The material below was originally prepared as a teaching memo for my fellow pastors and elders here at Cornerstone; I share this resource with you only in the interests of collegiality and efficiency. May the Lord bless you, my brother pastors, as you attempt to lead well, wisely and lovingly in these most unusual days.

To be a Christian is to belong simultaneously to two different kingdoms. If you are a child of God through faith in Christ then you are a citizen of the here and coming Kingdom of God and you are subject to various lesser but legitimate human authorities.

In a time before DNA tests and security cameras a concern for honesty on the witness stand made a great deal of sense, as indeed it does still today – but once we understand what this commandment is addressing it becomes clear that it doesn’t directly address the question of honesty and dishonesty in every situation; it doesn’t help us answer the question: Is it ever ok to tell a lie?

The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 provides a fascinating window into the way in which disputes and doubtful matters were discussed and decided in the early church.

“The Olivet Discourse” in Matthew 24 might be the most difficult passage in the Gospel of Matthew to interpret correctly. Some of the difficulty stems from the fact that the disciples ask a question that is far more complex than they realize: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3)

In 2013 a fellow CBOQ Pastor and I began a renewal movement within our denomination seeking biblical reform. We were both alarmed by the rather rapid leftward drift within our association. We identified a root that we believed would lead to precisely this kind of fruit.

Humility might be the most misunderstood of all the Christian virtues. It might also be the most important.

Studying Christ, submitting to Christ and rejoicing in Christ as he is revealed in Scripture, we become like Christ by one degree of glory to the next. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

As we enter into the new normal of COVID19 it may be helpful for us to begin to brainstorm about some of the ways that we could commend the Gospel of Jesus Christ through remarkable actions and behaviour. Toward that end, I offer the following 5 suggestions:

Fretting about things as if God cannot handle them and as if God is not in control of them and as if God cannot be trusted to administer them wisely for the end of his own glory and our everlasting good is sin; momentary discomfort due to a dramatic shift in personal circumstances is not.

So what does it mean to call God my “Rock”?