Public opinion polls have the goal of finding out what is the most popular viewpoint. Politicians in particular are motivated by these polls; safety in numbers. Polls portend of danger ahead or indicate where most think safety lies. The road with the most people on it is the one leading to security or to at least to an election victory. But Jesus has some warnings about public opinion. John’s gospel tells how Jesus had won the popularity of many at the beginning of his public ministry. “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all about men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” (John 2:24-25) In Proverbs […]
Monthly Archives: March 2017
18 posts
Tim Challies argues that “pornography reshapes our very understanding of sex, manhood, and womanhood.” Tim is right. Pornography views people as objects whose purpose is to serve the wants and desires of others. Relationships are valued for what pleasure they produce. Pornography ignites a passion for self-gratification and little else. Our children are growing up at a time where self-sacrifice is viewed as fool’s game. Sex exists to serve personal cravings. In this cultural climate all relationships suffer, but none more painfully than marriage. Tim Challies has written an essential read for parents facing the challenge of raising children totally immersed in the flood waters of pornographic culture. HELP! My Kids are Viewing Pornography provides parents the necessary tools to […]
Jacob struggled with God and with people all of his life. He conspired with his mother to steal his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing. He was deceived by his father-in-law about whom he would marry. He in turn managed to turn the tables and deceived his father-in-law to get his best livestock. Finally it all caught up with Jacob. He fled from his father-in-law only to learn that Esau was coming to find him. One night when he was alone and worried he came across a man. But it was not just an ordinary man. Jacob wrestled with the man all through the night. Finally the man, an angel of God or a theophany, realized that Jacob would not let […]
When you and I lie we sometimes tend to treat the problem as one of self-protection. We lie because we can’t allow others to know what we really are inside. The hard truth is that you and I are born liars. We are blinded by self-interest (Proverbs 4:19; Psalm 58:3). Lying is the extension of a self-centered nature. You tend to lie in three types of circumstances. First, when you fear a consequence so much that you will do anything to avoid it. Second, you tend to lie when there is something you eagerly desire, and fudging the truth a bit seems to be the best way to get it. In both situations the reason for the lie is the […]
How do you know peace in times of conflict or fear? Where do you find encouragement when life’s relational struggles threaten overwhelm you? How can you be confident when fear and doubt begin to creep into your thoughts? There is only One who brings peace and confidence to your troubled world. His name is Jesus Christ. Your savior is supremely confident. His confidence flows from his humility. Think about that. Jesus is confident that he can always trust his Father. God the Father has given his son his sheep. No one can take them away. That means no one can take you away from the strong hand of your Savior. Jesus is confident in his Father, you can be confident […]
Is the weather personal? But before you answer that here are some more basic questions. Is your everyday world controlled by a personal God who has a purpose for all that you encounter? Or is life on earth just a matter of random chance? Or is your life governed by impersonal forces that take no account of the moral decisions that you make each day? If you decide for either random chance or an impersonal force then you must conclude that God is silent. But, if you understand that both the creation and the daily events of life are under the control of a personal God, the events of each day take on an immediate sense of importance. In his […]
Early this morning the Sun passed directly over the equator on its journey towards the Tropic of Cancer. Most of us did not stop to think or be thankful for this particular demonstration of God’s care. The reality is that he will be faithful whether he is asked to be or not. Because God is who he is, he can’t be anything but faithful to his promise he made to Noah thousands of years ago and to all of his promises. In our human interactions we are accustomed to unfaithfulness on many levels. Politicians throughout history have earned the reputation of being unfaithful to their promises. Relationships are remarkable because unfaithfulness is more common than faithfulness. So, doubt tends to […]
Cancer attacks healthy tissue and turns it toxic. Modern medicine attacks these toxic cells with surgery, poisonous medications and lethal radiation. The question becomes whether the human body can survive the treatment. Two years ago the decision was made to attack my cancer with a combination of toxic chemicals and targeted radiation. The plan was to eliminate the toxic cells.before they spread throughout my body. Your battle with sin is very much like my battle with cancer. Sin attacks what God made to blessings and turns them into something ugly. Sin is far more deadly than cancer. Sin has plagued my body and spirit since my birth. There is no medical cure for sin. The only cure is to take […]
Saint Patrick is remembered as the man who drove the snakes from Ireland. Each March 17th, the color green is worn with pride and various forms of celebration erupt in western Europe and America. However, the real story of St. Patrick is one of a man on mission. Not a mission to drive out snakes and party but to bring the power of the gospel to his Irish captors. In the fifth century, as the Roman Empire was collapsing, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland from his native Britain. He was 16 and was entrapped in slavery. Six years later, he escaped and returned home. In all of this God was at work in his heart. […]
A man once came to Jesus and asked him to settle a dispute between him and his brother. But instead of resolving things as the man had wished, Jesus turned the conversation in a completely different direction. He chose to address the more immediate issue of greed. As always happens when Jesus addresses the heart, our eyes are opened so that our understanding about something we thought we understood is radically changed. We don’t think of greed as wanting make sure that we are treated fairly. We don’t consider ourselves greedy when we make financial security our highest priority. But Jesus does! Greed is easy for us to point out in others: someone reaching for that extra helping of food, […]