Full disclosure: I am a big Star Wars fan. But that doesn’t mean one should watch Star Wars or anything else without discernment. All films have a behind-the-scenes agenda. For example, take George Lucas’ purpose for the Star Wars movies. He wanted to use Star Wars as a platform to introduce Buddhism to America. The “Force” represents the impersonal god of eastern mysticism. You don’t have to avoid Star Wars, but you and your children should be aware of its agenda. You should be able to articulate how using “the force” is different from how the Holy Spirit works in the life of God’s people. The Holy Spirit’s power comes from his membership in the Trinity and is distinct and […]
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Your children know everything about you. They see when you are sleeping, they know when you have been good or bad, they know when you pout and when you shout. Your kids know all of this without your ever having to say a word. When you stumble and ask God for help — they learn. When you stumble and snap or make excuses — they learn from that, too. If you value your relationship with God above all else, your children will know that as well. What does this have to do with being Santa’s helper? Just this: in Psalm 72:18 we read that “God alone does marvelous things.” However, at Christmas time, for little children someone else is portrayed […]
If you use the world’s standards of success, you will become exactly like the psalmist in Psalm 73. His overwhelming discouragement came directly from looking at life the way God’s enemies do. What is good cannot be found by looking at our culture. Christians have a different standard for goodness: “But as for me, it is good to be near God.” The ultimate good for God’s people: the nearness of God! The psalmist suddenly sees the foolishness of evaluating his life the way the world does. He finally realizes the world is interested in mocking God and ridiculing his wisdom. Because he had entertained such thoughts, the psalmist compared himself to an unthinking beast. If you use the world’s standards to […]
Biblical Christianity is not limited to one culture. The earthly biblical heritage of Christianity is the Ancient Near East, which has influenced Asian, African, and European traditions. In short Christianity addresses not the heart of a particular culture or ethnic background, but the heart of man. Sin is not limited to one culture. It is deeply ingrained in all cultures. Wherever there is man, there is sin! Thus, God has revealed his righteousness to all the nations. All of the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God. God chose a time and place in the timeline of human history where the message of the gospel would be spread to all the earth. So, Christmas is about the […]
December is here and that means Christmas gifts. When a gift is given that is a delightful surprise or a longed for treasure, all is well. The giver is happy, the recipient is thrilled, the tree seems to be bigger and brighter. But when the desired gift does not appear, the tree is somehow not as pretty and spirits are dampened. And, of course, the disappointment of the missing gift is not limited to children, mom & dad can know this ache as well. Not getting the gift that is wanted can happen for several reasons. The budget dictates trips to Walmart instead of the mall. This kind of disappointment can be addressed with a loving dose of reality given well […]
Stupidity, Arrogance, and Futility in Paris The nations of the planet have agreed to the plan of the UN sponsored gathering on climate change. The major goal of the agreement is stated below in Article 2 of the document. This article is not about whether climate change exists. Regardless of what you believe about the existence and cause of climate change, there is one key factor that must not be missed. If change is to occur it will be by the hand of God and not by the hand of men. Should man be responsible? Of course! But can man bring about change apart from the will of God? Of course not! My problem with this agreement is that it […]
How to make sure you have a miserable Christmas. Giving gifts can be a dangerous activity, especially if you give gifts to yourself. No, I am not talking about the present under the tree that is labeled from you to you. I am talking about the gifts you give to your wife or husband or your kids or others close to you. One example is giving a gift to someone for the pleasure of seeing how much you are appreciated. For example, you are feeling unappreciated by your wife. You find a gift you think will please her and tip the scales back in your favor. This is where things get murky. You spent money on something you really could […]
The darkness of the world is total. When you are overcome by anger, resentment, bitterness, despair there is no light – only darkness. God has something better for you. People who are walking in darkness will see a great light. Light is the great promise of the Christ-child. As Isaiah proclaims, it is God who turns darkness into light. Take time to remind your children and yourself that life without Christ is deep, utter darkness. May God grant you faith to live by the light and turn from darkness. May the light of Christ shine in the dark, troubled places of your heart. Rejoice! The light of Christ has come. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; […]
Peace on Earth is a phrase associated with Christmas. But then a quick survey of the planet brings the response, “Not so much!” Why is that? Could the promise of Peace on Earth be false? Let’s start with what was the proclamation that the angels made over 2,000 years ago: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 So, yes, peace on earth was promised. But to whom? The Holy Spirit does not speak in sound-bites. That means that we are not free to decide which words of his we like and which ones we don’t like. The truth is that peace comes to those know God’s […]
There is a compelling reason to celebrate the Advent. God’s angels burst into the night sky to praise the birth of Christ. In Luke 2 we read how the sky erupted with the praise of the angels: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”” Then, in Revelation 5:11-14, we again read of the angels proclaiming the praises our Savior, the Lamb. Why is the Lamb worthy to receive praise? Because he completed the mission his Father entrusted to his care. The angels proclaimed his praise at his birth and that praise continues on in […]