ancient mystery cult that’s survived for two thousand years? Or is there something different about the accounts of Jesus’ time on planet earth? When these claims are compared carefully with the New Testament Gospels, the distinction between Jesus and... Continue Reading
Thanks Be to God
Invited by Tabletalk to address younger generations “on matters pertinent to the faith,” I thought of Psalm 71, the prayer of an elderly man
“I give thanks to God the Father. He fashioned me in His own image, and surrounded me with the wonders of His creation. He has granted me seventy-three years of life. He disclosed the glory of His Son to me. He drew me out of darkness into light, out of death into life.” In... Continue Reading
For Instruction, Doctrine, and Morals: The Art of Reading
What does it mean to be a reader? What’s actually happening when someone reads a text?
Reading the Bible Spiritually will lead to a Christocentric reading. As James Houston, in his essay “Toward A Biblical Spirituality” says that “being transformed by the personal presence of Christ in all the Scriptures, is what ‘exemplary reading‘ is all about. Beyond the text and page of Scripture, one is challenged and transformed by the... Continue Reading
Relying on God During Times of Desperation
The weight of grief, depression, and anxiety consumed me to the point where my heart pounded
When you and I feel like there is “no hope for a harvest” (Habakkuk 3:17), when desperation distracts us from God’s truth, and when our faith is shaken, what do we do? We can learn from sufferers like Habakkuk. His heart pounded, his lips quivered, decay crept into his bones, and his legs trembled (Habakkuk 3:16). He... Continue Reading
The Great Sacrifice
Why did God command Abraham to offer the great sacrifice of Isaac, his son, and what does it mean for God to be the One who offers the even greater sacrifice of Jesus, His only begotten Son?
Some suggest that Abraham did not believe that God would make him go through with sacrifice of Isaac, but there is nothing in the text that suggests that. Rather, Abraham seems to simply trust that God will provide. God had provided all these years. He had proven Himself faithful even when Abraham and Sarah were... Continue Reading
Of Fire Extinguishers and Temptation
Our sinful hearts want to figure out and "study arguments unduly" so that we can get as close to sin as we can without getting singed.
I have never started cooking with the thought, “How far can I go in burning my meal before I need to pull that fire extinguisher out?” Never, not even once, have I started sautéing my vegetables and thought, “I’m just going to leave these here on high, because if they go up in flames, I’ve... Continue Reading
Focus on What God Has Revealed, Not Concealed
With an eye toward the mysterious or unclear, we can wander away from the Bible’s clear teachings—even in the name of serious study.
God has truly revealed to us what we need to know, love, and serve him faithfully (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We can then be confident that what he has emphasized we should emphasize. And, what he has not, we should not. One of the hidden gems of pastoral ministry is watching God turn the lights... Continue Reading