Paul said this, and Timothy understood the application. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul is defending his right to be paid for his labor in the kingdom. In this context, he mentions an often misunderstood passage. “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became…

There are teachings in the Bible that are counter intuitive. For example, James teaching us to “count it all joy” when we are facing various trials (Jas. 1:2). The reason teachings like this seem strange is because they are things we learn from conscious reasoning, not instinctive feeling. Feelings and instinct are often for our immediate protection. Think of your fight or…

There are few experiences that can make you feel helpless like being subject to the forces of nature in an underpowered boat. For modern boaters there are weather and tide advisories that help caution people to the upcoming conditions. Wouldn’t it be nice if life was that way? “This is your crazy life experiences advisory. You will not want to stay home…

Spinning truth and promoting a false narrative is a concept that has been around a long time. We used to call it deception and lying. “The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’”…

These are the closing verses of the second book bearing Peter’s name. “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now…

On November 18, 1978 in a remote commune in Jonestown, Guyana, a charismatic Jim Jones convinced 909 people to drink cyanide laced Flavor Aid. It is the largest mass murder suicide in history. This event popularized the phrase, “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.” A warning of unconditional devotion beyond rationality to something potentially dangerous. It seems like there are always people who are…

It was recently discovered that a stone that marked the border between France and Belgium had been moved. It had been moved by a farmer that was annoyed that it was in his way. It was set in place in 1819 after the signing of the Treaty of Kortrijk and the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. He made Belgium bigger and France…

I witnessed an event that brought certain aspects of our current climate into focus. There was a barista at a local coffee establishment. She was at the register wearing a mask, as we have been commanded, but her mask held a message. It was the name of a certain activist group that heralds the message that the lives of a people belonging…