Monthly Archives: May 2017

17 posts

Human Outrage and God

The world is angry. One country attacks another. One religious movement is filled with rage for those not like them. One political leader wants more power than he has. Anger shapes of the dangers of our world, both foreign and domestic. However, there is a root cause to this anger that cannot be addressed by diplomacy, state departments and congress. This anger is directed at God and his rule over this planet and the hearts of people. In Psalm 2, the Holy Spirit asks the question and then gives us the answer: Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against […]

Patience: The Art Of Expecting God’s Care

A judgmental spirit towards people is a dangerous thing. It leads to doubt, mistrust and broken relationships. However, there is another form of judgment that is far more destructive: the practice of judging God. When you begin to question God’s faithfulness, when circumstances are not what you wanted, you are actually judging God. When your general response to life is that life is a bummer or you live with constant disappointment, you are judging God. Why? Because the Holy Spirit says that God is causing all the events in your life to work together for your good. So, when you look at life and fail to see God’s goodness, even in the painful things, you are judging God. You are […]

Why Thirteen Reasons Why, Season 2

Hannah Baker has thirteen reasons why she ended her life. She describes them in moving, vivid detail on thirteen cassette tapes, one for each reason. Netflix has created a video series based on the book, Thirteen Reasons Why. It is the fictional story of Hannah Baker. The book is written in classic existential style. Existentialism, as a genre, focuses on the moment, without regard to the relevance of God. The Netflix series, in terms of viewing audience was a success. So it is no surprise that Netflix just announced there will be a second season of Thirteen Reasons Why. On the face of things, renewing a popular series makes sense. However, there is more to consider than just popularity. The […]

Obedience: A Response To Grace

Obedience is not something that can be used to obtain grace. Rather, obedience is a response to grace. Just as I cannot make myself more acceptable to God by my obedience, neither do I want my children to think that I will be more accepting of them because of their obedience. Your children must not think that you will be more accepting of them just because they obey you. I know, saying it like this seems awkward. So much of your life is about training and teaching God’s truth.  But the truth is that your obedience does not make you acceptable to God. The last thing that I want is to stand before God at the end of the day […]

Are You Worth More Than Birds?

God says there is a particular order to life and that you are more valuable than birds. But many would say you, as a person, have no more value than other forms of life. For example: If random evolutionary process is the author of life then there is no purpose, except to survive. Since each living thing is simply a product of this process, one form of life is not more valuable than another. If the ancient eastern religions are right and God is not separate from his creation, then one life form is just as significant as the next, since God is in everything and is everything. Eastern mysticism and evolutionary thinking have become the dominant influence in western […]

Become a Godly Refuge For Your children

James 3 warns about how dangerous your words can be. But you already knew that. How many times have you wished that you could grab back the hurtful words that have raced from your lips; careless, angry words that have produced distance from those you love? Fortunately, James 3:13-18 describes what makes your words so destructive and provides the Holy Spirit’s alternative. You can either speak out of wisdom from below or wisdom from above. How does this work? Wisdom from below frequently masquerades as concern for righteousness. It’s focus is on being right. If you are right nothing else matters. Obeying God and avoiding evil becomes the motivation that justifies frustration, irritation and confrontation with your children or even […]