Head-dibs

If you had to lose one of your five senses, which would you choose? You can always close your eyes if you don’t want to see something and you can plug your ears if you don’t want to hear--but you can’t escape smell. Sure, you can hold your nose (or breath), but you must breathe--and when you do, every odor comes wafting in. If you did not smell, you could not taste. You might not even remember, as smells connect us with times and places. You can see, even hear from a distance, but smell requires close proximity--unless you’re a vulture. When I finish a long distance run, or a grueling training session outside, one might find me lying flat on my back in exhaustion. There have been times when laying on the ground, I look up in the sky and see buzzards checking me out, but they don’t mess with me because I smell alive. I may look dead, I may even feel dead, but those buzzards, who live by death, can tell the difference. Honestly, I am just troubled that they show up at all . . . To ...

Grandson left his shoes on my desk. Too cute!

Thanks, 'Lisa for recording! So blessed to be in this ministry with such talent--but of course, we miss Johnny! "Great Are You, Lord" (All The Sons and Daughters, cover) "You Are So Good To Me" (Third Day, cover)

(ht: IO9) I'm still partial to the Flamingos. 

The Apologetics Index recently posted this summary of how cults (and I will add, "opposing worldviews") misinterpret and misuse the Bible. The source material is James Sire's excellent book, Scripture Twisting .  Sire provides a wide range of examples and clarifications in his book. INACCURATE QUOTATION. A biblical text is referred to but is either not quoted in the way the text appears in any standard translation or is wrongly attributed. TWISTED TRANSLATION. The biblical text is re-translated, not in accordance with sound Greek scholarship, to fit a preconceived teaching of a cult. BIBLICAL HOOK. A text of Scripture is quoted primarily as a device to grasp the attention of readers or listeners and then followed by a teaching which is so non-biblical that it would appear far more dubious to most people had it not been preceded by a reference to Scripture. IGNORING THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT. A text of Scripture is quoted but removed from the surrounding verses which f...

"Alas, poor cupcake. I knew him Horatio! A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." The Bard was born April 23, 1564 and died April 23, 1616. He wrote, “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” ("Merchant of Venice," Act 1, Scene 1). Guildenstern ponders, "The only beginning is birth and the only end is death – if you can't count on that, what can you count on?" (Tom Stoppard)

The word we use that describes completion or achievement is “triumph.” We may even imagine a bit of a party going on. When one turns from sin, forgiveness can be given--that’s worth celebrating. Relationships are be restored. Animosity is ended. Paul’s ministry to the church in this second letter has been the correction of the wrong ideas regarding forgiveness. Now he reminds them of two occasions that serve as models for them. “When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.” [2 Cor 2:12-13 ESV] CONCERN FOR THE LOST Paul first reminds them of his concern for the lost  “When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord. ” Acts 16 gives the details of Paul’s ministry and how the Spirit of Jesus directed his ministry. Troas was the place of...

Enjoying the beauty of God's creation in our backyard today.

Satan can say many thing to deceive us. He could say things like: “There is no God.” The difficulty with this is that the evidence of God is overwhelming. Anyone who has the faith to believe Satan’s lie, God calls a “Fool.”  “There is no judgment.” The difficulty here is that anyone and everyone know that actions have consequences, not to mention the sense of “guilt” and “shame.” Instead, Satan's says things like this: “there is no hurry. Just listen to God’s word, and take care of matters--later.” You know as well as I that “later” never comes. Why should Satan gain by tempting us to put off what God says to do today--specifically, to forgive someone who turns from their sin, their own wrong-doing? God calls coveting a sin. A person who will go to ANY means to gain what they want, even if it means withholding forgiveness, is exactly like Satan, the devil. Why should Satan gain by deceiving the Church except to scar what Christ is building. Realize what Paul is saying he...

Must we choose between God or Science? What if there is another option? Where does "love" reside ( "Interstellar" fans should find that question compelling )? There must be another option.  26 minute video here Again, what scientific theory defines "love?" Also, what scientific imperatives demand that one be honest in one's scientific findings? Is science able to explain everything? Ravi Zacharias answers these and more of the Biggest Objections to Christianity in this Q & A. 90 minute video here .

