Lone Wolf Christianity
Thursday, June 10, 2021 @ 10:32 AM
There’s never been a time when the necessity of church and fellowship has been called into question as much as today. I passed by a table of books one day and saw a title that struck me as odd. The title seemed to insinuate that there was a way to follow Christ without ever meeting together with the church body. To be fair, I haven’t read the book so I could very well have misunderstood it. But I have encountered this attitude many times in social media and in person. The attitude of disillusionment with “established” religion and a kind of contempt towards formalized worship. The mantra is everywhere: “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.”
The Power of Choice Given by God
Tuesday, June 1, 2021 @ 7:50 AM
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite (Psalm 147:5)
I have really been thinking a great deal about the concept of power lately. And when I think of the word, I tend to first think of military power or political power.
America has been the dominant power in the world’s military and economic scene for all of my adult life. Maybe that’s why I automatically think in that realm when I hear the word
power mentioned.
I also think of power in reference to certain people or positions. Our president is powerful; so are our governors and other elected officials. Policemen, judges, and lawyers have positions of power and authority too.
What Not to Consider When Determining What s Right and Wrong
Friday, April 16, 2021 @ 9:19 AM
“There is nothing wrong with what we did! Besides, we really love each other.” These were the reasons Jennifer gave for “going to far” with her boyfriend when confronted by her Mom. Jennifer knew what the Bible teaches about sexual activity, and she had even signed a “purity pledge” once, along with the rest of her youth group. But that was before Aaron, and he was different. He was
the
one. The new relationship had gradually led Jennifer to make some new and significant decisions. A heated discussion with her mother was now forcing Jennifer to justify those choices. In the life of every Christian, there will eventually be a struggle between “
The dullest pencil . remembers better than the sharpest mind. My co-worker, and friend, Ted Cramer, says that all the time, and it is very true. We all like to think we can remember whatever it is we are supposed to remember without having to write it down. If we are honest with ourselves, we know better than that.
I have made enough trips to the grocery store at this point in my life to know that if I go, I better write down everything I need to pick up. Having a written list saves the embarrassment of needing to call my wife before I get in the checkout line to make sure I got everything, because I know I missed something (I hate that). Having a list is also the only absolutely, positively, 100% way to be sure I won t have to make a second trip (I really hate that). And so, I write things down because my forgetter works a whole lot better than my rememberer does.
Close to Heaven but Now in Hell
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 @ 7:47 AM
Parable of the wise and foolish virgins
I love the parables Jesus taught. First, I love good stories. Second, the parables make you dig for the message.
Sometimes parables obscure the truth being taught. Jesus taught that this was done intentionally (Matt. 13:10-17). So we must press in and look deeply into the text. A parable isn’t like a pop-up book: The message isn’t going to jump up and say, “Here I am!”
What is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins all about? What is its message?