As many of you have heard, we are expecting another baby! However, not everyone may have heard about the story of God’s protective hand over this baby.
Continue reading “Providence In Action”Providence In Action
The Cry for Independence – Part 1
The countless street vendors are selling everything green, white, and red. Lights, banners, and a host of other decorations adorn the old, historic buildings and cobblestone streets. Rusty carnival rides have been towed into town and await patiently for the festivities to begin.
Continue reading “The Cry for Independence – Part 1”The Rejoicing God
God is holy. It is a fearful thing to come into the presence of such a holy God – just ask Isaiah. And it is an even more terrible thing to come under the wrath of God. God compares himself to a lion who will rip the wicked to shreds. Clearly we cannot relate to God in a casual, relaxed way, but rather must come to him in reverence, awe, and humility. We must throw ourselves at his feet, confess our evil, and depend only on his mercy. The mercy and grace by which God saves us demands a life of piety, holiness, and sacrifice.
Continue reading “The Rejoicing God”Habakkuk and the Problem of Evil
The problem of evil is this: How can a good God allow evil to exist? This is not a new problem, but it remains both perplexing and complex. The prophet Habakkuk, like countless others, also wrestled with the seemingly contradicting realities of the goodness of God and the presence of evil. The difference with Habakkuk is that he was able to converse with God directly. As we listen in on their conversation, God’s answer gives us insight into how we should shape our thinking about the problem of evil.
Continue reading “Habakkuk and the Problem of Evil”En Canada
We arrived in Canada, via Vancouver, almost two weeks ago. It only took about twenty-four hours of travel time thanks to thunderstorms and delays in Denver. All things considered, it actually went quite well.
Nahum’s Good News
Nahum’s short prophecy is tucked away, often out of sight, in the middle of all the other minor prophets who are lumped together. The main focus of Nahum is a pronouncement of impending doom for the “great” city of Nineveh. Nahum writes, or speaks, with a captivating poetic style that makes his words come alive. But there is more to Nahum than a lyrical prophecy of doom. There is good news here. It is the good news of the just punishment of the wicked which results in lasting peace for the righteous.
Continue reading “Nahum’s Good News”The Great Reversal
The prophecies of Joel revolve around a devastating locust plague. What do these locusts have to do with the gospel? Turns out, they provide a picture of what God will do through Jesus and they provide hope for those who turn to Jesus with repentant hearts. What happens on a relatively small scale in Joel, is going to happen on a world-wide scale sometime in the future.
Continue reading “The Great Reversal”The Prodigals
In the second chapter of Hosea we read of Israel’s shocking unfaithfulness in allegory form. Meanwhile in Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable about a son who shockingly leaves his family in disgrace. These initial similarities beckon us to camp out in these passages and discover more.
Continue reading “The Prodigals”That We Might Speak
Most of us have tried to learn a language at one point or another. For many this attempt came in the form of a required class in school. We had to learn French (or whatever language) and would show up to class (maybe?) and endure the lesson. Trying to learn a language without the motivation necessary usually ends up as an exercise in futility, as many teachers can attest to, including and perhaps especially, my own.
Continue reading “That We Might Speak”