Controversial History

Last post was a brief look at the day-to-day life-size value of becoming familiar with the various theological controversies that have arisen throughout the church’s 2,000 year history.  In looking into any given controversy, it’s valuable to see not just where the positions or arguments are now, but where they started.

Experiencing Truth

My enjoyment of “theological non-fiction” has been growing steadily for the past several years.  I love reading the truths that minds much bigger and wiser than my own have been able to extract from the Scriptures.  God’s Word just seems to get deeper and deeper all the time; new-to-me insights into verses that I’ve read many times before never cease to make my heart rate climb.

Tricked Out of Our Treat

I’ve noticed in the last few years that each time we get close to October 31st there’s a firestorm on the internet among Christians regarding the right or wrong of participating in that day’s popular activities.  I feel more strongly about the whole thing than I used to so I’m going to throw in my two cents.

Gov't

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well.” - I Peter 2:13-14
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” - Acts 5:29

Sending in the Troops

I really enjoy observing different peoples’ reactions when I tell them my boys are homeschooled.  Maybe it’s just the people I’ve come across, or maybe it’s our society’s dread of offending others, but I can’t recall a single negative reaction.  The majority of people I’ve mentioned our homeschooling to have been unbelievers, and they’ve still had nothing but encouragement and good things to say about the practice.

Abdication and Usurpation

Although most of us Christians would (hopefully) be quick to affirm that the Bible is indeed the sole rule of our faith and practice, there seems to be a frustrating natural tendency to mold what we read in the Bible to fit our own pre-conceived ideas of what’s “normal” or “reasonable.”

Basic Training

The spiritual war on earth is going to last until the King Himself returns and personally vanquishes the enemy.  We can hope that day will be in the not-too-distant future, but it’s entirely possible that we’ve still got a looooong way to go.  Whichever is the case, just as wise soldiers in any kind of war have always done, we must prepare for the long haul even while we hope for victory relatively soon.

Eternity, Part V - Eternal Life

Lest you should become weary of my tendency to dwell on the unpleasant realities of sin, judgement, and eternal death (realities though they are), we’ll wrap up this look at eternity with a summary of the wonderful truths of God’s forgiveness and the life that awaits the forgiven!

Eternity, Part IV - The Eternal Savior

We've looked at the fall of our first parents and the resulting devastation.  We've looked at some of the promises that God made in the Old Testament era of a coming Savior.  Now let’s look at how the Lord worked His plan out perfectly in His time, in His way, through His Son.

Eternity, Part III - The Eternal Plan

If ever there was a hopeless situation, this is it.  However, although it is completely true that the Lord is a holy and terrifying God who will punish all sin without exception, He is also loving, merciful, compassionate, and full of grace.

Eternity, Part II - The Eternal Judge

Even among people who do admit to the self-evident reality of a Creator God, the vast majority are unwilling to see Him as a Holy and Righteous Judge to whom we must someday give full account.  However, God’s Word, the Bible, makes it very clear that He has indeed set a time when He will judge every person who has ever lived.

Eternity, Part I - The Eternal Creator

I thought I’d take a few posts to look at the gospel itself, first of all for the sake of anyone who may stumble across this blog and isn’t already familiar with the Good News, and secondly because I think it’s good for a person to write out the basics of their own beliefs to help them to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you,” as I Peter 3:15 commands.  So here we go....

Identify the Enemy

The importance of being certain you’re on the right side of a fight is obvious in any conflict, but that importance is raised to the highest possible degree when it comes to the war between God’s truth and Satan’s lies.

Evaluating Your Position

Step one in joining any war effort is enlistment.  When it comes to spiritual warfare, I’m afraid you and I were born enlisted, whether we’ve actively acknowledged the fact or not.  In the conflict between the One who is good and the evil one, the question is never “When should I join the fight?” but “Am I fighting for the right side?”

The Briefing, Part II

The Inaugural Web Log Post (Part Second)

The Briefing, Part I

The Inaugural Web Log Post, Containing an Investigation into the Propriety (Or Want of Propriety) of the Title of this Very Web Log, and a Brief Summary of Related Subjects to be More Thoroughly Examined as Providential Opportunity Allows in the Course of Time (Part First)