Prayer Tips: Keeping Attentive
They had one job to do: stay awake and pray. Peter, James, and John, often like the rest of us, failed to accomplish the one simple task they had. Christ took his most trusted inner apostolic circle deeper into the…
Tag law of God
My Covid Year Reading: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author Jim Belcher illustrates his chapter, “The Struggle Within,”[1] with a compelling psychoanalysis of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s classic novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.[2] Dr. Henry Jekyll, a reputable scientist wanting to enjoy being exclusively good…
Equipping the Saints
Church was never intended to be the spiritual equivalent of a spectator sport. Yet, somehow, this is how it has come to be treated, not only by many Christians; but by their pastors as well. Those who serve as ministers…
One Another Texts: Love
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” – Romans 13:8 As of late, the contents of Romans 13 are being slung around every which way like a Frisbee…
The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
Kindness is easily pondered, but not so easily carried out. We live in an age of velliety, where simply publishing our desires for kumbaya and world peace are lauded as good deeds, and nice intentions are stated as if they…
The Fruit of the Spirit: Love
We all know combinations that just don’t go well together, don’t we? We even have a saying for them—they go together like oil and water. Some people think this about God’s Law and love. Others perhaps agree that God’s Law…
The Deadly Sins of Proverbs 6:16-19: Hands that Kill
Perhaps you have noticed by now that Proverbs 6:16-19 is not simply a list of ills that God hates though it most certainly is that. But it is more. On the surface of this list is an explanation. God is…
The Deadly Sins of Proverbs 6:16-19: A Lying Tongue
The fall of mankind began with a lie. “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” This was followed by a second lie. “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the…
How to Love Our Neighbors (part 2): By Keeping the Law
One of the great sites of Jerusalem is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Archaeologists have confidence that this sprawling church is located near the spot of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus likely was buried and therefore emerged from the tomb either…
How Shall I Love My Neighbor? By Keeping the Law!
An advice column dedicated to gift-giving in December accidentally explored a very biblical topic – the relationship between love and the law. Question one: What shall I do about a boyfriend who buys expensive but inappropriate gifts? The mind wanders:…