Category: Reflections Articles

Paul wrote about our reconciliation in Romans 5.  That reconciliation is accomplished through the grace extended by God as a demonstration of His love for man. It was that love that compelled God to send His son to die for us. In order for reconciliation to come, it was necessary for us to be justified through His blood, and forgiven by God. “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (5:11).

Love can and should be expressed in a myriad of ways. One such expression (in reflecting God Himself) is through forgiveness.  “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Forgiveness is an action (deed) that comes naturally toward those we love. Less naturally, to strangers or enemies. This difference is explained through that link between forgiveness and love.  As God is our supreme example, the Christian should be more gracious and expansive in his willingness to forgive.  “We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:19-21). Continue reading “Forgiveness” →

In Mark 10, verses 1-12, we find the account of Jesus answering questions from a group of Pharisees. The teaching of Jesus here reveals some simple truths about the importance God places upon the marriage relationship.

The question of the Pharisees was: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (2).  The question was not asked out of a legitimate desire to learn the truth, it was a means of “testing Him” (2). Jesus’ initial response was to ask them what Moses wrote. He did this not to settle the matter of their question, but to point out that the reason for Moses’ response in regulating but allowing some divorce was because of “the hardness of your heart” (5). This has been and still is the big problem that leads to the prolific use of divorcement by men. Continue reading “Simple Truths re: Marriage & Divorce” →

I just found and read a speech delivered by John Clark way back in 1979 on the subject of abortion. It is interesting that his discussion of the issue is basically the same as the approach that Christians take today. There is a reason for this. As our society and societal morals change, the word of God remains the same. There is no need to update our views with new scientific discoveries, and different moral discoveries, because God created life, a truth that remains unchanged, and it is our responsibility as Christians to revere and protect life, especially with regard to the most vulnerable among us. The mother of King Lemuel, in giving him Divine instruction which is recorded in Proverbs 31:8-9, said this, “Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

The leaders of our land have done just the opposite.  Interestingly, the history of the 14th amendment is illustrative of this fact. The 14th amendment directly addressed the inequities of the Dred Scott decision, which denied rights to African Americans, and upheld slavery back in 1857. After the Civil War was fought, the government rightly amended the constitution. The amendment reads that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Imagine, our government having to change the constitution to grant personhood to black people. But it was necessary. Continue reading “Consequences of the Pro-Abortion Position” →

“Then He said to the disciples, ‘It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him’” (Luke 17:1-4).

Jesus’ warning to His disciples here are words that are applicable to us today. He speaks of offenses as inevitable things. By offenses, Jesus was referring to “sin traps”, things a man or woman might to do cause another to stumble and sin.  Colly Caldwell had an interesting thought about this, “The forms these spiritual sin-traps may take will vary with each person but the effect can be devastating. It may come as a result of immoral influence, pleasurable seduction, false doctrinal teaching, or material gain.” (Truth Commentary). Continue reading “Take Heed to Yourself” →

“Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:159-160).

A love for God’s word is characteristic of the true Christian. It is what animates him. What guides him in his every step on the earth. Why? As the Psalmist stated, “The entirety of your word is truth…”

In the New Testament, the word of God is referred to as the sword of the Spirit. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). As Paul states in this context, it is a part of the Christian’s armor, the purpose of which is to enable the Christian “to stand against the wiles of the devil” (6:11). Together with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith and the helmet of salvation, we are equipped as a soldier of the Lord. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (6:13). Continue reading “The Sword of the Spirit” →

Who is it that our world celebrates most?  The entertainer, the athlete, the artist. The ones who make a name for themselves. The ones who blaze a path. The ones who standout or amaze. Sometimes these things can be for very scandalous reasons — they may be villainous, outlandish, immoral, seekers of attention, ready to do anything to be famous, to be a figure that the world simply can’t ignore. This indicates values that do not really accord with God and His will. For both the celebrated and those who adore them.

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “…that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” Continue reading “Aspire to Live a Quiet Life” →

It happened again.  I saw on my Facebook feed a religious individual (a bit frustrated by the rancor and partisanship shown in political discourse) who noted that when a Christian argues politics on Facebook they immediately alienate potentially half of all who read the post.

This is not entirely true, as Facebook and other social media sites tend to polarize audiences. In other words, most of the time your views are shared by those who read them. The other side has their own “confirmation bias,” being affirmed by their own readers. That’s why you typically receive more likes and attaboys for your post than people who disagree.

But this is not always the case. What disturbs me is when I see Christians confidently affirming their political views thus causing rancor when others actually do disagree. It may be claimed that the Christian behaves him or herself with love and deference, but arguments are still spawned. And while the example of good humor is laudable, the fact that you are the one who started the discussion in the first place is hardly defensible. Continue reading “The Christian and Political Bias” →

The common characteristic of men who pleased God in the Bible is the devotion they showed to God. For example, Abraham’s son Isaac, “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening…” (Genesis 24:63). Or, David’s practice of prayer and meditation. “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17). “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches” (Psalm 63:6). Our greatest example, the Lord Himself, customarily sought solitary places at times where he could immerse Himself in His devotions to His Father. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35).

