The fellowship of His sufferings The history of the Christian church is one of suffering. Perhaps some of us lose sight of this in our pleasant homes, our peaceful countries, and our comfortable lives. But the sort of peace and plenty that many of us enjoy today is very much the exception, not the rule. […]
Deliver us from evil Paul is not speaking of the sins (plural) that each of us may sadly sometimes fall into, but rather he is asking whether the believer in Christ is under the dominion or rule of sin. The title of this article is provoked by a study of a frequently misunderstood question raised […]
How important to be an example to both family and flock! One of the requirements of an elder is that he be a man who manages his own household well (1 Tim. 3:4). Faithful in little, faithful in much. So the Lord instructs that we should wait until a man is capable of leading his […]
Read More… from Spiritual Leadership Starts at Home (part 1)
“…truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 Jn 1:3b) There is something rather warm and heartening in the term “fellow.” A man who is my fellow is, at some level, my neighbour and certainly a peer. A man whom I choose to describe as a fellow anything is […]
The destruction of the double wall The church at Ephesus was largely comprised of converted Gentiles. In the opening ten verses of Ephesians 2, Paul shows that, prior to their conversion, they (the “you”) had shared a common spiritual predicament with believing Jews (the “we” and the “us”). Both had been spiritually dead. But, from […]
Lessons in labouring together “And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” (Col. 1:29) The study of how Paul related to his companions in the service of Christ is revealing—and humbling. Before his conversion, he had been an ambitious man, making a career in religion and […]
Participants in the mystery As fellow members of the body, we are to share in all the privileges and responsibilities of body function. Paul’s letter to the saints in Ephesus turns our hearts to the heaven lies where we are seated with Christ. From this balcony view, we see the church as a bride, as […]
The idea of tent-making has largely fallen on hard times in the 21st Century. The general consensus seems to be—either you’re “good enough” to preach full time, or else go and get a real job and pay your bills; don’t look to us for hand-outs. Usually in our day the only “tent-makers” that make it […]
The Number 1 question asked in North America today concerns God and suffering. “How could a good (or loving) God allow so much suffering in the world?” How we answer—clinically or compassionately—may have as significant an impact on the questioner as what we answer. But here are a few suggestions: 1. The Bible tells us […]