Bible Study
Nana Dolce
Why We Remember Lot’s Wife

Lot’s wife belonged to a family with a great name and trust in God’s promises. She even had angels visit her home! God sent them to personally escort her from His coming wrath to His safety (Gen.19:1-22). Yet, she fell into eternal judgment because she looked back to her life in Sodom. She longed to preserve what she had and became a pillar of salt–a crystalline substance used for preservation (Gen. 19:26). Friends, Jesus is kind to warns us in Luke 17:32-33: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”

Why We Remember Lot’s Wife
Bible Study, The Gospel
Nana Dolce
Prayers Rising Like a Sweet Aroma

Cornelius’ conversion account can teach us many things about the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles in the first century church. We see in this story that God’s salvation through Christ is for all the families of the earth. God shows no partiality but comes to redeem people from all nations. All this is true. But my focus today is on that small line in verse four. It makes me wonder: what if my service and prayers to God were like a memorial offering rising up as a pleasing aroma before His throne? 

Prayers Rising Like a Sweet Aroma
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Parental Failures and the Gospel

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Parental Failures and the Gospel

I'm thankful to the Reformed African American Network for their re-post of my 2014 article, Parental Failures and the Gospel. The beginning paragraphs follow and the full post can be found here. Always grateful for your read!

I could begin this post with countless descriptions of my parental failures. Moments when anger got the best of me; times when a little patience would have made all the difference; or just plain insecurities in making the right decisions for my children at every moment and at every stage of their development.

You might agree that feelings of inadequacy are common to parents; whether relatively new like me or seasoned with experience, we feel the weight of the responsibility and the immensity of the task. But in some ways, feelings of inadequacy can be a blessing!

The Boiling Frog - A Look at Marriage and the Black Church

The Boiling Frog - A Look at Marriage and the Black Church

Grateful for my article this week at the Reformed African American Network. It reflects on the Black Church and her response to the same-sex marriage debate. The first few paragraphs follow. I hope that you will take a look at the full post. Thank you as always!

Many of us have heard of the “boiling frog” anecdote. The idea is this: put a frog in blistering hot water and it will instinctively jump out. However, place it in cool water with gradual temperature increases and the frog will remain in its place, absolutely unaware of the danger until it’s too late.

This metaphor illustrates people’s general tendency to challenge abrupt change while nonchalantly adjusting to slow moving drifts. In some ways, the image brings to mind the Black Church and its reaction to the cultural redefinition of marriage.

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Bathsheba and One Greater than David

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Bathsheba and One Greater than David

The Mosaic Law declared a woman unclean for seven days during her menstrual cycle. After this period, she was to cleanse herself by washing (Lev. 15:19-28). Scripture tells us that the bathing woman, Bathsheba, “had been purifying herself from her uncleanness” (2 Sam. 11:4). Perhaps the same spring weather that sent David to the roof also led Bathsheba to conduct her ritual cleansing in some airy corner of her courtyard. We can only speculate since the passage doesn’t specify her exact location. But we do know this: the king of Israel stood atop watching a ceremony intended for the LORD alone.

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A Mother's High Calling

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My church selected three women to answer three questions this past Mother's Day. The questions follow below and my answers are heard in the video above. Motherhood is a high and blessed calling. May the LORD give you the grace to glorify Him in that role!

1) What do you love most about being a mother?

2) In what ways has your own mother influenced your mothering?

3) Why is the role of a mother so important?

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Abigail: Seek Wisdom from Above

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Abigail: Seek Wisdom from Above

Abigail enters the scene of this narrative like a busy triage nurse, assessing damage and treating wounds. It’s immediately clear that Nabal’s household rested on Abigail’s wisdom. A servant came to inform her of the impending disaster and looked to her for their salvation (1 Sam. 25:14-17). Abigail made haste and gathered large portions of food and drink—displaying generosity where Nabal had shown greediness. She laid these provisions on donkeys and set out to meet David (1 Sam. 25:14-20). One unarmed woman charged toward four hundred swordsmen.

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Hannah, God Works Sovereignly Through Prayer

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Hannah, God Works Sovereignly Through Prayer

Hannah addressed God as “the LORD of Hosts” (Yahweh Sabaoth) in her prayer. The name translates as “the LORD Almighty,” the one who rides before legions of armies. We might imagine this victorious title declared at the parting of the Red Sea or the conquest of Jericho, but Hannah’s narrative is the first time the name appears in the Old Testament. The woman who was thundered against by a persistent adversary, needed the LORD Almighty to remember and defend her.

Al-Shabbab, Christian Persecution and Psalm 23

Al-Shabbab, Christian Persecution and Psalm 23

Persecution of African (and Middle-Eastern) Christians continues to increase, as does the gradual cultural degradation of historic Christianity in the west. This post, shared through the Reformed African American Network, is my prayer to the LORD, our Great Shepherd. May He raise His rod and staff high and bring comfort to His persecuted flock around the world. He is the God of both our green pastures and our shadowy valleys. 

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Naomi and the Sovereignty of God in Human Suffering

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Naomi and the Sovereignty of God in Human Suffering

I’ve often considered Naomi “the female Job” of the Bible. She and Job could have been understanding friends. They both knew pain and loss (Job 1:13-21). And they both attributed their suffering to God’s sovereign hand (Job 6:4). Like Job, Naomi’s narrative inspires an old question: can a loving and all-powerful God ordain human suffering and remain wholly consistent with his character? Our passage answers “yes” as we continue.

