When it comes to reading the Old Testament, many Christians are intimidated and might even ignore it all together. However, you can’t retreat into the New Testament for long without realizing the Apostles are constantly referencing, interpreting and preaching from the Old Testament. Not only does 2 Timothy 3:16 tell us that, “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (which would include the Old Testament) but the context (vs. 15) makes evident that the Apostle Paul primarily has the Old Testament in view. We therefore do not have the option to avoid the first two thirds of our bible or relegate it to some sort of lesser status...(click for more)
One of my favorite parts of Christmastime is putting together the crèche. Unpacking each little individual character from the nativity scene is one of many highlights as I decorate our home and tree. I set out Mary and Joseph, then the magi and shepherds, followed by their many sheep. Of course there’s always the donkey, camel, and most important, baby Jesus...(click for more)
Karma has taken the modern American worldview captive. Divested of its Hindu roots and multiple-lives timescale, it has become an accepted truth that your actions, both good and bad, will come back to you sometime in your life. It is assumed that the universe has a built-in justice system that operates morally much like a physical law. Although it may be a comforting doctrine to those on the receiving end of injustice, it falls terribly short of what the bible teaches...(click for more)
God at Work
It all began with a word from Pastor Bob Caldwell at the NW pastor’s conference. He encouraged all the Calvary pastors there to “recalibrate” and make an effort to assess whether our ministry was meeting the needs of our congregations and fulfilling God’s vision for where they should be heading. Since then, I and many other pastors in the NW have been looking to the next steps, and looking to see what changes need to be made...(click for more)
Self-control is essentially having mastery over your desires by not allowing what you want to determine where you’re going and what you do. Biblically, this is not for aesthetic purposes, like a Buddhist monk who believes the root of all suffering is desire and therefore seeks to remove any form of desire from his life. Instead, the Bible recognizes that many desires we have are natural and good; food, sex, security, etc; but they are not ultimate...(click for more)
