Head-dibs

“I’m confused. Three times in Genesis (10:5, 20, 31) we are told that people were divided according to the languages they spoke; however, the next chapter (Genesis 11:1) says that the whole earth spoke one language. Please explain this contradiction.” We all enjoy a good movie or story, but what is the one element that keeps us engaged? It is the creative story telling. We are never given all the information up front! Sherlock Holmes would never have existed if Doyle gave us the details of the crime in telling the story! It is true that the people were divided into their nations according to their languages--but how did those different languages come to be? While Chapter 10 gives us a “table of nations,” Chapter 11 explains the language detail of Chapter 10. The whole earth spoke one language before the Tower of Babel! It makes sense in our culture to have all the information presented in a chronological order; however, we are not the original audience, so good students will be c...

I'm staying indoors. Like I do every year.

Pretty much speaks for itself. A Tale of Momentum & Inertia from HouseSpecial on Vimeo .

Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort”.  (2 Corinthians 1:3) Here we find reasons why God is praised as well as some truths about the God of all comfort. God is praised because He is God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus has a God. After the resurrection, “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”’” [Jn 20:17] When Jesus died, the disciples needed comfort. Jesus comforts Mary with the truth that God has not forgotten anyone. He sends her back to the disciples with a message concerning His ascension: The same God who raised Jesus from the dead is our God by reconciliation which is rooted by faith in His death, burial and resurrection. Who is the God of Jesus? Notice that I did not ask, “who is God to you?” Who God is and our idea of God may not be...

I was on the campus of the University of South Carolina a few years ago sharing the gospel with students in "The Horseshoe." One student got extremely agitated in our conversation and raising his voice in objection, “You can’t quote what Jesus said because his words are contained in a humanly written book that is filled with errors!” While I wanted to ask him who wrote the textbooks in his hand, I held out my Bible and asked him to show me some of those errors. He stepped back and declined my offer. He shot back, "prove walking on water archaeologically!” I confessed I could not, but that’s why such events are called “miracles.” He wanted to go eat, and thus ended our conversation. I’ve not been able to shake his comments about errors in the Bible. The more I think about it, the more I realize he is right. There ARE errors in the Bible. The Bible is full of mistakes and I will highlight a few: Genesis: God told Adam to eat of any tree of the garden, but of the tr...

It’s difficult to tell from the outset, but as Paul is suffering quietly he opens his second letter to the Corinthian church with an doxology (an outburst of praise): “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3) 1618-1648 the “Thirty Years War” raged in Europe over who was going to control Germany. Entire regions were devastated, stripped by by foraging armies. Military and civilian survivors were eventually hit with famine and disease that followed the waste of wartime. Countries in the conflict went bankrupt. Lawlessness added to the hardships. Martin Rinkart was one of four pastors in a small German town that was overrun three times by battling armies. The city and his home eventually became a place for refugees and their diseases. One pastor left for reasons of health and safety. Martin buried the other two pastors along with his wife, performing as many as 50 funerals each day. Martin wrote these ...

Mothra, In Fall Plaid Choo-choo

I heard a quote recently that I would like to modify: “studying God’s Word is for the serious, not the curious.” Sure, we could approach this block of paper with curiosity, read it as a great literary work of the world, but the serious student find God’s Word as living, active. Like a two-edged sword. The living Word of God makes the difference for one’s survival as it contains direction for life orientation, connecting to God. Sometimes we get in trouble, disoriented, but like a compass we can find the way once more through God’s unchanging Word. When it comes down to reading, understanding and “doing” God’s Word, we find there is a difference between our wishful thinking and God’s plan. The Bible is a record of what God does in life, about His love and concern for us, even about what to expect when we face troubling times. 

Objection: The contradiction is plain: the Bible states there is no righteous person, yet many biblical figures are described as righteous (Job, Joseph, Noah, to name a few)--even Christians go around talking about being made righteous. I can't believe in a religious contradiction.  Answer: The apparent contradiction is very plain, but is anyone asking “what does ‘righteousness’ mean?” The central text from which we learn “there is none righteous” is found in Psalm 14 where we also find one definition. Other biblical uses quote this passage or point back to this place, so instead of addressing each one individually, we will consider the source. First, it helps to know who is writing and it takes no scholar to find the answer as the first line reads “Of David,” who incidentally is also one of the biblical figures whose righteousness is called into question. What is he writing about? Well, the first verse explains his topic as “the fool [who] says in his heart, ‘ther...

