Fasting Anger
For Lent this year, rather than fasting something tangible, I decided to give up bitterness and anger. I knew I would fail, but I figured, where is the sacrifice in giving up something easy? I imagine most of us would have a hard time fasting spiritual sins like these, because they’re soooooo much more addictive than chocolate. For me, anger is like crack. It’s invigorating. It helps me deal. Without anger, what am I supposed to do when I read the news? And what do I do when my Facebook friends post opinions I think are poisonous? And Rush Limbaugh? WHAT THE CRAP DO YOU DO WITH RUSH LIMBAUGH WHEN YOU’RE FASTING ANGER? So I have failed. Again and again, I’ve failed. But failure in the Lenten season is a particularly poignant reminder of...
Where are all the 2,000 year old men? Part 2
For the sake of time and space, the question as stated above comes from someone who would discredit the Bible based on Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27 simply because we have no knowledge of 2,000 year old men walking the earth today. I certainly don’t know of any. However, the people who usually ask this question begin to make all kinds of assumptions without any basis, and then wildly false conclusions based on those assumptions that eventually lead to holding Christianity responsible for every bad thing that ever happened on the face of the earth. - Reposted from www.MenRising.com It is not ignorance on their part, for ignorance can be rectified with a rational discussion. What they demonstrate is a “hands over ears and eyes...
Where are all the 2,000 year old men? Part 1
I want to start by saying this: Just because YOU don’t understand the Bible doesn’t make the Bible wrong or God a liar. For some reason, atheists in particular, are drawn to the parts of the Bible they do not understand, and then finger-point like little children while whining away. What is worse, if YOU personally cannot give them an answer, then they conclude that THEY are right and YOU are wrong. How ignorant and childish. Just because you cannot give an answer to someone on any topic doesn’t make your statement false. I can say with confidence that the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, but if someone asks me to prove it I’m going to have to shrug. If they ask me how I know it is true, I’m going to have to point...
Tis the Season
We have entered the weeks of preparation for our most sacred of holy days. If you’re like me and you rant and rave against the commercialization of Christmas, then Easter is your chance to celebrate the cornerstone of your faith practically free of encumbrances–no Wal-Mart and Amazon hijacking, no bloated greedy expectations, no totally-secular-but-too-nostalgic-to-pass-up movies monopolizing TV. This is your season. Do Lent. (I know you’re a few days late, but better late than never.) Prepare your heart. Prepare your children’s hearts. Listen to Easter music!! There is actually Easter music out there and it doesn’t involve bunnies! Celebrate Passover – this is something we’re doing this year as our final preparation for...
What Are You Afraid Of?
Something about screaming always sets my nerves on a knife edge. A number of weeks ago, I wanted to take my two daughters out for some ice cream. So, we piled into the car and took off, and it was a nice ride just listening to my two daughters talk to each other, talk about different topics on little girls minds, and I especially enjoy listening to my youngest who always seems to carry a song in her heart when she is happy. So it was not a little disconcerting when, as I was getting out of the car, I began to hear one of my two daughters scream from the other side of the car as though mortally wounded. My first reaction was to figure out who was hurt, and then identify, attack, and shred to pieces whatever was doing the hurting. I raced around the edge of...
Bible Study
I just started teaching a new Sunday School class last week and it brought up a question. The study is using a pair of books called “The Bible From Scratch.” Essentially it covers the basics of the bible such as authorship, style of the different books and general history of the writing of the Scripture. Most importantly, the curriculum seeks to teach you how to study the bible and give you a foundation for further study. My question is, what are your favorite bible study tools. I don’t mean just inspirational books or devotions; I am talking about books, commentaries or internet resources that really help you understand what is written in the bible. Personally, I find that my ESV study bible is a valuable aid, but I also...
Real Men Read Good Books
Long ago I heard couples talking about a book called “The Five Love Languages” and just about the time I heard the title my brain turned off and started wandering to other topics I keep stored in my brain’s hard-drive for when “boring” conversations like this come up. I wasn’t interested. Why? Well, to put it simply, the book had “love” in the title. I wish I could be more pragmatic, but that’s it. I made up all kinds of assumptions just from the title, and I had come up with a vision of a book that contained all kinds of “mushy stuff” about relationships that basically women wanted men to know, but no man was ever going to read. Why? Well, it seems men don’t read such...