On this long Labor Day weekend, many of us have mixed feelings not only because another summer vacation season is slipping away from us, and not only because it will now be back to school, and business as usual– but because of a churning monster named Gustav. Seems like cruel irony that while the rest […]
A few months ago I did a couple of posts on whether the implications we see in the Bible are: (1) necessary, (2) probable, (3) possible, (4) improbable or, (5) impossible implications. I mentioned that I learned this from Haddon Robinson who, from his years of experience as a pastor, seminary professor, and mentor to […]
“Our Father, At the end of another day, we come to you not just by ourselves– but together. Many of us will readily admit that you have given us again today far more than we deserve. But some of us find ourselves reeling with news that we have not yet been able to understand or […]
Few of us enjoy waiting in line. We probably like even less the pushing and shoving that happens when lines don’t form. So does that mean that when we are stuck in a line, we have no choice but to wait? In far more extreme conditions, Victor Frankl learned something about the options that are […]
We recently talked about the fact that there is a logic to faith even as there is also a mystery. According to the disciple who not only walked on water for a few seconds, but later denied that he ever even knew Jesus, faith expresses itself first in a desire and choice for virtue…rather than […]
Yesterday I mentioned that we are working on some video and web-based programs that tell the stories of some courageous men who have been willing to talk about their escape from pornography. The men told their stories in an empty warehouse that provides a visual backdrop for the lonely, secret obsession that had been consuming […]
To move ahead– without forgetting what we were saying to one another in the discussion about what God uses to open our hearts— I’m going to pick up our conversation here… In response to an expressed concern that I’ve been putting to much value on sources outside of the Word of God (i.e books, doctors, […]
My son and his wife asked us if we’d stop by their house and let out the dogs while they were out of town. We were happy to. Just one problem. They had recently gotten a new dog, a large bulldog that I had only met once. When I got to the house, he didn’t […]
He took 39 back-ripping lashes– five times. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once he was stoned and left for dead. Three times he was shipwrecked. Then, as if all of this wasn’t enough, he had to live with the awareness that the Devil was oppressing him with a physical problem that God wouldn’t […]
Because of the problem of pain and evil that raises disturbing questions about the God of the Bible, I thought it might be a good time to talk about “The Shack”. Finally read the 248 page paperback that so many are talking about. In the meantime I’ve been seeing reviews that go from likening it […]
Toward the end of our last conversation about “What Michael Phelps Needed”, one of our friends raised a question that is too important to be lost at the end of a string of comments. The question comes to us like this: “Why did God create [Michael Phelps] to be such a great swimmer and give […]
Now we know. Michael Phelps has made believers out of us. His hope of breaking Mark Spitz’s 1972 Olympic record of seven gold medals was not just hype. But as impressed as I am by his dominance of Olympic waters, and his endurance of swimming 17 races in 9 days, what Michael repeatedly acknowledged in […]
In many regions of the world “ministers” are public servants. Their civil “ministry” is to act in behalf of a government department that operates from a building that in turn is referred to as “the Ministry”. Kurdistan has a Ministry of Justice. India has a Ministry of Environment and Forests. Thailand has a Ministry of […]
An unknown person has quipped, “The human race is faced with a cruel choice: work or daytime television.” Robert Frost said, “The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” Then there’s Robert Benchley who is remembered […]
Self-directed anger. Fear of failure, rejection and loss. Dissatisfaction. Envy. Like an orchestra of untuned instruments, the noisy emotions of wounded pride refuse to be comforted. In the dark halls and back rooms of our hearts, angry feelings slam doors, break windows, raise voices, and start arguments. Feelings of not being able to measure up […]
Went with my son and daughter-in-law to a practice round of the PGA Championship that finishes up this weekend in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I think what impressed me the most was seeing how far these players hit the ball. While watching them on television give a sense of the amazing touch they show from sand […]
Could it be true that God determines who will go to heaven, but leaves us with the impression that the choice is ours? Some students of the Bible are convinced that the doctrines of total depravity, foreknowledge, election, predestination, and sovereign grace are essential to an understanding of the grace of God. They believe that […]
Someone has said, “Wise are those who look at others with the same generosity they offer themselves, and who look at themselves with the same critical eye they have for others.” Yet as balanced and insightful as that quote is, it is not the whole story. Questions remain, especially for those of us who want […]
Some of us tend to think in terms of black-and-white, clear-cut categories. To us, a statement or a conclusion is either true or false. Others are more likely to see how the same statement might be either true or false depending on the circumstances. Some of us work from a truth model which might say, […]
In this Olympic and election year, I’ve been thinking again about the way competition surfaces in every area of our lives. It shows up not only in sports, but in education, business, and science. Media networks compete for ratings, religious groups for our minds and hearts, politicians for our votes, and companies for our money. […]
