Posts by Steve Paulus
Some Thoughts on Pastoral Visitation
The Value and Necessity of Visitation Pastoral visitation is a time-honored tradition in the life of the church. The concept has biblical roots and in some form is an expected part of community life in most church fellowships. The practice provides opportunity to express care, discover needs, encourage spiritual growth, and strengthen the bonds of fellowship in the…
The Congregational Meeting
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question . . . The apostles and elders were gathered together to consider this matter . . . And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related…
Writing Another Chapter
Ever feel like your story is over – nowhere to turn, out of options, no vision for the future? Did you ever want to just quit or run away because the pressure was so intense? So did an unusual man named Elijah. His story takes place in a time of apostasy. It was about the year 875 B.C. The Northern Kingdom of Israel is spiritually bankrupt. Their king, Ahab, presided over…
From Tears to Triumph
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are…
The Joy of Genuine Community
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to…
When the Wine Runs Out
A Wedding Meditation When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”…
Shame’s Antidote
Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. I Peter 2:6 A number of different words are used in scripture to express the concept of shame. They include the idea of falling into disgrace through failure of one’s self or one who had been an object of trust. The various Hebrew and Greek words…
The Auto de Fe
And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast in to a burning fiery…
Marriage Devalued
There is a saying among economists: “Bad Money drives out good.” It’s called Gresham’s Law. It means that if different forms of money are accepted in a society, say paper and a precious metal such as gold or silver, then pretty soon the gold and silver will disappear from circulation. They will be hoarded somewhere, but they will not figure in the majority of day to day…
Leading to Peace
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. I Thessalonians 5:12-1 ESV In one of Paul’s earliest letters, he addresses the Thessalonian church about their life together. It appears from the sources that he had spent a…