Suffering can be a bit dicey to define. But I think seeing suffering as misfortune is very practical. Mis- is a prefix that means “bad” or “wrong,” and fortune means a “good outcome.” Outcome is the result or consequence of an action. So, whenever I do something and the result turns out wrong or bad, I am suffering. If I want to toast bread for breakfast and end up burning it, that is...
In many Nigerian churches, the fear of dying “before one’s time” due to sin, irresponsibility, or spiritual attacks grips believers, fostering anxiety and a distorted view of God’s sovereignty. This belief, rooted in cultural traditions and misreadings of Scripture, suggests that human actions or demonic forces can thwart God’s plan for our lives. However, the Bible declares that God alone...
Recently, I heard a media personality say: “Dear God, you did this one. You have completely changed my life. You opened this door that nobody can shut. You make all things beautiful in your time, and this is just perfect… You truly are the God of time and chance. Listen, God is never late, and God can be trusted.” I want to believe these statements reflect her deep conviction that her...
The climactic point in the gospel narratives and the climactic moment of the ages is that Jesus died!1 His was the death of death! By His death, the redemption that He came to achieve had been accomplished once for all.2 Here, we learn that the cross is the one remedy for the sin that Adam brought on this world (Rom 5:12–21).3 In His death on the cross, we see the final act of a life of obedience...
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46) How should we think of these excruciating and shocking words, which sound so different from anything Jesus said throughout his ministry?1 Some have argued that Jesus is merely quoting Ps 22. Yes, but why is he quoting it? I would like...
This is part two of my thoughts on what slander is and how a Church can biblically deal with slander and the slanderer. You can read part one here. Slander is a deeply harmful sin condemned throughout Scripture. It involves speaking false or malicious statements with the intent to harm someone’s reputation. This behavior is contrary to the gospel, undermines love and unity in the church, and...
In this article, I want to explain why slander is such a grievous and destructive sin in the Christian community. In part two of my thoughts on the subject, I will trace out the biblical response to slander when found within the leadership of a local church and how the church should discern its next steps. What is slander? Slander is depicted in five distinct ways in the Old Testament and five in...
“There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 11:24-25 I read the above passage multiple times– during my time of reading a chapter of Proverbs a day– and it has really stayed with me. It has been applied...
This is a very broad topic, and this one post cannot entirely deal with it. I have three points in this write-up: What are spiritual disciplines? Why spiritual disciplines? How can I develop spiritual discipline? Before I go on, I will mention some books that will do you much good, should you decide to study this subject further. These books are the foundation for all I will discuss in this post...
God has given us many gifts and we are called to manage these gifts well for the sake of the one who has given them to us. We will be looking at three of these gifts – money, time and family – and how we should manage them. The biblical word for managing God’s gifts to us is called stewardship. A steward in the ancient world was a person who was given the responsibility and authority to rule over...