Reflections on the Bible, and Other Writings, from a Christian Perspective.
The Bible is filled with multiple passages concerning prayer. Some of these speak about the attitude we should have, topics to bring before God, and more. All of which are good to consider, but one question we may still have is whether or not it is okay for us to pray publicly before eating meals. This cannot be answered with a straightforward "Yes," or "No." Especially since Jesus taught against praying publicly in some contexts.
Sometimes it is good to return to core principles of the Faith. Not necessarily to learn something entirely new, but rather to be refreshed and reminded again. Such is the case for our examination of the apostle Paul's teaching on Abraham's faith in Romans chapter 4. Let's explore some main ideas from it in relation to righteousness.
I find the concept of creation to be fascinating. It is remarkable for displaying God's authority and power, while also reminding us of our lowliness before Him. One aspect that may be less apparent is how often some of the topics mentioned during the creation week are found elsewhere in the Bible. This integrated reading plan helps demonstrate these connections.
Last month I began releasing my first audio recordings of me reading the New Testament. I started in modest fashion with some of the shortest chapters in the Bible. Today I am sharing my second set of readings, this time with nine more chapters available for download.
As I have shared multiple times before, I consider reading the Bible to be one of the most important decisions I ever made in my life. I encourage all people to do the same, even though I recognize that reading that much may be a significant challenge. For some, listening to the New Testament is a more realistic option. Today I am contributing toward this latter goal by releasing my first series of audio recordings.
One of the most famous verses in the Bible is Romans 3:23. As many of us know, it teaches that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As we go through the book of Romans together, I felt that it was necessary for us to study this humbling truth, and the justification that is available through Christ.
One of the challenging duties as a Christian is warning people about their errors. This is especially the case in light of the world's notion of supposed relative truth. In addition to that ideal, it is also necessary to consider the damage that such corrections may cause. Friendships could be lost, bonds broken, and more. Even though these may happen, one part of the text of Psalm 141 teaches us a proper response to correction.
A number of psalms discuss being faced with enemies and relying on God. Some of these topics may be familiar to us, but others are much less so. For myself, I cannot relate to being violently oppressed by enemies. Even though this is the case, there is still much that we can learn from Psalm 43.
It is safe to say that love is an extremely important topic in the New Testament. Multiple chapters discuss it at length, one of which is 1 Corinthians 13. In that text, the apostle Paul even goes so far as to say that love is greater than faith and hope. I have already prepared plans for both of those topics. Today I am finishing this series with the concept of love.
Continuing through our series of reading plans based on the end of 1 Corinthians 13, we now come to hope. At first glance, it may seem very similar to faith. Surprisingly, it is distinct from that. Although the two words are sometimes used in the same context, hope is actually found far fewer times in the New Testament. It is also used for different reasons.
