It is difficult to overstate just how important a daily reading practice of reading the bible can be. From my perspective, it’s the single most important thing that has changed my Christian walk.
Our faith is nourished by a daily encounter with God’s Word. Today many applications help us with reading a verse a day, but I want to encourage readers to go deeper and commit to the daily study of the bible. The Bible holds immeasurable wisdom, guidance, and encouragement that can shape our lives and draw us closer to our Heavenly Father. Let us delve into some passages and discover the transformative impact that consistent engagement with the Word of God can have on our spiritual journey.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
This verse reminds us that the Bible is not merely a collection of ancient texts but a divine guidebook for our lives. Just as a lamp illuminates a dark path, God’s Word shines a light on our journey, showing us the way to live according to His will. By studying the Scriptures daily, we allow God’s light to guide our steps, offering wisdom, clarity, and direction in a world often shrouded in confusion.
If we want to be guided by God, then we must pay close attention to his words which provide us with the daily guidance we need.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
Joshua received this instruction from God as he prepared to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The same principle applies to us today. Daily meditation and study of God’s Word lead to a deep understanding of His commands and promises. By internalizing Scripture, we align our actions with God’s principles, resulting in true prosperity and success—a life lived in harmony with His perfect plan.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
These verses emphasize the comprehensive nature of Scripture and its impact on our lives. God’s Word teaches us, convicting us of areas where we fall short, correcting our course, and training us to live in righteousness. Through daily study, we allow God’s Word to mould our character, equipping us to fulfil His purposes and engage in good works. It is through the transformative power of Scripture that we become vessels of God’s love and instruments of His grace in the world.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)
This verse emphasizes the importance of applying what we learn from Scripture. Daily Bible study should not be a passive exercise but an active pursuit of understanding and obedience. Merely hearing the Word without putting it into practice is futile. As we engage with the Scriptures daily, let us allow God’s truth to penetrate our hearts, leading us to live lives that reflect His love and grace. It is in the application of God’s Word that we experience genuine transformation and make a meaningful impact on the world around us.
Daily reading of God’s word is an indispensable practice for every Christian. As we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, we encounter His wisdom, guidance, and life-transforming power. By meditating on Scripture, we allow God to illuminate our path, prosper our ways, equip us for His work, and transform us into His image.
Let us make a commitment to engage with the Bible daily, allowing its truths to shape our lives and draw us closer to our Heavenly Father.
Whilst many believers know prayer is essential to the Christian life, many still find it difficult to build a consistent prayer life.
When asked, “What is more important: prayer or reading the Bible? Charles Spurgeon replied, “What is more important: breathing in or breathing out?”. Prayer is as essential to a Christian life just as much as breathing is. In fact, in the Bible, we are told to“rejoice always, pray without ceasing, 1give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Here is a simple way to pray which may help structure your prayer so it has a format you can follow
Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need” (NASB). So, here is a way that you can confidently come before God’s throne to praise Him, repent, thank Him and request what it is you need.
What Is the ACTS Prayer Method?
This method of prayer serves as an outline or guide for prayer so you can organize your thoughts and requests. The acronym ACTS stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. It’s a model of prayer that is more than a century old, as it was believed to first be published as part of a story series in the August 1883 periodical The Continent.
This model of prayer prioritizes our time with God so we first approach Him with reverence (adoration), then repent of the sin in our life (confession), then express our gratitude to Him for all He has done (thanksgiving), and finally submit to Him our requests (supplication).
A – Adoration of God
Theletter A of the A.C.T.S acronym stands for the adoration of God. During this time of prayer focus directly on God. Adore Him for who He is and His attributes, His character. Worship and praise God with your whole heart and mind. Focus your heart and mind upon the full majesty of God and His glory. As you spend this necessary time adoring God it not only pleases Him but also has benefits for you!
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
As you wait in God’s presence adoring Him, you are refreshed too and your faith muscle grows much stronger as you contemplate and remember how big and amazing our God is.
