People often assume that “freedom” simply means being free to do whatever you choose, without any kind of restraint: “I can do whatever I want!” We know, however, that reality at every turn is framed by restrictions. A man cannot shoplift an iPhone just because he wants one but can’t afford it.
Read More master, slave, freedomDuring my time in pastoral ministry I knew people who remarried after their spouse passed away. Because of the intimate nature of marriage, definite adjustments in lifestyle had to be made. It would be silly and even pointless for the remarried person to treat their new spouse just like the first one …
Read More covenant, law, marriage, deadBefore he met Jesus, Paul spent all of his time seeking to earn God’s favour (see Galatians 1:14, Philippians 3:6). Yet when he encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9), he came to see that the Law could never make a person right with God (Rom 3:23).
Read More transformation, the Law, desires, turmoilIn the 1960s middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was wrongly accused and convicted of a triple homicide and sentenced to life in prison. After serving 19 years for a crime he never committed, his lawyers launched a second appeal, and the court overturned the previous ruling. The appeals court judge set Carter free.
Read More condemnation, God’s family, freedom, pardon, guiltWhen I was a child my parents took me to visit their homeland of Jamaica. There I witnessed a way of life quite foreign to what I had been accustomed, growing up in Canada. Many impoverished people, some young, some old, walking around town carrying what looked to me like very heavy loads: large baskets of food and produce; huge canisters of water; big bundles of clothing.
Read More prayer, Holy Spirit, help, burdensMany things can separate us from experiencing the affection of our closest friends and family. There is distance. Geographical separation can keep us from having close, intimate contact with our loved ones. While technology has helped to narrow this gap, in the end, it’s still hard to hug a computer screen.
Read More separation, death, glory, loveHave you ever sought God for something and he refused to give it to you? A job? A house? A spouse? When I sensed God calling me to full-time ministry, I went to seminary. After I graduated, a local church in my home town invited me to serve as a pastor. It was there that God gave me clarity to the nature of his call on my life: it was to teach in the Christian academy.
Read More unanswered prayer, promises, JewsWhen my father died several years ago, it was quite unexpected: he was vacationing with my mother in Jamaica. As it turned out, he died of what was a very treatable condition; but because he received the poorest of treatment in a very low-level hospital he had no chance.
Read More good, Jews, gentiles, rejectionAs far as most people are concerned, sincerity counts when it comes to religion. It doesn’t matter that the religions of the world often teach doctrines that are mutually contradictory. What counts is a person’s sincerity: so long as the practioner is sincere about what s/he believes, their belief system is valid and they can be “saved.”
Read More salvation, blessings, sincerity, the Law, God’s giftsHave you ever made a promise only to break it? You promised to show up finally at your child’s ball game, but the office meeting went late and you missed it again. Your promise to help your spouse around the house lasted only a week. You confidently assured your parents that you would get an “A” on your next report card but could only muster a “B.”
Read More Israel, trust, promises