Posts by Lincoln

Two thirds through his first letter, having just given instructions for healthy marriages, the apostle Peter writes a relationship summary packed with helpful values and ideas for families of all types. Regardless of who the body of people are, these principles will benefit those who practice them. But the greatest potential for blessing rests with…

In Psalm 30:8-12, David writes of a short-term privilege belonging to God’s people. It’s not thought of often and spoken of even less. A privilege, that once passed, will never occur again. I speak of praising God while in this sin-cursed world. David writes: To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I…

Part of everyday life, is rubbing shoulders with people who have faults. Obviously, this includes all of us. Faults can range from inconsequential irritations to sinful actions that damage. Ironically, far too often we respond to other’s faults in a back-to-front manner, where irritations receive a beating and sin is overlooked. Conversely, there’s the legalistic…

While expectations can build excitement and anticipation, they have the potential to morph into unrealistic demands and disappointment. Understanding this can help Christians deal with the rate at which they move from the pre-Christian life to the new life. For some, the transition from old to new life is quick and comfortable. For others it’s…

At some point in our lives, most of us will have needed someone to speak on our behalf. Be it as a defenceless child, an unwell adult, an accident victim, or being accused of something, we need an advocate. In those times of vulnerability, being unable to say or do what’s needed to assist or…

In the apostle Peter’s closing doxology of his second letter, he reminds us of a necessary pattern of Christian life that is easily forgotten. Peter personally knew the power of Jesus’ saving grace that patiently persevered through his life. For Peter, grace was never a ‘one shot for life’ deal. No, he knew that just…

Two thirds through his letter to the church of Galatia,  apostle Paul reminds believers of the circumstances through which he first met them. Now, years later, Paul writes; I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6).…

Old Testament Moses was no better than anyone else, yet Yahweh desired intimacy in their relationship which Moses didn’t qualify for. As is always the case, the Lord’s loving kindness overrode Moses’ disqualification, and God interacted with Moses in the most spectacular ways. Sinful Moses could not reveal anything about himself to God that God…

It goes without saying, that for most of us, there is nothing on this earth more precious than the people we love. And within that group of people, there exists those we love above all others, and we rightly refer to them as our “beloved.” So it is with God. Although God loves the world…

Unaided by the Holy Spirit, the world cannot grasp the eternal significance of knowing Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ. It seems such an absurd notion to them, mortals in a relationship with the invisible Creator God. Surely, the world would argue, to claim a real relationship with a God who lives separate from…

Modern society has a demanding sense of entitlement that does not hesitate to challenge those who fail to deliver what they assume should be theirs. This mindset not only fails in the secular world, but it also fails in the spiritual realm. Repeatedly throughout the New Testament, we read of the cost of following Jesus…

God’s mercy is intended to produce a righteous response in its recipients, as mercy expresses God’s compassion for us. Mercy should never be experienced without allowing a right flow-on effect, which is Paul’s point in Romans 12:1. In response to God’s mercy we worship Him through surrendering our lives, including our minds and bodies, to…

Often we take God’s mercies for granted, as they mostly operate invisibly in our lives. While “grace” describes the underserved nature of God’s love, “mercy” expresses God’s compassion in His love for we unworthy recipients. It’s God’s mercy which compels His desire to administer life’s daily provisions, not to mention the enormous number of unseen…

For some Christians, the battle between pre-salvation desires and their new preferences for living in Christ is relentless, but for others it’s not so dominant. For some, spiritual rebirth washed away the vicious battle against sin, while others continue with the struggle against weaknesses in temptation and fleshly passions. Paul, being the realist he was,…

Few Bible stories tell of such a dramatic change in direction as the man of Mark 5:1-20. Jesus, accompanied by his disciples, having sailed through the night, arrive in the Gentile countryside of the Gerasenes, on the eastern shore of the sea of Galilee. Having landed, they were immediately met by a man from the…

For many Jerusalem citizens, it was just another Passover Friday, crowded streets, the hustle and bustle of the temple, possibly another public debacle between the Pharisees and Jesus, and more Roman crucifixions. But for the Jewish rulers, this Passover was the culmination of intense hatred, many failed traps for Jesus, much planning, and 30 pieces…

Whenever I read Romans chapter 16, I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like for Tertius, who served as Paul’s secretary by writing as Paul dictated. These closing verses reveal a close nit group of men who worked well together with the apostle Paul. Timothy, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gaius, Erastus, and…

Matthew chapter 12 records a spicey little encounter between Jesus, a man with a withered hand, and the Pharisees (Matthew 12:9-14). This snappy little event unfolded inside a local synagogue, enabled by an innocent bystander who had a withered hand. Deceitfully ceasing the opportunity, the Pharisees tried yet again to trap Jesus in His words.…

In the Christian life, there are few joys that compare with walking through life with another believer/s in the attitude and determination of God’s grace. Jesus called this discipleship, and it can apply to one on one, or one to many relationships. It happens when the gracious authority of Jesus Christ is at the controlling…

There exists within the human heart the desire to earn approval from others. It makes little  difference whether it’s approval from crowds or from a few, the heart does not like to think of receiving approval by unearned grace. This is the natural and sinful foundation that resists the gospel of Jesus Christ, as no…