Prayer of adoration
So how do you adore God? You need a few prompts to raise up a sacrifice of praise in adoration of God Almighty. You will gain lots of inspiration for praising God from the words of hymns or worship songs, and of course, the Bible is full of adoration verses!
If I find it hard to settle my heart but long to adore God that if I sit quietly listening to a hymn or worship song suddenly my heart engages in the worship and instead of focusing on the things that I can’t control, I am in full adoration of the One who can bring the necessary change in my circumstances.
Here are some of my favorite adoration scriptures: Sit still in God’s presence contemplating just one of these Bible verses and wait and watch for the adoration of God to rise up in your heart.
Psalm 8:1: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
1 Chronicles 29:11-13: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.12 Both riches and honour come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand, it is to make great and to give strength to all.13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
Psalm 63:3-4: Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name, I will lift up my hands.
Revelation 4:8: And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Ephesians 1:7: In Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.
Psalm 135:3: Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
Psalm 34:15: The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
Isaiah 55:8-9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Psalm 89:8: O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?
C – Confession
The “C” in the ACTS prayer is admitting and confessing your sin to God so that your prayers will not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). In Psalm 32:3-5, David prayed:
“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin (NASB).”
Yes, God already knows about our sins, but by confessing them, we are admitting to and acknowledging that our sin is offensive to God and agreeing with Him that we need His Son, Jesus, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. First John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
T – Thanksgiving
Scripture is very clear on our command to be grateful, and not just for what God has given us. First Thessalonians 5:18 instructs: “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice the verse doesn’t say “In good things give thanks” or “in the pleasantries of life, give thanks.” Rather, it commands us to be thankful in everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly. As you do this, you are living out “the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” as the verse states.
Practice gratitude to God in everything, by thanking Him for the difficulties you are facing on any given day, for the things He has withheld for your own good, for the refining work He is doing in your soul, for the trials that are moulding you into the image of Christ, and for the way He can redeem all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
I have found that when I begin to thank God for everything, not just the good things, it completely changes my perspective and makes me far more of a grateful person. Thanking God in everything gets the focus off of us and what we’ve been given and puts the focus back on God, the ultimate Giver.
S – Supplication
Lastly, lift up your cares and concerns to God. Pray for the people in your life, for those who are suffering, for the needs of all people throughout the world. Ask God to show you who to pray for today.
The biblical definition of supplication is a form of reverential prayer to God. It is a prayer of humility while seeking God with boldness. It is a time of prayer where you lay your requests before God about your own personal situation and also for others. This type of prayer is also known as intercession.
Praying scripture during your time of supplication is such a powerful way to pray. The Bible is full of scripture that you can use for various purposes.
A powerful way to pray scripture over someone is to insert their name into a verse. When you do this you are praying God’s words back to Him and you are also praying God’s will for that person. This discipline will strengthen your faith and instil hope in your heart.
When you pray scripture, you can be sure you are praying the will of God because you are praying His very words back to Him!
The ACTS prayer ensures that you are praising God for who He is, confessing sin in your heart that could otherwise hinder your prayers, and thanking Him for all He is doing in your life before asking Him for all that you want and need. And for those on the other side of the spectrum who hesitate to come before God and ask Him for anything, this prayer can help them gain confidence that there is a proper place and time to do that in prayer.
As Christians, we are called to live lives that are marked by joy. However, in the midst of life’s challenges and trials, it can be easy to lose sight of the joy that is meant to define our faith. Yet, true joy is not dependent on our circumstances but is a gift from God that transcends the ups and downs of life. In this article, we will explore the essence of joy, its source, and how we can experience it in our daily walk as Christians.
Joy is not happiness
First and foremost, joy is not merely a fleeting emotion or momentary happiness. It is a deep-seated sense of well-being and contentment that comes from knowing and being in a relationship with our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit working within us (Galatians 5:22). Joy is the result of recognising that our sins have been forgiven and that we have been reconciled with God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It is the assurance of eternal life in Christ and the hope that we have in Him.
