Respect of Persons

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” James  2:1. The hardest thing for a person to conceal is his opinion of himself,  including his concept of where others rank in relation to him. The world has developed a corresponding expertise in detecting hypocrisy … Continue reading Respect of Persons

What kind of people do we think we are?

An encounter between Jesus and a group of Pharisees is recorded in the 18th chapter of the gospel of Luke.  The Pharisees are described as “certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.”  Jesus then told a parable of a pharisee and a publican (usually considered by the Jews to be … Continue reading What kind of people do we think we are?

“They feared the LORD and served their own gods”

The title comes from 2 Kings 17:33 and describes the people of Samaria during the time of their subjection to the king of Assyria.  We shake our heads in disbelief, wondering how those long ago people could have been so blind.  What were they thinking? Let’s take a closer look; who was the LORD and … Continue reading “They feared the LORD and served their own gods”

Father Goose

I was working outside this afternoon, putting our water hoses away for the season and listening to the chatter of Canada geese from a pond about a half mile away.  I couldn’t see the pond from ground level, there is a railway line between here and there that is built up high enough to block … Continue reading Father Goose

Evangelical hubris

[The following paragraphs are quoted from Less Than Conquerors: How Evangelicals Entered the Twentieth Century, by Douglas W. Frank, copyright 1986 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.] I suspect that the wildfire growth of premillennialism in the decades after the Civil War really represented a bold move on the part of evangelicals to recapture their … Continue reading Evangelical hubris

Evils of the Dispensational Viewpoint

[The following paragraphs are quoted from The Reign of Christ by Charles Ewing Brown, copyright 1948 by the Gospel Trumpet Company.] This view ministers to spiritual pride.  People who vaunt themselves on understanding the dispensations often look down with contempt on other Christians, charging them with ignorance and incompetence in properly dividing the Bible.  If … Continue reading Evils of the Dispensational Viewpoint

Dispensationalism Begins to Unravel

My new Christian friends said that they believed the Bible spoke of only one return of our Lord, at the time of the resurrection and the last judgement.  I was shocked at first, but then those niggling little doubts grew louder and louder. Isn’t that what the Scriptures appear to say, after all?  “And this … Continue reading Dispensationalism Begins to Unravel

Why I prefer the AV Bible

Critics of the Authorized Version often appear to be more than a little disingenuous.  Some make an issue of minor variations in words and say that Peter, Paul & Jesus did not always quote from the same version of the Old Testament.  It is commonly accepted that Old Testament quotations in the New Testament come … Continue reading Why I prefer the AV Bible

“It was just his time to go”

Whenever someone dies unexpectedly it can be counted on that some kind soul will say, “Well, I guess it was just his time to go.” This is supposed to be a comfort to the bereaved family. How is this going to make the tragic loss of a loved one easier to bear? Shall they cancel … Continue reading “It was just his time to go”

What about Sunday, then?

If we cannot claim the sabbath commandment as our reason, then why do we do go to church on Sunday? The Bible doesn’t tell us when to eat, when to go to bed or when to get up.  Yet we know that we need to do all those things for the health of our physical … Continue reading What about Sunday, then?