Life's Inanities and Ironies

We all face battles. Sometimes the conflict is visible—a quarrel in the home, tension in the church, or the constant pressure of cultural compromise. But the Apostle James , in his practical letter, cuts right through the surface noise and asks us a piercing question: Where do these conflicts truly come from?. We tend to point fingers at the world, our circumstances, or the people who frustrate our plans. But James gives us a spiritual diagnosis, declaring that the fights come from our own selfish desires ( hēdonōn ) warring within us. He delivers a profound indictment, calling his readers "adulterous people". Spiritual adultery, James explains, is the pursuit of "friendship with the world," which is the system whose values and goals are in active enmity with God.When we cling to the world—its ambitions, its status, its fleeting pleasures—we are, in effect, betraying Christ, our rightful Husband. The ultimate root of this spiritual betrayal is pride—the arrogant bel...

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a deeply humbling experience I had after church this morning. One of my brothers in Christ—who is in as bad or worse shape than I am most days—stopped and asked me about the requirements to donate a kidney, or at least to explore the possibility. Now, I know that sounds extraordinary, but what you might not realize is that my brother Larry is in his 80s, has been in poor health off and on for the last 6-8 years, and is currently living in a nursing home. Yet, he felt led to ask me about this. The fact that someone going through so much is still ready to offer up even more, if he can, is incredibly humbling to me. I explained to him that the criteria for being a donor are very strict. Over the last three years, I've had at least five people try to sign up to donate for me, and each one has been turned down for various reasons: diabetes, liver conditions, histories of various diseases that disqualify people from the list. Part of me is very glad t...

Have you ever felt so confident in your own abilities that you forgot to give credit where it’s due? Maybe you’ve achieved success in your career, or perhaps you’ve been praised for your talents, and slowly, pride began to creep in. It’s a common human experience, but as we’ll see in the story of Daniel 5, it’s also a dangerous one. The tale of King Belshazzar’s feast and the mysterious writing on the wall serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of pride and the importance of humility before God—a message that speaks directly to us as fundamental Christians today. The Story of Daniel 5 In the ancient city of Babylon, King Belshazzar hosted a lavish feast for a thousand of his nobles. As the wine flowed, he made a fateful decision: he ordered the gold and silver vessels, taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought out. These sacred items, meant for worshiping the one true God, were used instead to toast pagan deities. It was an act of blatant disrespect and pride. Suddenly,...

 Have you ever been in a situation where someone showed you unexpected kindness? Maybe it was a stranger who helped you when you were in need, or a friend who forgave you after a disagreement. These moments of grace can be transformative, reminding us of the power of love and mercy. In the Bible, there’s a remarkable story that exemplifies this kind of unexpected kindness—one that challenges our notions of power, loyalty, and grace. It’s the story of King David and Mephibosheth, found in 2 Samuel 9. A King’s Grace After years of conflict and finally securing his throne, King David could have easily eliminated any remaining threats from the previous dynasty. Instead, he did something astonishing. He asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Jonathan was Saul’s son and David’s dear friend, and David had made a covenant with him to protect his descendants. Through a servant named Ziba, David learned of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’...