The source of our joy, as Christians, is rooted in the character of God. Our heavenly Father is a God of love, mercy, and grace. He delights in His children and desires to bless us abundantly. When we align our lives with God’s will, we tap into His joy and experience His presence in a profound way. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” In other words, true joy is found in seeking God, abiding in His presence, and finding our satisfaction in Him alone.
Furthermore, joy is not a passive state but an active response to our faith in God. The apostle Paul, despite facing immense persecution and trials, proclaimed, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Paul understood that joy is not circumstantial but a deliberate choice to focus on the goodness of God and His faithfulness. It is an act of worship and a testimony to the transformative power of the Gospel in our lives. When we choose joy, we are a witness to the world, pointing them to the hope and peace that can only be found in Christ.
So, how can we experience joy in our daily walk as Christians? Firstly, we must cultivate a heart of gratitude. Recognizing and appreciating the blessings that God has bestowed upon us, both big and small, help us to shift our focus from our problems to the goodness of our Heavenly Father. Secondly, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.
The Bible is filled with promises and reminders of God’s love, faithfulness, and the hope we have in Him. Meditating on Scripture and allowing its truths to penetrate our hearts will bring forth a deep sense of joy. Lastly, prayer is vital in cultivating joy.
Through prayer, we can pour out our hearts to God, seek His guidance, and experience His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
Experiencing joy as a Christian is not contingent on our circumstances but on our relationship with God. It is a gift from Him that flows from a heart that is surrendered to His will and rooted in His Word.
As we continually seek His presence, cultivate gratitude, and engage in prayer, we will find that true joy becomes a constant companion on our journey of faith. May we be known as Christians who radiate joy, drawing others to the hope and love found in Jesus Christ?
On the 19th of May 2023, Tim Keller went home to be with the Lord. A hugely popular figure who left his mark on both the Christian and Secular worlds. As the tributes poured in remembrance of a life well lived, it caused me to reflect on the impact that Tim Keller left on me.
There’s a famous saying “Never meet your heroes”. I didn’t get to meet one of mine, I only got to see him from afar. In my view, Tim Keller consistently exuded grace and gentleness in his writing, preaching and interactions on social media. These observations seemed to be backed by many tributes from people of all denominations and backgrounds who despite the various interactions all seemed to be left with the same impression – Tim Keller loved Jesus. At the end of my life, I would love to be remembered the same way.
Tim Keller on friendship
Very few sermons have impacted me like the sermon Tim Keller gave on Friendship. With such an important relationship being the bedrock of human life, you would assume that it would be preached on more. Tim Keller reminds us that to be a true friend requires “constancy, candour, carefulness and counsel”.
In a little under 40 minutes, I realised that I had undervalued this gift that God had granted me. Often, people do not want to appear to be a burden. However, according to Tim Keller, to be a true friend, you must be willing to repeatedly bear the burdens of your friends. After all, doesn’t Galatians 6:2 exhort us to do this very thing? What is clear from this sermon is that we must avoid the tendency to coast through friendships. Instead, the friendships we cultivate here on earth should be rooted in the great friendship we find in Jesus.
Keller on suffering
I wonder what went through Tim Keller’s mind when he was first diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in May 2020. We all know that we will go through some sort of suffering in this world. We don’t need an in-depth theology to know that the effects of sin can be so disorienting. And yet, when suffering comes the scripture exhorts us to glory in our sufferings (Romans 5:3-4). This is hard to hear when the suffering is seemingly unbearable.
Tim Keller taught us that when suffering is great, we need to lean on God who is greater than our suffering. When we feel hopeless, the scriptures teach us that suffering has a strange way of leading us to hope (Romans 5:3-4). Tim Keller didn’t spend his days trying to diagnose why he was suffering from stage IV cancer, instead, he put all his hope in the Great Physician. Tim Keller taught us that all those who put their faith in Christ will always eventually hear “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52).
