In many places, gatherings of any size have been restricted to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). On Sunday, our church live-streamed our worship service for the first time ever. Many other churches did this as well, and I checked out portions of the other services in our community. It was fun to be…
Tag: God
King Virus
These days, it’s impossible to avoid hearing about coronavirus. Corona means “crown.” Recently, I found my mind drifting to the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6:2– “I looked, and there was a white horse. The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor…
Dead or Alive
“Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring in union with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:14). Paul has been talking with the Thessalonians about what they have suffered because of their belief in Jesus. His aim in writing is to connect the Thessalonians’…
Seeing the Son Within
When Jacob met Joseph’s sons, he said, “Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do” (Gen. 48:5). Joseph regarded Ephraim and Manasseh’s sons in the same way (Gen. 50:23). Jacob and Joseph saw their grandchildren as their children; they saw no difference between them when it came to affection, status, and…
Crying in the Wilderness
The following is a poem and meditation on John the Baptist. John is a window to a season each of us will experience if we are knowing Christ in His death. It is the place where we know, of a surety, that we will die—perhaps physically, but also psychologically. In the shadow of death, all…
Am I Growing?
Not long ago, it was my turn to share from scripture at a men’s group I attend. As I asked the Lord what to talk about, I found my mind turning to questions: Am I growing spiritually? If so, how do I know? I decided to raise these questions at the men’s group to see…
Which Nature?
The other day, a guy in a truck blew a stop sign, pulled right in front of me, and sped down the road. I was super annoyed and wished all kinds of misfortune on him (“LET HIM GET PULLED OVER, LORD!”). Seconds later, I thought about my reaction and judgments. The driver was reckless and…
Parousia: Present or Coming?
Throughout First and Second Thessalonians, Paul uses the Greek word, “parousia.” More often than not, “parousia” is translated “coming” and denotes Christ’s second coming. The Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich Greek lexicon notes that parousia can be translated “coming” or “presence” and was used in two main ways. The first described the invisible presence of…
An End in Itself
Jacob’s death revives fears among his sons that Joseph will retaliate because of their cruelty towards him (Gen. 50:15). Although Joseph already reassured them he held no grudge, they don’t yet trust this. Once again, they appeal to Joseph for mercy (Gen. 50:16-18). Joseph replies, “Am I in the place of God? You planned evil…
A Piece of the Continent, a Part of the Main
The following article appeared in our local paper last week. It is a revision of something I posted a few years ago. *** When I was new to faith, I attended a prayer meeting at church. As we prayed, the formation of the first man, Adam, came to mind: I imagined particles of dust swirling…
The Voice of One 