Category Archives: Christianity

Jesus’ Example: Resisting Temptation

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temptation-of-jesusThe temptation of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11.  We will be referring to these verses many times.

Walking the earth as a man subjected Jesus to all things common to humanity.  The Epistle of James teaches that God is not tempted by sin, and does not tempt anyone to sin.  But Jesus is God in the flesh; he experienced all the things we experience and can thus empathize with our weaknesses, feelings, emotions, frustrations, and so forth.  Whatever we experience, Jesus himself has been there.  And so it is with temptation.  Continue reading →

Answering Tough Questions

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question_mark_3dRichard Dawkins and Sam Harris are raising an army of New Atheists who are ready to do battle with the people of faith.  It is no longer enough to simply not believe in God; the “New Atheists” don’t think anyone else should have the right to either. 

The issues of creationism, evolution and Intelligent Design have been pushed into the forefront of debate in recent years, thanks to films by Ben Stein and the opening of the Creation Museum.  The battle of words takes place not just in pulpits or auditoriums, but in board of education meetings at the state and local level that determine curriculum and policy.  In both issues science, reason and logic are dragged through the mud by both sides in order to “prove” one side is right and the other wrong. 

Abortion is and perhaps always will be a hot topic in this country.  Continue reading →

Answering Tough Questions: Abortion

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question_mark_3dI’ve just read a blog post entitled “How to stump an anti-abortionist with one simple question.”  The question is this: If abortion were illegal, what should be done with mothers who get one?  According to the post, asking anti-abortion protesters this question draws puzzled looks and poorly thought out responses.  If Christians can’t articulate a well constructed response to this simple question, we need to work on that.  I responded thusly: Continue reading →

Commandments and Traditions, Jesus in Mark 7

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jesus_teachingThis lesson is from Mark 7:1-22.  Jesus is being questioned about why his disciples eat without washing their hands.  Jesus’ response says a lot about first century Jews’ attitudes toward the Old Testament Law, and how they lived out their convictions in real life. 

Jesus’ immediate reply to their criticism is to quote from Isaiah “this people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  Jesus tells them that they ignore God’s commandment to keep the commandment of men.  Continue reading →

Jesus’ Example: Growing Up

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child-jesusWhile it’s true that the whole Bible is about Jesus, what we know about his life on earth is found in four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   The story of his birth (Christmas) is only recorded in two of those, Matthew and Luke.  What we know about his childhood is very limited, basically one paragraph in Luke 2.  Yet even in this short story Jesus provides us with an example we can learn from.  Continue reading →

Israel, Hamas, and My Friend That Lives There

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isreali-tank-in-gazaUPDATE:Israel has announced a unilateral cease fire, Hamas has pledged to keep fighting.  Read the full story here. 

I have somehow avoided blogging on the Israel/Hamas conflict, at least mostly.  I mentioned that there was a conflict in my Welcome 2009 post, and I’ve commented on other blogs about the situation.  I plan to be brief.

Peace in the Middle East: It’s a catchy slogan, rhymes well, and became very popular back in the 80’s.  It is also highly unlikely.  Correct that; according to the Bible it is not going to happen.  Continue reading →

Rapture Index = 158

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rap-indexmap3It shouldn’t surprise anyone that there is a website called Rapture Ready that has a vast menu of things to read on endtimes prophecy, current events, and more articles on how Russia is Magog than you can shake a stick at.  But on the Rapture Ready mainpage is a link to the Rapture Index, and this thing is a hoot. Continue reading →

Jesus on Abraham

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abrahamMoses tells the story of Abraham, Paul mentions Abraham several times, but did Jesus ever talk about Abraham?  He does at length in John 8.  Jesus is explaining that God the Father has sent him, yet the people do not listen to his words but instead do the will of their father, the devil.  His Jewish audience insists their father is Abraham.  Jesus says that if Abraham were their father they would do the things Abraham did, such as rejoice when he saw the Day of the Lord.  Jesus contends they are not sons of Abraham. Continue reading →

In Christ Alone

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I’ve never been one for blogging song lyrics, but the gospel message is all over these verses.  In Christ Alone  (Keith Getty, Stuart Townsend) is one of my favorite songs that any Christian artist has ever produced.

In Christ Alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song.
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, and strivings cease.
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ Alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love, and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save.
‘Til on the cross as Jesus died
the wrath of God was satisfied.
For every sin on him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live. Continue reading →

Immanuel, God With Us

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jesus-in-mangerIsaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah, saying that a virgin would conceive and have a child, and his name would be called Immanuel.  When Matthew quotes Isaiah he adds that Immanuel means “God with us.”  That’s the true meaning of Christmas.

I recently wrote that when we could not come to God, he came to us.  In Isaiah chapter nine he writes “His name shall be called Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  If the baby in the manger is anything other than God with us, you’re not understanding the full implication of Christ’s birth. Continue reading →