Be gentle because God is gentle
To paraphrase Dane Ortlund, Jesus only described Himself once in the scriptures and He called Himself “gentle and lowly” (Matthew 11:29). In a society where there is much debate about what being masculine is, Tim Keller taught us that the most masculine thing men can be is gentle. Oh how much better the world would be if we would follow Jesus in this way.
Tim Keller would often share his thoughts on social media and this would bring engagement from all corners of society. Sometimes, he would encounter a harsh response that would question his reasoning, motive or sincerity. Not once did I see Tim Keller respond in kind. Instead, he was eager to embody this Proverb “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). When tensions threatened to boil over online, Tim Keller would endeavour to disarm his opponents with grace and draw them in with the truth. This mixture of grace and truth inevitably points us to Jesus (John 1:14).
Tim Keller taught me a lot. I’m sad that he has died. But I’m also happy because he lives. Tim Keller taught me that the goal of the Christian is not to be perfect but faithful. I never got to meet one of my heroes in this life, but I’m certain I will get to in the next. Until then, I look forward to carrying on the charge I think embodied Tim Keller’s ministry – showing that Jesus Christ is worth trusting.
Following Jesus is not easy. It requires whole-hearted devotion to God as we make Christ our priority (Luke 14:26-27), considering Him our greatest gain (Philippians 3:7-8). To follow Christ is to obey God irrespective of the consequences (Acts 5:28-29 ). The magnitude of the task demands the help of others. We need to join those who embark on the same course as us in following Christ. Therefore, we must ask ourselves: “Who do I follow in my efforts to follow Christ and “What is guiding them?”
Who to follow
We are to follow those whose example points us towards the ultimate example: Jesus Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 11:1). Their character should reflect the nature of Christ. Like a child who follows the example of their parents, we are to imitate God and those who follow Him faithfully (Ephesians 5:1). Some things to look out for include:
Those who live under the authority of the word of God. Accordingly, their way of life is consistent with the standard of God as set out in the Bible
Repentance from the sin which marked our lives outside of Christ. A continual pursuit of righteousness and a commitment to holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24; 5:8-11; Colossians 3:5-14)
Those who follow God’s example by their love, selflessly sacrificing themselves for the good of others (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Compassionate and forgiving people (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12-13)
People walking in sexual purity (Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5-6)
Those who speak encouraging words (Ephesians 4:29) and God-honouring speech (Ephesians 5:4)
Finding who to follow
Moreover, we must consider where to find people to follow. You may find Christ-like examples in well-known pastors, teachers, speakers or social media influencers. Although there is value in this, there is only so much you can identify in a person and benefit from at a distance. You cannot limit who you follow to those from afar. You need personal relationships. You need flesh on flesh contact with fellow believers around you. Look within your church, fellowships, friendships circles and the like. Commit to the Christian communities in your locality. By doing so, you can sharpen each other and motivate one another to live for Jesus and remain steadfast in following Him (Proverbs 27:17; Hebrews 10:24). You can follow others from a distance, but you maximise your growth by following those within your proximity.
How to follow
Lastly, how are we to follow these people? With Christ Himself being our ultimate standard, the other examples we have in our lives are bound to fail at times. The same goes for ourselves. As such, we do not follow in a spirit of judgement, but with grace. Furthermore, we follow consistently and with persistence. The athletics metaphor often used in the New Testament demonstrates how we and those we imitate can follow Christ. Like a runner, we are to be disciplined, remaining persistent by staying the course despite the challenges we may face (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 12:1-3).
We run with the goal of Christian maturity, knowing Jesus and becoming more like Him with an unwavering focus (Philippians 3:10-14). So dear friends, whoever and whatever we follow may they always point towards and exemplify Christ and I pray that as believers we would have the discernment to know when the person/thing we’re following needs to change.
Have you ever been told that your feelings don’t matter? Or that you ought not to be led by your emotions but by the Holy Spirit? These well-intentioned statements aim to dissuade Christians from allowing their emotions to rule them as emotions can often misdiagnose the situation we face.
