The Caves We Run To…
David prayed Psalm 57 while hiding in a cave from the egomaniac Saul, who was seeking to kill him. Saul had kept a jealous eye on David ever since people declared, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.” Because his name and fame were his refuge, Saul was miserable. Because his […]
Surely Not I, Rabbi?
Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, was filled with information about Jesus, but he proved to have never truly been transformed by Jesus. In Matthew 26, Judas admitted with his own words that he had never been transformed. When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, He […]
Repenting of Our “Goodness”
One of Jesus’ strongest rebukes is given against the towns where “most of His miracles were done because they did not repent” (Matthew 11:20). Perhaps when we read, “they did not repent,” we think of overtly wicked people who failed to turn away from their immorality. But Jesus was speaking to a group of people […]
Who Are These Christians?
The early church experienced favor among people in the broader culture (Acts 2:47). As they met together and cared for one another (Acts 2:44-46), the world took notice. John MacArthur, in his commentary on Acts, states, “Some of the reasons the early church found favor with the common people can be discerned from the apology […]
Living As Enemies No More
Disunity and relational strife seem to plague many churches. I hear of fighting and grumbling over a plethora of issues ranging from music style to Bible translations to dress to room usage. Disunity in a local church hurts the mission of Christ as it does not show the result of our salvation – that believers […]
Flying and the Expulsive Power of a New Affection
I do not like getting on airplanes. I don’t like going through security. I don’t like taking my shoes off and getting my socks all wrinkled up in my shoes. Airport food is just a notch above tolerable to me. I can’t stand turbulence. I really don’t like the center seat, especially near the back […]
Marcus Aurelius and Our Lives
In approximately A.D. 62, the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians: All things have been created through Him and for Him… and by Him all things hold together. Sometime between the years 161 and 180, Marcus Aurelius wrote his famous Meditations. Some believe Marcus Aurelius was a great leader, a great emperor. […]
Buy a Cemetery Plot Next to a Famous Person
I learned of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery reading Tim Chaddick’s book Better, written on the Book of Ecclesiastes. Chaddick, who pastors in LA, drives by the Hollywood Forever Cemetery regularly. Out of curiosity, I wondered how much a plot would cost. With a few clicks on the Internet, I discovered there is a market for […]
Rescued from the Futility of Accomplishing
After declaring everything to be meaningless, Solomon asked a piercing question: What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:3) Everyone pursues something, labors for something, works for something. And Solomon’s point was that all the labor under the sun is meaningless because there really is […]
When a Blessing Becomes Meaningless
In Ecclesiastes 1, Solomon declares everything to be meaningless. He boldly states, “Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities. All is vanity!” Just as the Bible uses the language “King of kings and Lord of lords” to emphasize that Jesus is above every king and every lord, Solomon is emphasizing that everything is emphatically and utterly […]