I’ve been involved in some conversations the last few days that might have a bearing on what we’ve been trying to work through together. One of those discussions had to do with the way the Scriptures point us—sometimes in very subtle ways— to Christ, and to our need of the God he reveals. For example, […]
Is God angry with us, even furious to the point of threatening to kill us, until we accept his Son, at which point he begins loving us? One thing is clear, those who read and believe the Bible must do something with the wrath of God which is said to rest on those who have […]
A friend and co-worker recently passed along some thoughts that he’s had about our natural inclination to miss the big story of the Bible. Jeff, is a licensed counselor who has a deep concern about how our hearts interact with the heart of God. While reflecting on Revelation 3:14-20, he suggests, “There are two ways […]
In considering the idea of bargaining with God, we referred to a moment in Jacob’s life that can be read either as a condition of negotiation, or as a vow of faith. (Gen 28:20-22) Jacob was either at a point of grateful resolve where he was saying, in response to the vision (Gen 28:10-17), “If […]
Proverbs are short memorable sayings designed to help us think about what it means to live wisely. In that light, we’ve probably heard it said that a proverb is not a promise but rather a general rule about how life usually works. When we say that “a stitch in time saves nine” we are not […]
We may remember this kind of comparison from school days. Back then the illustration was something like: As an apple is to a seed, so a thought is to a ___________. (i.e. conversation?) The point is that an analogy compares two things that are similar in at least one way and yet different in others. […]
When I wrote in my last post about the way time has changed my thinking about the Bible, I was thinking of what has happened as a result of: Listening to the way others interpret or apply the Scriptures. Discovering the complexity and simplicity of life, circumstance, love, and honesty. Seeing that many of us […]
How much of the world beyond has echoes, or reflections, in the world we know? While thinking about the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I’ve been thinking again about The Gambler, the Don Schlitz song that Kenny Rogers made famous in 1978. While The Gambler isn’t Bible, the perspective it offers from the mouth […]
The conversation around the last post was good. It is so important for us to be reminded that in so many ways we are neither alone, nor alike, in our struggles. My guess was that on the question of what makes a good day, we would weigh in somewhere between the thoughts that we have […]
Have you ever wondered whether our knowledge of the Bible could be used like a handful of cut flowers? Is it possible that separated from their root and purpose, inspired proverbs, parables, predictions, stories, or letters could be used in ways that leave them unable to bear the fruit for which they were written? Think […]