What if our emotions do not need to be ignored but must be redeemed? What if our emotions do not obstruct our fellowship with God, but when rightly guided, can lead to deeper fellowship with Him? This is what the doctrine of Orthopathos aims to proclaim – God wants us to have the right affections.
What is orthopathos?
The term “Orthopathos” was introduced in the 1970s by Wesylan and Pentecostal theologians. Their aim was to demonstrate that the Christian life was not merely right thinking (orthodoxy) or right action (orthopraxy), but there was also a proper way to experience God. Henry H Knight explains “We need not only right beliefs and practices, but we also need a right heart; we need not only to think and do what is faithful, but we also need to be faithful persons.
To put it differently, orthopathy does not primarily refer to a warm heart, but to a heart formed, governed and motivated by love”. According to Wesylan’s theology, to experience God as we ought we need the right thinking and the right actions that are informed by the right heart. In other words, how we feel about God matters. This does not mean that we must generate feelings to experience God rightly. What it does mean is that as we have been filled with love (Romans 5:5), this love ought to transform not merely our emotions but our person. Now we live in such a way that embodies the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). John Wesley would say “… Christians [should] have a character which consists of holy tempers such as love for God and neighbour, faith, hope, peace, humility, and other fruit of the Spirit”. This is what Paul prayed over the church of Ephesus, that they would not only be filled with the love of God but know the love of God so that they could experience the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19). Without orthopathos, we will fail to experience God as fully as we can.
The Three Os
In His high priestly prayer, Jesus says that to know God is to have eternal life (John 17:3). To know God is not merely intellectual knowledge of God but to also be in a covenantal relationship with Him. To have eternal life is to know God with our head (orthodoxy), our hands (orthopraxy) and our heart (Orthopathos). The relationship of these three Os can be compared to that of a Venn diagram. To experience God fully we need hearts shaped by the love of God that will transform how we think, live and feel. If any component is missing, the Christian will reduce the experience that God desires for us. Christians that over-emphasise orthodoxy are in danger of being pharisaical.
The danger is people like this can often honour God with their lips but have hearts that are far from Him (Matthew 15:8-9). Christians that over-emphasise orthopraxy are in danger of work righteousness. The danger is that people can often believe that how they live is what justifies them before God. Paul nullifies this way of thinking “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). Christians that over-emphasise Orthopathos are in danger of centralising their emotions.
The danger is that without feeling certain emotions they are far from God and thus unable to fellowship with Him. Paul nullifies this line of thought also by telling us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height or depth, nor anything else in all creation [including your emotions], will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:37-39.
Whilst our feelings ought not to be the compass of our lives, they can be good indicators in our lives. Instead of suppressing or over-indulging your emotions, let the love of God transform your emotions so that you can experience Him more fully. In doing so, we can experience heaven on earth.
Looking for a new church is hard. Whether you have been in church all your life or are new to the family, finding a local assembly that you can call home can be daunting. With the Church seemingly plagued with scandals, it can be hard to view the local church as a place that you can commit to. Whilst the Church is not perfect, it is still beautiful and is the manifestation of God’s covenant commitment to those that put their faith in Jesus (Ephesians 5:25, Revelation 19:7-9). The local church is the physical representation of a spiritual reality. Committing to a local church is vital because you declare that as Christ has committed to a people, so will I. The aim is not merely attending a church as a bystander but committing to a church as a member. There are many things to ponder before joining a church, but here are 3 for your consideration.
Qualified Leaders
In the bible, Paul wrote to two pastors: Timothy and Titus. In these epistles, he instructs these pastors to only appoint qualified men to the role of Elder (1 Timothy 3:1-6, Titus 1:5-9). These qualifications have not been left a secret, neither are they subject to review or modification. These qualifications given by Paul, come straight from the mind of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The role of an Elder is not one to be taken lightly. It’s not for men who are gifted in speech or likeable in personality. Whilst these traits are not necessarily negative in isolation when they are elevated above the necessary character required to lead God’s sheep disaster will surely follow. You don’t have to look far to see the numerous pastoral failures that have occurred in the past year alone. When you become a member of a church, you’re entrusting the pastor with your soul (1 Peter 5:2-3). Don’t you want to ensure that they are qualified for the role? Before joining a church, ask what the process is for appointing elders. Does it match what the bible demands?