“So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” [2Co 2:8-11 ESV] Another feature of forgiveness is comfort. This is what Paul intends by instructing the church to come alongside the man who repented, reaffirm him with Christian love. The idea here is that reconciliation has occurred AND both sides are talking, conversing. Fellowship restored so all that’s left to do is encourage, strengthening. Don’t let a repentant person to wallow in sorrow. Guilt is found in sin, not in forgiveness. The man was over- whelmed in sorrow, aware of his sin but also afflicted under punishment. Now it is time for the church to meet three objectives: First, “Reaffirm love” (2...

“ . . . so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” [2Co 2:7-11 ESV] When the church is permissive with sin, people will not be clean from sin. Forgiveness is not a reality where sin is permitted. The Corinthian church once permitted an incestuous man to remain in the fellowship. It was during this time the man continued without repentance, remaining unclean before God. When the church repented and confronted the man about his sin, then he repented. What happened next is astounding--the church did not forgive the man nor restore him to the fellowship. One c...

Some opponents of the Bible point to Jesus' baptism by John as inconsistent, recording the event happening in two different locations. Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:9 records the location as the Jordan river. John 1:28 says that John was baptizing in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan. Which is it? "Bethabara" is the place where one crossed a stream that fed into the river Jordan in order to enter Judea. The place is also known as "Bethany" in the gospels. Matthew and Mark were simply not inspired to be as precise and John. We use generalizations without difficulty. If I ask where you were born, would you report the state, city, street address, floor and room number, naming the hospital you were born; or, simply name the city of your birth? Or at least the state. Are we inconsistent if we withhold information? Consulting a map, one finds no contradiction.

“But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent--not to be too severe. This punishment which [was inflicted] by the majority [is] sufficient for such a man,” [2 Corinthians 2:5,6 NKJV] What do you do if someone sins then repents? Forgive him, right? The Corinthian church had it backwards: a man in the church was having an incestuous relationship and they overlooked his sin, tolerated it--acting like they forgave him. When he was finally disciplined and repented, they held him at arm’s length. Paul writes this second letter with instructions that give right perspective on sin and forgiveness. First, sin brings grief, heaviness, sorrow to God. Grief over sin does not occur naturally because we are born sinners. We grieve sin when we understand what God thinks of sin. Consider Isaiah 63:10 “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.” Sin does not make friends with ...

One of the joys of teaching through the Bible verse by verse is the absence of agenda. What I mean to say is that when one is systematic in teaching, one addresses issues as they are presented. If God sees fit to align a lesson from His Unchanging Word with the headlines, then it happens by His design, not mine. In today’s text (2 Corinthians 2:5-11) we begin a new section I call “The Forgiveness Factor.” The incident here concerns a church who does not forgive a man who repented of his sin. Now, before we take up arms in a cause against the church, let us be clear about one fact: Jesus said He would build His church and the New Testament is the record of Him fulfilling that promise. That this church had a problem with forgiveness is really the second half of the story--they actually had forgiven the man, but in the wrong way. Here’s what happened. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul addresses an error: a man who attended the church was having a sexual relationship ...

"Mythology exists to show the wickedness of men through the depravity of their gods, whose deeds are so repulsive that man abandon them. The Bible records the depravity of men against a righteous God, who alone can save them." (Kenneth Prior, " The Gospel in a Pagan Society ")

“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.” (2 Corinthians 2:4) When we teach the Bible, we come across many hard and difficult truths as we study. Truth is not easy to hear at first because in order to truly hear, one must listen and respond to God first and release our faulty presuppositions. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. If we are not humble then truth hits much harder--and this was the case with the Corinthian church--they refused to change. Paul says his tears are tears of love--his ministry would be much easier if they would only break. Yes, Paul is being severe, but this severity is only evident in the face of pride. His love for them does not change. He will be graceful if they are humble. How can a human being ( be it Paul or me or even you) deliver heavenly truth with such deep seriousness without hypocrisy...