While I am typically unimpressed with the books and helps that are supposed to facilitate “devotional time”, the private efforts to focus our minds on prayer, meditation, and Bible reading are a laudable endeavors. Those who seek to draw near to God are successful! As David told his son Solomon, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9). God wants this closeness, but it takes effort on the part of man to obtain it. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). Continue reading “A Life of Devotion” →

In 2 Corinthians 4 we have an interesting comparison between the precious gospel of Christ, and the men and women who possess that gospel.  In verse 4 Paul describes the good news in the following way, “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

In contrast,  in verse 7 he simply states, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Such a great dichotomy. The treasure is ultimate, of inestimable value. The vessel in which it is housed is not significant in comparison to the contents.

The value of the gospel is clearly indicated in scripture.  In Romans 1:16, Paul writes that it is “the power of God to salvation.”  In another place he wrote, “it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).  In fact, the Lord Himself weighed in on the subject, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come”  (Matthew 24:14). Continue reading “Earthen Vessels” →

“Where is the promise of His coming” (2 Peter 3:4).  This was the question that scoffers asked as time passed in the first century, and the world continued.  Many in that time (both Christians and unbelievers) misunderstood the fact that the promise of Jesus’ second coming did not necessarily mean he would come within a few months or years of His leaving the earth after His resurrection from the dead.

The teaching of both Jesus and the apostles — that Jesus would come, that no one knows the exact time of His return, but that it was important to be prepared — is teaching that every generation needs to take to heart.

Consider that accepting that teaching will cause a child of God to live faithfully throughout his life, as he looks for and seeks to hasten “the coming of the day of God” (3:12). Continue reading ““Where is the Promise of His Coming?”” →

Back in 2018, when Beto O’Rourke ran for the senate against Ted Cruz, I received a political phone call from O’Rourke’s campaign. I decided to make a point. I told the worker I would never vote for someone who used profanity in campaigning, like he did. It floored the young lady. “But, he is so passionate about his positions.” She couldn’t understand why profanity could be considered such a negative.  She had never heard such a thing!

Beto was fairly novel at the time. Of course, societal use of profanity has a long history in our nation. But in the public discourse of political speech (not in the backrooms, but in campaign speeches and television appearances) it was still rather uncommon. Continue reading “God’s View of Profanity” →

We are disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. We believe as did Peter and his fellow apostles that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). This faith in the Sonship and Deity of Jesus is an indispensable aspect of our discipleship. It also has great ramifications, specifically in the area of authority, and the legitimacy of receiving worship from man.

Jesus has been given “all authority…in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). This indicates the Father’s intention to establish in His son a new covenant and new kingdom. We are told in the last days that God has “spoken to us by His son, who He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2). Jesus is uniquely God’s means of redeeming men to Himself. Continue reading “Praise the Lord” →

You have heard of it, have you ever wondered what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” really was?  The reference is to the first 10 verses of 2 Corinthians 12. Let’s consider a bit of context:

First, Paul referred to himself in the third person, by writing, “I know a man in Christ…” He referred to an occasion fourteen years previous where he had received a vision from the Lord. Interestingly, an examination of Paul’s timeline indicates that this vision is only related here. In other words, there is no indication he had mentioned it before. The nature of the vision is not known by Paul (3), but it is not the only vision he had received or would again receive (1).

His reference to this vision is to establish to the Corinthians his standing as an apostle. Though, as a humble man, such self-referencing was not a comfortable thing.  In fact this is what his opponents did, which may have had an effect upon some Christians, necessitating Paul’s boasting of his vision on this occasion. Normally he was reticent, “But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees  me to be or hears from me” (6). Continue reading “Thorn in the Flesh” →

Among the instructions Paul gave to the church in Colossae was the need for prayer. He wrote, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:2-4).

Persistence in prayer is a teaching consistently emphasized in scripture. One example of this is a parable Jesus taught, recorded by Luke in his gospel. It is commonly called the Parable of the Persistent Widow. A woman makes an appeal to an unjust judge who initially had no desire to help her, but because of her persistent petitions, was eventually moved to do as she asked. “…He said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’  Then the Lord said, ’Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily’” (Luke 18:4-8). Continue reading “Continue Earnestly in Prayer” →

In his second epistle, the apostle Peter had much to say about the prophets of old. He used them to explain the difference between God’s message and the counterfeit teaching of men, both in old times and now.

In the latter part of the first chapter, he wrote of the blessed nature of prophecy. He noted that Jesus was identified as the Christ, the Son of God, by the fulfillment of the prophecies of old. His conclusion: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,  for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Continue reading “False Prophets Among the People” →