Paul prefaces his teachings and instructions to the disciples at Thessalonica concerning the return of Jesus with these words in 1 4:13: Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. And with that,Continue reading “Living Like It”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
The Possible Dream
Miguel Cervantes is known to us for writing what is considered the first modern novel, Don Quixote. The Spanish writer was born in the mid-sixteenth century and from what we are able to reconstruct of his life, it was as interesting and colorful as the characters he wrote about. Cervantes was one of seven children. HisContinue reading “The Possible Dream”
War and Peace
Paul tells the disciples at Ephesus not once, but twice, to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11,13). These words are part of a larger call to battle in what (by anyone’s point of view) is an extremely militaristic text. We’re to understand in no uncertain terms that there’s a war going on and we’re part ofContinue reading “War and Peace”
Surround Us Lord
We had six inches of snow from what the Weather Channel referred to as Winter Storm Fern during the last week of January. It went eastward through the central states before turning north and heading up to New England. School was out for a week here, so we had our grandsons (8, 10 & 12) over aContinue reading “Surround Us Lord”
A Good Rule and a Better Choice
You can always count on the Olympics for some great stories. But then again, at a global get together of the world’s best athletes occurring only once every four years, the surprise would be if there were no stories—but no one’s ever had to worry about that. There have been some great stories from theContinue reading “A Good Rule and a Better Choice”
Romans and the Wrath of God
Romans has a lot to say about the wrath of God. In fact, the word is found there more than in any NT book other than Revelation. No one is surprised wrath is discussed in Revelation—but Romans? Isn’t Romans the book about God’s love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness? What’s a book like that doing talkingContinue reading “Romans and the Wrath of God”
Pax Romana and the Peace of God
Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of Rome and its ruler when Christ was born (Luke 2:1). One of the challenges he faced when he came to power was the kingdom had been at war for two centuries due to either the expansion of its territories or internally though civil war. The result was a significantContinue reading “Pax Romana and the Peace of God”
The Call to Holiness
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is a joy to read for anyone involved in the ministry of the word in any form. The disciples there had a passion for the Lord. They imitated those who had taught them and “welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering” (1:6, see also 2:13). They said soContinue reading “The Call to Holiness”
How Great is our God
Through the paise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (Psalm 8:3). Psalm 8 is a psalm that resonates with us in our era of space exploration. We’ve put people on the moon, launched innumerable satellites, and even put huge telescopes like the HubbleContinue reading “How Great is our God”
How do we see Hardship? (2)
Treating hardships as one-dimensional, one-size-fits-all occurrences that need to be prayed away ASAP is neither healthy nor holy. The biblical witness encourages us to view them as unique, layered, and existing for reasons we are often unable to understand. Our assignment is to, by faith, respond to them in a way that brings glory andContinue reading “How do we see Hardship? (2)”