I found this fascinating story of an evangelist turned atheist, and his end-of-life perspective on Jesus. In the late 1940s, Charles Templeton was a close friend and preaching associate of Billy Graham. He effectively preached the gospel to large crowds in major arenas. However, intellectual doubts began to nag at him. He questioned the truth…
so great! so good!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 147 OBSERVATION: In this Psalm, I hear a follower of the Lord bursting to tell everyone how great and good He is, and how wonderful it is to know and love Him! Essentially there are two reasons to praise the Lord: because He is so great, and because He is so good! How great…
reading Psalms
For those participating in the SOAP Bible Reading schedule, here is an introduction to the readings from Psalms that begin today (Taken from GotQuestions.org). Author: Most people automatically think of David when they consider the question of who wrote the Book of Psalms. A shepherd boy who rose to become the most famous king of…
connecting with Ajax
This past week I have been visiting some of the local ministries and service agencies in Ajax. I am reminded that the work of the Lord is so much broader than our narrow perception of it. I was able to connect with some of the staff of the following groups: Hope Community Church, a Salvation…
“The Shack” and the gift of tears
I just finished reading “The Shack” by William P. Young. This is not a book review, though it is a recommendation. [Read review and comments about this book here] This book was good for me, it touched me deeply. As I read through it, I found myself with tears in my eyes. It touched me…
should I want to be judged?
SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3-4 OBSERVATION: The Jews wanted God to come and punish their enemies [2:17] but God says that He will judge His own people first, like a refiners fire. As Judge, He will deal with their greed (not honouring God with their wealth) and their disrespect (saying it is futile to follow God) [3:6-15]. Those…
reading the Bible with Jesus
I went to seminary and learned to study the bible. I can dissect the Hebrew and the Greek, and use commentaries and concordances with ease. But when I study the bible, I am the subject (the one in charge) and the bible is the object (that which is studied). I am in the position of…
twisted teaching and broken promises
SCRIPTURE: Malachi 2 OBSERVATION: The Lord’s messenger addresses two issues in this reading, the failure of the leaders (priests) to teach and direct God’s people properly [2:1-9] and the failure of husbands to remain true to their wives [2:10-16]. The result was that the God’s special community was experiencing the curse (natural, awful consequences) of twisted…
whose love is questionable?
SCRIPTURE: Malachi 1 OBSERVATION: In the first conversation (1:2-5) God deals with His peoples’ doubts about His special love for them. In the second conversation (1:6-14) He shows them that the real problem is their half-hearted love for Him. He exposes their second-rate worship, bringing their leftovers and junk to Him as their offerings. God has…
reading Malachi
For those participating in the SOAP Bible Reading schedule, here is an introduction to the readings from Malachi that begin today (Taken from GotQuestions.org). Author: Malachi 1:1 identifies the author of the Book of Malachi as the Prophet Malachi. Date of Writing: The Book of Malachi was written between 440 and 400 B.C.