FIVE Minutes with Phil

Oh, how the world has changed in a hundred years. The Great War was fought with no one on the home front really knowing what was going on. With an ocean between, letters from Europe would take weeks to reach loved ones in Canada. By World War II, news came via radio reports and newsreels at the movies. During the war in Vietnam, reporters on the ground were able to send live reports and video so p...

As I continue this focus on an abundance of grace, I remember attending a Promise Keeper's event at the Seattle King Dome (back in the day), and hearing a speaker talk about the anointing of David. I wish I could find out who it was that said it, and what his reference was, but he talked about anointing from the waist to the knees.

You can still buy an Easy button from Staples. Unfortunately, they don't work. Oh, I know - some things in life are easy, like ordering from Amazon. If they don't have it, you probably don't need it, but if you want it, all you have to do is hit the "Order Now" button and before you go to bed tonight, it will be on its way, and probably delivered tomorrow. But we both know that's the exception in...

As we're working our way through 1 Timothy chapter 1, in verse 13, Paul now talks about three things that the Lord "poured out on me abundantly." In fact, I have so much to say about "abundance" that it's going to take two posts! How can I not think of Psalm 23:5-6 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and l...

Today is John Maxwell's 75th birthday. I first John in Welland, Ontario, in 1989 where he was leading his four-day Max Leadership Clinic. It was a seminar that changed my understanding of leadership, and my life, forever.

It's time to move on.

As a Pharisee of the Pharisees, what did Saul believe? Well I guess it would start with the idea that God was the God of very Gods - he had no rival. Sure, the other nations may have their "gods," but none could compare to the God of Israel. He, and He alone, had created this world, protected his people through Egyptian captivity, led them under Moses to the promised land, and spoken through the p...

It was Valentine's Day 1976, a Saturday, when Elsie and I, along with our friends Randy and Sheila, stood on the ice, on top of snow banks on Lake Ontario. We were watching a vintage hockey game between the Royal Military College and Queen's University, re-enacting the beginnings of a sport which we love. We drank hot chocolate and ate chilli from paper bowls to keep warm, and when the game was ov...

What began as a friendship has developed into a life-long relationship that I wouldn't have given up for all wealth in the world. It hasn't been easy, because we (or should I say, "I") have taken a lot of risks through the years, and have made a lot of mistakes. But I must also say that we have never loved one another more than we do now. So, today a salute my Valentine - my wife, my partner, my c...

Ignorant? Wasn't Paul a Pharisee of the Pharisees? Wasn't he a disciple of the great Gamaliel, the doctor of Jewish law? That's what Acts 22:3 tells us. So let's meet Gamaliel in Acts 5.

Every four years, during the Winter Olympics, people around the world are reminded of what a great game curling is. I never need to be reminded. Curling is chess on ice. It's an incredible game of strategy and execution, where moves are laid out several throws in advance, but where those plans can only work out if you throw a 44 lb. granite rock down a pebbled slab of ice aiming at their target ov...

The apostle Paul had been a violent man. We were first introduced to Saul (his Jewish name) in Acts 7, when Stephen was being martyred, and we learn that those who were "witnesses" laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul, "While they were stoning him…" Those who were killing Stephen were doing Saul's dirty work.

is it time to say NO to the Olympics?

The persecution of Jesus and his followers is seen throughout the Gospels, culminating with the cross. Most of it came from the religious leaders, under the leadership of the Sanhedrin, and the High Priests, and they got the Romans involved.

When you see the title, Ground Hog Day, do you think of the day? Or the movie?

In 1 Timothy 1:12-14, we see the dramatic difference in how Paul saw himself, and how he knew God saw him. God saw him as a trustworthy servant, but Paul calls himself a blasphemer. What's that all about?

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of hate crimes in New York City doubled. Crimes against Jews increased by half, and still is much higher than any other demographic, but crimes against Asians more than tripled, with crimes due to sexual orientation not far behind. When you add up Jewish, Asian, and Sexual Orientation, the total is 426 of 538 or nearly 80%.

In these next few verses, Paul contrasts how the Lord sees him with how he sees himself. The difference in their perspectives can really be helpful for all of us. He begins, "12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service."

"Teamwork makes the dream work."

So, knowing what the Bible says about sin helps us to know, as believers, what to avoid.

It's not fair that some men have hands that allow them to hold a basketball with either hand, while others can barely wrap their fingers around a baseball.

Last time, I talked about the law, but who are the righteous Paul is talking about? Since none of us can boast of experiential righteousness, all we have is best described as positional righteousness.

Over the last couple of months, I've been publishing my blogs to my website philroutly.com under the title "Five Minutes with Phil Routly." And within it, there have been two tracks - "I've been thinking…" (24 so far - which could be on just about anything I've been thinking about) and "About God's Word," (12 so far) which is currently my take on 1 Timothy.

We just spent three posts talking about 1 Timothy 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properl y. And today we move to the next verse: We also know that the law is made not for the righteous. So if the law is not made for the righteous, who are the righteous? I'll get to that in my next post, but let's begin with why God gave us the law.

It seems to me there's not a lot of thinking going on!