Head-dibs

" Why do you love me?" Admit it guys. This has got to be the most difficult question of all time. Ever. Not much else on the planet can make a guy stop whatever he is doing, make him stop breathing, cause a few second of cardiac arrhythmia and perhaps trigger an avalanche of anxiety than hearing his darling wife ask, “honey, why do you love me?” Ok, maybe being struck by lightning would do the trick. Statistics show that men will most often face repeated strikes by the one without ever encountering the other and be left deeply desiring the one over the other. Despite the fact that I know deep in my heart that I love my wife dearly (words can never tell), I still brace myself for the moment I hear her sweet voice float the question. Psalm 116 is the love song of a person deeply, passionately in love with God—and all the words to tell. Are you in love with God? Then read this out loud, “I love the Lord because . . .” “Because God has heard my voice, my pleas fo...

I been scarred and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered.        Snow has friz me,        Sun has baked me, Looks like between ‘em they done        Tried to make me Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’—        But I don’t care!        I’m still here!

Objection: Some verses show that God requires animal sacrifice (Genesis 4:4; 8:20-21; 15:9-10; Exodus 20:24; 29:11-37; Leviticus 1:5; 23:12-18; Numbers 18:17-19; Deuteronomy 12:27); however, other passages indicate that God does not require animal sacrifice (Psalm 40:6; 50:13; 51:16; Isaiah 1:11; 66:3; Jeremiah 6:20; Micah 6:6-7). This is yet another reason why I won’t believe the Bible! Answer: Yes, God did command animal sacrifice; but, the sacrificial system was never intended to be permanent. The purpose of the sacrifice was to show mankind the necessity of being morally clean. Look at it from this perspective: regardless of whether they were Guilt Offerings, Sin Offerings, Peace Offerings and all the rest, how many offerings would be given before a man’s resources run out? He can’t just walk up to the flock, grab a lamb and kill it. There were specific offerings that had specific criteria for specific purposes. The point was to show man’s limitations and God’s provision b...

Thank Thee, O Giver of Life, O God! For the force that flames in the winter sod; For the breath of my nostrils, fiercely good, The sweet of water, the taste of food, The sun that silvers the pantry floor, The step of a neighbor at my door; For dusk that fondles the window pane, For the beautiful sound of falling rain. Thank Thee for love and light and air, For children’s faces, keenly fair, For the wonderful joy of perfect rest When the sun’s wick lowers within the West; For huddling hills in gowns of snow Warming themselves in the afterglow; For Thy mighty wings that are never furled, Bearing onward the rushing world. Thank Thee, O Giver of Life, O God! For Thy glory leaping the lightning rod; For Thy terrible spaces of love and fire Where sparks from the forge of Thy desire Storm through the void in floods of suns, Far as the heat of Thy Presence runs And where hurricanes of chanting spheres Swing to the pulse of the flying years. Thank Thee for human toil...

I was going to write on Psalm 9, but I never made it past the Superscript. It’s too rich. It reads, “To the choirmaster on muth-labben, a psalm of David.” See what I mean? You don’t? Well, let me ‘splain. We get the idea right away this is some kind of musical instruction, but we get sort of hung up on that nearly unpronounceable “m” word (just say it with confidence—it’s not that difficult). There are many different thoughts about what “muth-labben” means: some divide the word up [ לַבֵּן מוּת עַלְ (al mut labben)], which can be read “on the death of the son.” Others, based on the Greek translation of the Old Testament keep it all together as one word, עַלְמוּת (almut) which can be understood as a musical instruction, such as “sung with a young voice.” Why could it not be both: the tune is “on the death of the son,” and it is intended for the principle instrument: a young voice? David was very specific to include this instruction and while it may be debated as to whether or...

