Have you heard comments like these from your children? “Do I have to?” “I had to that yesterday.” “I’m too tired.” “That’s not fair.” “I’ll do it later.” “Seriously?” “I don’t think so.” These are all responses from children to a parent’s request for obedience. Not exactly encouraging responses! There is one commonality in all of these responses: a disdain for obedience. The children giving these answers have little regard for their parent’s authority. For these children, obedience is a curse and certainly not a blessing. One of the ways children come to this conclusion is because obedience has presented to them as a means to get a reward. However, biblical obedience is not something used to gain a reward. […]
Monthly Archives: September 2018
12 posts
Rick was angry. He had been turned down for a promotion again. Someone else with less experience was given the position. By the time Rick arrived at home, he was seething. He snapped at the kids, yelled at his wife and started bitterly complaining about his supervisor. Even the dog could not escape Rick’s wrath. “How can they do this to me? I do a great job for the company. This is so wrong! I am praying for God to judge them.” But the truth is, Rick was not a good employee. His job performance was getting worse, not better. What he didn’t know was that in two days he would be fired. He complained so much that no one […]
Luke tells the story about how the early Christians were caring for each other’s needs. He specifically mentions a Cypriot Levite named Joseph who sold a field and brought the money from the sale to the apostles. Joseph’s gift and example was such a blessing that the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” This was a good thing. There was a married couple who apparently observed Barnabas’ good deed and the appreciation he received for it. So they sold some property that they owned. But something happened to these two when they collected the money from the sale. While we can’t be exactly sure of their thoughts, Luke does tell us about the plan that they conceived, […]
Today is the first full day of fall and spring. If you live in Australia, today means that warmer weather is on the way. If you live in North America, it is time to get ready for winter. The Lord announces the change of seasons with spectacular outbursts of color. Spring arrives with fresh greens and stunning pastels. Fall is announced by splashes of bold yellows, reds and golds. The Lord delights in color. He specifically designed your brain to recognize the visual beauty that accompanies the sun’s passage across the equator twice each year. Your eyes are portals which allow light to be transmitted to your brain so that you can be in awe of intricate colors that God […]
Lying and the pursuit of sinful desires go hand-in-hand. For example: Teenagers are unlikely to tell their parents that they want to borrow the car to go to a party with drugs, drinking and sex. No, the story will more likely be along the lines of “… a couple of the guys want to go catch a movie and a pizza. And since Joe has to go back to school in a couple of days, I’ll be later than normal, okay? Thanks Dad!” Lying becomes more sophisticated as children grow older. The lies progress from from immediate cover-ups and blame-shifting to more elaborate plans and schemes designed to acquire objects, favors or, as noted, to feed lustful desires. This type […]
It is an easy thing to demand justice. People want justice. Watch the news, listen to the candidates, listen to your three-year-old — justice matters. But it is wise to be careful of what you ask for. Yes, you want justice, but do you really want justice for yourself? Do you cry out for God to deal with you as your sins deserve with the same intensity that you demand justice from others? Whose justice are we talking about? Does your three-year-old offer an unbiased perspective on justice? Of course, the candidates and the media don’t appear to be any more balanced in their understanding of justice than your unhappy toddler. Similar to Pilate’s question to Jesus, we ask: What […]
Florence is headed for the Carolina coast. The projections for the storm’s impact are increasingly dire. The track is not the “typical one” for hurricanes striking land. The storm is predicted so stall near the coast and then after a day or two slowly move across the state of South Carolina. The potential damage is catastrophic. Are the movements of Florence random? Is her track simply an unfortunate convergence of high and low pressure systems? Are the Carolina’s at the mercy of fate? The Bible says that nothing is random and that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the wind and the waves. Job proclaims that the pressure systems controlling Florence are following the direction of God. He loads […]
Safety is an illusive pursuit. It is possible to purchase elaborate safety features for a new car and still be involved in an accident due to poor driving. Or one could have an excellent plan for physical health with proper diet and exercise and then become sick contracting a contagious disease. Laws can be passed that attempt to make us safe. But these laws will not protect against the evil of the human heart. Tomorrow is the 17th anniversary of 9/11, a chilling reminder of darkness of the heart. The Bible teaches us that evil is the natural state of all humans. Evil, wicked actions are a part of life, whether we pass laws to the contrary or not. It […]
There is a popular TV show about walking dead people. These are not the kind of people that you want to hang out with. Yet, in real life, there are walking dead that we hang out with everyday. We trust them to tell us how to live, how to spend our money, how to have fun and even how to love. I know, you are thinking who would be that crazy. Why would any one trust walking dead people? Well, for one thing the real walking dead don’t appear dead. They aren’t necessarily scary in appearance. They may even be extremely attractive. They are often indistinguishable from those who are truly alive. Here the TV show has one distinct […]
Secular culture faces suffering with fear and dread. Affliction is something to be avoided. Suffering is regarded as an interruption to life. Suffering is not a meaningful part of life. In a biblical vision, suffering comes from the hand of a God who is good and working good in us through all that he brings. Our suffering may seem overwhelming. Afflictions are often unfair. We may see our adversity as random and meaningless. In reality our suffering is meaningful. God has a purpose in it. If we face it rightly, it can deepen and strengthen our love for God. These afflictions can produce more spiritual stability, deeper graces and greater spiritual growth than we could imagine. —Tedd Tripp [hr] [hr]