Image: a close-up view of a train coupler connecting two cars. I knocked on the white painted door of my girlfriend’s apartment. No one knew I was coming. One of Wendy’s roommates opened the door. It was Charlotte. She was the loud one. She screamed. “Well, hello, Mr. Successful!” Charlotte was an opera student, oneContinue reading “Favor Has Been Uncoupled From Merit. Exodus 11:3.”
Category Archives: Karma–you reap what you sow
There Are Exceptions to the Principle of Sowing and Reaping. Job 21:13.
Job’s friends have a Res Ipsa Loquitor view of suffering. Res ipsa loquitor is Latin for “the thing speaks for itself.” This is a lawyer’s argument to prove negligence when traditional evidence may be lacking. For example, if an X-ray reveals a pair of forceps left inside a patient following surgery, the mere presence ofContinue reading “There Are Exceptions to the Principle of Sowing and Reaping. Job 21:13.”
Men Prefer Justice, But God Prefers Mercy Because He is God and Not a Man. Hosea 11:9.
Pictured: “The Death of Socrates,” by Jacques-Louis David, 1787. Socrates was convicted of “corrupting the youth of Athens” because he asked hard questions about the Greek gods they all served. In the painting, Socrates, who is still teaching, bravely faces his sentence of death by hemlock tea, while his admirers and students look on inContinue reading “Men Prefer Justice, But God Prefers Mercy Because He is God and Not a Man. Hosea 11:9.”
‘Thou Shalt Decree a Thing and It Shall Be Established.’ If You Can Name it, You Can Claim it!
Image generated by A.I. Bob turned on the television at the end of a long day. He walked across the room and fell into a recliner, exhausted. His wife Julie was seated next to him, using her phone to play an online game of Scrabble with one of her girlfriends. As the television came on,Continue reading “‘Thou Shalt Decree a Thing and It Shall Be Established.’ If You Can Name it, You Can Claim it!”
You Reap WHERE You Sow: David’s Sin Turned His Home into a Battleground. 2 Samuel 19:2.
Picture generated by A.I. Relationships around a throne are treacherous because of deceit, violence, and murder. Diplomats and courtiers may taste the delicacies of kings and queens, but the metallic smell of blood is never far away. Everyone is watching everyone else, looking for weaknesses, creating alliances, destroying the careers and lives of enemies andContinue reading “You Reap WHERE You Sow: David’s Sin Turned His Home into a Battleground. 2 Samuel 19:2.”
LIFE IS FAIR, BUT LIFE IS NOT FAIR ALWAYS. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8.
As a little junior philosopher, I looked up at my parents and said, “I think maybe everyone suffers the same amount in life, but it comes at different times—but in the end, it all evens out.” My parents were outraged. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” my dad said. “What about people bornContinue reading “LIFE IS FAIR, BUT LIFE IS NOT FAIR ALWAYS. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8.”
CAUSE AND EFFECT. Revelation 14:8.
The Bible contains multiple genres: laws, songs, architectural plans, poetry, prophecies, biographies, dreams, letters, and more. It also contains statements that read like Scientific Law. You remember Newton’s “What goes up, must come down.” Science includes hundreds more: “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” “Energy can be neither created nor destroyedContinue reading “CAUSE AND EFFECT. Revelation 14:8.”
IMMORALITY BRINGS WRATH. Revelation 14:19-18:24.
Society mocks morals. A recent broadcast of the Grammy Awards featured lyrics so immoral you would be embarrassed if I discussed it. There are thousands more examples. The music and stories of our culture would argue sex has nothing to do with marriage, children, or the God who created it to illustrate oneness with HisContinue reading “IMMORALITY BRINGS WRATH. Revelation 14:19-18:24.”
FORGIVENESS, GRACE, & CONSEQUENCES. Acts 5:1-11.
Some think they can sin all they want because God will always forgive. What’s the harm in a “white lie,” right? So I cheat a little on homework or taxes, so what? Well, God may forgive, but what about CONSEQUENCES? Even in this AGE OF GRACE, we reap what we sow. The worse your sin,Continue reading “FORGIVENESS, GRACE, & CONSEQUENCES. Acts 5:1-11.”
Amazing, Miraculous Grace. Luke 23:13.
Remember the parable of the Prodigal Son? Is it better to be the mostly obedient older brother, or the completely selfish younger brother? Is it better to make good choices and need less grace, or to make bad choices, and experience a great deal of God’s grace? Or could we maybe argue that because ofContinue reading “Amazing, Miraculous Grace. Luke 23:13.”
Household Words: 