August 2024

Justice, mercy and faithfulness – where have we heard that before?  Let’s look at the context and think more. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Jesus is crushing the teachers of the law and the Pharisees for focusing on the seen and measurable while virtually ignoring the more …

How can we view LGBT? I would like to confess that when the Aids epidemic appeared in the 80’s, I thought, “Serves them right.”  Where was my love for a suffering people? God did not send me to condemn or disdain. There is now no condemnation. I list Romans 8:1 here as reminder that it is God who condemns. That day will come and God will handle it well. It is not at all for us to condemn these people. …

In I Timothy 1, Paul tells Timothy to end speculation on questions like what can we do for those already dead. Then, he adds words we need to take to heart and think on long term. For he asks us to do all this with a pure heart.  Take a look. 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and …

I often feel heavy about troubles or even the future. Recently, my son decided to memorize virtually all of 2 Corinthians 4  He recited it to me and I heard: Our light and momentary troubles This is from verse 17. In Chapter 4, Paul notes our precious lives are held in jars of clay. He says we are wasting away each day. Then, he says we have light and momentary troubles. Thank you God for this important reminder that we …