-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Acts is the great mission book of the Bible, but we may have a shrunken view of the mission of Jesus and the church. Yes, the apostles preach the gospel so individuals are saved. Yes, they plant churches and get them organized by appointing leaders. Yes, there are conversions and baptisms. But Acts is centrally…
In John 17, Jesus prays that the disciples will be One, as the Father and Son are one: “I in them, you in Me, that they may be perfected in unity.” The Father dwells in the Son, the Son in the Father. Jesus wants us to dwell in each other. The church is the people…
Trinity Sunday alerts us to the fact that the church year doesn’t simply commemorate historical events. It marks out God’s unfolding self-revelation. All through the church year, our feasts and celebrations disclose the mystery of the Trinity, the God who is eternally Father, Son, and Spirit. From Advent to Easter, we come to know the…
Citing the prophet Joel, Peter says the Spirit of Pentecost is a Spirit of dreams and visions (Acts 2:17). That’s the Spirit who directs the mission of the apostles. All through Acts, the Spirit prompts, nudges, initiates, steers, pilots, and shepherds the church. By the Spirit, Peter uncovers the deception of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3, 9). The Spirit tells Philip to run up to…
Revelation 12 is a symbolic vision of Jesus’ ascension, which we celebrate this Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter. John sees a pregnant woman clothed with the sun and wearing a crown of twelve stars. She’s Israel, laboring to give birth to the Seed of the Woman who will rise to Zion’s throne. A dragon…
Peter’s encounter with Cornelius (Acts 10-11) is the longest story in the book, and the events are repeated three times. It’s one of the momentous events of human history because it marks the church’s incursion into the Gentile world. It ranks with the call of Abraham, the exodus and giving of the law, the death…
“Love your neighbor” doesn’t stand alone in Leviticus 19:18. As Rabbi David Fohrman puts it, Leviticus lays out a “pathway” to love, one that, surprisingly, begins with “hate.” Hate happens. Even in the most loving families and churches, people offend each other. We get annoyed and angry. The issue is, What do we do when…
Acts 7 is a trial scene. Stephen stands in the dock. Witnesses present evidence. The Sanhedrin is prosecutor and judge. Like most trial scenes in the New Testament, this one gets turned upside down & inside out. Stephen doesn’t whimper. He’s not afraid or obsequious. He doesn’t bob and weave. He doesn’t even try to…
Scripture doesn’t require us to observe Lent. The church established Lent, as it established other feasts and seasons of the church year. So why do it? Though not commanded, the church calendar is rooted in Scripture. The church follows the biblical example of ancient Israel. In addition to the weekly Sabbath, Israel celebrated annual festivals…
Lent highlights sanctification, the lifelong process of maturation in holiness and godlikeness. Theologians often distinguish two aspects of sanctification: Mortification and vivification. We’re called to put our sins to death; that’s mortification. We also cultivate habits of godly living; that’s vivification. Don’t steal, Paul says (mortification); rather labor, so you have something to share (vivification).…
Immanuel Reformed Church 