Monthly Archives: April 2015

Thursday, Apr. 30 “Should we focus on God to deal with sin or should we deal with sin in order to focus on God.?”—Doug Burch. Doug said “both.” I say “either.” It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg: … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Apr. 29 “God’s Word is designed to change you.” As I look in the mirror today, how am I different than I was yesterday? Last month? Five years ago? As I reflect on this, I realize that I didn’t … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Apr. 28 Paul said that he and his companions loved the Thessalonians as a mother loves her children. Then he said they dealt with them as a father (1 Thes. 2:7-8, 10-11). Why does he use the analogy of … Continue reading →

Monday, Apr. 27 There’s another aspect of this persecution thing. All of us have times when we feel we are unjustly treated. I’m no exception. Like you, my first reaction is negative. We all have a built-in conviction about fairness. … Continue reading →

Sunday, Apr. 26 Yesterday’s blog was a short homily on being imitators of Christ, focusing on unjust treatment, the core feature of persecution. The question is how to deal with persecution. My first thought is that I have not undergone … Continue reading →

Saturday, Apr. 25 The Thessalonians imitated Paul, Silas and Timothy. 1 Thes. 1:6. They also imitated the Lord (same verse). They also imitated the Judean churches. 1 Thes. 2:14. In what specific ways did they imitate Christ and others? Paul … Continue reading →

Friday, Apr. 24 “. . . we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.” 1 Thes. 2:4. Paul is commending the Thessalonian church for embracing the gospel and evangelizing the whole area. Paul, Silas, and … Continue reading →

Thursday, Apr. 23 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God . . . “ Col. 3:17. This is fairly comprehensive. It covers everything we … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Apr. 22 We joke about getting old—can’t remember my own phone number, can’t drive any more, don’t know where my keys are, etc. But there are benefits, too. Retirement benefits are sometimes referred to as Old Age Benefits. That’s … Continue reading →

Saturday, Mar. 21 “The greatest thing that God can give us is Himself.”—Doug Burch. This statement in the midst of a study by John Piper really grabbed me. We constantly refer to all the riches poured out on us at … Continue reading →

Monday, Apr. 20 For some time I’ve wondered what the difference is between empathy and sympathy. They are much alike. The root word is “pathos” which means “compassion” or “feeling.” Empathy is vicariously experiencing another person’s feelings. Sympathy is understanding … Continue reading →

Monday, Apr. 20 For some time I’ve wondered what the difference is between empathy and sympathy. They are much alike. The root word is “pathos” which means “compassion” or “feeling.” Empathy is vicariously experiencing another person’s feelings. Sympathy is understanding … Continue reading →

Sunday, Apr. 19 “The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.”—Frederick Douglass. This was written by a black American before the Civil War. Evidently it needed to be said that early in … Continue reading →

Saturday, Apr. 18 James 4:17. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” This verse has always bugged me, not because it’s in error, but that it convicts me on a regular basis. … Continue reading →

Friday, Apr. 17 I believe in evolution. No, not Darwin’s brand. Evolution simply means change, positive change, change for the better. While I was still a rebel God wanted to change me. He did it by dying on the cross … Continue reading →

Thursday, Apr. 16 Piper says there are three ways for the Christian to “kill” sin. One. Eph. 6 speaks of putting on the armor or God. All the pieces of armor except for one is for defense. The only one … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Apr. 15 When we accept Christ as Savior, He is in us. He is in us in the form of the Holy Spirit, but many passages also say that Christ himself is living in us. We are also in … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Apr. 14 There’s an interesting trilogy in 1 Thes. 1:3. “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” … Continue reading →

Monday, Apr. 13 “Talk is teaching: listening is learning.” There is truth here, but it’s not that simple. Not all talking is teaching. Some talk is inane, has no worthwhile content, and no lasting value. It can also be false. … Continue reading →

Sunday, Apr. 12 “The battle’s not over, but the victory’s won.” There are quite a few places in the N.T. that tell us what awaits us in the next world. 1 Cor. 15 is quite explicit about the changes that … Continue reading →

Saturday, Apr. 11 “Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” Noah had probably never heard of rain, but he had special revelation that caused him to take action. His relationship to God and being obedient is involved. … Continue reading →

Friday, Apr. 10 Eph. 5:1-2 is like a fulcrum. In chapters 4-6 Paul is exhorting us to live godly lives. Eph. 5:1-2 comes right smack in the middle of this. All the detailed exhortations of chapters 5-6 hinge on the … Continue reading →

Thursday, Apr. 9 “We are saved in stages.”—John Piper. What he means is that by accepting the free gift of salvation, we are justified or declared righteous. From that time on we are guaranteed eternal life and an eternal home … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Apr. 8 “The best thing to do behind a person’s back is pat it.”—Franklin Jones. We know and accept this but practice it little. We need to take care that we don’t go too far down the back; it … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Apr. 7 “Rules are replaced by a relationship.”—Doug Burch. This little statement doesn’t cover the full scope of the Law vs. Grace issue, but it’s concise and accurate. An illustration comes to mind. If you wanted to learn how … Continue reading →

Monday, Apr. 6 “We will be baffled throughout eternity (about the redemption process).”—Doug Burch. This statement really made me think. I’m not sure Doug is altogether correct on this, but it is definitely something that catches my attention. We don’t … Continue reading →

Sunday, Apr. 5 “God is the only thing we will chase that doesn’t make us feel more empty.”—Jennie Allen. Behind this statement is the fact that everyone wants happiness. We want to be fulfilled, to be satisfied, to think that … Continue reading →

Saturday, Apr. 4 “Don’t expect God to do what He expects you to do.”—Howard Hendricks. There’s been a centuries old controversy concerning the sovereignty of God and free will. It’s one element of the more extensive Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate. … Continue reading →

Friday, Apr. 3 “We don’t generate grace; we allow it to happen.—Doug Burch. This is an novel way of acknowledging that grace is a gift to be received, not something that we can produce. It’s a fairly obvious statement, but … Continue reading →

Thursday, Apr. 2 The Christian can respond positively or negatively to the indwelling Holy Spirit. It’s a moment by moment thing. We either accept the work of the Holy Spirit or we reject it. Paul uses two different words for … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Apr. 1 “History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.—Abba Eban. There’s a measure of truth here, but when men and nations are not controlled by God, there is not much … Continue reading →