9/6/1970 John 18.25. ‘And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, are you not also one of his disciples? He denied it, saying ‘I am not’. The Lord was on trial for his life. He was standing before the Jewish authorities, and then later the Roman governor who asked him about truth, with a sneer. Impudent soldiers were mocking him, ruffians were smiting him. But where was Peter who only a short time ago had sworn... Read more
8/5/1979 In today’s world things are changing so fast that our understanding of religious truths or ideas must be constantly revised to keep pace with changing times and conditions. Just as there existed, traditionally, the seven deadly sins, so there are seven modern versions of these ancient errors. Today, the first deadly sin is ignorance. Ignorance is a sin because it blocks the free flow of the creative goodness of God. We need to know how evolution works, we need... Read more
5/19/1968— Psalm 119.11— ‘Thy Word have I hid in my heart’ The Psalmist has discovered the secret of the victorious life. It is to store up God’s Word in one’s heart so that in time of need it might come to his aid. The habit of saving things for possible future use is universal We fill our barns as provision against winter. We lay away part of our earnings for a rainy day. We collect all sorts of miscellaneous articles... Read more
For two hours and 39 minutes we watched the ecstasy and the agony of Elvis Presley’s adult life. Baz Luhrman has done a masterful and artistic job of telling the complicated and sad story of Elvis’ rise to fame, set against the backdrop of racial issues that still trouble is today, and against the political turmoil caused by the killing of JFK, MLK, and Bobby Kennedy as well. For instance, I did not know that Elvis went into the Army... Read more
‘The Mystery of God’— 8/26/1979 Many people who do not read much and who perhaps never read the Bible ask questions about God. Where did he come from? Where does he live? Where is heaven? What does God look like? Has anyone ever seen God? By the very nature of things, there are many mysteries we cannot fully understand about God. Quite simply if God could be explained, he wouldn’t be the sort of all-knowing and all-powerful God who can... Read more
12/4/1979. ‘We have seen his glory’ John tells us that God has declared his glory, and he reminds us we have beheld his glory. Many people in Jesus’ day did not see the glory of God fully. Judas did not see the glory of God in Christ. Pilate did not see it. The unrepentant bandit on the cross didn’t see it. And there are many people today who do not see it. God has never promised believers a utopia. Jesus... Read more
3/21/1982 2 Cor. 1.9-10–“we should not trust in ourselves but in God who delivered us from so great a death, and in whom we trust will yet deliver us.” The life of the apostle Paul is a life of superlatives. He excelled in zeal, in work, and in suffering. He was misunderstood, criticized, and persecuted. He travelled extensively and he accomplished great things for the Lord. His writing reflect the superb psychology of a life hid... Read more
3/25/1979 ‘A Story to Tell’ The Gospel of Christ is Good News, the best news in the world. It is a love story that surpasses all other love stories. It is the news the world needs to hear, but you won’t hear about it, at least not often, on the news on radio or TV. So, if you have this news, it is your duty to tell it. Every Christian has obligated himself or herself to go into... Read more
Q. One of the things that recurs in your study is the fact that differences in the Gospel accounts, and in this case particularly in the passion and resurrection narratives rather than being a weakness, are actually a historical strength, because they bear witness to the fact that there were a variety of traditions, oral and written, not just one tradition that was copied by the other evangelists. Certainly, the unique stories in Matthew and Luke about the crucifixion and... Read more
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