Corinth, a city of wealth, perversion and iniquity, harbored early Christians living amidst the corruption of the time. How did they "walk the walk" through the myriad temptations, cultural icons and sexual beckonings considered "normal" in their society? How shall I do it today? William Barclay takes us through the journey of faith and sometimes folloy facing early Corinthian believers.
from "The Letters To the Corinthians", William Barclay, 1954
"The proof of Christianity lay in its power. It could take the dregs of humanity and make them into men. It could take men lost to shame and make them sons of God." re: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Men judge a message by the life and character of the man who brings it ... " re: 1 Corinthians 9:1-14
"The man who can never see anything but his own point of view and who never makes any attempt to understand the mind and heart of others, will never make a pastor or an evangelist or even a friend" re: 1 Corinthians 9:15-23
"We have to discipline our minds; it is one of the tragedies of life that men may refuse to think until they become incapable of thinking." re: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
sit in the witness chair
TAUNTON, Mass. - An 8-year-old boy was sent home from school and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation after he was asked to make a Christmas drawing and came up with what appeared to be a stick figure of Jesus on a cross, the child's father said Tuesday.
The “educators” at the school clearly do not have any understanding of the role of Jesus in the traditional view of the Christmas holiday. They represent the extreme ignorance that has overtaken the public education system in America; decades of watered down, politically correct and revisionist teaching has taken us full circle to uneducated educators.
On the bright side, the parents of the boy have a tremendous opportunity to witness to America, in the courtroom! Instead of wailing, Christians everywhere should be rejoicing! Talk about testimony, not recrimination! How many opportunities must be given to Christians to tell their stories in the public square before they figure out that this is a blessing, not a curse!
WOW! What would I give to be able to sit in the witness chair and explain in detail what I think the picture of Jesus on the cross represents!
The “educators” at the school clearly do not have any understanding of the role of Jesus in the traditional view of the Christmas holiday. They represent the extreme ignorance that has overtaken the public education system in America; decades of watered down, politically correct and revisionist teaching has taken us full circle to uneducated educators.
On the bright side, the parents of the boy have a tremendous opportunity to witness to America, in the courtroom! Instead of wailing, Christians everywhere should be rejoicing! Talk about testimony, not recrimination! How many opportunities must be given to Christians to tell their stories in the public square before they figure out that this is a blessing, not a curse!
WOW! What would I give to be able to sit in the witness chair and explain in detail what I think the picture of Jesus on the cross represents!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
merry christmas
About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's family.
Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.
That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened.
But the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay."
Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: "Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God." Luke 2:1-14
Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.
That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened.
But the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay."
Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: "Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God." Luke 2:1-14
Friday, December 18, 2009
man's relationship with God
I highly recommend this booklet for Believers who'd like a basic refreshing primer and to unbelievers who are curious but don't want to get into "the conversation". This wonderful work by Donald G. Barnhouse lays out man's relationship with God and the path to salvation through Jesus in a manner easy for anyone to grasp; 43 pages, $1.50.
101 Difficult Questions Answered
101 Difficult Questions Answered
Saturday, December 12, 2009
sometimes i need a 2x4 to the head
My family loves to joke about my propensity for cracking my skull on car doors, shelves, walls and basically anything I approach from below or besides, suggesting even the permanent wearing of protective head gear. In the searing pain of the moment immediately following one of these skull crackers I don't find the comments amusing, but I do understand their merriment is stimulated by their concern for my well being and by the scary site of me clutching my head and groaning, crying, cursing in agony.
This time it seems, I have cracked my head one time too many.
For several weeks I have been suffering an intermittent tenderness of my scalp on the left side of my skull, sometimes relatively mild, sometimes throbbing, often not at all. The last week or so, however, the pain has been unrelenting, throbbing and frequently blinding in its intensity. Stubborn person that I am, I finally gave in to the reality that the pain was stronger than my will and set off to see my doctor.
He says that I have damaged the C20 nerve from just one of these skull crackers, that the damage is permanent and that my two choices are to live with it, or have a shot that will kill the nerve, leaving me with an uncertain level of "buzzing" or "tingling" on that side of my head.
I am sitting here now, with an ice pack on my head, held in place by a colorfull knit tobogan hat, attempting to dull the pain which has kept me up most of the night.
I have one of two roads to take, medical care or God's touch.