Consistent Fellowship
The book of Acts marks the inauguration of the Church. Christ has ascended, and the Spirit has descended and filled all those who trust in Jesus (Acts 2:1-4). Upon being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter is emboldened and preaches the gospel to the people present in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14-36). This gospel presentation leads many to receive the gift of salvation and trust in Christ (Acts 2:37-41). These new converts devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, food, and prayer (Acts 2:42). This is how the first local churches began, does the church you’re considering compare? Your local church experience shouldn’t be limited to 2 hours on a Sunday. If the local church is a physical representation of the global Church, then you’re committed to one another daily. The news converts in Acts devoted themselves to daily fellowship (Acts 2:46). How seriously does your prospective church treat fellowship?
Patient Discipline
Last year, a letter from a church enacting discipline on one of its members went viral. A short perusal of the comments showed the outrage of people against this church. From the comments, it seemed unimaginable that someone could be excommunicated from their local gathering. Isn’t the church meant to be open to everyone? Aren’t we meant to love people no matter what they do? The comments displayed that there appears to be a gross misunderstanding of what church discipline is and what it is meant to accomplish. The Church is God’s bride. God redeems sinners through the sacrifice of His Son. All those who put their faith in Jesus are grafted into the Church. Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice so that the Church could be presented to Him as holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27). This means that sin cannot be tolerated within the church. That doesn’t mean that we will not fall short. It does mean that when we do fall short there are processes in place to restore the believer in gentleness and patience (Galatians 6:1). However, there are those who wish to remain unrepentant. There are those who wish to remain in their sin after multiple warnings and admonishments (Matthew 18:15-17). In this case, it is the duty of the church to remove such a person from church membership and consider them an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). Why? A little leaven leavens the whole batch (1 Corinthians 5:6). In other words, sin is prone to corrupt even the most faithful of believers. Church discipline has a two-fold effect. 1) It alerts all those who seek to remain in sin, that sin is not tolerated here. Repent and trust in Jesus. 2) it encourages the believer, especially those who have been abused. It says we won’t tolerate sin of any kind. You are safe here. Does the church you seek to attend take discipline seriously?
No church will be perfect, but churches can be faithful. As you look for a church, ensure your criteria match what the scriptures prescribe. It will do your soul so much good.
During the lockdown, it seemed like everyone was online. New social media platforms such as House Party and Clubhouse quickly rose in popularity, as many saw these new apps as an opportunity to discuss and debate important topics. Christians quickly saw these platforms as opportunities to engage with friends and strangers on various issues that were prominent within the Church. However, what often began as fun debates eventually descended into slander and in-fighting. Nowadays, there don’t appear to be as many online debates, perhaps many were discouraged by the way covenant brothers and sisters were speaking to one another. Is there a way to disagree well, without losing your convictions?
Passion or Rude?
Anyone who knows me, knows I love to debate. I love engaging with various ideas. I love engaging with people who are passionate about the ideas that they believe in, whether I agree with them or not. However, it can be difficult to determine whether someone is passionate or rude. The style which people utilise in a debate can make it even more difficult to determine. Some debate loudly, others quietly. Some are confrontational in their approach; others are more reserved. The style in which one chooses to engage in a debate isn’t always indicative of whether they are displaying the respect that one should. Instead, we must work hard to distinguish between passion and rudeness. Here are some things to consider:
Debate With Love
1. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. It is un-Christlike to immediately jump to the worst possible conclusion when engaging in debate. When you debate or discuss with friends or strangers, do you immediately assume the worst about their intentions? 2. An adage goes “People are equal, ideas are not”. When engaging in discussion or debate do you or the person, you’re debating with attack the person or the idea? Every human is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; 9:6). What you say of people may be indicative of what you think about God and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, or debates (Matthew 12:34) 3. Finally, you are not your ideas. I think this point might be the most important to consider. Some topics are more volatile than others and engaging in certain debates does require much wisdom and discretion. When engaging in any topic it is vital to remember ideas are not people. Godly people can hold ungodly ideas. These ideas need to be challenged. But we must be sober enough that we can be the ones challenged too. When we are, how we respond is very telling. Do we hold our ideas more closely than we ought to?
