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In: Bible and Theology, Prayer and Devotions

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10)   These instructions come to us in the midst of similar instructions. At first glance, we are tempted to think context offers us no additional insights. But let’s look again anyway at the immediate context: Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (Romans 12:9-11) See it now? Again we have a careful balance between truth and love:  Being sincere, real, loathing evil/sin, doing good–butRead More →

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In: Faith, Prayer and Devotions

“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5) This verse reminds us of the mystery–we don’t know how the spirit joins to the body, as we are knit together in the womb or otherwise, and we can’t always see God at work. We often don’t know what he is doing in our lives or others’ lives. But we can trust he does have a plan for us. The question is, are we submitted vessels? Are we driving andRead More →

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In: Bible and Theology, Prayer and Devotions

“For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:6-7) The first question we must ask is because of what? Starting at the top of the chapter, we learn: Obey authorities because only god has authority and all true authority anyone on earth has comes from him. (Echoing back to Christ’s words to Pilate while on trial for his life.) ResistingRead More →

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In: abuse, Bible and Theology, Gospel, Prayer and Devotions, Sin and Holiness, Suffering

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) In context, if I understand correctly, Peter tells us in verses 13-25: Obey the local, state, and federal government, and the leadership of any other institution you may belong to, attend, work for, or serve under. This is God’s will because it silences the historical objection to Christians’ assertion that Jesus is Lord. Based on the the Emperor of Rome’s assertion that he is Lord, non-Christians of the day felt to be a ChristianRead More →

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In: Abuse, Bible and Theology, God's love, Prayer and Devotions

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 John 3:16) What is love? John tells we learn what love is at the cross. Jesus and Paul both tell us that to love god and to love others fulfills all the laws and regulations handed down to us in the scriptures.  We love, John tells us elsewhere, because Christ first loved us. To love is to sacrifice and put others needs (not their wants) before our own. Scripture places the greatest burden here upon the leaders in our communities:Read More →