first off: i like the ESV. bad NIV translation has spawned the phrase “weaker brother”, which implies that the person must be somehow “under” you, by the -er suffix. the phrase, though, is simply “one who is weak in faith” — regardless of how they’re faith “stacks up” to yours. anyway, on with the scripture: […]
patriotism
patriotism, as most people understand it (regardless of what the dictionary says it “means”) is, in my opinion, not a stance a follower of jesus can take. it means, at its most basic, that one is aligning himself with an agency on earth, rather than with god’s kingdom, where jesus instructs his followers to make […]
“once saved, always saved” ?
let us supposed we have 2 people: billy and franklin (i just pulled those names out of thin air ) i’ll give away the ending of this story first: franklin goes to heaven, and billy goes to hell. now, let us also suppose that billy and franklin are twin brothers: born within minutes of one […]
how i left a young earth theory behind
position: the whole bible is the “why” and genesis is a very short answer to man’s age-old question of “where did all of this come from?” when god revealed the HOW (as he probably did to the first people, who took the story and ran with it, until moses got the “written” version), he did […]
on arguing with god
Genesis 18:20 – 19:38 (English Standard Version) Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.†Abraham Intercedes for […]
ought “god” be capitalized?
position: god doesn’t care a whit about about the grammar rules of whichever particular language you write in. respect is shown by expressing a kingdom heart in a way that uplifts, rather than tears down. by truly caring more for your neighbor’s best interests than your own. this does not mean submitting to the prideful, […]
god has a sense of timing
position: all dimensions, be they measurable, immeasurable or simply theoretical, are part of the created universe — and therefore necessarily dependent upon a creator. this means god cannot dwell “in” them — as he dwelled before they existed. even in dimensions that have no apparent meaning of “time”, there is still the fact that if […]
a look at matthew 5:39-40
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. jesus, throughout these chapters, is giving illustrations, not rules. […]
“your life is your best witness”
i have heard, many times, something along these lines: “your life is your best witness” it is simply not true. your words are your best witness. your life, and the way you live, will prove out what’s really in your heart, but no one gets “saved” without hearing — and sitting there not sinning, but […]
a thought on calvinism
i remember, back when i liked to take the label “calvinist” for myself, how i had so little understanding of what it means, really. i imagine there are lots of people like i was. i also know, now that i’m several years older (and hopefully wiser!), that all the discussions i had, thinking it mattered […]
more than we can ask or imagine
one thing we can’t do about the goodness of god: overestimate