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."
Saturday, November 28, 2009
choose
Our God, our Creator, our Father in heaven is mindful of the trials and perils, the hope and glory of life in this world and while He does not neglect our selfishness or our selflessness, our catering to the flesh or our sacrifice of the flesh, our ignorance of Him or our devotion to Him, He continues to offer His hand to us and calls us to Him. As we hear Him remind Solomon, on the occassion of the completion of the temple, He offers us choice.
2 Chronicles 7:11-22
"Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace.
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."2 Chronicles 7:11-22
"Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer {offered} in this place. "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. "As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man {to be} ruler in Israel.'
"But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
"As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?' "And they will say, 'Because they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.'""
Choose life, choose hope, choose freedom, choose God.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
tis the season to chill
Brothers and Sisters, friends and neighbors, men, women and children of all ages, lend me your ears!
Here we are again at the holiday season (notice I did not say "Christmas Season"), when emotions and feelings run close to the surface for a variety of reasons and we all get just a tad bit carried away with ourselves, each other, our wallets, common sense, life and society in general.
Please remember:
There is no mention of "Christmas" in the bible so let's not make a big "Christian" thing out of it to where we whack unbelievers on the cranium unjustly! If you want to focus on Jesus, praise Him. If others do not, pray for them, but be nice to them!
Thanksgiving is just a day of eating and football. If you have made it your ONE day of the year to be thankful to our Mighty God, then I think you missed the boat anyway!
New Years is what it is.
Personally, I think our Lord Jesus, if He considers it at all, must shake His head sadly at our thin skinned distraction away from His purposes for us.
Other than that, may your holidays and time with family be blessed by our loving Lord and may His light of peace shine above you and your home.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Years Day to you all!
Here we are again at the holiday season (notice I did not say "Christmas Season"), when emotions and feelings run close to the surface for a variety of reasons and we all get just a tad bit carried away with ourselves, each other, our wallets, common sense, life and society in general.
Please remember:
There is no mention of "Christmas" in the bible so let's not make a big "Christian" thing out of it to where we whack unbelievers on the cranium unjustly! If you want to focus on Jesus, praise Him. If others do not, pray for them, but be nice to them!
Thanksgiving is just a day of eating and football. If you have made it your ONE day of the year to be thankful to our Mighty God, then I think you missed the boat anyway!
New Years is what it is.
Personally, I think our Lord Jesus, if He considers it at all, must shake His head sadly at our thin skinned distraction away from His purposes for us.
Other than that, may your holidays and time with family be blessed by our loving Lord and may His light of peace shine above you and your home.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Years Day to you all!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
the title of my book
When I leave this earthly life, will my life have been wisely spent?
I have an hour, a day, a year, five years, ten years, maybe fifteen or twenty years left. Will I spend my remaining days catering to my flesh, growing within and leaving without? Or shall I spend this all too precious breath investing in others, growing outward in the spirit, allowing God to harvest from my efforts for Him? Will I give my life or use it up?
I reflected tonight on the title of my book. Will it be "An Insignificant Story of a Usual Man" or will it be "A Life of Substance for a God Who Matters"?
I have an hour, a day, a year, five years, ten years, maybe fifteen or twenty years left. Will I spend my remaining days catering to my flesh, growing within and leaving without? Or shall I spend this all too precious breath investing in others, growing outward in the spirit, allowing God to harvest from my efforts for Him? Will I give my life or use it up?
I reflected tonight on the title of my book. Will it be "An Insignificant Story of a Usual Man" or will it be "A Life of Substance for a God Who Matters"?
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