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.
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.
Today's post continues our studies from the Psalms. I am exploring them in order of length, starting with the shortest. Despite their short lengths, I have found value in each text, and I hope that you have too. We now come to Psalm 15, which is the first to be 5 verses in length. It is attributed to King David, and begins by asking some very important questions.
Last year I began writing some articles on concepts from the Book of Romans. I've already discussed a few ideas from the first two chapters, but never shared anything on chapter three and onward. The reason is because I have not been able to write about the Jewish people being blessed by having the revelations of God. This is mentioned in Romans 3:2. I'm glad to say that I am finally sharing some thoughts on this verse today.
We all look up to someone, especially when we are younger since so many are older and taller than us. There is more to it than that though. It may be that the one we are looking to is greater than ourselves. This concept is even affirmed in Psalm 123. However, it also goes a step further and adds a plea of mercy to the idea.
My last post pointed out that the priestly service was done during the day and night. While doing research for it I came upon a commentary that shed more light on that fact. MacLaren's Expositions describes how the temple was guarded and what would happen if someone was caught sleeping. His comments are what I want to reflect on today.
Is praising God becoming boring to you? Does it feel like it is just a mechanical action? I hope not! Please let me encourage you to keep those things from happening. Praise and worship should not be done just out of habit. If you need a good text to remind you of the importance of praise check out Psalm 134.
James L. Hutton 