Image by Pexels from Pixabay There is a mystical teaching among Hasidic Jews that the world is sustained by 36 righteous men. These men are unknown to each other, indeed most of them do not know their own role. Their number has been maintained for many generations, but if ever one of them would die and not be … Continue reading Light up the darkness
Faith and life
The living gospel
Image by AgnieszkaMonk from Pixabay The gospel must be told; it must also be lived. Those who tell it must live it; or else the hearers will judge them to be hypocrites. Those who live it must tell it; or else those who look on will judge them to be self-righteous and closed.
The Great Omission
Yeah, I know; I’m cloning a clever title that others have used. But please bear with me as I attempt to explain what I fear is so often missed when Christians claim to be putting the Great Commission into practice. Here are the last three verses of Matthew’s gospel, which are customarily referred to as … Continue reading The Great Omission
Choices
Bitterness is from below, devilish;Forgiveness is from above, heavenly. Bitterness stirs up a storm;Forgiveness calms the storm. Bitterness is the problem;Forgiveness the solution. Both are choices,It takes more courage to choose forgiveness.
Living waters or bitter waters?
Back in 1948, when I was a lad of six, one of the most popular songs on radio was Cool Water written by Bob Nolan and sung by The Sons of the Pioneers. It was the story of a man and his mule named Dan who were trekking across the desert in search of water. … Continue reading Living waters or bitter waters?
What lies ahead?
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”And he replied “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known Way.”So I went … Continue reading What lies ahead?
Responsibilities of a Christian
While the New Testament does not indicate that we have a right to expect others to treat us rightly, it has much to say about what others have a right to expect of us as Christians. That makes sense, doesn’t it? We have no choice in the attitudes and actions of others, but we do … Continue reading Responsibilities of a Christian
The rights of a Christian
There is no hint in the New Testament that a Christian has rights such as those the people of the world expend so much effort in demanding. Jesus told us not to expect those kind of rights:If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the … Continue reading The rights of a Christian
The kingdom of God
Here is a brief summary of the teachings concerning the kingdom of God from the Old and New Testaments. It was not God’s idea that Israel should be a kingdom. The people demanded a king so they could be like other nations, so God gave them Saul. Saul began well but soon fell in love … Continue reading The kingdom of God
What if an epidemic of friendliness broke out?
There seems to be so much that has gone wrong in our world today. The leading causes of death are suicide, medically assisted death and opioid overdoses. Children are confused about gender, so many young people are involved in street gangs, middle aged people struggle with mental health issues and so many old people are … Continue reading What if an epidemic of friendliness broke out?
Flatlander Faith 