Consider this

The church in the city of Corinth was a mess. People were fighting with one another. Some were taking others to court. Sin and dissension had crept in so far that they could not even agree on what their worship times should look like. They even fought during a friendly meal that they called “The love feast” (ironic huh?). It is no wonder then that as we read the letters that we call 1 and 2 Corinthians, we see the apostle Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, trying to sort out one issue after another. The surprising part, though, is the problem that Paul deals with first. In the first ten verses of 1 Corinthians chapter one, the name of Jesus is used ten times. In these verses, Paul reminds them that they have been “called by Christ” (verse 2) and they have received “grace” and “mercy” from Christ (verses 3 and 4). He underlines the fact that Jesus is the one who will keep them “strong to the end” and that he is the one who m...

Over the years, people have often compared the Bible to a map or an instruction book, because it is something that gives you information and tells you how to get home. While I understand that, I have two problems with those analogies. First, maps and instruction books are boring! You only use them when you are lost or in trouble and you do not use them every day. Secondly, the Bible never calls itself a “map” or an “instruction book”. It does, however, give us some other, much more useful, pictures. 1. The Bible is a Light. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Lights are powerful. They allow us to see and understand what is around us and, strangely enough, they give us courage! My Grandparents used to live about four blocks from our house and the quickest way to get there was to cut through a cemetery. I was never scared of the cemetery in the daytime, but nighttime was a differ...

It was supposed to be a day to remember and it was, for all the wrong reasons. Two 10-year-old best friends convinced their dads to take them to a soccer game at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The big attraction was soccer star David Beckham. The boys talked about the day, dreamt about it and even made a sign for Beckham. After the game, Beckham walked over to where the two boys were sitting, removed his jersey and threw it over the fence to them. Eric Kerr’s son was holding the sign and Wilfred Ho’s son who caught the jersey. That is where the trouble started. The Kerrs claim that Beckham saw the sign and intended their boy to have the jersey. The Hos claim that their son caught it, so it belongs to him. On April 10, the Hos received a letter from the Kerrs’ attorney demanding the return of the shirt. In turn, the Hos attorney responded that they were the rightful owners and that they were not giving the shir...

My oldest daughter was just finishing swimming lessons when I walked up to the windows at the pool. Out on the diving board was a little boy, maybe 5 years old and he looked nervous. His instructor was in the water below the diving board encouraging him to jump. The long line of kids who were waiting for their turn on the diving board were telling him to jump. However, the little boy just stood there shaking. Over the years, I have seen many people in the same position in regards to their faith. They have read and studied themselves into the position where they have a decision to make. They have to decide whether to “jump” or not. Part of the problem here is that logic can only take you so far. I can argue for God’s existence from lots of different things, but I cannot prove that he exists. At least not in terms of being able to show him to you right now. At some point, the message of the gospel requires a leap of faith. ...

Have you ever experienced “Jet lag”? I have, once, on a trip to Israel . Our plane left Toronto at 6 am and, after 14 hours in the air, we landed just outside Tel Aviv at around 8 am their time. I had not slept on the plane (I did not want to miss anything) and so when we got on the tour bus that morning I was tired! One of my most vivid memories of that first day is simply trying to force my eyes open. As the bus rocked slowly back and forth down the road, the nice, warm sun shone in the window. To make matters worse, my friend Bill was sound asleep and snoring loudly. The first day of that trip was a bit of a blur for a while. It is hard to stay awake and alert when everything around you is encouraging you to relax and sleep through the important stuff. Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself going through life as if I am sitting on that bus. I am on the journey of a lifetime and yet I can hardly stay awake. My day...

Old things can be valuable (no, I am not just saying that because I am starting to “get up there”). Take, for example, the old idea of “God’s grace”. By definition, “Grace” is “unmerited favor” or “unearned kindness” and it is one of the words that the New Testament writers frequently use when describing God. John 1:16 tells us that, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another”. A short list of those blessings would include things like forgiveness, salvation, new life, repentance, God’s love and Christ himself. In various scriptures, those concepts are tied to the word “grace”. Recovering that old concept of “God’s grace” changes how we see him. Our God is not out to get us, or exclude us. In fact, God’s gracious disposition is one of the best blessings that we have. Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The “if” in that sentence could be translated “beca...

When trying to understand a concept, sometimes a comparison or a visual can be very helpful. The inspired writers of the New Testament used that technique a great deal, especially when talking about the people of God. For example, Paul says that we are the “family” or the “household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). A household in those days included everyone; mother, father, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and even those who worked for the family. It was a broad and inclusive idea. Everyone had a place and everyone belonged. Continuing that idea of belonging is the concept that we are “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12-20). Just as in our physical bodies, each part contributes to the whole and makes things better. In God’s kingdom, there are no unnecessary parts. Everyone has a place. Other word pictures stress the closeness that we have with God and his son. Revelation 19:7-9 tells us that we are “the bride of Christ...