Category: Reflections Articles

Luke 16 records an example of the typical conflict Jesus had the Pharisees. He had just taught the parable of the unjust steward to his disciples. The Pharisees heard him as well, teaching that material wealth was “unrighteous mammon”, and showing that duel loyalties do not please God.

We are told in verse 14, “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.” The word “derided” comes from the Greek ekmykt?riz? , signifying the nose. Thayer defines the word: “to deride by turning up the nose, to sneer at to scoff at.”  The image is familiar to us today and shows that in different centuries the disdain of men is shown in similar ways. Continue reading “Highly Esteemed Among Men” →

It seems like the typical attitude toward denominationalism contradicts totally the biblical view expressed in numerous places, including 1 Corinthians 1 and 3.

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ’” (1:10-12).

“I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?  For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” (3:2-4).

Continue reading “Christians Only” →

In Galatians 3:26 Paul wrote, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The familial relationship we enjoy is not exactly the same as Jesus Himself. The Pharisees understood when Jesus called Himself the Son of God, that He was making Himself God’s equal (cf. John 5:18). The only reason He was not guilty of blasphemy is because the claim was true! Jesus is the “only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). The Apostle John wrote this with clarity and beauty when he recorded, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). Continue reading “Sons and Heirs” →

The fifth chapter of Galatians contains a great contrast written by the apostle Paul. On the one hand are the works of the flesh, and on the other the fruit of the Spirit.

First note their opposition. They are antithetical, and Paul gave the advice, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (5:16). In saying they are antithetical, we do not claim that both can’t be present in our lives. Because of our human nature, it is possible for us to have both of these in some amount. Such presence ensures a great conflict in our inner man. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (5:17). Continue reading “A Great Contrast” →

In 2 Chronicles 20:31-37 we have a short chronicle of the reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah. There are a few interesting tidbits we can glean from the account.  First, while there are things that Jehoshaphat failed to do “the high places were not taken away” (33), in all Jehoshaphat did “what was right in the sight of the Lord” (32). This was a continuation of the good that his father Asa accomplished in his 45 years reigning on the throne (16:13), and greatly contrasted with the idolatrous conditions in Israel, under kings Baasha, Ahab (related to Jehoshaphat by marriage), and Ahaziah, who all “acted very wickedly” (20:35).

Despite all of the good that Jehoshaphat did in his reign, he was punished by God because of the company he kept late in life. We are told that he allied himself with wicked king Ahaziah of Israel, “to make ships to go to Tarshish” (20:36). This economic choice to ally with the wicked king brought a prophecy against him. “But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.’ Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish” (20:37). Continue reading “Who Are Your Friends?” →

The apostle Paul gave some important directions to the Corinthians regarding the distribution and use of spiritual gifts in the first century church.  He began in 1 Corinthians 12 by writing, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”  In addition, he made the point that there are “different ministries (5), and that there are “diversities of activities”, but, “it is the same God who works all in all” (6).

So, what is the purpose of noting this?  If God gives diverse gifts, they are all of value to Him.  We should not depreciate them.  That is true as well of any ministry or activity that we are privileged to participate in.  “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each for the profit of all” (7). Continue reading “Spiritual Gifts and Their Purpose for Christians” →

The apostle Paul wrote to Titus, explaining that God’s grace has something to teach us. Let us read the text, and then make some points:

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

First, we need to understand how grace teaches. It is simple, the gift of grace is great. It is great in its benefits. God’s gift of His Son as our Redeemer affords us a hope of eternal life! It is great in its sacrifice. God’s giving of His Son was a great sacrifice in that Jesus was the only begotten of the Father, and God loved His Son. It is great in what it reveals to us about God. He loves us! He gave us everything we need to deal with our sin. He wants every living soul to go to heaven, and so has gifted us with grace, so that we can obtain what we ourselves could not possibly receive on our own merit. So, the gift of grace impresses the thoughtful because of its significance, sacrifice and its absolute necessity for our redemption. Continue reading “What Grace Teaches Us!” →

You know how it is, the child always wanting something, asking to do something, asking to go somewhere with someone, and the father saying no. It frustrates both the child and the parent, but when done for the right reasons, it is very helpful. The child may not know why a request may be unreasonable, dangerous or unwise, but often the father does. Because he loves his child, he wants to protect his child, saving him from unwise choices and negative consequences. This is how the apostle Paul felt toward the Corinthians. Paul rebuked them sharply in his first recorded letter, but his motivation was love.  Continue reading “Paul Acted Just Like A Father” →

Early on during my stint in a state college, I briefly considered majoring in Psychology. I took two courses before changing my mind. The first was introductory. It explained various views (that were very contradictory to scripture) but was enjoyable. The second was a course in Adolescent Psychology, taught by a very arrogant (and idiotic) professor. The man had a very superior air, and dogmatic views on child raising, and used his young son to make his points. Trouble is, in his own description, his young son was completely out of control, to a great extent because of how he was raised! My view of the matter was held by many of the students. By the end of the class I switched my major to control engineering, though that did not last long either.

