The Tabernacle was beautiful, in fact dazzlingly beautiful.  It only makes sense that the wood would be as beautiful as all the rest. But there’s an odd thing.  All of the wood was covered over!  Not one bit of it was visible. 

If we aren’t reconciled to our brothers and sisters, does our religious activity even count for anything? The oneness, peace, and reconciliation associated with our relationships as brothers and sisters are right at the core of the gospel message.

Do we reflect on the great things God has done for us, and do we glorify God and esteem his name by talking about those things to each other?

Of course, angels have wings! But wait. Not so fast.

There is significant relevance here to our own discipleship so what is Habakkuk actually about?

There are several remarkable things about the account of the Roman centurion who asks Jesus to heal a very sick servant, one he cares about deeply.

We can praise God by ourselves, and we should. But we’ve all experienced that collective praise has much greater intensity. 

Judean Jews were responding to the gospel message but a bunch of Greek-speaking Jews strenuously opposed it.  Unable to win their argument in public debate, they brought entirely trumped-up charges against Stephen, and they raised a mob to pressure the Sanhedrin into putting him on trial.

Something we would find reprehensible in another, we find a way to excuse in ourselves. 

There are good reasons why we do not consider a single verse or phrase to be sufficient evidence for a first principle.

God, our heavenly Father, is doing with us as He did with Jesus! He claims us! Declares we are His. 

I have to ask, when was the last time you heard about a new church blossoming in another country, and immediately sat down to write them a letter?  Yeah, me either.