This morning I came across some crazy ideas online. There was the guy arguing that Christians do not sin. Another said the Apostle Paul was a deceiver who ruined the faith. A preacher argued James (brother of Jesus and author of the Book of James) did not understand the gospel, and that his book containsContinue reading “Beware: False Teachers are Everywhere. Ezekiel 13:1-14.”
Category Archives: The Bible is Not a Children’s Book
The Weeping Prophet Curses His Birthday, but Maintains Hope.
Dear Diary, Every day is hard now. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a nice meal and a few laughs. It’s all so serious all the time. God continues to give me messages of doom and destruction. Honestly, no one even knows my name anymore. They just say, “Here comes the weeping prophet.”Continue reading “The Weeping Prophet Curses His Birthday, but Maintains Hope.”
The Fear of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28:15.
Image: the famous “Earthrise” photo captured by the crew of Apollo 8 on Christmas Eve, 1968. Part One: a Challenge to Put Some Effort into Your Bible Reading. Most of us believe we ought to read the Bible. Many of us start. But finishing is a real challenge and a significant accomplishment. The Good Book,Continue reading “The Fear of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28:15.”
He Tells the Best Stories. Esther 7:9.
Everyone loves a great storyteller—and there is none greater than God himself. But the Bible is not an easy read. There are not only language challenges but also the way we tell stories has changed significantly in the last four thousand years. But the best readers can get past such challenges, and the rest ofContinue reading “He Tells the Best Stories. Esther 7:9.”
Respect Your Elders. 2 Chronicles 10:7.
The Bible contains a few things so vulgar you may never hear them in a sermon. This is one of them. And yes, I have misgivings writing about it. After Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king, the people of Israel came to him complaining Solomon had worked them too hard. They had built the temple, theContinue reading “Respect Your Elders. 2 Chronicles 10:7.”
THE TRUTHHOLYLOVE Romans 3:4.
People are afraid of holiness. But I praise God for holiness. His holiness means that He is GOOD and KIND and LOVING. God loves because He is holy, and He is holy because He is TRUE. You can’t separate those. Praise God. I have friends who say there is no hell. On what basis? SomethingContinue reading “THE TRUTHHOLYLOVE Romans 3:4.”
ECCLESIASTES Part 2: THE KEY TO GODLY ADULTHOOD IS TO RECOGNIZE HARD TRUTHS, BUT CHOOSE JOY AND SERVE GOD.
After the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 4:31) encourages adults to face hard truths and take life seriously, he adds the unexpected, “now lighten up.” It is as though Solomon says: Work hard, do what’s right, remember one day you will face judgment—and HAVE FUN! While living wisely, choose joy! The truth is,Continue reading “ECCLESIASTES Part 2: THE KEY TO GODLY ADULTHOOD IS TO RECOGNIZE HARD TRUTHS, BUT CHOOSE JOY AND SERVE GOD.”
ECCLESIASTES Part 1: A MESSAGE FOR ADULTS—WORK HARD, GO TO FUNERALS, BE SERIOUS.
Ecclesiastes is misunderstood because a few influential preachers have described it as cynical words from Solomon during a period in his life when he was not following God. However, Solomon encourages readers to worship and obey God nearly twenty times in twelve chapters. A better understanding is that this is a book for ADULTS. EcclesiastesContinue reading “ECCLESIASTES Part 1: A MESSAGE FOR ADULTS—WORK HARD, GO TO FUNERALS, BE SERIOUS.”
THE CULTURAL MANDATE: God Used Christians to Make the World a Better Place. Matthew 5:14-16.
Today my Bible reading included a king who punished his enemies by “ripping open all the pregnant women,” and another who captured 10,000 men, then drove them off a cliff to be “dashed to pieces.” Other Bible stories speak of cannibalism, being thrown to lions, burned in a furnace, eating newborn children and fighting overContinue reading “THE CULTURAL MANDATE: God Used Christians to Make the World a Better Place. Matthew 5:14-16.”
YOUR FIRST BIBLE. Nehemiah 8:3
Do you remember your first Bible? Most of us received one as first graders, and we went home and sat down and opened it. We were excited. We turned to Genesis 1:1, and started reading … and it quickly became difficult and a little boring. The Bible is not a children’s book. It includes rape,Continue reading “YOUR FIRST BIBLE. Nehemiah 8:3”
Household Words: 