“Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him” (Luke 9:18). At first, this verse might seem confusing. Jesus was praying alone. But his disciples were with him. So, was he alone? Or wasn’t he? The mom in me can’t help but chuckle. All it takes is changing the pronouns…
Category: Health
Joy in suffering?
Joy in suffering? Posted by appolus on August 6, 2023 A dear sister in the Lord asked this question in a private message. My answer is below.How would you answer her question?……………….. Dear brother Frank. May I ask a question from your experience, please? (I need to sort it out with myself, by Him.) Is…
The Final Hours of Suffering: Funeral Message for Nancy Nelson (1952–2023)
When Bob and I spoke about a week and a half ago concerning the focus of this memorial message for Nancy, he said, “Well, along with all the good news that there is in Jesus Christ, one major focus should be on suffering.” That may surprise some of you — not because you are unaware…
The Godliness of a Good Night’s Sleep
Somewhere near the beginning of my Christian life, I started associating sleeplessness with godliness. And for understandable reasons. The sluggard of Proverbs has long lived as a vivid character in my imagination — that buffoon who flops on his bed “as a door turns on its hinges” (Proverbs 26:14), who answers his mother’s fourth knock…
When Sharp Disagreements Separate: Lessons for Churches in Conflict
Luke describes the rift that opened between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark in his typical understated way: “There arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other” (Acts 15:39). No elaboration, no circling back later in Acts to tell us how this story ended. We just watch Barnabas sail off to Cyprus…
Where Did Baptism Come From?
In the New Testament and across Christian tradition, baptism signals at least three realities: Identification with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4; Colossians 2:12) Purification from sin and its effects, which have separated us from our Maker (Acts 22:16) Incorporation into the body of Christ, the church (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 12:13)…
Membership at Metropolitan Tabernacle: Church Polity with Charles Spurgeon
ABSTRACT: Throughout Charles Spurgeon’s decades of ministry, more than 14,000 people sought to join the church he pastored. Rather than rushing them into membership, however, Spurgeon and the other pastors at the Metropolitan Tabernacle patiently shepherded applicants through a five-part process. Along the way, Spurgeon engaged not only a plurality of pastors but also the…
Resisting the Inner Skeptic in Our Bible Reading
Audio Transcript Monday, we looked at doubt. Can we ever hope to experience a deepening joy in God during recurring seasons of doubt? And your answer, Pastor John, was yes. We can experience deepening joy in God during recurring seasons of doubt. And you explained how. And in the Monday episode, one of the battles…
Fasting, Feasting, and Our Daily Bread: Following the Diet of Jesus
Some have their fifteen minutes of fame. Henry Tanner had his forty days. In the summer of 1880, the Minneapolis homeopath shocked the medical establishment by fasting on stage in Manhattan, under round-the-clock supervision. Tanner had something to prove, as journalist Steve Hendricks tells the story in his recent book The Oldest Cure in the…
I can still see Your hand
I can still see Your hand Posted by appolus on August 1, 2023 Morning by morning He shall awaken you And be the stillness of your soul throughout the day He shall touch every part of your longing heart And the shield of your faith shall quench every fiery dart He is in every tear that…