Could it be that the church couldn’t move last week because the feet didn’t come. And nothing got done the week before because the hands didn’t show. Church needs you just as much as you need it. I am looking forward to the new year. Not looking forward to getting older though. I was for many years. When I was younger I always seemed to have this conviction that getting older meant that the only thing that changed was I... Read more
Why are we as Christians more concerned about political argumentation and our personal safety than we are our responsibilities toward the refugee? I would like to reiterate that my blog and facebook blog posts are intended to address Christians. My tag line is “Challenging the Church to be the Church.” In recent weeks I have posted a number of comments on my facebook blog page about the refugee crisis. I am somewhat grieved by the Christians who are contentious on... Read more
“Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:14b-15)My heart is broken. I just returned from a dynamic conference hosted by the Telos Group in Wash DC focusing on bringing peace to the Middle East and the Holy Land in particular. The platform of Telos is to be Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine, and Pro-peace. The gathering was of religious and political leaders, along with social workers... Read more
The book of Revelation opens with a blessing for its reader, hearers, and keepers (Rev 1:3). Which raises the question: How can one be blessed by reading a book that no one seems to understand? Revelation is arguably one of the greatest pieces of literature in the history of the world and certainly one of the great books within the Bible. Unfortunately, for many the book of Revelation remains a mystery, which few dare to explore. Ironically, the book opens... Read more
So I just finished a weekly ritual of reading some interesting blogs. I don’t read many. But I do find a few of interest. One blog was talking about abortions in countries outside the US. It seems as though many countries have far more restrictive laws than the US. Interesting. Another blog, which was very well written, was discussing the need for the Church to be a source of truth and love. The author noted that when we do one... Read more
if anyone says to you, “here are the 10 keys to effective evangelism,” be cautious. They may well have good insights. But no one has the corner on sharing the Gospel with success. I often hear people say that they want a class on how to share their faith with others. I understand fully this desire. Many Christians want to share their faith but are afraid to do so. Some are uncertain because they don’t think they have they know... Read more
What do you do when your pastor says something you don’t want to hear? I don’t know if you are all like me, but I can’t really think of anything wrong in my life. No real sins that I am dealing with. My moral, theological, and political views are all in line with Jesus’. So, if a pastor has something to say to me during a weekend service that I disagree with, then it must be that he/she is mistaken.... Read more
The people to whom the prophets addressed didn’t think they were in the wrong either. They pointed to their fasting and giving and all things apparently religious as proof that they were on the good team. So, if the “them” back in the day thought that they were the “us”, then shouldn’t we be more cautious about assuming that we the “us” aren’t the “them”? Why should we assume that we are somehow different? We do Bible studies on Isaiah,... Read more
Jesus is the center of the Apocalypse. Or, perhaps, it may be better stated—Christ is the Apocalypse. The Book of Revelation opens with the words: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1). The phrase is actually ambiguous, both in English and in the original Greek. The phrase can be understood to mean: “the revelation that is about Jesus Christ”; or, “the revelation that is from Jesus Christ.” When it comes to something like this the interpreter’s best option is to... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In