A majority of people are going through financial difficulties now. Believers in Jesus are not immune — as the decreased giving to local churches shows. Individual believers and our communities of faith are experiencing financial hardships.

There is nothing in this text which mentions a Jezebel spirit. Yet, there does appear to be someone who is like Jezebel. There is one within the church who is exemplifying the same character traits as the Jezebel of the Old Testament and leading them astray. This demands further exploration.

One of the major themes of the book, then, is that God keeps His promises. But there is another thread which runs through this story — that of human failure. 2 Kings ends with the people carried off into exile. Humanity cannot bring about God’s kingdom.

The church was given a substantial gift of $100,000. But they weren’t yet sure how they should spend the money. Someone wisely recommended at least putting the money into savings in order to get some interest. That’s when the new pastor said it…

“Instead of putting it in savings with the low rate of return, why don’t we invest it in the stock market, it has a much better return…”

You’d have thought he was suggesting all the men in the room spit on their mother’s graves. How could the church invest the Lord’s money into the secular stock market? It was an appalling thought to them. But are they right? Should Christians invest in the stock market?

In this article I’ll try to present the best arguments for and against believers investing in the stock market, and then provide a conclusion.

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It seems like apologetics (defending the faith) is the art and science of being a jerk. Because we so often associate angry fights and know-it-all’s with apologetics, many shy away from the discipline. But does the Bible say we ought to defend the faith? And what does that even look like? 

My aim here is to outline what the Scripture tells us about the different types of angels and to go no further into speculation. It is an important topic. And I believe angels still act in our world today. But we don’t do ourselves any favors by going further than God has chosen to reveal to us. 

In some ways the story in 1 Kings (especially if we finish it up with 2 Kings) is the story of the Garden of Eden 2.0. It starts with God blessing humanity and putting them into a beautiful place. For Adam and Eve, it’s the Garden of Eden. For those in 1 Kings it is the Promised Land — and its climax is Solomon’s building of the temple. 

Hospitality is about opening up yourself to others. It is not merely about hosting lavish dinner parties or providing a comfortable place to stay; it encompasses a deeper sense of welcoming, acceptance, and love towards others. Jesus is our model for this way of being.

Making a judgment isn’t wrong. It is hypocritical judgment which Jesus is against. And hypocritical judgment is the root of what we might phrase “being judgmental.”

Have you read that verse about the Lion laying down with the lamb? In the KJV I think it goes something like this, “And the lion shall lay down with the lamb.” Where is that verse found?

The “Preacher” attempts to search everything “under the sun” to find meaning. It all turns up empty. Vanity of vanities, he concludes. And that is really the sad message of Ecclesiastes — nothing under the sun is ever going to supply you with ultimate meaning. 

“I hate my life!”

Those words create immediate alarm. When I have a student (or adult) say something similar, I’m always probing for more information. I need to make sure that self-harm isn’t in the picture.

Yet in John 12:25 we read these words:

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

Is Jesus telling us to hate our life? How could this possibly be the path to eternal life? What does Jesus mean in John 12:25?

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One of the benefits of being a pastor is knowing that so many people are praying for me. I bet your pastor is similar. We truly are blessed by your praying for us, and we need it. 

In the book of Daniel, Daniel and his three friends, who are taken into exile, are given food from the king’s table and trained in all of the ways of Babylon. How would they respond?