Archives for 2012

A gracEmail reader in the Middle East writes, "Someone recently prayed for help in becoming 'poor in spirit.' I want to receive the blessing Jesus promises to those who are poor in spirit, but I don't know whether I am rich or poor in spirit now. What does Jesus mean by this blessing?" * * * "Blessed are the poor in spirit," says Jesus, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). The word translated "poor" here means destitute. It refers to one who by poverty is reduced to begging (Lk. 16:20-21; Matt. 26:11). By definition, such beggars do not present credentials. Not those genuine … [Read more...]

How quickly perspectives change! There's the news item about a traveler who had a flat tire while rushing to the airport, then didn't perish in the plane crash because he missed the flight. Or that job, or thing, or person we thought we couldn't live without -- but later thanked God that he kept from us. Or the adversity that sorely tested our faith, but proved in retrospect to be a vital stepping-stone to spiritual progress. And what about that middle Cross on Golgotha? As of Friday afternoon, it looked just like the other two. Then Sunday morning dawned, and suddenly there was no longer … [Read more...]

Originally the human family consisted of one race and one class. As differences emerged, fallen men and women began to mistreat each other based on those differences. Hatred, envy and pride are the real culprits, and they do not need different skin colors for an excuse. In former Yugoslavia, white Bosnians and Serbs killed each other without mercy, as do white extremists in Northern Ireland. Across Africa, black ethnic leaders massacre other tribes, perpetuating ancient hostilities that continue without logic or purpose. White people practiced slavery in America, and black Africans sometimes … [Read more...]

An Advent Christian minister in the Northwest asks a question which he has encountered in pastoral counseling. "Is it ever okay (from God's perspective) to lie?" * * * One of the Ten Commandments forbids bearing "false witness" (Deut. 5:20). Jesus himself commanded his followers to be so known for truth-telling that oaths are wasted on them (Matt. 5:33-37). Paul admonishes believers always to tell the truth (Eph. 4:25). John reminds us that "we know him who is true, and we are in Him who is true" (1 John 5:20). The Bible closes with a warning that liars will have their part in the lake of … [Read more...]

No personal trait of Jesus Christ is more obvious in the Gospels than his kindness. I am especially impressed with Jesus' kindness to people who did not usually receive kindness -- little children, women, the poor, the sick, the physically or mentally impaired. Jesus was also kind to sinners -- people with a history of failures and flops. Because Jesus reveals God to us, this also shows us the heart of our God (John 1:18). God is kind to undeserving sinners, which includes all of us. His kindness prompts our repentance (Rom. 2:4). The gospel itself is called "the kindness of God" (Titus … [Read more...]

A recent event involving an untrue rumor reminded me how quickly gossip travels, and how nearly impossible it is to correct. Someone has aptly noted that spreading gossip is like throwing feathers into the wind. Once launched, there is no gathering them up again. No wonder God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites: "You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people" (Lev. 19:16). Yet how we sometimes love a juicy bit of gossip. Indeed, "the words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels" (Prov. 26:22). When the subject of gossip arises, I always think of Gashmu, an obscure … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber writes, "Does the Bible actually condemn gambling? If not, where does my church get the notion that gambling is wrong?" * * * I do not know any biblical text which specifically says that gambling is wrong. However, it becomes wrong when it springs from improper motives or manifests lack of self-control. "Thou shalt not covet" is as ancient as the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:17). The New Testament also prohibits greed or covetousness, which it classifies as a form of idolatry (Eph. 5:5). "The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil," warns the Apostle Paul -- a … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber in Delaware writes, "Someone in a Bible class recently said that we don't have to forgive everyone because some people are purely evil. I have always thought it our duty to forgive anyone who wrongs us." * * * Jesus said that we are to forgive anyone who sins against us and asks for our forgiveness (Lk. 17:3-4). Refusing to forgive is really not an option if we expect to be forgiven ourselves (Matt. 6:14-15). The Christian is called to imitate God. That means, among other things, that we are to forgive others just as God has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32). As a practical … [Read more...]