Creative Space for Wanderers
Not everyone has the capacity to provide material things for others, but the Apostle John provides this simple reminder for those who can help: If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? One of …
What if serving those in need was more than merely a good thing to do? Job makes his case in chapter 31: 13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, 14 what will I do when God confronts me? What will …
Continue reading “Serving those in Need: Holy Responsibility”
The series I’m creating here focuses on the Biblical mandate for serving the least, the lost, and the lonely. Those who are lonely are often the outcasts of society. The group transcends age, race, and income level. Someone can be incredibly wealthy and be inconsolably lonely. Loneliness leads to many mental health issues, and sadly, …
Sometimes when I’m reading the Bible a word or verse or phrase touches me deeply and I just sit there and sob. This is one of those moments: Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to …
The NIV translation of Romans 12:13 is quite appealing: Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. I love the idea that we are to practice hospitality. Years ago, I wanted to publish a magazine with the title, Practicing Parents. I kept the domain name for years, but alas, I never followed …
Read 3 John The last of the short letters from John includes simple reminders to help us improve as ministers of the Gospel. This short narrative seems to be a very personal letter written to John’s friend, Gaius. John begins with words of encouragement and appreciation for the way Gaius is leading the church. This …
Read 2 John The book of Second John contains a mere 13 verses as labeled by those who divided the Bible neatly for us around 500 years ago. This short epistle manages to expose some controversy for some in the church these days. I’m not going to try to stir the pot intentionally. Instead, I …
Read 1 John 5:5-12 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Have you ever considered the idea that you should overcome the world? In just a few verses, John plants the seed that we can move beyond worldly vices and issues. Perhaps that’s …
Read 1 John 4:20-5:4 Before we wrap up John’s first epistle, let’s rewind just a bit and look at how the end of chapter 4 carries into the first few verses in chapter 5. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that our chapter and verse numbering system was created for our convenience1. John did …
Read 1 John 4:7-21 We frequently hear reference to the “love chapter” as 1 Corinthians 13. This may be true, but after re-reading this passage, we might think differently about this assertion. The overwhelming theme of John’s thoughts here is love. Here are some phrases that grab my attention in today’s reading: God is love. …
Continue reading “1John: Whoever Does Not Love Does Not Know God”