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Ruth, God’s Gracious Providence in Redemption

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Ruth, God’s Gracious Providence in Redemption

In the days of the judges when everyone did what was right in his own eyes, a Moabite woman does what is right in God’s eyes (Ruth 1:1; Judges 21:25). Ruth reflects God’s own covenant love for his people in choosing to leave her familial home for the saving of another. She turned from father, mother, and country for a people she didn’t know and found refuge under the wings of Israel’s God (Ruth 2:11-12).

Biblical Orthodoxy & the Disqualification of Christians from Public Service

Speaking on January 14 on his daily podcast, “The Briefing,” Dr. Albert Mohler asks, “Just how much of historic Christianity, especially in terms of its moral teaching concerning sexuality, must someone disbelieve in order to be qualified according to this new standard for public service or public influence?”

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Women who Bleed Bible

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Women who Bleed Bible

Sisters, I don’t speak here of petty surface glances of the Word; just enough to make you feel good about your Christianity. I speak of women who understand that they are commanded to present themselves to God as approved and unashamed workers, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Believing this, they read. They read carefully and deeply. They string pieces together until they interpret the Bible by the Bible. They knit sections together to unfold the big picture of the gospel.  

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Samson’s Mother: Parental Disappointment and our Ultimate Ambition

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Samson’s Mother: Parental Disappointment and our Ultimate Ambition

Most parents dream great dreams for their children. It’s only natural I suppose. But what if your child comes through miraculous means? What if his birth is personally announced by God? What if that child is dedicated to the LORD from the womb and is declared a future savior of your people? What hopes does a mother cherish then? I don’t refer here to the Lord Jesus but to Samson, Israel’s Judge.

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Rahab the Prostitute, the Riches of God’s Irresistible Grace

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Rahab the Prostitute, the Riches of God’s Irresistible Grace

Somewhere in Jericho, a pagan prostitute learned of Yahweh’s acts of salvation and judgement and was enabled to believe that Israel’s God was the Lord of heaven and earth. Now the Lord would use her testimony to strengthen Joshua and a young Israel—and weave her into the fabric of Israel.

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Jochebed & the Pattern of God's Salvation

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Jochebed & the Pattern of God's Salvation

Pharaoh’s fatal law must have arrived sometime after the birth of Aaron since he was alive and didn’t appear to be in danger of the edict. Unfortunately for Jochebed, her third pregnancy collided with the crisis of the decree. The king’s war against a nation found its target in her womb. But this mother would remember God’s former work of salvation.

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Christians: Clean Saints with Dirty Feet

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Christians: Clean Saints with Dirty Feet

In other words, atonement of sin is settled for those whose trust is in Christ alone. So then God doesn’t love you less when you sin today and more when you obey tomorrow. Instead He loves you because you are His—an adopted son/daughter, made clean through His Son and sealed and preserved by His Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).

But what of your persistent sins? Here, we find that Christ still washes the feet of His disciples. What do I mean? “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean” (John 13:10). Those justified in Christ are Simul Justus et Peccator—at the same time just (or righteous) and sinner. We are positioned in Christ and are seen by God through His imputed righteousness yet inherently we sin. We are clean saints with dirty feet. But just as our justification is achieved by God alone, so is our sanctification enabled by Him alone.

A Time to Speak and a Time to Love Neighbors like they Matter

A Time to Speak and a Time to Love Neighbors like they Matter

My husband and I live east of the Anacostia River in Washington D.C. The area, roughly 20 square miles in size, is over 90 percent black. A single IHOP and a Denny’s serve as its major full-service restaurants. There are no high-end department stores, but discount clothing and dollar stores can be found. There are no movie theaters, few parks, and a dusting of grocery stores. There are no colleges, but plenty of liquor stores.

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The Hebrew Midwives: God Chooses what is Low and Despised

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The Hebrew Midwives: God Chooses what is Low and Despised

Shiphrah and Puah would represent Pharaoh’s deadly hands in the delivery room, waiting to smother sons and God’s promised offspring to Abraham. This was a vile task to assign to midwives. Yet how could they possibly refuse the king of Egypt? Afterall, he was meant to be feared, right?

Invading the Ordinary: What my Kids & a Refrigerator Door Taught Me about Christmas

Invading the Ordinary: What my Kids & a Refrigerator Door Taught Me about Christmas

At Christmas time, I can’t help but think of the God Who came and walked in the shoes of another.  Of course, God didn’t have to investigate our lives out of a lack of knowledge on His part.  But rather, the incarnation of Christ was so that a Man could fulfill the requirements of God’s law by His perfect obedience and take upon Himself the punishment for our evil acts (Hebrews 2:17-18, Isaiah 53:4-5).  Thusly, as a man He could usher in life and peace by way of His perfect obedience just as the earlier man (Adam) had ushered in death and enmity with God by way of his sin (Romans 5:18-19). 

The Glorious Condescension of the Incarnation

I had the pleasure of writing a Christmas post for the Reformed African American Network. You can find the article, entitled the Glorious Condescension of the Incarnation, here. Hope you are able to read.

May the Lord bless you as you gaze on the glorious mystery of the incarnation this advent season. Be astounded by the humility of our LORD and adore Him!

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Tamar: God’s Wrath and Imputed Righteousness

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Tamar: God’s Wrath and Imputed Righteousness

The outcast Tamar was languishing away from God’s covenant family because of superstition and neglect of duty. God had promised to bless Abraham and his offspring (Gen. 12:1-3). This blessing would extend to all the families of the earth—as far as the curse is found. We caught a glimpse of this when God sustained Hagar and her boy for Abraham’s sake (Gen. 21:13, 20). Would this blessing stretch to Tamar too?