In the text, Paul gives the Christians in Thessalonica some exhortations for Christian living. He urges and exhorts them to “abound more and more.” This calls for a constant longing for improvement. There is always room for growth. Paul had given them instruction on how to they “ought to walk and to please God.” This …
Continue reading Pondering Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8Articles
God, with His great wisdom, has commanded us to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16). With melody and repetition comes memorization. Important ideas and doctrines in scripture are etched in our mind. “Purer In Heart, O God” teaches …
Continue reading Article: “Purer In Heart, O God” The physical body is meant to be temporary. In the New Testament, a tent is used as a metaphor for the body (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1, 4; 2 Peter 1:13-14). We all know tents to be temporary shelter. When we go camping we bring a tent. When we go home we put the tent away …
Continue reading Article: Are You Dying? “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to …
Continue reading Article: The Lord is not SlackIn the chapter previous to our text, Paul warns the brethren of being cheated through “philosophy and empty deceit” (2:8), legalism (cf. 2:11-17), “worship of angels” (2:18), and asceticism (cf. 2:21). “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom” (2:23). However, there is no wisdom there. He begins chapter 3 with the statement, “If then …
Continue reading Pondering Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4“The planet, known as Kepler 186f, named after NASA’s Kepler planet-finding mission, which found it, has a diameter of 8,700 miles, 10 percent wider than Earth, and its orbit lies within the ‘Goldilocks zone’ of its star, Kepler 186 – not too hot, not too cold, where temperatures could allow for liquid water to flow …
Continue reading Notable News: “Scientists Find an ‘Earth Twin’”It would be surprising to come across a person who doesn’t know about Jonah. Most that know about Jonah only know that he was swallowed by a “great fish,” and was in its belly for “three days and three nights.” However, being swallowed by the fish is certainly not the most important part of the …
Continue reading Article: Lessons from Jonah Love stories are very popular. We’ve seen them acted out in movies, read them in books, and heard about them in song, and conversation. Each story holds a special place in someone’s heart. However, there is a story of love that transcends any that has ever been told. This story should hold a special place …
Continue reading Article: The Greatest Love Story Ever ToldIn my recent studies I came across the word phylactery. In the context, Jesus was speaking to the multitudes and His disciples of the scribes’ and Pharisees’ hypocrisy. “They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments” (Matthew 23:5). I had come across this word in my reading of the scripture before, …
Continue reading Article: Phylacteries The second item in the list of first principles mentioned in Hebrews 6 is “faith toward God” (v. 1). Aside from love, faith is perhaps the most misconstrued term in the Bible. While the Greek word from which faith is translated, pistis, means belief, faith toward God is not merely limited to that. This principle …
Continue reading Article: First Principles 3: Faith Toward God