Does it seem to you that no matter how much time passes and how much effort and money are put into responding to problems, people are just as upset and fearful as ever? During the first year or so of the pandemic it seemed like two opposing groups were afraid of the same thing. Many … Continue reading Peace amidst a noisy culture
Category: Current Events
Living Together before Marriage
In the past weeks I’ve addressed some aspects of modern weddings (you can read about those here and here). Today, let’s consider living together before marriage. Why has it become so common and accepted? The short answer is because living together is easy and speaking against it is hard. The long answer is very long, … Continue reading Living Together before Marriage
Weddings with a “wow” factor
Nature cannot disconnect from its Creator; therefore, it retains its "wow" factor. Consider evening and morning of each day—the sun typically makes a spectacular light show besides all the good it does all day (and night by way of moonlight). A wedding—the creation of a new union by God that will be a means of … Continue reading Weddings with a “wow” factor
Pre-wedding Partying
What might an ambassador of the kingdom of heaven notice about what goes on before weddings these days? First, you may have noticed that more and more couples are living together before marriage, even among the children of devout Christians, church workers, and pastors. I’m going to tackle that subject later in August. Second, you … Continue reading Pre-wedding Partying
Civil liberty and civil oppression
In the last post I introduced the concept of what God thinks about slavery. Continuing that theme, here are a few questions to consider: What good is civil liberty if we are held in bondage by the lusts of the flesh and our soul is dead? What harm can civil oppression do if our soul … Continue reading Civil liberty and civil oppression
The Bible on Bondage
Most people I meet are perplexed about the Bible’s teaching on slavery. Is God okay with slavery or not? Since we are made in God’s image, the answer is CERTAINLY NOT! But if God is against slavery, why does it go on? Slavery, including every form of human bondage, like every other evil, is a … Continue reading The Bible on Bondage
Bumper Sticker Analysis
So, which is it? Am I the captain of my own destiny or is God my co-pilot or should I let go and let God? Our thinking is a product of our world view. If each of us is a primarily physical being in time with a distant God or no god at all, it … Continue reading Bumper Sticker Analysis
A remedy for negativity
Who suffers most from being negative? It seems like hard, unhappy work to complain and be critical about others and the way things are because of others. It seems even more difficult to make a case before God that we are justified in being critical of others, especially if we remember that our complaints are … Continue reading A remedy for negativity
What’s Important about Epiphany?
We are in the season of Epiphany, which begins twelve days after Christmas, celebrating the appearance of Jesus to the Gentiles as indicated by the visit of the Wise Men from the East to the holy family in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12). The word “epiphany” means, “to appear”. On the first Sunday in Epiphany, we celebrate … Continue reading What’s Important about Epiphany?
Redemption from the inside out
What does it mean when we are more afraid of what is outside of us than what is inside? Look at Mark 7. The terrifying catalog of evil that Jesus describes here comes from our own corrupt hearts. The magnitude of God’s love and power to save me is not realized until I see that … Continue reading Redemption from the inside out