I recently officiated a funeral for a man I didn’t know. I met with his children to make preparations for the funeral service. They indicated that their father had made a profession of faith in Jesus as a young child but had little do with the church or spiritual things for the next 60 years. The fact that they had to look online for a pastor … [Read more...]
Violent Peace
Romans 16:20 includes a curious statement regarding God’s activity – “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The words peace and crush don’t seem to belong in the same sentence. How could a peaceful God perpetrate such violence? Part of the problem is that we have a poor understanding of peace. We think of peace as tranquility and … [Read more...]
A Happy City
Proverbs 11:10 says, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices…” Here we have a scene of great joy. It is not limited to one household or one neighborhood. The whole city is caught up in the celebration. And this is not the ballet with a ripple of polite applause. This is dancing in the streets. This is the party in Paris on V-Day when WWII … [Read more...]
Spiritual Maturity: Growth in Discipleship, 1 Corinthians 3
Introduction Growth and development is required in the workplace and in athletics, but is sadly ignored in many churches. Spiritual Maturity You need to be in step with the spirit of God (Galatians 5:16-17, Jude 10). You need to be nourished by the Word of God (Hebrews 5:12-14). You need to be given toward serving others. You need to … [Read more...]