A Story of Falling, Grace, and Three Kinds of Love In the New Testament, there is an understated yet deeply meaningful thread of history: the apostle Peter took in a young man named Mark — a man who had once “run away” — nurtured him like a father, and through him left behind the Gospel… Continue reading Peter’s Tears, and the Gospel That Grew From Them
Category: Daily Bread
The Heroes We Never Named
The nameless faithful who kept the flame alive, and the reformers who changed the world The Names We Know Every movement has its famous names. Martin Luther, who nailed his theses to a church door in Wittenberg and refused to be silenced. John Calvin, who built a city in Geneva on the foundation of Scripture… Continue reading The Heroes We Never Named
Those Who Met in Rome — The Gravitational Pull of the Gospel That Held the Early Church Together
Introduction: A Human Map Found at the End of a Letter A letter’s closing reveals the writer’s truest heart. After the long and solemn theological argument has ended, after the words of comfort and exhortation to suffering saints have drawn to a close, the Apostle Peter records two names side by side at the very… Continue reading Those Who Met in Rome — The Gravitational Pull of the Gospel That Held the Early Church Together
Why Did the Apostles Command “Submission” in the Face of Unjust Suffering?— The True Meaning of Romans 13 and First Peter
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom. 13:1–2) “Submit yourselves… Continue reading Why Did the Apostles Command “Submission” in the Face of Unjust Suffering?— The True Meaning of Romans 13 and First Peter
Give First — A Story About Trust and Abundance at the Edge of Death
Three thousand years ago, a woman bent down to pick up firewood. Not for warmth. For her last meal. Her jar held only a handful of flour. Her jug, only a little oil. After she and her son ate this meal, they would wait to die. This wasn’t metaphor, wasn’t self-pity — it was literal.… Continue reading Give First — A Story About Trust and Abundance at the Edge of Death
What Are You Really Drawing Near To — God, or Religion?
James 4:8 contains a statement that reads like both a promise and a challenge: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Most of us have heard this verse many times. But there is a question we rarely ask ourselves seriously — I think I am drawing near to God, but do… Continue reading What Are You Really Drawing Near To — God, or Religion?
The Flame Was Never Extinguished — South Korea, the Lone Protestant Nation to Survive in Asia
Sometimes I find myself wondering: “Why Korea, of all places?” Looking across Asia, there is only one Catholic nation — the Philippines — and only one Protestant nation — South Korea. On a vast continent of billions, it is this one small peninsula that carries the Christian faith as part of its national identity. It… Continue reading The Flame Was Never Extinguished — South Korea, the Lone Protestant Nation to Survive in Asia
Encountering the Risen Lord — Let the Resurrection Be More Than Knowledge
Easter has just passed. Throughout Lent, we meditated deeply on the cross — the love of the Lord toward us, how our sin killed Jesus, how we repent, and how we are saved. But what comes next? Faith cannot stop at the cross, because the Lord did not stop at the cross. He rose again.… Continue reading Encountering the Risen Lord — Let the Resurrection Be More Than Knowledge
The Same Love, Different Languages: Jesus’ Parables and Paul’s Theology
Introduction Scripture contains two great passages that speak of God’s love. One is the three parables in Luke 15, told by Jesus himself. The other is the “Love Chapter” — 1 Corinthians 13 — written by Paul to the church at Corinth. Both speak of the same love, yet their language and approach are strikingly… Continue reading The Same Love, Different Languages: Jesus’ Parables and Paul’s Theology
What Celsus’s Mockery Proved: How Revolutionary Was the Bible?
Introduction — A Testimony Left in Ridicule In the mid-second century, the Roman philosopher Celsus wrote a polemic attacking Christianity. In it, he described the faith this way: “A religion of women, children, and slaves.” He wrote it as a sneer. Yet ironically, this mockery became one of the most accurate testimonies to how radical… Continue reading What Celsus’s Mockery Proved: How Revolutionary Was the Bible?