Posts by Lincoln

1 Samuel 25:2-38 tells a short, volatile story involving David, and Nabal with his wife Abigail, who were opposites in every way that mattered. At this time, David and his men were running from King Saul’s army and moved into the wilderness  of Paran. Nearby lived Nabal, a wealthy businessman who owned three thousand sheep…

Psalm 27:4 is a short prayer by David. It’s a response to his acknowledgement that “The LORD is my light and my salvation… The LORD is the stronghold of my life…” (Psalm 27:1). So he prays; One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the…

I’ve been reminded from Matthew 13, with the parable of the Weeds and Wheat, that the weeds (Darnel/Tares) are able to be born again spiritually into Wheat. It’s a whole-person transformation which makes us a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Yet sometimes we forget what…

Often the most powerful lessons come from the negative experiences and the negative people who impact us. Recorded in 2 Samual 16:5-14, is the account of one such individual, who, I suspect thought he was doing the right thing. BUT WAS HE EVER WRONG! Shimei was a hot tempered man who not only lacked insight…

As the year 2023 moves towards an end, I’m reminded of the preciousness of time, of relationships, and even of life itself, but most of all, of the mountainous value and worth of the Lord our God. The Psalmist puts it this way; Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one…

It’s an irony, often the quality we require most from others, is the one we display the least. Faithfulness is one such quality. Obviously, unfaithfulness is the opposite, and it seeks to undo and reverse all the beautiful qualities and benefits of faithfulness. This is what makes unfaithfulness so hurtful, it attacks with the intent…

In God’s family, every member other than Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son (John 3:16), is an adoptee. Which is staggering when you think of the size and diversity of God’s family. Heavenly and earthly adoption share a common method, occurring when someone legally becomes a full member of a family that is not theirs…

Peter, James, and John would have had no idea what was about to unfold before their eyes as they naively walked with Jesus up the mountain. Without warning or explanation, Jesus was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light (Matthew 17:2). Stunned most likely, time…

When I was young I hated big words and I detested writing. I was a lazy reader and an even worse student. I happily refused to use dictionaries or any book that would assist me in learning and understanding the little that I did read. And then Jesus changed all that. It began as an…

Familiarity can easily reduce our appreciation of something we once considered precious. Sadly, this can become true in our spiritual lives also. The statement “The Lord is My Shepherd” is found in Scripture, in songs, in poems, on headstones, and in quotations of all kinds. Quoted by people from across the spectrum of spiritual beliefs,…

Fear is the multifaceted emotion which exists at the deepest level of the human heart, expressing itself in different ways according to the situation. Fear is a primal internal activity that impacts our conscience, our emotions, our beliefs, our stress levels, our desire for self-preservation, our loyalties, and our worship. To influence these diverse aspects…

When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it’s not merely referring to longevity of years, or of never ending spiritual life. No, the phrase “eternal life” is laden with implications critical to Christian faith. In John chapter three, Jesus enlightened Nicodemus, who was Israel’s lead teacher, how he could see the kingdom of God (John…

It’s a word we don’t hear often in society unless it’s used as a name. However, occasionally we hear the term “grace period” when referring to additional time that is granted to complete a task or fulfill a commitment without incurring penalties. In the spiritual realm, grace speaks of the undeserving love of God towards…

For the most part, the world does not consider Jesus Christ to be worthy of their attention, let alone their belief or acknowledgement, other than blasphemy. The apostle Paul tells how his life was radically transformed from this worldly state in Acts 26, when Christ met him on the road to Damascus. Intrinsic in Paul’s…

Church life, as with family and employment life, requires coexistence with others. It’s inescapable, the church is comprised of many different people, existing and operating as the body of Christ. Therefore, as members of this diverse body, we do things together; worship, pray, fellowship, eat, serve, make disciples, etc. Working together is central to most…

Israel’s 400 year enslavement under Egypt and their subsequent deliverance offer us numerous important lessons. Among these, a significant quality of the Lord that would have resonated with Israel at that time was Yahweh’s role as the God of rescue. Exodus 2:23-25 reads, During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people…

When considering the many components within a person’s character, selfishness, or selflessness, often stands out as obvious. From the first sin ever committed, selfishness was in Lucifer’s heart when he thought to himself “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14). Not surprising then, that selfishness was at the heart of the serpent’s…

Judges chapters 11-12 begins with a married man by the name of Gilead, committed adultery with a prostitute, who gave birth to a boy who was named Jephthah. Jephthah grew up in his father’s household with his stepmother who also gave birth to other sons by Gilead. As the boys grew up, Jephthah’s half-brothers resented…

There’s a line of worldly thinking which conveys the idea that weakness deprives us of happiness, therefore, weakness must be bad, wrong, and unloving. Such people often view weakness as debilitating and of no value. As Christians, we need to be careful not to buy into this wrong thinking. God, on the other hand, actively…

Worship is an essential part of the Christian life as it orders our beliefs and priorities with Christ at the top. Worship lifts our thoughts and heart affections above the things and relationships of this world and attaches them to God. Without God-centred worship, we quickly regress to man-centred  religion with self in the middle.…