THE THIRTY-FIRST DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. A gracEmail subscriber has heard that Romans 12:1 says our life each day is "worship," and concludes that we are not required to "go to church" or attend any kind of formal worship. Is that true or not? * * * Just true enough to twist and miss the whole point of the passage. After 11 chapters proclaiming and explaining the gospel, Paul now gives the "so what" to all the "what." Romans 12:1 begins: "I urge you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the tender mercies of God . . ." Whenever we see a … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2016
LIFE-GIVING … VISION … CONVINCING … VIDEO TREAT
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. LIFE-GIVING -- Although often more commentary than translation, Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of the New Testament titled The Message is excellent writing that often informs and inspires nonetheless. Consider this snippet based on the first two verses of the twelfth chapter of Paul's message to the Romans. So heres what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing … [Read more...]
YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. The name of Houston's Joe Jamail, aka "The King of Torts," will not be forgotten soon. Not at Baylor College of Medicine or the University of Texas, Rice University, or Texas Southern University, to name a few recipients of the philanthropic trial lawyer's legendary largesse. Mr. Jamail died early this month with a personal net worth of about $1.65 billion, according to Forbes. And that was after he gave away two hundred million or so. Although now dead, Joe Jamail will be remembered--at least for a while … [Read more...]
PURITANS . . . EAGLES . . . AND JMT
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. PURITANS FREE ONLINE -- Regent College and Carey Theological College, both in western Canada, have merged their respective collections by Puritan authors, now housed together at the John Richard Allen Library in Vancouver, B.C. The 80 combined titles came mostly from the digitized personal library of Dr. J. I. Packer. For list of books included, Puritan authors, and links to read this online collection, go to: allisonlibrary.regent-college.edu/ JOHN POINTS US TO EAGLES -- God's children, whether … [Read more...]
SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED AGAIN?
THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. Jesus Christ personally commissioned his apostles to make disciples of all the nations, to baptize believers and teach them to do everything Jesus commanded (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47). The baptism in this commission is gospel baptism in water. John the Baptist contrasted his own baptism in water with the far greater baptism in Holy Spirit that Jesus would administer to believers--whether before their baptism in water (Acts 10), after it (Acts 19), or simultaneous with it (Acts 2). But … [Read more...]
Family Notes 13/01/2016
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. GREEK PHILIPPIANS STUDY Dr. Gary Collier, creator of the popular "Coffee With Paul" (CWP) adult Bible studies, is now starting a new study of the Greek text of Philippians. This inviting but in-depth journey through one of Paul's most practical epistles is open to men or women of any age with any prior Greek studies, without regard to academic degrees or formal education. It is especially well-suited to preachers, Bible class teachers, and other church leaders. CWP will publish the resulting translation. For … [Read more...]
RESOLUTIONS AND WORLDVIEW
THE TENTH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. A number of gracEmail subscribers report a common frustration associated with new year's resolutions. They resolve to achieve various stated goals, attain at least limited success for a time, then completely run off the rails. Do I have any tips on ways they can increase their determination, effort, and results? * * * As I see it, merely upping the effort is not likely to help in this situation because the problem here is not lack of intensity. More likely, people break resolutions because they are not aligned … [Read more...]
Family Notes 06/01/2016
THE SIXTH DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. Feedback to gracEmail for Sunday, Jan. 3 The most recent previous gracEmail, published on Sunday, January 3, 2016, and titled "Knowing so much but so little," was unusually well-received by many subscribers, who responded in appreciable numbers with feedback intended to encourage, inspire, and inform--and who accomplished with flying colors all they intended to achieve. You touched my heart, and reminded me how incredibly blessed I am to enjoy the constant support of such a band of brothers and sisters as … [Read more...]
KNOWING SO MUCH BUT SO LITTLE
THE THIRD DAY OF JANUARY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. The second year of high school found me enrolled in a vocational class in commercial printing. A loud, smelly machine called a Linotype made a "line o' type" from melted lead. The printing "press" inked the type with hard rubber rollers and "pressed" paper sheets against the type like a giant rubber stamp. My first assignment was to clean the rollers with gasoline and a large cloth. I saw what looked like six or eight large ink rollers, scrubbed them with a vengeance, then asked the boss to check my work. A quick … [Read more...]
