James 5:7-12 (AD 48) God didn’t command patience because it seemed, in an abstract way, like a holy thing to be. Verse 7 says, “Be patient, then…” [emphasis mine]. James’s train of logic was, ‘given what I’ve just said, you should be patient’. Christians were being oppressed by selfish and corrupt rich people, and there … More Day 177: Be patient
James 5:1-6 (AD 48) “There is a special place in hell reserved for…” Ever used that phrase? Ever heard it? It’s saying that there are terrible people who deserve hell, but the kind of person who deserves the worst kind of hell is… Some people think there is a special place in hell reserved for … More Day 176: “There is a special place in hell reserved for…”
James 4 (AD 48) Some Christians claim that their decision-making, attitudes and opinions are always correct and always good because they have the Holy Spirit living in them. God – via James – disagrees. Other Christians become despondent when they feel a weight of ungodly desires and attitudes. They imagine that if they were better, … More Day 175: Desires that Battle Within
James 3 (AD 48) James 2: you claim to be a Christian? Show it by what you do. James 3: you claim to be a Christian? Show it by what you don’t do. Speaking your mind used to be frowned upon. Nowadays, at least in western societies, saying what you think – no matter how … More Day 174: You’re a Christian? Show it.
James 2:1-13 (AD 48) Have you ever been a victim of favouritism? It’s hard to imagine that everyone hasn’t, at some point, been on the receiving end. But it’s equally hard to imagine that we haven’t all at some point been the perpetrators of it. James wrote to a poor Christian community. Society was more … More Day 172: Favouritism
James 1:1-18, part 1 (AD 48) I recently had an exquisitely painful experience with far too much scalpel and far too little (actually zero) anaesthetic. There was no joy for me in that tribulation. And yet. As much pain as I was in, I knew that the cuts being made would save me from much … More Day 170: Joy in Trials
Acts 14 (AD 48) – Part 1 Verses 11-12: “When the crowd saw what Paul had done [healed a lame man], they shouted…’The gods have come down to us in human form!…the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.” Verse 21: “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.” … More Day 168: People Win Converts & God Converts
Acts 12:25-13:12 (AD 44) No, sorry, you and I must not declare someone “a child of the devil” if they oppose our Christian work. And can’t strike people dumb just because they start doing Satan’s work in front of us. Paul saw the risen Christ and was directly called by God to be an apostle … More Day 166: Write Some of the Bible, THEN Curse Me Out as Satan’s Child
Acts 10:23b-11:18 (AD 44) Again we have complementary descriptions of what becoming a Christians looks like: God “accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (10:35) “All the prophets testify about [Jesus] that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (10:43) “even to Gentiles … More Day 163: Even to the Gentiles
Acts 9:23-31 (AD 34-37) Even at this early point in Paul’s ministry we can see lessons about spreading God’s Word. For example: Don’t wait to share the gospel, just get on with it. For many people healed by Jesus, their immediate reaction was to praise God and tell people what Jesus had done for them. … More Day 161: Paul, the Baby Christian, Obeyed His Calling from Day One
Paul T Reynolds 