Why do we have four gospels? Wouldn't it be enough to tell the story once? Evidently Matthew, Mark, Luke and John didn't think so and the early church agreed that they all merited a place in the Holy Scriptures. Some skeptics have claimed to find discrepancies and disagreements in the accounts, but these all disappear … Continue reading The Logos
Faith and life
Intellectualism, reason and faith
Intellectualism is the idea that all truth can be discovered by reasoning. René Descartes started with "I think, therefore I am," and proceeded down this line of reasoning to discover all that was worth knowing, to his own satisfaction at least. The fatal flaw in this is that God is considered as irrelevant and thus … Continue reading Intellectualism, reason and faith
Is Christian humilty the same thing as stoicism or zen buddhism?
Consider the following: "Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is for me to feel no trouble, never be fretted, or vexed, or irritated, or sore, or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when … Continue reading Is Christian humilty the same thing as stoicism or zen buddhism?
Reality
This is my Father's world. I did not ask to be here. I cannot choose to be in another world. This is it and I may as well make the best of it. I am made in my Father's image. Even though I am earthly, like the animals, with all the capacity for savagery that … Continue reading Reality
Jesus is not my enforcer
"My Dad could beat up on your Dad any day!" "Oh yeah? My Dad would just clobber your old man!" Are conversations like that still heard on schoolyards? They were common when I was a boy, little boys trying to establish superiority over others, based on their fathers' credentials. I never joined in those taunts, … Continue reading Jesus is not my enforcer
The true signs by which the Church of Christ may be known
1. By an unadulterated pure doctrine. Deuteronomy 4:6, 5:12; Isaiah 8:5; Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:15; John 8:52; Galatians 1 2. By a Scriptural use of the sacramental signs. Matthew 28:19; Mark 16; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:22,23 3. By obedience to the Word. Matthew 7; Luke … Continue reading The true signs by which the Church of Christ may be known
What is wrong with the world?
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him"(1 John 2:15). The Bible has a lot to say about the world and the danger there is if Christians become worldly. Why? What is there about the world … Continue reading What is wrong with the world?
The need for Christian apologetics
According to Nancy Pearsey, when young people who have abandoned the Christian faith are asked why, the most common answer is that they could not get answers to their questions about the faith. Thus they assumed that there were no answers and that the stories hey had been taught were just so many fairy tales. … Continue reading The need for Christian apologetics
Christian persuasion is an art for lovers
Christian persuasion is for those who love God, who wish to make the best possible case for the one they know and love, and who appreciate that love is an essential part of the knowledge that stems from the seeking and finding. Persuasion is for followers of Jesus who love him because they know him, … Continue reading Christian persuasion is an art for lovers
The Welfare Trap
Welfare systems began with the noble intent of helping those unable to help themselves. Well, actually those noble intentions were somewhat tainted from the beginning. Christians had long felt a need to help those most in need. Governments, motivated by the social gospel, decided people needed something better than to rely on charity. Thus a … Continue reading The Welfare Trap
