On a recent trip to visit my mom, my sister and brother-in-law gave me something they had found in my parents’ house where they are currently living. Apparently before he passed away, my father had tucked a couple of old cigars boxes into a corner in the basement. My brother-in-law found the boxes and the […]
If you are talking with a friend or family member and you find the other person repeating a word or phrase, it makes sense to pay attention. We tend to repeat what is important. It’s the same when we are reading Scripture. When a Biblical author repeats a word or phrase, it’s worth noting what […]
The angel who announced John’s (the Baptist) birth told Zacharias that he would have gladness (Luke 1:14). Mary was delighted in the angel’s announcement made to her (Luke 1:44). Luke described the church as meeting together with glad-heartedness (Acts 2:46). Such things make sense to us–we understand “gladness” in such moments. But what about gladness in […]
Peter is writing to followers of Jesus who have been scattered because of persecution. It is, without doubt, a hard life they are facing, spread throughout the Roman provinces on the north-east coast of the Mediterranean. He is writing to encourage them and strengthen them. And he intends to anchor their thinking well. So, he starts […]