“What is this confidence that you have?” These are the words of an invader. The Assyrian army has seized all the fortified cities of Judah and is now on the doorstep of Jerusalem. The Assyrian king sent three generals to speak with Hezekiah, not face to face, but to shout public humiliations over the wall. Listen to them strip every ounce of hope in the hearing of the people, “You say (but they are only empty words), ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me? . . . Have I come up without the Lord’s approval against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’” (see 2 Kings 18-9-19:37) I am firmly convinced that when J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Battle of Helm’s Deep in “The Two Towers” he had the Assyrian invasion in mind. Peter Jackson did a fairly good job capturing the scene for us: Yes, I think that is fairly accurate (even of the Assyrians). Psalm 46 was composed during this...

Question: Does God respect people, or not? The Bible says that He respected Abel (Genesis 4:4), the children of Israel (Exodus 2:25; Leviticus 26:9), those who kept His covenant (2 Kings 13:23) and the lowly (Psalm 138:6). Yet, God does not regard persons (Deuteronomy 10:17) and has no respect of persons (2 Chronicles 19:7, Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6, Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 3:25). How do you answer this contradiction? Answer: Reading the King James Version, the dilemmais easy to understand; however, a simple word study reveals something different. Since we do not speak the English of 1611, we must first check our definitions—does “respect” as we understand the term presently match the understanding of older usages? Consider the word, “prevent”: does it mean, “go before, precede” or does it mean, “keep something from happening?” Since the 1500’s the word “respect” (as a verb) means "treat with deferential regard or esteem." One other point: wha...

Psalm 27 reminds us that God is not only trustworthy, but that He shares that attribute with us; that is, we can be trustworthy too. We should give thanks. If you think about it, the fact that He shares this attribute with us is astounding because I think I’m a pretty good person--sort of like Peter, the Rock—solid, right? Sure, if you look past the hot-headed impulsiveness. The truth of the matter is I need trustworthiness (among so many other things—but trustworthiness is the topic at present) and to get it, I have to look beyond myself, God-ward.   The first two paragraphs of Psalm 27 (verses 1-11) help us learn the principle of trustworthiness and one cannot help but note the repetition of the command, “Do not fret” when we first see the contrast of evildoers against God.   Evildoers cannot be trusted, so don’t get worked up over the fact that someone has done you wrong. Make absolutely certain you don’t envy them and the reason is this: they may be tall and thick, ...

Psalm 24 is a beautiful hymn of praise that can help prepare our hearts for meaningful national day of Thanksgiving. This psalm of David falls neatly into two parts, both “bookended” with a direction to pause, think about what is being said. Verses 1-6 form the first section where we come spiraling in from the outer reaches of space, viewing the earth, the world, its seas and rivers. Then we zoom in on one hill among all hills, and one place out of all places. Interestingly, this place is unlike any other because it is called “His holy place.” Though we realize he is speaking of the “Holy of Holies” within The Temple, the most interesting feature is that God is not limited to this one place as it is located on the earth which just so happens to belong to the LORD. The world and all who dwell in it belong to Him as well. He created the earth it’s seas and hills, yet we ask, “ who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? ” We may as well ask, “What rig...

"i can't go on i mean i can't go on i really can't go on i swear i can't go on so i guess i'll get up and go on." --Dory Previn

Question:   Why does the Bible say that Melchizedek is " Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life ?" Does that mean there are people who did not descend from Adam and Eve? Answer: This verse taken alone seems to say exactly that, doesn't it? The best understanding comes from the context of the verse--we can't leave it in isolation. The subject of the context of the passage is the greateness of Melchizedek in terms of his office (the "priesthood") not his greatness as a person. The source of his priesthood is different than those who descended from Levi. Note: " But this man [Melchizedek] who does not have his descent from them [descendants of Levi] received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. " (Hebrews 7:6) His priesthood is different because he was not born into it, as the Levites were. The text even says that in principle the Levites paid tithes to Melch...

Columbia International University Professor of Chaplain Ministries, Dr. Mike Langston , will be a guest on the national radio program “Focus on the Family.” The two-part interview Nov. 10 and 11 (Veteran’s Day), is a special tribute to military veterans. Langston, a retired Navy chaplain, will be joined by Retired Maj. Gen. Doug Carver to discuss their experiences as military chaplains and share inspiring stories of faith on the battlefield. To find a radio station in your area that broadcasts “Focus on the Family,” or to hear podcasts of the programs visit: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/radio.aspx .

