Much Ado About Something

Many of the narratives from David’s life humble me. What can I do to be more like this person who often displayed a heart that was totally committed to God and to living in a way that brought honour to his Lord.

In this text we see David making much ado about something many of us might miss. He was a busy person. He was the king of the nation. He was the commander of the army.

Read More commitment, faithfulness, honour

You Make Me Want to Shout

Yesterday, I just couldn’t help it.

I got a work related email that offered me an opportunity I’ve been longing for and which has the potential to take me to the next level in what I do. I flew out of my desk chair and shouted at the top of my lungs, “YES LORD, YES LORD, YES, YES, YES!”

Glory or Honour

In the end, the glory is always and only God’s. But the Bible is clear that honour is appropriate and right among his people. David introduces his son Solomon to the people and lets them know that God has chosen him to build a temple of worship in Jerusalem. There is not one iota of jealousy in David but a recognition that God calls each of us to our own task and we should serve God well in our calling but give honour to those whose call is different and perhaps even greater in some ways than ours.

Giving to Both God and Caesar

Is there ever a time to disobey government? It was Rev. Martin Luther King who said that the one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly and with a willingness to accept the penalty. He knew the only way Afro-Americans could change unjust laws on segregation in the 1960s was to lay down their safety and bodies and sometimes even their lives.

On the other hand, Paul exhorted early Christians under the thumb of an emperor as corrupt as Nero to, ‘Obey the rulers who have authority over you.

Read More honour, obedience, discernment

Defending Against the Demonic

In most of my readings about this passage the person commentating focuses upon the claim to divinity that Jesus makes in using the sacred name “I am” to describe himself before Abraham existed. But there is another intriguing insight that comes from this passage.

In response to the accusation by the crowd that Jesus is demonic, Jesus replies by saying he honours his Father.

Redefine “Weaker”

“Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet” (3:4).

This passage is troubling in these egalitarian times, for it appears to give biblical sanction to a patriarchal view of women. Indeed, complementarian Christians often cite it as a mandate to keep women in their place.

Read More beauty, weakness, gentleness, women, honour

Status Check

Moses loomed large in the Jewish mind, and rightly so. This is the man who God addressed from a burning bush; the man who challenged Pharaoh and led the Israelites to freedom through a parted sea; the man who God entrusted with the Ten Commandments, the foundation of their identity as a chosen and holy nation.