In my years as a preacher, I have found that there is good that Psychology and Psychiatry can do. While the two are “soft sciences”, they are needed and have helped some who have chemical imbalances, phobias or other abnormal mental issues. Most of the time I can help individuals who suffer guilt from sin, or who demonstrate a definite need for comfort or encouragement from God’s word. But, there have been times when I have had to acknowledge that mental conditions might require skills and help that I as a preacher am not qualified to offer. Continue reading “Psychology and the Bible” →

Genesis 35 reveals the death of Rachel, one of Israel’s wives. She gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin, and through her maidservant Bilhah, also supplied to her husband Dan and Naphtali. Leah and her maidservant Zilpah were responsible for the other eight sons of this ancestor of the nation of Israel. “Also God said to him [Israel]: ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land’” (Genesis 35:11-12). In verses 17-18 of the text, we read of Benjamin’s birth: “Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, ‘Do not fear; you will have this son also.’ And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin” (Genesis 35:17-18). So, Rachel died in childbirth, giving Israel his last son.  An interesting aspect of this passage is the simple way her death was described, “And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died).” Continue reading “What Rachel’s Passing Teaches Us About Death” →

The beginning of the book of Hosea sets the timeline.  He received words from God, “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel” (Hosea 1:1). This reign of the second Jeroboam is related in 2 Kings 14:23-29. Jeroboam reigned over a nation that was fully steeped in idolatry, which was soon to fall to the mighty nation of Assyria.  The people were taken into captivity, and the northern nation was no more. The internal evidence seems to indicate that Hosea’s ministry of prophecy took place only a few decades before the end of the nation in 722 B.C.

It is important to note how God felt toward idolatry. The beginning of the 10 commandments given by God is, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:3-5a). Idolatry was considered a great unfaithfulness, a spiritual adultery to God. And yet, for its entire existence, the northern kingdom of Israel consistently practiced the sin. Continue reading “The Ministry of the Prophet Hosea” →

(1 John 2:1-2), “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

The problem is, and always has been sin.  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23). God determined to solve the problem of sin by sending His only begotten Son as a sufficient sacrifice. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17).  “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:12-14).  Of course, this was in the mind of God since before the creation of the worlds (cf. Ephesians 1:4). Continue reading “The Advocate” →

People today do not understand the nature of God. They take issue with the clear Bible teaching that God is unchanging in His nature. This is a central aspect of our Christian faith, as it promises a consistency we depend upon to assure our eternal reward as He has promised. They declare Him to be inconsistent, and take issue with such passages as James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”;  and  Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…” What these passages and others actually indicate is that you can depend upon God. It doesn’t mean that He can’t change His mind depending upon circumstances (cf. Exodus 32:14; Jonah 3:10), or that a change in covenant indicates a change in character or any wavering in His dealing with mankind. Continue reading “I Thought God Doesn’t Change?” →

There is an interesting text in 1 Thessalonians 3, where the apostle Paul expressed his concern for the spiritual welfare of the brethren in Thessalonica. He referred to a personal agony that he could not continue to endure, as he had no knowledge of how they were reacting to a present distress among them due to persecution. While in the city of Athens, he sent Timothy to them “our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ”  (3:2). While it left him alone, it supplied them support and encouragement that Paul could not provide in his absence.

Paul had previously warned them that they would “suffer tribulation” (4) and it had happened as he said. There was no reason for them to be surprised. However, there was the possibility they might be “shaken by these afflictions” (3) and it was possible “the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain” (5). Continue reading ““All The Joy With Which We Rejoice For Your Sake”” →

The second chapter of 2 Kings relates the departure of the prophet Elijah from the earth.  There is much about the chapter that is peculiar, but it clearly demonstrates both the power of God, and the significance of this man of God who did so much during his life.

We are all familiar with portions of Elijah’s life.  Although his youth and entrance as a prophet are shrouded in mystery, his actions during his time as a representative of the Almighty were glorious. Continue reading “Elijah’s Life and Departure to Heaven” →