Morning Musing: Psalm 135:15-18

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.  Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

In the ancient world, idols were obvious.  Someone who worshipped an idol would often literally bow down before a statue.  He would make sacrifices before a big hunk of carved rock or wood or shaped metal.  They were things made by human hands.  Today…not so much.  But, just because idolatry is more difficult to spot doesn’t meant the reality of it is any different. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: 2 Peter 1:5-8

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Do you want to be effective?  We all do, don’t we?  We want to be able to have an impact on the people and environment around us.  Not only that, but we want to do so in a way that will last and have meaning.  The question, then, becomes: How do we do this?  How can we have an effective impact on our situations? Read the rest…

Morning Musing: 1 Peter 3:15

“…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This is perhaps the chief theme verse for the discipline of apologetics.  Apologetics is, of course, the discipline of making arguments in defense of the Christian faith.  Much has been written about this verse.  Let me make three observations here. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: 1 Peter 2:20

“For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?  But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Peter wrote to a group of believers who were facing unjust suffering.  He wrote to them to offer them encouragement to keep on in their faith in spite of the things they were enduring.  His message was and is so powerful that 1 Peter is still a favorite book of the Bible among people who are facing persecution today. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: James 5:7

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

James advises patience here until the coming of the Lord Jesus.  Now, many people think about patience as a mostly idle waiting for something to happen.  We want something to do while we wait.  We don’t really practice patience today anymore.  Instead, we practice being distracted by entertainment so we don’t have to think about the fact that we can’t have something else we want immediately. Read the rest…