Slow to Speak
Whilst many suggestions can be given to assist us in arguing better, I think one instruction from scripture can be the guiding principle that encapsulates all I’ve stated – be slow to speak (James 1:19). When engaging in a debate, especially one you’re knowledgeable about it, it can be easy to become overbearing and rude. But we can combat this by just slowing down. No matter how wrong your opponent is, whilst they may be your enemy; they are always your neighbour. Jesus calls us to love our neighbours always (Matthew 22:38-39). Let’s have this in mind when we next debate and we will be sure to disagree well.
If Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, then Christianity is false. We have believed in vain, and are to be most pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:14; 19). Therefore, we need to evaluate the evidence and know whether it happened or not.
What are some of the key claims about Jesus’ death and resurrection and how can we know that he really did rise from the dead?
1. Jesus died by crucifixion
Crucifixion was a common form of execution used by the Romans. The crucifixion of Jesus is reported in both Christian sources (Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-37) and non-Christian sources. Josephus wrote “When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified…”[1] Tacitus wrote of how “Christius, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberus at the hands of one of the procurators, Pontius Pilate.”[2] On the basis of Christian and non-Christian sources, we know that Jesus of Nazareth died by crucifixion.
2. The tomb was empty
Firstly, both biblical and non-biblical sources record claims that the tomb was empty. Early critics accused Jesus’ disciples of stealing the body (Matthew 28:12-13; Justin Martyr, Trypho 108; Tertullian, De Spectaculis 30). Ironically, this implies that the tomb was empty because if there was a body in the tomb then there would be no need to attempt to account for a missing body.
Secondly, the primary witnesses to the empty tomb were women. In the 1st-century Jewish and Roman world, a woman’s testimony was discredited and considered equal to that of a robber (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 1.8). On account of this, if the gospel writers invented a story to persuade people that Jesus had resurrected from the dead, they would not include women as the primary witnesses to the empty tomb. Therefore, the gospels would not feature women as the first witnesses to the empty tomb unless it really happened.
3. People claimed to see the risen Jesus
Furthermore, people claimed to see the risen Jesus shortly after his death.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
The passage above contains a creed – a concise summary of the Christian faith. Creeds were the best way to preserve important information in a format which could be easily memorised. This is a reliable source as 1 Corinthians was written in 55-56 AD, just over twenty years after Jesus’ death. Additionally, many scholars date this creed within two to eight years of Jesus’ death. Paul indicates that he previously passed on it on to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), which suggests that he received it from the disciples Peter and James when visiting them in Jerusalem three years after his conversion (Galatians 1:18-19). Accordingly, the early date of the creedal statement rules out the possibility of the claims of Jesus’ resurrection being an evolved legend.[3]
4. Lives were transformed
Lastly, the conversion of sceptics suggests that the disciples’ claims to have seen the risen Jesus were true. Saul of Tarsus (the apostle Paul) was a relentless persecutor of the church who suddenly became a follower of Jesus (Acts 9:1-19; 22:6-21; 26:12-18). James, the brother of Jesus, was a sceptic during Jesus’ life (Mark 3:21; John 7:5). He was also converted and became a pious Jewish believer and a leader at the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:12-21; Galatians 1:19). These conversions are significant as they demonstrate that the claims of a resurrected Christ were not fictitious tales to comfort Jesus’ followers. They were also the assertions made by Jesus’ enemies and sceptics who also claimed to see the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7-8).
Proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection led to the execution of the apostle James (Acts 12:1-2), James the brother of Jesus (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.200), Peter, and Paul (1 Clement 5:1-7; Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 2.25, 5-6). Although religious devotees die for causes they believe to be true, the death of the witnesses to the resurrection is different. They were the ones who knew directly whether the “cause” they promoted was a fabrication or a real experience – and no one dies for a lie they know to be a lie![4]
As the evidence is weighed up, the resurrection of Jesus is the best explanation for the aforementioned facts. He is risen, hallelujah! We have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) and assurance that the Christian message is true. This is good news to celebrate and share today.
[1] Josephus, Antiquities 18.64 Jospehus in Ten volumes, vol. 9, Jewish Antiquities, Loeb Classical Library, Louis H. Feldman, trans. (Cambridge, Mass; Harvard University Press, 1981)
[2] Cornelius Tacitius, The Annals 15.44 (c. A.D. 115)
[3] John Dickson, Is Jesus History (The Good Book Company, 2019), 140
If you pay close attention to the news or social media, you are sure to find the things that divide us as humans. Whether it is a political position or a football team, there is seemingly an emphasis on how different humans are. However, there is much that we all have in common. One of these things is joy. Humans were created for joy (Psalm 96:11), namely joy in God and what He has made. We seldom choose activities to partake in that we don’t derive joy in. Even the necessary activities (such as work) that we partake in are for future joy (our wages). As with everything, sin corrupts what was made for our good and God’s glory. What Paul describes in Romans 1 is a problem that plagues all humanity, we’d rather derive joy in what God has made apart from the God who made it. The Bible defines this problem as idolatry. So how can we pursue joy in such a way that doesn’t make us neglect God as the object of our joy?
God vs Stuff
In our technological age, we are consistently inundated with entertainment. Whether it’s social media, streaming platforms or facetime, there are abundant opportunities to pursue joy. Often, when topics like these are raised two sides are quickly established – it’s either God or stuff. On the surface, they appear to be fair opponents. It is easy to elevate stuff to the neglect of the God we ought to have above all (Exodus 20:3-4). However, it is also possible to have God in His rightful place to neglect what He has made. This position is also wrong. Whilst one position promotes idolatry, the other promotes Gnosticism. One concept of Gnosticism proclaims that only good can be found in the spiritual, whilst evil is found in the material. These two positions present a false dichotomy, you must choose God or His stuff. God doesn’t give us such a choice to make. Instead, we ought to declare over creation what God did – that it is good (Genesis 1:31). And whilst creation has been tainted by sin, God’s final word over creation is not destruction but redemption (Romans 8:20-21). To pursue joy biblically is not to separate God from His creation and choose one. Instead, to pursue joy biblically is to enjoy creation in all its goodness and for this joy to resound in praise and glory for the Creator (1 Timothy 6:17).
Enjoying God’s Creation
Secular/Sacred Divide
There always seems to be an event, tv show or song that sparks debate amongst Christians. Christians are called to be holy (Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:16), so these debates are warranted, and careful consideration is necessary. Some Christians want to be instructed at each juncture as to how to be holy, whilst others want to use their freedom without considering their neighbours. I think Romans 14 can be helpful for us. “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:13-17). In Romans 14, Paul here is detailing how believers ought to handle disputes. It is unlikely that believers will be united on how to best use their God-given freedom. Believers can be joined on not using their freedom as a stumbling block to the “one for whom Christ died” (Romans 14:15).
Pursue Joy in Peace
We will have different theological convictions on how to pursue joy best. Our position on engagement with a particular form of entertainment is not a universal position for all believers. Before you decide to DM that brother or sister, ensure that you’re not making a personal conviction, a corporate one (Romans 14:23). If a fellow believer is pursuing joy in such a way that violates biblical command, correct them gently so that they are more readily able to hear you (Galatians 6:1). One day we will have unbroken and unending joy that is untainted by sin. But we do not have to wait for glory to taste what we were created for. God in His kindness has given us all things for our enjoyment, don’t let sin rob what Christ has redeemed.
