In Luke 16, Jesus challenges us to use our “unrighteous wealth” for our eternal good. What does He mean by “unrighteous wealth”? And how do we use it for eternal good? Scripture: Ezra, chapters 5-6; Psalm 138; Luke, chapter 16 Luke 16:9-15 (NASB): “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. The one who is faithful in... Read more
At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, several people referred to him as a “martyr.” But what exactly does that mean? The word “martyr” comes from the Greek word for “witness.” In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells His disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses [martures] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Unfortunately, in the early Church, that “witness” often took place... Read more
In yesterday’s post (Matthew’s Lessons on Forgiveness), I explored three points about forgiveness from Matthew’s Gospel: Forgive: and keep on forgiving because you’ve been forgiven because that prepares you to receive forgiveness Today, I want to dig a little deeper, into the connection between forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. As Proverbs notes, “For the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose produces blood, so the churning of anger produces strife” (Proverbs 30:33). The Old Testament concept of peace (shalom)... Read more
The message of the Gospel is mercy and grace. God forgives us even though we don’t deserve it. Mercy is not getting what we deserve (the punishment for our sins), and grace is getting what we don’t deserve (life in Christ). Forgiveness is at the heart of this message – both God forgiving us, and us forgiving others. Matthew’s Gospel contains several lessons on the topic of forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22 – Forgive, and Keep on Forgiving Then Peter came up... Read more
In his third epistle, John encourages his “children” to walk in the truth. What does this mean? How can we walk in the truth? Scripture: Jeremiah, chapters 50-51; 3 John 3 John (NASB): The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was overjoyed when brothers came and testified to your truth, that is, how you... Read more
A lot of wars have been fought over religion. Well, let me rephrase that: a lot of wars have been justified by religious beliefs. Is there a connection between religious freedom and world peace? Does peace bring religious freedom, or does religious freedom lead to peace? I’m sure that anyone reading this can think of examples of wars fought in the name of religion: The Jewish wars of the Old Testament The Crusades The Islamic conquests of the early Middle... Read more
Yesterday, I recommended three books that I think all Christians should read. (See “Books Every Christian Should Read“). Most people know that the Bible wasn’t originally written in English. But should ancient Scripture be updated to modern languages? Ancient Scripture – But Not Always Modern Language! I grew up in the Church of the Nazarene back in the 1960s. The only Bible that I knew as a child was the King James Version. I recognized that its language was different... Read more
In honor of National Book Lovers’ Day, I’d like to offer a few books every Christian should read. I’m not including the Bible on this list; if you’re a Christian, you’d better be reading the Bible! But here are some other books that have been helpful to me in my journey. Books Every Christian Should Read: Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis I grew up in the church, but it wasn’t until I was about 30 that I discovered C.S.... Read more
Questions are an important part of everyday life. We learn by asking questions. The “Socratic method” of teaching involves a dialogue of questions and answers. And perhaps one of the most common questions is the simple question: “Where are you?” Questions and Answers When I retired at the end of 2024, I moved to Florida. For the first three months, I didn’t really go anywhere. I was happy to be in the sunshine after a lifetime of northern winters! But... Read more
When God’s call came, Jonah ran. What kind of servant of the Lord are you? Are you like Jonah? Or are you following Paul’s description of the Lord’s servant to Timothy? Scripture: Jonah, chapters 1-4; 2 Timothy, chapter 2 Jonah 1:1-3 (NASB): The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it, because their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah got up to... Read more
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