Letters From Alistair Begg

Dear Friend,

In less than a week, those of us in the US will exercise our right to vote. I thought it would be timely to consider what the Bible has to say about the privileges and obligations of citizenship.

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Dear Friend,

The phrase “shepherds and teachers” in Ephesians 4:11 denotes one office. For the local pastor, this wording paints a helpful picture. Shepherding requires that we encourage, comfort, and at times, even warn, the members of our flock. Teaching requires us to provide a nourishing pasture—the pasture of God’s Word explained clearly and relevantly—so that all are fed and mature in their commitment to Christ.

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Dear Friend,

I’ve been thinking about a couple that Susan and I met on the California coast. They were throwing a Frisbee and clearly enjoying themselves immensely. There is nothing unusual about such a scene, but what surprised us as we stopped to talk with them was their age: they were both in their 80s, and very much in love.

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On Sunday morning, August 5, 1855, 21-year-old Charles Haddon Spurgeon stepped behind the pulpit of New Park Street Chapel to challenge his congregation to follow the example of one of the saints who had inspired his ministry, the apostle Paul. “As a preacher of the word,” Spurgeon said of Paul, “he stands out pre-eminently as the prince of preachers and a preacher to kings.”

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Dear Friend,

On August 3, 1983, when Susan and I, along with our three children ages four and under, left Glasgow for Cleveland on a one-way ticket, none of us could have ever imagined the adventure awaiting us. I’m often asked, why I “deserted” Scotland when it is so spiritually needy.

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Dear Friend,

Although the winter hung on for a while, Northeast Ohio is finally in full summer bloom and the sunsets are spectacular, confirming for us the psalmist’s words, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

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Dear Friend,

Our current series of studies in Ephesians has reached the section that deals with children and parents. It is particularly challenging. Paul warns fathers not to provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. As Christian parents, we are to model Christian behavior for our children by walking in humility, gentleness, patience, and love—and by forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgives us (Ephesians 4).

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Dear Friend,

Next week more than 1,200 pastors and church leaders will come to Cleveland for our annual Basics Conference. An extended audience of men in pastoral ministry and young men coming up in seminary will also participate by watching the sessions online via live stream.

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Dear Friend,

The celebration of Easter fills our hearts with praise and our lips with song. We join the angels in declaring, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6). Within a matter of six weeks, we’ll rejoice that the Risen Lord is also the Ascended King!

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Dear Friend,

As we turn the corner from winter to spring, we begin to look forward to spending time in the garden. The Bible story begins in a garden and in the closing scenes of the book of Revelation, John describes the new earth coming down from heaven as a garden in which the tree of life stands. In Genesis, we see the Garden of Eden turned into a desert because of sin and in Revelation that desert is turned back into a garden.

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