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Gettysburg Address

georgepwood

In honor of Memorial Day, here’s Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might … Continue reading Gettysburg Address

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Destined for Trials (1 Thessalonians 3:3–4)

georgepwood

Many American Christians assume that if they believe and God and do what is right, God will bless them. Sometimes, this takes the extreme form of the Word of Faith theology, which assures believers that God will give them what they confess. If they confess health, they will be healthy. If they confess wealth, they will be wealthy. Popularly, this extreme is known as the Prosperity Gospel, the Health-Wealth movement, and Positive Confession—or more derisively, Name It and Claim It or Blab It and Grab It. More often, however, this assumption takes the form of America as a Christian nation. … Continue reading Destined for Trials (1 Thessalonians 3:3–4)

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Love Jesus, Love His Church (1 Thessalonians 2:17–20)

georgepwood

Do you ever miss church? By miss, I do not mean “to fail to be at or present for.” Every Christian misses church in this sense now and again. Rather, by miss, I mean “to notice the absence or loss of.” According to 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20, Paul, Silas, and Timothy missed the Thessalonian church in this second sense. But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, … Continue reading Love Jesus, Love His Church (1 Thessalonians 2:17–20)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Were Paul, Silas, and Timothy Rank Anti-Semites? (1 Thessalonians 2:14–16)

georgepwood

The casual reader of 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 might conclude, at first glance, that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were rank anti-Semites. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way, they always heap up their sins to … Continue reading Were Paul, Silas, and Timothy Rank Anti-Semites? (1 Thessalonians 2:14–16)

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

The Preaching of the Word of God Is the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

georgepwood

Every Sunday, Christians gather in churches across the globe to worship God. That worship includes singing, praying, baptizing new believers, receiving communion, and exercising spiritual gifts. One of those spiritual gifts is preaching, to which much of the service is given over. Why is preaching so important to Christian worship? Indeed, what is preaching? Paul, Silas, and Timothy answer both questions in 1 Thessalonians 2:13: And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of … Continue reading The Preaching of the Word of God Is the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

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As a Nursing Mother Cares for Her Children (1 Thessalonians 2:7b–8)

georgepwood

Paul, Silas, and Timothy used three metaphors to describe how they acted toward the Thessalonian believers: “young children” (1 Thes. 2:7a), “nursing mother” (v. 7b), and “father” (v. 11). Each of these emphasizes one aspect of the missionaries’ behavior. “Young children” emphasizes innocence. “Nursing mother” emphasizes the missionaries’ in-it-together-ness with the Thessalonians. And “father” emphasizes the goals they were trying to accomplish. I recognize that discussion about sex roles in America is contested ground, so I want to tread lightly on the differences between mothers and fathers. Nevertheless, it seems to me that that there is a basic difference between … Continue reading As a Nursing Mother Cares for Her Children (1 Thessalonians 2:7b–8)

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From Imitator to Imitable (1 Thessalonians 1:5b-7)

georgepwood

Which is more important: what you say or what you do? In one sense, this is a false dichotomy. Both our words and our deeds are important. Indeed, they need one another. Without deeds, words are empty. Without words, deeds are mute. Paul brings words and deeds together in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10. Verses 4-5 speak of Paul, Silas, and Timothy’s Spirit-driven preaching that was demonstrated by “power” (miracles) and resulted “deep conviction” in the heart of the Thessalonians. Out of that deep conviction, and following the missionaries’ example, the Thessalonians themselves lived lives that gained renown throughout the area. In … Continue reading From Imitator to Imitable (1 Thessalonians 1:5b-7)

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The World Wide Religious Web for Friday, January 6, 2012

georgepwood

HAPPY EPIPHANY! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, start with this Wikipedia article. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WATCH: Iranian Intelligence Agency raids Assembly of God church. During the Christmas service on the morning of Friday, December 23, at the Assembly of God church in Ahvaz (also known as Ahwaz), Iran, multiple news agencies have reported that the Iranian Intelligence Agency raided the church. Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh, his wife, Shahnaz Jizani, and the entire congregation – children included – were arrested, loaded on buses and taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation. Mohabat News says that after several hours of … Continue reading The World Wide Religious Web for Friday, January 6, 2012

1 Thessalonians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Christianity Is a Team Sport (1 Thesslonians 1:1a)

georgepwood

In 2011, Drew Brees broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing record, a record which had stood for 27 years. Can you name the center who snapped him the ball? The left tackle who guarded his blindside? The running back who caught the ball? Me neither, not without Google anyway.* But Brees couldn’t have broken Marino’s record without their help, or the help of the other seven members of the offensive team. We sometimes think of the apostle Paul as a Lone-Ranger missionary who single-handedly evangelized Gentiles in Asia Minor and Europe. But like Drew Brees, Paul had help. He played on … Continue reading Christianity Is a Team Sport (1 Thesslonians 1:1a)