I love encouragement. Who doesn’t?

And I hate discouragement. Who doesn’t?

Encouragers are like sunshine that warms you on a cold day.

Discouragers are like birds that poop on your windshield.

When I see that I have received an email from someone who is an encourager, I eagerly read their email. It is similar to the feeling you get when you open a box of chocolates. Solomon must have understood that, as he wrote, “Good news puts fat on the bones” (Prov. 15:30)!

Note to readers: A few weeks ago, I published a short teaching that asked the same question as the title of this article. At the end of that teaching, I asked readers for their thoughts, and some did. This article is a follow-up based, in part, on responses I received.

Who doesn’t love the story of Esther, found in a biblical book by her name? In the end, the bad guy, Haman, is hanging from the gallows he erected to execute Mordecai, and Mordecai enjoys the exaltation Haman was planning for himself. That story, annually celebrated ever since through the Jewish feast of Purim, illustrates that God is a God of justice, and that He can turn the tables on the wicked, inflicting them with what they were attempting to inflict upon the righteous.

Paul’s description of his many hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 includes a list of eight “dangers” that he faced because of his “frequent journeys”:

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26).

It is easy to see how the first seven—swelling rivers, ambushing robbers, stormy seas, foreign cities, remote wildernesses, and hostile Jews and Gentiles—could be dangers related to Paul’s frequent travels. The eighth one he lists, however—”false brethren”—is not so obvious regarding how it is related to his frequent journeys.

I keep seeing the question contained in the title of this article on Facebook posts. It is attributed to a well-known pastor, the late Tim Keller, and is presented as a slam-dunk proof of “unconditional eternal security” (also known as “once-saved-always-saved”).

It is to be regretted that someone as eminent and intelligent as the late Tim Keller could present such a silly question as proof for a particular doctrine when both Scripture and simple logic expose its obvious flaws.

Have you ever felt yourself getting fed up with evil people? Even burning with an inward rage against them? But then felt bad for your “un-Christian” attitude?

In truth, you should not be so hard on yourself. God has the same feelings. In fact, He has a similar inner conflict, constantly.

Obviously, mercy and judgment are two opposites that, if held together, must be held in tension. God is both just and merciful, as revealed from the Bible’s first to last page. For that reason, He holds both attributes in tension.

When He “withholds His judgment,” that indicates He is inclined towards justice, but has decided to continue to show mercy. As James wrote, “mercy triumphs over judgment” (Jas. 2:13). On the other hand, when God’s mercy ends, His judgment—rooted in His justice—begins.

“God…will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life” (Rom. 2:5b-7).

Paul unmistakably indicates in the above-quoted passage that there is nothing wrong with seeking glory and honor for yourself. In fact, he declares that those who do are the people who will ultimately inherit eternal life. So, if you desire for God to grant you eternal life, according to Paul, the means to obtaining it is by seeking glory and honor. Read it again if you don’t believe me!

1.) When believers met during the New Testament times, what did those gatherings look like? Is there any information in the New Testament that gives us any insight into the answer to that question? If “yes,” am I leading a “New Testament church”?

2.) In the early church, was there a worship leader or a worship team or band that led worship from an elevated platform before the crowd of worshippers who were seated or standing in rows facing them? Is there any information in the New Testament that gives us any insight into the answer to that question? If “yes,” am I leading a “New Testament church”?

Those whose hearts are pure rejoice when they see God bless, or use, someone else. Inward resentment against God’s blessing that rests on others is resentment towards God.

The very first thing that love is not—according to the apostle Paul—is it is not jealous (see 1 Cor. 13:4). We cannot claim that we love anyone of whom we are jealous. Jealousy is fundamentally selfish.

It is possible, of course, to make the Bible say anything you want it to say, and that is something that is quite common in Christian circles. All that is necessary is to find a verse that seems to support your point, and then ignore its context—either its immediate context (of the surrounding verses), or its larger context within its passage, chapter, book or Testament.

Examples of this error are endless. Here’s one you’ve no doubt heard: Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matt. 7:1). If that was the only verse in the Bible, we might conclude that Christians should never make a judgment about anyone. And that is what some professing Christians actually think. (I’ve even heard some claim that no Christian can serve on a jury, or earn a living as a judge.)

From an often-overlooked verse in Mark’s Gospel, we can learn something very valuable about Jesus’ character, and about ourselves. Here’s the verse:

Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them (Mark 6:48).

The incident almost seems a bit comical. The Twelve were simply trying to accomplish the task Jesus had given them. We can read just a few verses earlier: “Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida” (Mark 6:45). And off they went. As they obeyed, however, they ran into opposition. “The wind was against them.”