Posts from 2024 (Page 8)

To close out the great exaltation of Jesus Christ in Colossians 1, Paul turns his attention to the place of preachers in the great mystery (or plan) of God. The work of Paul, and by implication, preachers today, was to put the church first (vs. 24), to serve God’s plan as ministers (vs. 25-27), to preach (vs. 28), and to labor (vs. 29). It is through this labor that human beings become “perfect in Christ” (vs. 28). Focus on Colossians…

We need to remember that God really is, “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). As 2 Corinthians opens, the Greek word for “comfort” or “consolation” is found 10 times in just five verses (2 Cor. 1:3-7). Consider the following questions: What is “comfort?” We must make an important distinction between our modern notion of “comfort,” and what the Bible term indicates. In modern English, “comfort” means, “a state of physical ease and freedom from…

Understanding that discouragement to one degree or another is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ in the lives of Christians or those outside of Christ, what can we do to help one another? As a foundation upon which to build, let us first be clear that it is not optional whether we help one another through times of discouragement. Paul stated clearly in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When we see…

Christians can get locked into the mentality that faith should always trump discouragement, and that anytime a Christian is struggling mentally or emotionally they must be lacking the appropriate level of trust in God. In their view, Christians should not get discouraged. The truth is that the probability that a child of God will experience periods of discouragement is just one mishap or disappointment away. Rather than pretend that Christians are immune to discouragement, let’s consider what help the Bible…

There is no earthshaking revelation in the recognition that discouragements come. They come in A.D. 2024 and have likewise in every year since the world was created (unless Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden for an extended period before they fell). In some of the lives of our biblical heroes, discouragements not only came but they were frequent and powerful. David’s manifold tears made his “bed to swim” (Ps. 6:6). On one occasion [likely on more that…

First Kings 19 has always puzzled me. It would be hard to imagine a greater victory over false religion than what Elijah accomplished in the previous chapter. The saturated altar being completely consumed by fire and the execution of 450 prophets of Baal brought the people to their knees shouting, “The Lord, He is God!” It was a great moment in the prophet’s fight against idolatry in the land of Israel, yet it was not to last. Once Jezebel received…

I am reminded of the story of the man that approached a little league baseball game one hot, sunny afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy kept his gaze on the field and responded, “Eighteen to nothing—we’re behind.” “Woah,” said the man, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!” Discouragement is a state of mind and heart that repeatedly…