When God invites us into fellowship with Him, what gets in the way? Well, what were the excuses the people in Jesus’ parable made for not coming to their host’s dinner? The first one had just bought a piece of land and wanted to inspect it. And it is still…

While legalism offers the false comfort of remaining in control of our salvation, it often leads to ridiculous extremes. For example, Jesus got into a lot of hot water with the Pharisees concerning their interpretation of the Sabbath commandment. Now, they weren’t completely wrong – God had told His people…

So, why is Christian unity so important? Why did the United Methodists bother to send delegates from all over the world to St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this week? Indeed, why do we Christians bother to gather on the Lord’s Day at all? Why don’t we just read our devotions on…

Anyone who might be tempted to think he can actually keep the Law of Moses is bound to come to grief over this passage. Who can possibly love his enemies? Who would even want to? No, we don’t even think of love in this way. Instead, we love those who…

Who is really rich? The first time I went to visit a partner Presbytery in Northeast Brazil, I was expecting to be bringing the riches of the US to a poor region. I found the opposite to be true – they had few financial resources, but were filled with joy…

Why do Americans need to know about kings? We are citizens of a Federal Republic. We get to elect our own leaders. In fact, when we go into the voting booth, together we wield the sovereignty of the United States. But that’s all the more reason we need to pay…

What can we do about wickedness in high places? David knew all about it 3000 years ago. In fact, his own father-in-law, King Saul, spent years trying to kill David, not because David had done anything wrong, but simply because of his jealousy at David’s success. No, David was no…

How closely do you think your prayers line up with what Jesus is praying for you? He is, after all, at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us even now (Romans 8:34). So, what do you think He is praying for? Well, however we might want to be…

What are we to do with this vision of an angry, avenging God? How does this fit in with the Scriptures that tell us God is love (I John 4:8)? Frankly, this contrast is such a big problem for some theologians that they go so far as to say that…

“I got your back.” Is there anything more comforting than to have a friend say those words? Especially when we are under attack, we crave the reassurance that someone is with us who will protect us. That’s the amazing good news for all who love and trust the Lord Jesus…