Knowing Doesn’t Fix It

It’s one of the most quoted verses of the Bible: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Echoing the words of Jesus to leave tomorrow’s worries for tomorrow, Philippians 4:6 points us to an antidote for anxiety: prayer. A current situationContinue reading “Knowing Doesn’t Fix It”

10 to Jesus

For centuries, the Christian church has given careful attention to the Ten Commandments. In his commentaries, John Calvin devotes hundreds of pages to expounding them, and in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he describes and explains them as the summary of the moral law in the Old Testament (2.8.1). Regardless of whether we agreeContinue reading “10 to Jesus”

How Long Will You Halt Between Two Opinions?

The Jewish community is currently studying the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 30:11-34:35, and parallel to this story of idol worship in the wilderness comes the tale of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This tale can be found in the Book of Kings I 18:1-39. King Ahab from the House of OmriContinue reading “How Long Will You Halt Between Two Opinions?”

A Little Rest for Your Soul

Every week I attend a particular meeting with a woman I admire. At the start, we exchange our pleasantries, and I often ask how she’s doing. Without a second to think, she answers. “I’m ducky,” she says, unsurprisingly. Her answer is always the same. Ducky? I had no idea what that meant until she explained.Continue reading “A Little Rest for Your Soul”

Is There a Difference between Sin, Iniquity and Transgression?

In Psalm 32:5, the psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’” In this one verse, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” are all mentioned. Basically, the three words communicate the same idea: evil and lawlessness, as defined by GodContinue reading “Is There a Difference between Sin, Iniquity and Transgression?”

Treating HIS Name with Honor

When I was young, my little league team occasionally got together at a pizza buffet after our games. We ate, sipped our Cokes, then begged our parents for quarters to play Pac-Man. When I was a little older, my younger brother and I got a Nintendo with the pinball-themed game Pinbot for Christmas. Beating theContinue reading “Treating HIS Name with Honor”

Much of What God Does Is Just Beyond Our View

Just as the four seasons breeze in, coloring the landscape and altering the temperature, and melt away, taking deferential leave at their appointed time, so the seasons of our lives come and go, coloring and altering the landscape of our homes, tasks, emotions, and relationships. We have no control over the seasons of the year:Continue reading “Much of What God Does Is Just Beyond Our View”