From the Editor

I get to talk with pastors all the time. It’s one of the joys and privileges of the work God has given me to do. I’ve also served as a pastor for ten years – less than many of my brothers, but long enough to experience some of the ups and downs of ministry. One of the biggest challenges that...

Christians have always been persecuted. Peter reminded his readers of this in the earliest days of the church: “…knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by the brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:9b). But it does seem as if the suffering of Christians – whether at...

There are many model prayers in the Bible. The most famous is The Lord’s Prayer, recorded for us in Matthew and Luke; but there are others besides. Recently, Mark Johnston has turned our attention to the prayer of Daniel , or, more specifically, to the prayer life of Daniel. Both Daniel’s specific...

We live in a time of loneliness. It is not because we are isolated. Most people live within a short drive of a city, and those who don’t can easily connect with others over the phone or the internet. And yet there is a sense that our technological connection has made use less connected in other...

Micah 7:14-20 Have you ever looked back at your life or your ministry? How does it appear to you – as a success, or as a failure? In the last chapter of Micah, we see Micah reflect on the entirety of his ministry in Judah. Micah overlapped with three kings, one of whom was lukewarm; one of whom was...

Micah 3:1-6 One of the clearest insights of the Reformers was on the concept of vocation. Luther said that individual Christians had obligations to walk by faith in their Christian life, but they also had important obligations in whatever employment they had. It was as important to be an honest...

Micah 2:6-13 From the beginning, Israel was faced with the prospect of false prophets trying to pass themselves off as prophets of God. Anyone coming in the name of another god was to be disregarded ; those coming in the name of the LORD were to be tested . Prophets were only to be obeyed if they...

Micah 2:1-5 The Bible is full of irony. One of the most obvious examples is found in the book of Esther. In it, a man named Haman – close advisor to the king – plots against the Jews. More to the point, he specifically plans against Modecai, a particular Jew. So great is Haman’s hate, that he...

Micah 1:1-7 If you look around the United States today (with apologies to our overseas readers), several things stand out. First, we are a military power. We face threats, but we have confidence in our military might. Then there is our economy – the most robust in the world. We live in a time of...

This article is the third part in a series on the book of Jude. The first part is titled How to Wreck a Church , and the second is How to Contend for the Faith . The Church seems to be full of controversy. Much of this is quite necessary, and not unexpected. After all, as the New Testament...