Parents who wanted their children to have what they were deprived of often discover it growing among the toys and privileges.
Christians who help the poor sometimes see it in the scowls at the same time the hand is extended.
Friends who share the amazing gift of God’s grace with their loved ones see it in the face of those who find salvation a small thing. Continue reading “Ingrate!”
Sometimes we get the idea that God’s people should never have problems, that they should always get along, and that there will always be harmony. Anyone who thinks this cannot have read Paul’s letters to God’s people at Corinth. It is hard to imagine a group of Christians who could have so many problems including not getting along!
But they were still God’s people! In the opening verses, Paul referred to them as “the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2 NET). Just because they had problems did not negate who they were in Christ. Continue reading “Unity in the Lord’s Supper”
“Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 16:1-3 ESV).
“What makes this night different from all other nights?” With this question, asked by a child, the modern Jewish observance of Passover begins. During the evening the events of the Exodus are related to all who are present and there is a feast containing many rituals that are based on what happened when God “passed over” the Israelites when they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Continue reading “Keeping the memory alive”
“And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.’ So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did” (Numbers 9:1-5 ESV).
God did not want the Israelites to forget what had happened to free them from Egyptian slavery. He gave them an anniversary to observe each year called “Passover.” This was to remind them that God had “passed over” their houses and that they had been freed from slavery that night. Continue reading “The need to remember”
“And when he had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
If we could put God and man in one, stark contrast, it might be this; God remembers, and humans forget. Continue reading “Remember”
Decades have passed since I made some promises to a young lady in two different languages. Those promises announced my marital commitment and intended faithfulness to my young bride. At that time, I slipped a tangible symbol of my vows upon her finger to remind her of what I had promised.
God has also made some promises and provided us with a tangible reminder of them. However, he has offered the greatest promises ever – promises offering hope, identity, peace and holiness. Furthermore, unlike us, God is always faithful to his promises. We can know and rest assured God will deliver. Continue reading “The promises and their impact”
This article was translated from the Portuguese and some points reflect Brazilian law and society.
I dislike talking on the phone, a trait no doubt inherited from my dad, since he avoided it at all costs. But last week The Missus was busy when the phone rang, so I answered it.
“Is this the phone number of the church?” a feminine voice asked.
“My name is Randal, and I’m a Christian, can I help you?” Continue reading “The smell of a phone conversation”
Happy New Year!
Today is New Year’s Day. After the celebrations of ‘Hogmanay’ yesterday evening (Scottish for ‘New Year’s Eve’), when friends and family get together, ending with the bells at midnight (although in reality these days it is usually fireworks), with parties continuing long into the night. Some “first footing” still occurs (to be the first foot in a house after midnight) but Scots will continue to greet people with “Happy New Year!” and a hug throughout this coming week. Continue reading “A new year”
The Lord’s day and the Lord’s supper belong together. Continue reading The day and the table of the Lord
Do we take the communion seriously? Continue reading Discerning the Lord's body