Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
World, we have a problem. More fake-news, false narratives, and lawless days are coming. Midway through the first century Paul warned of a dark future, led by Satan and his minions. “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked …
Read More The TruthLet’s reflect on Christian faith. On what Thomas displayed in his response to Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” [John 20:28]. Why ask about faith? Thomas only came to faith after three full years with Jesus, so faith may take time to awaken. It invites reflection. It’s a crucial theme because without faith it’s impossible …
Read More Awakened FaithThis is the title for an article I wrote in January 1987—a how-to for Bible reading and reading partnerships. It’s now a sidebar item on this site. So my question. Is an invitation to bold Bible reading still relevant? Recently two university students made me wonder. After church, I took them to lunch and asked, …
Read More “Make this the year!”Two questions. First, what do we want from God? And second, what does God want from us? As a courtesy, let’s take the second question first. Because God, as Creator, has honor over his creation. This shows my bias as a Christian. What does God want? To start I’ll chase a variety of options. Each …
Read More What God wantsThe Bible gives readers a repeated alert, “Then you will know that I am the LORD.” Over seventy times. In both the Old and New Testaments. It’s spoken by prophets as from God himself, and it’s meant mainly for self-assured skeptics. Or quietly indifferent agnostics. Should we pay attention? Of course. It’s profoundly important. If …
Read More “Then you will know”Let’s revisit our ongoing discussion of faith. It’s how humans, once dead, come alive to God. John’s gospel is a workbook on faith—or, as he prefers, on “belief” in Christ. Early in John’s gospel Nicodemus came to Jesus for spiritual coaching. And Jesus, citing Numbers 21, simply told him to “look and live” in John …
Read More Living FaithConsider Psalm 2:12. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” We’re surprised to find God’s Son cited in an Old Testament setting. Christians later recognize the Son to be Jesus of Nazareth, as in Acts …
Read More “Kiss the Son”I’m in a coffee shop as I’m writing this, and some man just got into my car outside! I had my IRS tax return payment sitting on the passenger seat. The auto-lock door hadn’t worked! So I jumped up, and as I got outside the man was already getting out. “Sorry!” he said as he …
Read More Disrupted LivesI sailed on the Queen Mary 2 recently. The first morning out I sat in the library watching waves reach to the horizon, with companion clouds. A few seabirds floated above the ship’s bow. It was a quiet, pleasant scene. But after an hour boredom came trolling. A ship on the ocean is all too …
Read More Empty EyesA small chain of four links sits in my left front pocket. Reminders of the four bonds in 2 Timothy 2:1-2. “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you [1] have heard from me [2] in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men [3], …
Read More Chainlinks