The lure of legalism comes from the desire to be right which can be greater than the desire to believe. Being right means personal and public control. Belief means surrender and submission to something greater. Jesus warned the disciples about the the lure of legalism from the Pharisees and Sadducees because of this control aspect. Kent commenting on my last post gave great …
Westboro Baptist Church – A Shining Light
I confess that sometimes it takes a while for me to fully understand situations, and I’m a little slow. The activities of Westboro Baptist Church used to worry me. Since non-Christians and neutral observers viewed them through the media, I worried that they would think Westboro Baptist Church represented Jesus and and his message. I truly failed to recognize the …
New Version of the Bible
To Promote Relevance a New Version of the Bible is Available To promote tolerance, pluralism, ambiguity and ambivalence, a new version of the Bible has recently been released. This new version of the Bible, called Anybody’s Version of the Bible (ABV), promises to be one of the most exciting versions released in recent history. As some church leaders and consultants …
Authentic Christianity
Many think detecting authentic Christianity difficult. Unfortunately, no brand receives less protection than the brand, Christian. In comparison to authentic products, no great certification programs exist for Christianity. External forms, especially religious jewelry, T-shirts, bumper stickers, or nameplates offer little to help identify authentic Christians. Sometimes these things fool people. Sometimes they fool the people wearing them. Further, external forms …
Do Not Worry – There’s a Decision You Must Make First
Many Christians love to read and quote Matthew 6:25 to 33, the Do Not Worry section. The passage provides great and true direction. Unfortunately many fail to obtain the promised peace because they lift the passage out of context from the preceding section. In order to benefit from ‘ Do Not Worry’ in verses 25 to 33, I need to …
If You Don’t Pity the Rich, Perhaps There is Envy in Your Heart
Do I find envy a problem? Specifically, do I find envy of the rich a problem? Most references to the rich in the Bible, more accurately those referring to those who ‘trust in wealth,’ warn of the dangers of wealth. Solomon serves as a case study of where things can go wrong even when I start right. So if I …
Take Up Your Cross
Take Up Your Cross ‘Take up your cross’ is a central concept in practical Christianity and daily discipleship. And yet much of the time, I don’t wake up and start the day thinking, ‘take up your cross.’ Since I set the alarm for 3:00 am— a 6:00 am flight to Austin—I first tried to remember if I fixed the coffee …
Chief of Sinners
Chief of Sinners Paul describes himself as the chief of sinners. This also refers to an experience all maturing as disciples must go through. A day will come when all of us will think of ourselves as the chief of sinners. My stepfather, one of the top ten blessings in my life, and I agree on many things. As a …