I have reflected tonight on how at earlier times in my life my faith was strong enough that I called on God to heal me, expecting Him to act, and He frequently did just that. I have seen God heal me, heal my family and heal many others. It works today as it did in "Bible Times", no difference.
I have prayed about this but I sense that the strength of my faith is in need of a workout, a toning up, a renewal so to speak.
Brothers and Sisters, I covet your prayers. Not only prayers for a release from the pain of this injury, yea, even the injury itself, but for the continuing prayers that God's will pervades and prevails in my life, His will be done and mine diminished.
Pray for my lovely wife and my beautiful daughters.
I'll do the same for you.
May God keep you well.
Mark 9:20-24 They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he {began} rolling around and foaming {at the mouth.} And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. "It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
Rom 4:19-22 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
This time it seems, I have cracked my head one time too many.
For several weeks I have been suffering an intermittent tenderness of my scalp on the left side of my skull, sometimes relatively mild, sometimes throbbing, often not at all. The last week or so, however, the pain has been unrelenting, throbbing and frequently blinding in its intensity. Stubborn person that I am, I finally gave in to the reality that the pain was stronger than my will and set off to see my doctor.
He says that I have damaged the C20 nerve from just one of these skull crackers, that the damage is permanent and that my two choices are to live with it, or have a shot that will kill the nerve, leaving me with an uncertain level of "buzzing" or "tingling" on that side of my head.
I am sitting here now, with an ice pack on my head, held in place by a colorfull knit tobogan hat, attempting to dull the pain which has kept me up most of the night.
I have one of two roads to take, medical care or God's touch.
I have reflected tonight on how at earlier times in my life my faith was strong enough that I called on God to heal me, expecting Him to act, and He frequently did just that. I have seen God heal me, heal my family and heal many others. It works today as it did in "Bible Times", no difference.
I have prayed about this but I sense that the strength of my faith is in need of a workout, a toning up, a renewal so to speak.
Brothers and Sisters, I covet your prayers. Not only prayers for a release from the pain of this injury, yea, even the injury itself, but for the continuing prayers that God's will pervades and prevails in my life, His will be done and mine diminished.
Pray for my lovely wife and my beautiful daughters.
I'll do the same for you.
May God keep you well.
Mark 9:20-24 They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he {began} rolling around and foaming {at the mouth.} And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. "It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."
Rom 4:19-22 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
don't blame God
Author unknown
Whose Fault Is It?
A preacher and an atheist barber were once walking through the city slums. Said the atheist barber to the preacher: "This is why I cannot believe in a God of love. If God was as kind as you say, He would not permit all this poverty, disease, and squalor. He would not allow these poor bums to be addicted to dope and other character-destroying habits. No, I cannot believe in a God who permits these things."
The minister was silent until they met a man who was especially unkempt and filthy. His hair was hanging down his neck and he had a half-inch of stubble on his face. Said the minister, "You cannot be a very good barber or you would not permit a man like that to continue living in this neighborhood without a haircut or a shave."
Indignantly the barber answered: "Why blame me for that man's condition. I cannot help it that he is like that. He has never come in my shop; I could fix him up and make him look like a gentleman!"
Giving the barber a penetrating look, the minister said: "Then do not blame God for allowing these people to continue in their evil ways, when He is constantly inviting them to come and be saved. The reason these people are slaves to sin and evil habits is that they refuse the One who died to save and deliver them."
Whose Fault Is It?
A preacher and an atheist barber were once walking through the city slums. Said the atheist barber to the preacher: "This is why I cannot believe in a God of love. If God was as kind as you say, He would not permit all this poverty, disease, and squalor. He would not allow these poor bums to be addicted to dope and other character-destroying habits. No, I cannot believe in a God who permits these things."
The minister was silent until they met a man who was especially unkempt and filthy. His hair was hanging down his neck and he had a half-inch of stubble on his face. Said the minister, "You cannot be a very good barber or you would not permit a man like that to continue living in this neighborhood without a haircut or a shave."
Indignantly the barber answered: "Why blame me for that man's condition. I cannot help it that he is like that. He has never come in my shop; I could fix him up and make him look like a gentleman!"
Giving the barber a penetrating look, the minister said: "Then do not blame God for allowing these people to continue in their evil ways, when He is constantly inviting them to come and be saved. The reason these people are slaves to sin and evil habits is that they refuse the One who died to save and deliver them."
feed the right one
author unknown
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
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