While visiting the campus of The University of Georgia a number of years ago, I fell into a conversation with a student and the subject turned to worldview. She said she was an Atheist and a Taoist. I confess that I knew nothing of Taoism (and I still know very little about Taoism, but I understand so-called “Atheism”) and had difficulty determining where to go next, so I just asked, “How would you explain how this Universe came to be?” She replied, “It was a miracle!” How odd that a so-called atheist would choose that word, “miracle.” I wondered why she chose that word, so I asked her. Her reply? There is no other way to explain how everything “just happened.” I could not agree more. I found out later that her so-called atheism was practical; that is, she understood biblical teaching to point to a lifestyle that was not “for her,” so she embraced another world view. I shared the gospel with her and the need for reconciliation with God, not a lifestyle. We tend to toss words around...

A couple of weekends ago I was speaking with a man who brought up an objection to the gospel that is very, very common. The conversation reaches a point that goes something like this: “God commands that all men everywhere repent,” I say. “But, God forgives and is merciful and gracious,” comes the reply “Yes, He is, to those who repent,” I respond. “Are you reading ‘The Holy Bible’? Show me your Bible! Is it ‘The Holy Bible’? You are not reading from the New Testament. You are reading from the Old Testament. The God of the New Testament is a God of grace, not like the wrathful God of the Old Testament,” one objects. “Regardless of where I am reading, you will find the grace of God in the Old Testament as much as you find the wrath of God in the New Testament. Here, let me show you . . .” and I open the scripture. “You are twisting the Bible around . . .” and the person usually walks off. I am amazed (and not surprised) that those who seek to justify themselves be...

“Blessed are the legend-makers with their rhyme Of things not found within recorded time . . . They have seen Death and ultimate defeat, And yet they would not in despair retreat, But oft to victory have turned the lyre And kindled hearts with legendary fire, Illuminating New and dark Hath-been With light of suns as yet by no man seen.” --By J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Mythopoeia,” in “Tree and Leaf” (London: Unwin Hyman, 2 nd ed. 1988) Happy Writing this month!

Objection: Some Bible texts say that God knows and sees everything   (Job 42:2; Psalm 44:21; 139:7-8; Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 16:17; 23:24; Acts 1:24; 1 John 3:20), yet other Bible texts say that He does not (Genesis 3:8; 4:14, 15; 11:5; 18:9, 20-21; 22:12; 32:27; Numbers 22:9, Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3; 2 Chronicles 32:31; John 1:7; 2:2; Hosea 8:4; Jonah 1:3, 10). Textual evidence indicates that God is not as all-knowing as He seems. Answer: First, many of the texts used to disprove God’s omniscience actually demonstrate His full absolute knowledge. The context reveals God allowing man see from His perspective, so man can see what he (as a created being) does not know. Often, proof texts are used without discretion, such as Genesis 18:17 which speaks of Abraham, not God, who does not know. Second, language of other texts (such as those mentioning hiding or being hidden from God) does not imply that God does not know the location of that which is hidden. God want...

Stop Exercising So Hard! Why Moderate Workouts Really Do Work. Simcha Jacobovici wants to do something nobody has ever done: find the tomb of Jesus . Good luck with that, Simcha! " CIU Students Read through the Bible in Four Days ."  I love our students!

A few years back we sought to expand our street ministry beyond simply doing the work of evangelism by holding a Bible study in a local coffee shop. Many weeks we enjoyed studying through the Gospel of John as we sat outside, drinking coffee or tea. Our study grew more exciting when those sitting nearby became engaged by what they were overhearing. Once we had as many as eleven people gathered around (these tables sat only sat four people per table)! That particular day, one fellow stayed after and poured out his heart, expressing grief over his sexual immorality and dissatisfaction of working as a bouncer at a local gay bar (located, incidentally, about a block down the street from this very coffee shop). One day, as we were just getting our study started, a personal familiar to me came up the sidewalk—a woman who had once been in my Adult Bible study class about two years previously. I remember her distinctly because as we studied the Gospel of Mark verse by verse, she sudden...