Posts filed under ‘christianity’
Death of Society
The biggest problem with social media is what it has become, not what it started out as. Everyone is so brave when they are talking into their phones or computers and it is impossible to know who would be likely to carry through with their threats. In a recent situation, Cole Tomas Allen brought guns and knives to the recent White House correspondent’s dinner in an attempt to assassinate President Trump.
Putting Off and Putting On
I believe it is the put off/put on principle that truly transforms the life of the Christian. While many choose not to put in the effort to create new habits and patterns (and some want to but aren’t clear on how), it is incumbent upon us to understand that this is absolutely part of our sanctification process. We must take it seriously and while we do not do this to “earn” our salvation (since salvation cannot be earned, but it is a completely free gift), this process is a must in order to grow in Christ our Redeemer.
Satan’s Strategy and the Role of Self
In the book, The Gospel for Disordered Lives, the authors expose the way Satan works to defeat the believer. In chapter 8 titled, Battling Satan and His Demons, they discuss biblical counseling and how it involves spiritual warfare against evil forces that hate us and who are stronger than the folks counselors counsel. This actually applies to all Christians, whether it is recognized by them or not.
Keeping the Big Picture in View
In Ed Welch’s book, Side By Side, in his last chapter, he writes about keeping the story in view. By that he means that we should try to continually focus on the big picture regarding our salvation. Welch compares our past, which is filled with sin and failure to our ultimate future in Christ. But he also points out our present situation and how much God pursues us daily.
Why the Delay?
I’ve been doing a good deal of thinking lately about why God seems to delay in meting out justice at times, yet at other times, He seems to move fairly quickly to resolve something. There are many examples in Scripture where God’s patience seems to have no end in sight, then He finally moves. In other examples, it only takes a person one misstep and God reaches out to deal with it. Why is that?
Feelings Will Follow
We are responsible to “put off” and “put on” with the help of the Spirit within us. We must make the active decision here. Tim notes that when we angrily react to something, we are not using faith at all. We are simply being pushed by our feelings. If we consider the state of much of society, we see large portions of the population devoid of self-control. They simply react to whatever circumstance they encounter, usually in anger. Reacting like this is not loving.
Islam’s Birth, Roots and Teachings, Pt2
The stated goal of Islam is to subdue all opposition – groups, empires and nations – so that Islam becomes the supreme law of all the land. We are hearing more and more Muslims (including Imams), state this very thing. They are not hiding their intentions and it is clearly a mistake to think that they will not follow through on their threats of overcoming. We see what has been happening in the UK, Germany and other parts of Europe as well as Canada. We can also easily see what is occurring in parts of the United States where Democrat leaders are essentially siding with Islamists. More and more areas of the world are succumbing to Islamic soft takeovers. In the UK, they are now pushing a propaganda campaign where people are considered too friendly with dogs. Why? Because within Islam, dogs are haram, which in short means sinful or forbidden. The same applies to bacon. Muslims do not want dogs or pork available to anyone because these things offend them. I can find nothing in the Qur’an that says a Muslims cannot see or smell bacon. They are simply not allowed to eat it, but they want everyone including non-Muslims to not have any either. I don’t know any other religion or ideology that forces people who are not part of it to go along with their own specific requirements, do you?
Crash Course in Hebrews, Pt 1
The book of Hebrews contains warnings to its readers in Hebrews 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12. It is extremely easy to miss the point of the warnings by taking from them meaning that doesn’t belong if people fail to comprehend the background and context of the situation. I don’t have time or space to go over each chapter and every verse. Suffice it to say that Hebrews opens with the writer expressing the fact that Jesus is supreme and His supremacy is over all things and all religious systems, including the Mosaic sacrificial system. This point is brought out in various ways throughout Hebrews and we need to take note of it.
What’s a Christian to Do?
Regardless of what you might believe about a Christian and self-defense, I still insist that being aware of your surroundings is the first and best alternative to being oblivious to what is going on around you. I contend that if a person is fully aware of what is going on around them, the chances of them being the victim are slimmer. Too many people walk through life clueless. They are lost in thought, lost on their phones or simply unaware of what might be transpiring around them. People who are aware do not often become victims. If you do not believe Christians have the right to defend themselves, then at least be willing to be thoroughly focused on what is going on around you. This alone is likely to make you much less of a victim.
Hope is on the Way
Jeremiah had been imprisoned at this time by King Zedekiah for preaching against Jerusalem saying Babylon would destroy the city. It’s also interesting that God prompted Jeremiah to purchase land from his cousin while in prison. This was a test by God because the land was already in possession by Nebuchadnezzar. God commanded Jeremiah to take the Land even though Nebuchadnezzar was ready to take Jerusalem! (v25) Kind of weird but if we consider that God was essentially telling Jeremiah that He would be victorious over Nebuchadnezzar after He finished using the king for His purposes for Israel. In essence God is saying that the Land would come back to Israel eventually.
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