The Bible begins with the earth in total darkness and covered with water and ends with a new earth which has no sea and no night. (Genesis 1:2; Revelation 21:1 and 22:5) Everything that comes between is there to tell us how to get from the first place to the last. Darkness is where the … Continue reading In the beginning
evil
Treacle and wizards
If you have read Alice in Wonderland and other books of that era written in England, you have encountered the word treacle. It is not much used this side of the water. Treacle has a history. It was originally a Greek word meaning an antidote for a poisonous animal bite. It migrated into Latin, then … Continue reading Treacle and wizards
Therefore choose light
God has given us freedom of choice: the freedom to choose good or evil, light or darkness, life or death. We grieve when someone who has known the light chooses to walk in darkness. But let us beware lest that grief diminish the joy we should experience with those who have once known only darkness … Continue reading Therefore choose light
Dorothy Sayers on the origin of evil
The orthodox Christian position is . . . [that] the light, and the light only is primary; creation and time and darkness are secondary and begin together. When you come to consider the matter, it is strictly meaningless to say that darkness could precede light in a time process. Where there is no light, there … Continue reading Dorothy Sayers on the origin of evil
What shall our children read?
What books are safe for children to read? Some Christian parents provide only books about nice people who do nice things and everything turns out nicely for them. How realistic is that? Children know that there is evil in the world. There are scary things out there, things happen that they do not understand. Other … Continue reading What shall our children read?
Jesus as agent provocateur
Doesn’t it appear that Jesus deliberately did things that he knew would provoke the Pharisees to reveal their lack of compassion? Jesus healed many people of their blindness; in some cases he touched their eyes, in other cases there was no physical contact, he simply declared them healed and they were. Why then did he … Continue reading Jesus as agent provocateur
A Christian’s greatest enemy is inside of him
The apostle Paul knew it: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." John Newton knew it: "In defiance of my best judgment and best wishes, I find something within … Continue reading A Christian’s greatest enemy is inside of him
Joy to the world
The gospel is good news for all mankind. How is it then that so many of us make it sound like bad news? Of course the gospel is unmitigated bad news for those who reject it. Jesus did not try to soft peddle that part of the message; in fact, He spoke of hell a … Continue reading Joy to the world
Dorothy Sayers on the origin of evil
The orthodox Christian position is . . . [that] the light, and the light only is primary; creation and time and darkness are secondary and begin together. When you come to consider the matter, it is strictly meaningless to say that darkness could precede light in a time process. Where there is no light, there … Continue reading Dorothy Sayers on the origin of evil
Flatlander Faith 