( part 4 ) When the Apostle Paul was inspired to conclude his greeting to the Corinthian church, we find that greetings are extended “ from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ” GOD OUR FATHER What comes to your mind when you think of God as Father? Homer (the ancient Greek philosopher, not the cartoon character) reflected how his culture thought that mankind was the “paignion theon” (plaything of the gods). Ideas like this show the huge difference between our personal idea of God (who we eventually find is no greater than ourselves, and we get disgruntled with that image and blame him) and what God revealed about Himself by revelation. We are designed to receive greater ideas than we can imagine. One can’t help but wonder: if we live in a world of fate, how can we know peace? If God does not care, how can there be peace? A god who has not revealed Himself cannot be our “Father.” Just think of all a Father can do: He is a Lover; the family founder; the marriage-arranger;...

You know how this works: shut up and take my money. The 2:09 and 4:30 mark are . . . well, you must listen. Yaybahar by Görkem Şen from Olgu Demir on Vimeo .

( part 3 ) Some say he means nothing by it, but what if he really does? The Apostle Paul was inspired by God to start nearly every letter he wrote the exact same way: " grace to you and peace ". It’s difficult to imagine how God would inspire someone to write empty words that mean nothing more than, “howdy.” Would he not have used different words other than "grace and peace" if he meant something other than these? “Grace to you.” John R.W. Stott defines grace as “Love that cares and stoops and rescues.” This describes a goodness of God that man can never earn because man does not deserve it. What is most striking about grace is that grace is not a “thing” but is an attribute of God -- grace is part of who God is. God has two kinds of attributes: those He shares, and those He does not. Attributes God does not share include Omnipresence (He is present everywhere all at once); Omniscience (He is infinite in knowledge); Omnipotence (He is all powerful and does wh...

Question: Exodus records the incident of the parting of the Red Sea by a wind that blew all night. How is this possible? Answer:  We can get an idea by observing this phenomenon recorded in England, where a 98 foot waterfall is reversed by high winds .

We are considering the second letter Paul wrote the Corinthian church, whom he addresses “to the church of God.” Christ’s ownership is clear: this is God’s church, not your church, my church, not Paul’s church. We exist because of Christ, the builder, and we are a living body, the legislators of God’s Kingdom, a group of people (not a building) called out of the world by common faith in Jesus as risen Lord. Paul is busy locking down the business of hell so the church can do what the builder intends! Here we touch on the very reason Paul was inspired to write this letter. This particular church has rough edges to be knocked off so the living stones can fit together. The “church of God” fulfills the purpose of God.       The story of The Church blossoms out of Christ’s story: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:21). Christ’s suffering and glory is the Church’s suffering and glory: ...

One night we were watching Food Network and Leslie jumps up and goes in the kitchen. I hear the blender go to work for a while, then she surprises me with this bowl of home-made ice-cream! I love the inspiration!

Paul does not write to the Corinthian church alone for we find in the opening verses, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother” [2 Cor 1:1 ESV]. Immediately we discover that Paul’s concerns for the Corinthian church are shared. What do we know about Timothy? A little study will show that Timothy and Paul are peas in a pod. Timothy’s mother mother was Jewish and his father was Greek. (Acts 16:1 and 2 Tim 1:5). Timothy was also follower of Christ, probably a convert from Paul’s first missionary journey which included Lystra, a Roman colony with Greek Culture that was home to Timothy. Paul calls Timothy, “ our brother.” A few verses down we learn that Timothy was with with Paul during his initial ministry in Corinth (see v. 19) then later sent back by Paul to continue ministry in Corinth; however, his ministry was not successful so he was replaced by Titus. Yet Paul calls Timothy “our brother” . Two thoughts: First, Timothy was part of ...