That deep theologian we know as the apostle Paul emphasizes practical Christianity with a simple but profound exhortation to practice hospi-tality (Rom.12:13). The apostle Peter appears to be on the same page when he writes, be hospitable to…
It would be presumptuous to say that sins of hostility are more sinful than others: sins of idolatry, impurity and intemperance. On the other hand, it would likely be correct to say that this group of sins is…
The goodness of God is not predicated upon how we feel about a particular happening. GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD – – it is who He is. As David declares in the psalms: Good and upright is the Lord…
Discipleship involves the ongoing cultivation of GOOD virtues. Paul refers to these Christ-like qualities as “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal.5:22f). In other passages Paul alters his metaphor to speak of the putting on (Col.3:12) of these godly…
Every time I am away for a brief period of time I find myself relaxing in the knowledge that things will go well on the home front. For the most part, I attribute this sense of well-being to…
Yes, I know: there is no Biblical mandate or example for celebrating the birth of Christ, nor do we have any idea of the actual date. However, I’m not so sure I want to be fully immunized against…
I’m not sure how old I was, perhaps 12 or so, that December long ago that I got a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. I knew it was coming – – having “sussed out” the surprise…
Have you ever experienced an event where you felt certain the hand of God was in it in some special way? I wouldn’t recommend that we always trust our feelings. Our emotions can often be misleading. For example,…
Although Paul’s inscribed words to the church at Corinth were authoritative (2Cor.10:8), he urged them by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (2Cor.10:1). As we determine to follow in the path of Jesus, it would do us all…
Something happens in the calling of Nathanael that is quite revealing. We don’t know a whole lot about Nathanael (aka, Bartholomew). The writers of synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, all record his name in their listings of…