• “I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry” (I Tim. 1:12 CSB).
Let’s focus on the phrase: “appointing me to the ministry.” Ministry is not something one chooses for himself. Rather as it is written in the Scriptures, it is an appointment by Christ Jesus our Lord. In other passages, Paul recounts his own divine appointment to the gospel ministry.
Today this calling must, ...
I want to say it ain’t so, but it is so. The high priests of the sociopolitical religion have replaced the four Gospels of the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have been replaced by Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The epistles are now Tik Tok, WhatsApp, YouTube and many others already in use and others coming soon. Of course, Alexa and/or Siri seem to serve as a spirit to lead one to the “truth” of the sociopolitical agenda.
The priests of the ...
As I have reached that certain age, there are many shots my 12-year-old doctor has recommended that I take. Each shot is followed by a band-aid to cover the spot where the inoculation has been administered. Band aids costs about $3 for a box of 30. That’s about 10¢ apiece. Right now, it seems I have used a box of band-aids over the last few months.
The first shot was the Pfizer covid vaccine, administered at a drive through in my county. Finally, after burning nearly a ...
In our culture to be wise means “book learning.” Wisdom in the culture of the Scriptures means put into practice a grasp of the eternal — the ultimate truths of God.
Wisemen know at least seven things:
• Wisemen know how to be patient.
• Wisemen are persistent.
• Wisemen look for providence.
• Wisemen practice worship.
• Wisemen place value on the joy of giving.
• Wisemen possess the spirit of ...
As a school counselor, I occasionally give classroom presentations on various topics. Today I was giving a presentation on anger management to a sixth-grade class. I went through my series of slides, group presentations, class activities and normal rhetoric. At the end I usually allow for comments — not questions — from the class. One little bespeckled, freckled, blond haired and new-braces in-the-mouth boy timidly raised his hand. “Charley, what is your comment?” I asked.
“Dr. Cleaver, ...