Image generated with A. I. Scrolling through social media is something like walking through a carnival: There are crowds everywhere, people of all ages, all types. Some beautiful, some that make you cringe, some violent and dangerous. There are artists and writers and thinkers and experts and there are clowns and buffoons and scumbags andContinue reading “The Ringing Voices of Ten Thousand Maniacs on Social Media. Psalm 118:5-6.”
Tag Archives: Matthew 5:9
BLOODSHED: Times of War and Times of Peace, 1 Chronicles 28:2-3.
Pictured: “The 2000-Yard Stare” by Thomas Calloway “Tom” Lea, III, oil on canvas (1944). In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons. –Herodotus. King David was the commander-in-chief of a kingdom at war. Saul’s kingdom had been one of drama, intrigue, and Saul’s obsessive quest to murder David. David had betterContinue reading “BLOODSHED: Times of War and Times of Peace, 1 Chronicles 28:2-3.”
Which is Better, to Win a War or to Prevent One? Joshua 22.
In the early morning hours of September 26, 1983, Soviet Lieutenant Stanislav Petrov received an alarm. Computers indicated the U.S. had launched five nuclear-armed missiles at Russian targets. The missiles would reach Russia in under twenty minutes—there was no time to waste. Petrov was to telephone the high command and immediately Soviet leadership would respond,Continue reading “Which is Better, to Win a War or to Prevent One? Joshua 22.”
RECONCILE YOUR CONFLICTS. Matthew 5:9, 23-26.
Recently a woman told me that God made her a fighter. She argued that feuding with people was her calling, where reconciliation was the calling of ministers and Bible teachers. She seemed to think the two options were equally valid, as if God designed her to be someone who fights nasty, bitter battles (her extremelyContinue reading “RECONCILE YOUR CONFLICTS. Matthew 5:9, 23-26.”
SONS OF GOD. Matthew 5:9,45; Luke 6:35.
Jesus calls us sons of God. That’s an incredible title, coming from THE Son of God. But He gives us tasks: if you obey His words, you will be sons of God. Do you see how amazing that is? You won’t be just ordinary. You will be sons of God. Think of what comes withContinue reading “SONS OF GOD. Matthew 5:9,45; Luke 6:35.”
GODLY MANHOOD. Matthew 12:18-20.
Is manhood the power to terrify and defeat enemies, or the power to act rationally regardless of passions? Is it dangerous violence or dignified silence? Yes, men are leaders. You get to be Dad, Boss, and Hero. The Bible says “the Lord is a Warrior. Warrior is His Name,” Exodus 15:3. But Jesus modeled somethingContinue reading “GODLY MANHOOD. Matthew 12:18-20.”
CAN YOU BEAR ARMS?Nehemiah 4:17-23.
Christians are not in agreement about America’s Second-Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Pacifists argue the Prince of Peace would not approve of weapons. When Peter cut off a man’s ear, Jesus said to put away the sword, that “he who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword” Matthew 26:52. But earlierContinue reading “CAN YOU BEAR ARMS?Nehemiah 4:17-23.”
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS. Micah 4:3-4.
The ability to resolve conflicts is a gift. Being a peacemaker does not mean compromising everything. Peacemakers have integrity—they won’t yield the key point, but they will yield pride and anything else that might get in the way of peace. Ronald Reagan never compromised on SDI, but was able to make peace with Mikhail GorbachevContinue reading “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS. Micah 4:3-4.”
Poisonous Lawsuits. Hosea 10:4.
In his book NARCONOMICS, economist Tom Wainwright argues that drug cartels do not necessarily have more conflicts than other businesses. But they resolve conflicts with guns because they cannot use the legal system. In other words, drug lords murder people because when a contract for illegal drugs is breached, the seller can’t file a lawsuitContinue reading “Poisonous Lawsuits. Hosea 10:4.”
The Mouth of a Fool.
I said one thing this summer that people have repeated back to me more than anything else: “Steven, you’re a good kid. But your mouth’s gonna get you into a lot of trouble.” My father was right, of course. I would say anything, no matter how rude or hostile or mean or inappropriate. I hadContinue reading “The Mouth of a Fool.”
Household Words: 