Israel’s history in the Old Testament is not particularly inspiring. In fact, it’s often quite depressing if we’re honest. Story after story recounts this people’s obstinacy and outright rebellion towards God, and it’s not difficult to draw the conclusion that God’s love for His people is seldom reciprocated. But that’s not the whole story (thankfully). …
Author Archives: joslund1
Waiting with Hope
O come, O come Immanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in longing exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel has ransomed captive Israel. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Is. 9:2) …
Gratitude and Contentment
We are members of a race that isn’t always described as being especially content or grateful. Many are caught up in the game of achievement and status while others seem to enjoy spending their time in jealous admiration of the first group. “It must be nice to have ______…” “If I had _______, life would …
How does faith work?
In a previous post we asked the question, what is faith? Feel free to go back and review that post in preparation this follow up question, how does faith work? We are aware of the significance of faith in the Scriptures. Habakkuk 2:4 contains a familiar passage, “The righteous will live by his faith.” So …
What is faith?
One of the most foundational terms in Christianity (and other world views for that matter), I am astounded with how often faith is referenced but neither defined nor taught about in modern times. Jesus and others spoke/taught about faith on a regular basis, but today we seem to assume everyone instinctively understands what faith is …
What are You doing Here, Elijah?
Elijah has long been one of my favorite figures in the Old Testament. As a prophet of God, Elijah was privileged to not only speak God’s truth to the Israelites, but also to bear witness to many astounding miracles. In what may be his “crowning moment,” Elijah arranged a showdown on Mount Carmel with 450 …
Grace for All
Have you noticed how some people seem to focus chiefly on what differentiates themselves from others? “Those fitness freaks…” or “The 1% snobs…” or “The blue-collar, white-collar, no-collar, etc.” In some cases these differences can be good things. They might facilitate a stronger bond with others of similar interests (sewing circles, sport leagues, car …
Despicable Generosity
In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus presents a parable to help explain the nature of the kingdom of heaven, and indeed the nature of God Himself. It is the time of harvest so a landowner rises early in the morning to hire day laborers. (These would compliment the landowner’s full-time staff, who might otherwise be overwhelmed …
Literary Context
One of the most common mistakes I see when it comes to misunderstanding a particular Biblical passage comes down to a misunderstanding of its context. While there are many categories of context, one that is often forgotten is literary context – that is, understanding the type of literature in question. The arrangement and ordering of …
Practical Polytheists
From time to time I’ll overhear someone talking about how sophisticated we are in the modern era – particularly in comparison with the superstitious simpletons of the past. Those old cavemen went around worshipping the sun and hitting things with clubs. And so we can appreciate the first couple of commandments given to Moses and …
Just for a Closer Walk 