[This post completes the series considering the seven compound names of Jehovah. Please see the first post for the introduction and the comment on “Jehovah-Jireh”. See the previous post for the comments on “Jehovah-Rapha”, “Jehovah-Nissi”, and “Jehovah-M’kaddesh”. (Ed.)] Jehovah-Shalom: “The-Lord-Is-Peace” (Judges 6:24) After Gideon realized he had seen the Angel of the Lord face to face, he feared for his life. The Lord comforted him by saying, “Peace be with you; do not fear.” One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that the Lord gives us peace that He might send us out to war! In response, Gideon built an altar to worship God, which he called Jehovah-Shalom: The-Lord-Is-Peace. As believers, we possess a twofold peace: peace with God, and the peace of God.[1] First of all, “having been…
Question: What is the purpose of suffering? Answer: This question has puzzled and challenged people throughout time. Since suffering is a universal element of our human condition, various religions have formulated an answer. For example, Buddhists might say we suffer because of how we see the world, our spiritual ignorance, and our desire to hold on to material things. Hindus will often point to suffering as punishment for deeds in a previous life. Muslims may see suffering as a way Allah leads us to repent of misdeeds and strive to do good deeds. Other religions may point to our suffering as a result of a curse or evil spirit. Atheists and agnostics will use suffering to try to prove a loving, kind God doesn’t exist. After all, if God is…
Question: Is it appropriate for a Christian to say “I am still a sinner?” Answer: We need to consider the context in which such a statement is made and what exactly the person means when making such a statement. All that said, in general, I do not think it appropriate for a believer to make the statement “I am a sinner”. We shall now look more in detail at why. It is clear from Scripture that all humans (except Jesus) are born with a sinful nature (Psa. 51:5, Prov. 22:15, Eph. 2:3). When we come to Christ for salvation we are born again through the Holy Spirit and are given a new nature (Jn. 3:3-7, 1 Pet. 1:3, 23). Although we have a new nature, the old nature (old self,…
Originally published December 12, 2019 Question: The new heavens and a new earth in 2 Peter 3:7–13: Are these two places located in different locations or is one inside another? Who would be in the new heaven? Who would be in the new earth? Is there another heaven besides the new heaven? Answer: In Genesis 1:1, the phrase “the heavens and the earth” is not meant to distinguish between the starry heaven above our heads and the earth beneath our feet. The phrase is really equivalent to our word “universe” or “cosmos,” which denotes all that we can know of the material universe, including space and time. The phrase “the heavens and earth” of 2 Peter 3:7 also refers to the present universe. There is an intended parallel between this…
Question: I always thought Mark and Luke were among the 12 disciples. But, they are not listed in Matthew 10. So who are these guys? I know Luke was a physician (Col. 4:14) but where would I find out more about them? Answer: The fact that we have two prominent witnesses who were not chosen to be numbered with the twelve is both interesting and instructive. If only the twelve were prominent witnesses for the Lord there would be a stronger case for an official class of witnesses for the Lord. As it is we have these two examples to encourage each of us to be witnesses of the Lord’s own work in our lives. Mark and Luke are quite different in the source of their witness and their role…
Patricia, Krista, and guest Elyse are back in another Measure Twice episode where we “take a second look at what we think we know about Christian life and see what the Bible actually says. . .to better navigate and to find a pattern for the reason why we live our lives before God." Today's podcast is called "Help! My Church Doesn't Talk About Sex Enough!" First of all, why does talking about sex make us feel uncomfortable? And why should we not be? (3:59) In this podcast specifically, we're talking about sex as more of an "umbrella term," as Patricia puts it (6:04), to address the questions sent in to us by you, our followers, and listeners. Questions such as: •In a world that centers around sex, do we need…
Question: What lifestyle is appropriate for full-time church workers? I’m thinking about people like pastors, itinerant teachers, and missionaries supported by a church fund or Christian ministry. How much is “too much” for houses, cars, or food and drink? Should I stop donating to a church or ministry if I think that workers are being wasteful? Answer: I started my response to your question in Part 1. I attempted to show the Scriptural basis for paying people who devote their work to the Lord’s service, rather than taking a conventional job. I concluded that Scripture shows a general pattern where the body of Christ supports people in these positions. Also, I suggested that workers should live at about the same level as those they serve. Today in Part 2, I…
