July 7 is “International Peace and Love Day.” Who doesn’t want more “peace” and “love”? To move toward that goal, however, we need to understand what “peace” and “love” really mean. Love – A Self-Giving Commitment Whenever “church people” support policies that are deemed to oppose certain “rights,” we hear the common refrain: “God is love.” To be sure, the Bible says that precise thing: “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God... Read more
Independence Day Freedom! Today is Independence Day. On this date in 1776, the leaders of the colonies issued the Declaration of Independence. The most familiar phrase from the Declaration states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalieanable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” But what does that mean? And what does it mean for us today? The language... Read more
God has given us his word – Scripture – to guide us in his way. Rejecting God’s instructions take us off his path, and leads us into danger! Scripture: Amos, chapters 1-3; Psalm 80; 2 Timothy, chapter 4 Amos 2:4-8 (NLT): This is what the Lord says: “The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They have rejected the instructions of the Lord, refusing to obey his decrees. They have been... Read more
Sometimes we read Scripture and wonder, “How did that happen?” A closer look usually reveals the answer. In today’s passage, deeper investigation shows that a confusing defeat actually made perfect sense! Scripture: 2 Kings, chapters 13-14; 2 Chronicles, chapter 25; New Testament reading: 2 Timothy, chapter 3 2 Kings 14:8-14 (NLT): One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!” But King Jehoash... Read more
Whose Spirit do we have? We know that we have the Holy Spirit if we are born again (see John 3:6), but how does that look? Do we reflect the spirit of Paul, or the spirit of Jonah? Scripture: Jonah, chapters 1-4; 2 Timothy, chapter 2 Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT): The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked... Read more
Sometimes we’re too eager to fight, rather than listening for God’s direction. Today’s passage reminds us: The battle is not yours, but God’s! Scripture: 2 Kings, chapters 6-7; 2 Chronicles, chapter 20; 1 Timothy, chapter 3 2 Chronicles 20:10-17 (NLT): “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they... Read more
As we celebrate holidays that point to freedom (Juneteenth, Independence Day), let’s not forget that Jesus gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone! Scripture: 2 Kings, chapters 4-5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy, chapter 2 1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NLT): I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live... Read more
It’s easy for us to get distracted by “side issues.” Paul reminds us in today’s passage: Don’t miss the point! Scripture: 2 Kings, chapters 1-3; Psalm 82; 1 Timothy, chapter 1 1 Timothy 1:3-11 (NLT): When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussions of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which... Read more
God gives us a confident hope through our new life in Christ. That hope is confirmed and supported by the presence of the fruit of a changed life. Scripture: 1 Kings, chapter 16; 2 Chronicles, chapters 15-16; Colossians, chapter 1 Colossians 1:3-6 (NLT): We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all God’s people, which come... Read more
We live in a world of conflict, but we can experience God’s peace by fixing our thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right. Scripture: 1 Kings, chapter 15; 2 Chronicles, chapters 13-14; Philippians, chapter 4 Philippians 4:2-9 (NLT): Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News.... Read more
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