What passages do you find troubling or difficult? Something in Daniel? Revelation? Here is one of the most troubling and difficult passages for me. “Be quick to listen and slow to speak.” (James 1:19) Are you kidding me? That’s a lot to ask from a pastor! Listening is lots harder than it looks. Surely you know the old line, “There’s […]
DRIFTING? DISTRACTED? How is your walk with Jesus going? Are you as close to him as you were a year ago? Or are you drifting? Are you distracted? Time and time again the Old Testament people drifted. What was supposed to be a close and personal relationship with a living and loving God became less and less important. They drifted. Time and time again the […]
Tithe the gross through your local congregation. You cannot buy better financial advice than this. Money grips us in its hold more than we know. You don’t have to be rich to worship money. Rich people are not the only ones susceptible to the worship of money. Sometimes in fact poor people worship it more than the rich. They are […]
SPORTS AS WORSHIP The NCAA basketball tournament is back. When it fell a year ago, I opined that the gods of this world were falling. Politics were in uproar, scientists were scratching their heads, colleges were sending kids home, financial circumstances were in chaos, entertainment venues were closed. With the return of sports… and the American worship of it… we in […]
Memorization of Scripture is an ancient practice. Almost as ancient is the reality that people complain about doing so! Somewhere I read something about the benefits of memorization. The author said, “Bible memorization is a good way to have good things stuck in your head.” That’s good. Better yet, someone else has suggested that we replace the word “memorization” with […]
GONNA GET TO SEE THEM This past week a number of my friends gushed excitedly about family members who, because of the rising numbers of vaccinations, they were finally going to be able to see. “We haven’t seen so and so for 12 months!” Here’s the interesting part. They were finally “going to see” family members they had regularly seen […]
Much has been written in many places on fasting. Read up on it. Jesus did it. The disciples did it. The Bible talks about it. I do not remember anyone at the Seminary encouraging me seriously to consider fasting as part of a regular spiritual discipline, but through the years I experimented with and expanded my practice of it. It […]
GOD GENE? In any number of publications, you will find articles about a so called “god gene.” Scientists think they are finding evidence that there is a genetic predisposition toward being “religious.” What do you think about that? Is there a “religious gene” because religiousness at some point was advantageous for the human race? Is it from a mutation? Is […]
Thigh pads, shoulder pads, cleats and a helmet. Tuxedo, tie and dress shoes. Weighted boots, oxygen supply, pressurized suit. Scrubs, gloves, mask. To get ready to play football, perform in an orchestra, fly to the moon or conduct surgery requires getting suited up. Getting suited up for the mission of God consists in putting on the panoply of God, the […]