Teaching about the person and work of Jesus is one of the great privileges of being a seminary professor. Nothing thrills my heart more than teaching about Jesus and what He did for us. I had that privilege once again this month teaching Christology and Soteriology with Eric Oldenburg at Kiev Theological Seminary. The Bible is full of passages that remind us of His glory and the wonderful salvation He provided for us! Paul reminds us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). John reminds us: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:19). Peter declares: “Christ dies for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). In Revelation 5:9, the elders fell down before the Lamb and sang a new song: “Worthy are you to take the book and break its seals; for you were slain, and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” All of this makes us cry out with the angels: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing…. To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 5:12-13). What a wonderful savior indeed! Continue Reading »
August is a month of preparation for us. With classes starting at the end of the month and time to put syllabi together and post online, August can be very busy. There are many opinions and views about the return of Christ. But two things are absolutely certain: Christ will return, and we must be ready! While there is a lot of debate over various approaches to eschatology, all views agree with these two certainties. But many often neglect being prepared for His return by spending lots of time searching the Scriptures to find a prophetic clue about the time of His return instead of using the time to serve Him more fully. Jesus warned: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” He then reminds us about what is most important: “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” What matters most is not our eschatological view, but being ready—waiting and watching and serving while we are waiting for His return. Continue Reading »
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Rest … (July 2018 Update)
Probably nothing is more difficult for me than learning to rest. Even when I take a vacation, it takes me a few days to slow down and stop thinking about the things I need to get done! This is doubly true spiritually. If you ask me, “What is the hardest thing for you spiritually?” I would answer, “Learning to rest in the Lord.” I think most other believers would say the same. While the Bible is full of admonitions to rest in the Lord, it is the one area we struggle the most with. So, I’m learning to rest – but it is the hardest thing for me to do! Continue Reading »
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Progress … (June 2018 Update)
In 1 Timothy 4:15, Paul tells Timothy, “Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all” (Christian Standard Bible, Holman). He is speaking about the importance of developing and using the spiritual gifts that God had given to Timothy. Progress is essential to the Christian life — If we are not growing, we are actually slipping back. While this is most important spiritually, it is also important in every area of our lives.
If anything could describe this last month, it would be the idea of progress. This month has been a difficult one but thankfully, not as tough as last month! In every area, we have see much progress — hopefully, our spiritual progress however, will be most evident to those around us. Continue Reading »
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Grateful for God’s Small Providences … (May 2018 Update)
I thought about titling this, “How a Nose Bleed Saved My Life.” But that would be like Jonah saying the plant protected his head when the Bible says, “God appointed a gourd.” The reality is that God’s small providences have a way of reminding us that He is in control. Continue Reading »
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Colossians 1:10 is one of my favorite verses. Many times we are involved in doing good things that are not fruitful for the sake of God’s kingdom. Often it is difficult to tell if our labors are fruitful in the present and we have to wait to see fruit in the future. Sometimes God gives us a glimpse of fruitfulness even in the present. But it should always be our desire, not just to do good works but to be fruitful in those good deeds. So Paul prays for the Colossians: “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” That is our prayer also – we have much to do, but most of all, we desire to walk worthy of the Lord and to please Him in every way. But especially that we might be fruitful in our work.
April is a time of preparation, getting things ready for the fruit that is to come. Sometimes it seems like a lot of work without seeing fruit. But every now and then, God gives glimpses of fruit for His kingdom in every good work. Here are a few glimpses of our work in April. Continue Reading »
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A Time for Everything … (March 2018 Update)
March was a very busy month for teaching. It began with grading papers from classes in February and ending with more papers to grade from my March classes (which will continue to come in until May!). Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Because I had so much to do last month, I often wondered if I would have time for everything. But I was reminded time and time again that there is a season for everything that God gives us. But most of all, I was motivated by Ephesians 5:16, “Make the most of your time, because the days are evil.” I especially like the translation of this verse by J. B. Phillips: “Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days. Don’t be vague but firmly grasp what you know to be the will of God.” Though some days were exhausting, it is encouraging to be reminded our time must be guided by the will of God. Here are a few highlights from March…. Continue Reading »
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