Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. - As I look around at the political scene of our day, certainly in North America, 1 Peter 2:1 is a word for our time. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander – all of these have infused public discourse. But it’s not just in the politi

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice … (verses 3-6) - Imagine Peter and John running to the Lord’

… To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. - Peter speaks of two realities. The first connects with the very physical, geographic place and community in which we find ourselves. I’m in Canada. You’re

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (verses 17-18) - “Elijah was a man just like us.” What a remarkable statement. Remarkable because Elijah saw phenomenal acts of power from the hand of God. Fire fell from heaven, burning up a water-drenched altar. Bread and meat were brought to him, morning and even

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (verses 7-9) - The Lord is coming again! How good. Do you believe it? Jesus – our Saviour, Lord, Redeemer, King

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. (verses 13-16) - Several Springs ago, my wife and I took a trip

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (verses 6-10) - G

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (verses 17-18) - Peace. The word itself glides on a surface smooth and calm. More so the Hebrew word “shalom,” spreading a blanket of well-being in its wake. Oh, how we need such peace in our day. Certainly on the world stage – oh, how we need it! To settle th

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. … no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise

… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead … You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement! (verses 12-13) - These verses provide such an interesting juxtaposition of contrasts. Law and freedom. Mercy and judgement. Act as if you’re going to be judged, we’re told, yet live in freedom. This passage spills out of a discussion of favouritism in the preceding verses. Don’t do i

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, an

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (verses 2-4) - (I wrote this piece five years ago after a very painful accident to my knee.) I’ve always clung to this passage. I memorized it years ago, refreshing it many times, and now I recite it regularly in my morning devotions. It’s a wonder

We're skipping back to Philemon (which we skipped over earlier in the Spring) - here it is now! PHILEMON I appeal to you for my son Onemimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to me and to you. (verses 10-11) - Paul is writing to his friend Philemon with an appeal that will stretch both friendship and faith. It seems that Philemon’s slave, Onesimus, had run away, likely stealing from Philemon as he went.

Verse 23 (I’ll give you the full verse at the end of today’s blog) - I can’t leave the book of Hebrews without sharing a very personal encounter I had with these scriptures a number of years ago. It was one of those moments when the significance of a biblical statement went beyond its original meaning, but connected into my own experience, confirming that the Lord was clearly directing. I had been pastoring the church I’d grown up in for 23 years when I sensed the Lord calli

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (verses 20-21) - What a wonderful prayer to receive at the end of this lengthy epistle. I want to grab hold of it fully. Let’s take it piece by piece. · May the God of peace

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ... (1 Peter 1:3)