Posts by Kyle Rye (Page 3)
Are You Being Persecuted?
In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul declared that “all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted.” He didn’t say, “all who desire to live a godly life can be persecuted” or “all who desire to live a godly life may be persecuted.” He said, “all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted.” That’s definitive, not speculative. That’s stated as a guarantee, not as a possibility. And, even though the type and degree of persecution can…
Emergency Alert
On Saturday, January 13, 2018, around 8:10 AM, residents and visitors of the state of Hawaii errantly received an emergency alert notification on their mobile phones which read, “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Thirty-eight minutes later a follow-up message, canceling the original message, was finally sent which said, “There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.” Apparently, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency was conducting…
Prisoner Exchange
On Thursday, December 8, 2022, the United States government completed a prisoner swap with Russia to secure the release of one of our nation’s premiere female athletes. Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. Women’s basketball team as well as an eight-time WNBA All-star and one-time WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury, had been in Russian custody since February 17, 2022, and was sentenced to nine years in prison for drug possession. She was exchanged for Viktor…
Baggage Check
Has an airline company ever lost your luggage while you were traveling? I believe there are few more frustrating experiences in this life than traveling a long distance from home only to arrive in that location and not have any of your stuff. The possibility of our luggage being lost is why many of us choose to utilize carry-on bags whenever it is feasible. The carry-on bag is a lifesaver because you can put everything in it you need for…
Blessed Are The Meek
I believe that none of the Beatitudes are less appealing to our culture than the third in which Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). In 1989, Nike produced a print advertisement for their Air Force One shoe line featuring future NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. The caption on these ads said, “The meek may inherit the earth, but they won’t get the ball.” The underlying message of this advertisement was that…
TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
Frequently, our immediate response to being wronged is to enforce the conflict resolution process Jesus provided in Matthew 18:15-17. This strategy is biblical and useful in many situations; however, it may not always be the right starting point for dealing with an offense. Matthew 18 is not the only place in the Bible where Jesus provided conflict resolution instructions. So, before we begin employing that process, we first need to consider whether or not the issue can be overlooked because…
The Wise Foundation
The tallest building in the world since 2009 is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It stands at 2722 feet tall. That’s over half a mile in height! It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. That is an incredibly tall building. How is it possible that a tower so tall can stand so securely? The secret to the stability of this record-breaking building is found underground. Before upward construction began,…
Jesus Is Our Heat Shield
Most professions and organizations have their own jargon, which is a fancy word for unique and specialized terms accepted and understood within a particular field or group. For example, you may hear a lawyer say, “Objection,” while a judge responds, “Overruled.” That is legal jargon. Maybe you’ve heard a medical professional say, “Let’s check your vitals.” He or she is using medical jargon. In and of itself, jargon is not bad, but it can be confusing for those unfamiliar with…
The Christian and the Environment
Since 1970, April 22 has been observed as Earth Day, a day to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Such a day causes me to consider whether or not we as Christians possess a biblical responsibility to protect the environment. And I believe the following four biblical considerations are worth mentioning on this matter. First, Christians should care about the environment because God created it. In the very first verse of the Bible, we read, “In the beginning, God created the…
What If Jesus Wrote a Letter to Us?
In Revelation’s second and third chapters, Jesus authored letters to seven different churches in first-century Asia Minor. In each letter, Jesus declares, “I know your works” (2:2; 2:9; 2:13; 2:19; 3:1; 3:8; 3:15). This repeated statement indicates that Jesus is not oblivious to what is going on in each congregation of His church. He is intimately aware of and deeply concerned about what is happening in His church. It is this awareness that led Jesus to praise the work, attitudes,…
God So Loved the World
In one of, if not the most popular passages of Scripture, we are told, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” What specifically do we learn about God’s love from John 3:16? First, we learn who God loves. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world.” It is worth noting that John 3:16 does not say that God so loved Christians, the church, or…
Doers of the Word
In today’s society, the term “Christian” often gets used as an adjective. You will hear people refer to a particular genre of music as Christian music. You can drive across town and shop at the Christian store for Christian books. You can enroll at a Christian school, attend a Christian conference, or even worship at a Christian church. I’m not trying to infer that all of these things are “Christian” in the sense that they are doctrinally correct. I’m simply…