A Faithful Steward

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God, the Foundation of Love

A blog series on First John is something that has been on my heart for months, and February seems like the perfect time to start it! For those who don't know, the Apostle John is one of my heroes, and the apostle that I most strive to imitate. Not only was he the author of the gospel that has been used the most to teach me about the Lord, but he was called "the disciple whom Jesus loved" [1] (John 21:20), and he was entrusted with the Revelation of Jesus Christ! The Gospel of John and the book of I John go together very well, and both have been used mightily by the Lord in my own life. I John in particular has taught me what love really is, in a world that demands a love that consists of lust and tolerance. My prayer is that the Lord might use this blog series to teach you more about His love and how to show His love to a world that so desperately needs it. Rather than studying I John verse by verse, as that would take a lot of time to get through

Magnify Him!

Oftentimes, I have a particular word or phrase in the Scriptures that really sticks out to me. During the past two years, the word "Paraclete" and the phrase "it is finished" have been my favorites. Recently, however, the word "magnify" has been very special to me. As Christmas is approaching and many of my readers have been spending time studying The Magnificat, I was inspired to write about this lovely word. Psalm 34:3 "Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together." [1] (Emphasis mine). The word used for "magnify" in the Hebrew is transliterated "gadal". Davidson defines the Piel verb form as, "to make great; to cause to grow; to make powerful". The Hebrew language has many definitions for "gadal", but this particular verse uses the definition that corresponds with the Greek word used in Luke 1:46. Luke 1:46 "And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord.

Hope in the Face of Temptation

The world of Christians has been rocked many times throughout the past few decades, as multiple Christian men (and women) in leadership have been rightly accused of sexual sin. The downfall of these Christian leaders has caused intense hurt, disappointment, feelings of betrayal, and falling away from the faith amongst believers, and the mockery of unbelievers by their shouts of "hypocrisy!" Christians have wondered why their heroes gave into those temptations; after all, aren't leaders supposed to be the "perfect Christians?" It is right to be concerned about the sin of those in leadership, and about the effect that it has on those who look up to them and follow after their teaching. However, if we examine our own lives as individual believers, we should realize that we ourselves are not without sin; indeed, I would imagine that we each even deal with sexual sin in one way or another. I am not going to look at the reasons that this partic

Musings on "A Grief Observed"

During a long day of work last week, I listened to "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis. I didn't know what to expect, and honestly it was slightly difficult to get through. But it was not difficult because it was poorly written; indeed, it was well-written as is every Lewis work I have read. It was difficult because it was so honest, so beautiful, and so sadly relatable. In the introduction by Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham, the comment was made that the article "A" must certainly be included in the title and not be lazily overlooked. Without the "A", the title loses its real value and the description of its contents. Everyone's grief is different, even if someone is experiencing a similar circumstance to that which you are experiencing. C.S. Lewis wrote "A Grief Observed" when he was in his moments of paralyzing grief after the death of his dear wife, "H." (Helen Joy). When I said that this book is "

Echoes of Patriotism

Sometime around the end of June, it is easy for me to start thinking about America and patriotism. Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays, and what isn't to love about it? Red, white, and blue (some of the best colors), fireworks, celebrations with family and friends, and oftentimes, delicious food. But amid the preparations for all of the fun and beauty that comes with this holiday, I remember that many of the original reasons for the celebration of July 4th have been set aside, abandoned in the minds and actions of the American people. This past Sunday, I was able to sing several "patriotic hymns" at a nursing home, and immediately afterward I attended the funeral of a World War II Veteran. I could not help but wonder what these older men and women think and feel during this time, as they watch the people of their beloved nation proverbially spit on all of their sacrifices, blood, hard work, and tears? Many of them have fought in literal

Rejection Finds a Hope

Rejection. A painful reality that I would guess everyone goes through at least once during their lifetime. It can come from almost anyone, sometimes even those who we love the most and would do anything for. It can be senseless and sudden, seemingly coming out of nowhere. Any kind of rejection — romantic, rejection by a family member or friend, or even rejection by a company you applied to — can leave you with a slew of emotions. Anger, bitterness, loneliness, sorrow, a feeling of worthlessness, and sometimes unexplainable emotions. It can cause you to wonder what you did wrong, what you could have done to keep the rejection from happening. For some, it may even cause despair and the desire to die. What can be done to stop rejection? Unfortunately, probably nothing. But there is hope and comfort to be found even in the midst of the darkest, most painful moments that come from being rejected. Our foundational hope is that we have a Savior who is intimately