Micah the prophet told the Old Testament folks about a New Testament truth hundreds of years in advance. I love what John Piper wrote about this: “Have you ever thought what an amazing thing it is that God ordained beforehand that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem, as Micah’s prophecy foretold, and that he so … Continue reading Jesus Was Born in Bethlehem
Category: 2023 column
Jason Lehman, at 14 years in 1989, expressed a common problem well in his poem, “Present Tense”. It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,the warm days, and the great outdoors.It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,the colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.It was autumn, but it was winter I wanted,the … Continue reading Feel Free to Share this Secret
Peter brings his first letter full circle at the end, reminding the elect exiles that their suffering is purposeful but temporary. “After you have suffered a little while,” he writes. Some of you might feel like your suffering has gone on for much more than a little while, and indeed there are people who suffer … Continue reading Our God Will Do It
Peter wrote, “Your adversary the devil…(is) seeking someone to devour.” We have an adversary and we need to know who he is. It’s the devil. Peter doesn’t say “Your adversary the pastor.” Or “your adversary your wife.” Or “your boss,” Or, “_________ political party!” No, we have a real and powerful adversary that hates us … Continue reading God Calls Us to Fight
Catherine Marshall wrote a book years ago called “Beyond Ourselves.” It was a powerful book that made an impression on me. She introduced a concept she called a prayer of relinquishment. “I got my first glimpse of it in the fall of 1943. I had been ill for six months with a lung infection, and … Continue reading Don’t Carry those Anxieties!
When Jesus restored Peter after his denial, the Lord told him to, “Feed my lambs…tend my sheep…feed my sheep.” Maybe Peter was thinking of that moment as he began to finish up his first letter. He gives important instructions to the elders who served churches scattered throughout the Roman Empire in the first century. First, … Continue reading Encouragement for Elders
J. Mark Fox 