Tag: Household of Faith in Christ
Changing the word used for a given reality doesn’t change the reality. Should we call ourselves “followers of the Way”, “believers in Jesus”, “the chosen”, or “disciples of our Savior”, it won’t matter. If we make our message about Him, then we commiserate with the lost, as we share the gospel that God’s rescues sinners from condemnation so that we can joyfully work to do the work of His kingdom. In Christ the yoke of guilt is lifted. [...]
Proof That Fools Can Have a High IQ
Non-biblical individuals advocate for what they say is right/true without contemplating the ground for their convictions. Often this is due to thinking they don't have to contemplate such things because they feel their position is rooted in neutrality. But neutral ground is a myth. All convictions are grounded in something. Whatever that "something" might be, not all of your neighbors will agree - so it's not neutral. [...]
5 Wonderful Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer
The safest place on the planet for any human should be inside the womb. We know this isn’t the case, as evidenced every month by the estimated 4-million children killed before their gestation period has reached its natural end. Yes, four-million worldwide. That’s an average of 5,500 per hour, every hour. Or 90 per minute, every minute. This is more than one abortion per second. Every second of every day. Day after day after day. [...]
Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Christian Faith
Christians are called to be stewards of all that God's given us. This includes the environment. Does the Paris Accord accomplish this? At least one professing Christian, David Rank, believes that it does. There are other professing Christians who disagree. It'd seem that Christians can agree to disagree over the answer to this question. The importance of stewardship is not up for debate. The importance of the Paris agreement is. [...]
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How to Start a House Church
There’s a Hebrew verb for miscarry (shakal). This word isn’t used in Exodus 21:22-25. Instead it's the word for “go forth” (weyatse’u). This verb doesn’t ever refer to an abortion. When referring to pregnancy, it speaks of live children “going forth”/“coming out” from the womb. So, Exodus 21 requires a fine to be paid for causing a premature birth, while injury/death (of the mother or the child) incurs a more severe punishment. [...]
Overcoming: With Truth, Humor, Wisdom
Devious deception from self-absorbed leaders is all too common. News stories highlight the wary distrust of one group toward another group. Monetary greed, personal comfort, and a spirit of going-it-alone dominate culture. The back-biting, bickering, and back-stabbing wouldn't be so bad if not for the power plays, office politics, and Machiavellian triangulation. How do we come together in unity? What's the Bible say about this? [...]
Understanding The History And Symbols of Easter
Personal Note: It is obvious that someone representing the church (and NOT me) wrote the original portion of the post about Easter. First, I always refer to it as Resurrection Sunday. Second, in this context I would not have made a big deal out of Christendom and the Council of Nicaea. Third, our church does not use a Paschal Candle. Other than that, it has a good beat and I can dance to it, so I will give it a ninety-eight. [...]
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I’ll Show You a Place High on a Desert Plain
When seeing someone who’s lost, the loving thing is to help them be found. When seeing someone in peril, the loving thing is to help lead them to security. When seeing someone adrift, the loving thing is to help put them on course. If it’s true they stand condemned unless they repent, we serve them by telling them so. Pretending they’re not condemned, when they truly do stand condemned, is to fail in serving these neighbors. [...]
Musings
The wussification of culture: A ball player is plunked in the backside and the benches clear. A ball to the butt necessitates a meeting at the mound? A bunch of wimps! Save the brawls for headhunters. The pitcher hit him in the tush! Baseball's become about crying. It used to be “There’s no crying in baseball.” Can’t break up double plays, or run through a catcher, or throw purpose pitches - what’s next? Maybe outlaw the fastball? [...]
Bacteria on Mars are Life; Heartbeats on Earth are Not?
Disease is a health issue, not a population issue. Mass starvation is an economic issue, not a population issue. Where there’s economic liberty and personal freedom we see societies flourish, regardless of the size of their population. Even in places where the government and the economy aren’t as free as they could be. Each and every individual is a blessing. There’s plenty of room (and need) on our planet for more blessings. [...]
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