The Eowiggle

Borrowed from Original Post Originally posted at enCourage on October 8, 2020. Click here to see original post and other edifying articles. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.  The Apostle Paul in Galatians 4:19 Any woman who has given birth to a child knows the pain of childbirth. With my first child, I was obliviously idealistic about what childbirth would be like. Other women might have tried to explain it to me, but nothing could have prepared me for the experience of labor. Giving birth to a child is a complete investment of oneself— body and soul. The pains of childbirth are, of course, a part of the curse. What is true on a physical level about childbirth, is also true on a spiritual level about the labor of love called missions. The gospel worker must endure hardship in the process of watching and participating in the birth of spiritual offspring. The Pains of M...

          Tegel Airport in Berlin is finally closing. A brand new airport, Berlin Brandenburg International Airport is being built on the outskirts of Berlin. The idea of this new airport displaced and replaced first Tempelhof airport, known for the Luftbrücke. “During the Berlin blockade from June 1948 to May 1949, Tempelhof Airport becomes the take-off and landing site for the ‘raisin bombers’ which assures the provision of vital supplies for the people in West Berlin and drops sweets, sometimes borne by handmade parachutes, to the delight of the children.” [1] Tempelhof was permanently closed in 2008 and turned into a park.  Now it’s Tegel Airport’s turn. “Slightly more than a month after the start of the Berlin blockade, the French occupied forces agree to the construction of a new airport in their sector, which is to help the Berlin Airlift. In a record time of only 90 days an airport is built on the former military training site; it has a runwa...

The Prophet shows God to us; the Priest leads us to God; and the King joins us together and glorifies us with God . Francis Turretin      In this chapter, we will look at how Jesus' identity as Bridegroom intersects with his threefold office of prophet, priest and king. We will discover how Jesus unites all the different expressions of God’s love for his Old Testament Bride in his loving pursuit of his New Covenant Bride. God had showed his love to her by sending her prophets to woo and speak to her, priests to cleanse and teach her, and kings to protect and care for her. But none of these could match Jesus’ love. He uncovers “the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance” as Prophet, proclaims that he “sets us free by the one sacrifice of his body” as Priest and demonstrates that he “guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us” as King. [1] His love is multifaceted and holistic, full of passion and humility as well as power and efficacy. A Powe...

Guest post by Rebecca Jones The Elephant House When my son Julien was fifteen months old—able to put a puzzle together but not a sentence—we went to a small zoo near the town in France where we lived. His older sisters Eowyn (who was 4) and Stasie (who was 3) ran a little ahead, while I came along behind, carrying Julien in a backpack. “Mommy!” called Eowyn, in deep distress. “The elephant’s gone!” But the zookeeper happened to be standing nearby and explained that it was beginning to rain, so the elephant was back in his house. He offered to take us in! He opened a rusty door with an enormous key and we stepped into the blackest, smelliest hut I have ever seen. In a cage to our right, a screaming monkey was careening around his cage. Before our eyes could become accustomed to the dark, I felt a strange tickle around my ear. Reaching up to brush away a fly, I touched the wrinkled, dry skin of the elephant’s trunk! Concerned with Stasie’s reaction (s...

Introduction Thematic context of 1 Timothy 2:1-15 The theme of living under authority constitutes a large part of Paul’s letter to Timothy and the church in Ephesus. But what sort of authority is Paul promoting? We see in verse 2 that good authority leads to peace and contentment for those living under it.   Good authority is fertile ground for the message of the gospel to sprout and grow. We notice that Paul’s exhortation to his readers is bidirectional. They are to submit to and pray for those in authority over them, as well as provide life-giving leadership for those under them. Their attitude of submission is what will show the world that their ultimate trust is in the authority of God, the sovereign King. Next Paul goes on to establish his own authority as an apostle in verses 5-7. His authority is based on the mediator and priestly role of Christ who has appointed him to be a preacher and apostle, extending the mystery of the Gospel to the Gentiles. This mediator,...