Monthly Archives: August 2014

Sunday, Aug. 31 Another anomaly is the institution of marriage. God clearly established monogamy as the standard relationship for the family, which is the cornerstone of society. Yet He seems to accept polygamy. Elkanah, the father of Samuel, had two … Continue reading →

Saturday, Aug. 30 Yesterday’s blog raises a number of questions for me. In dealing with human differences, why do some people have the potential to become great athletes or great musicians or scientists or poets? Why do some people gravitate … Continue reading →

Friday, Aug. 29 “God has ordained inequality.”—Pastor Dan McMillan. The preamble to our constitution says that God has created us equal, which seems to contradict Pastor Dan’s comment. It really doesn’t. They are in two different genres. We are all … Continue reading →

Thursday, Aug. 28 “We really should be teaching students how to think on their own. Letting them struggle just enough, but not so much that they give up.”—Laura Lethe, math teacher in Salem, OR. This has been a standard principle … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Aug. 27 The concept of free will and election (predestination) is a paradox. Theologians have debated this for centuries. The idea of being free and at the same time a slave is somewhat of a paradox, too. It has … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Aug. 26 “When you know you are in a war, your adrenaline flows. You are passionate. You willingly make sacrifices. You don’t expect or demand constant comfort, security, enjoyment, and entertainment.” –Peter Kreeft in The Good War. As a … Continue reading →

Monday, Aug. 25 Here is a third way to get into meditation. We often use terms that are only partly understood and we seem to be content with that. Take the term “Christ like.” The first thought that comes to … Continue reading →

Sunday, Aug. 24 Pursuing Truth Another way to get into meditation is to start with a common Christian truth, and pursue it. Let me give you an example. We know that the Son of God (later named Jesus), left heaven … Continue reading →

Saturday, Aug. 23 If you followed my train of thought yesterday, you probably reached the place of wondering how you can achieve a passionate, loving relationship with God. I have found that meditation has helped me. It takes me down … Continue reading →

Friday, Aug. 22 “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak . . . . We are far too easily pleased with lesser things than Him.”—C. S. Lewis. Meditating on this, I have … Continue reading →

Thursday, Aug. 21 My experience with the word “holy” led me to meditate on some other words that need further study. One of them is the word “omnipresent.” I have often wondered how Jesus could spend time with me personally … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Aug. 20 For years I’ve been puzzled at what appears to be an unusual degree of punishment for sinners. Eternal damnation seems so extreme. It almost seems “overkill”—sort of like killing an ant with a sledge hammer. Recognizing the … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Aug. 19 A Another principle concerning anger appears in Eph. 4:26. “In your anger, do not sin.” Assuming you are living by the principle mentioned yesterday, you can still err. Anger is one thing: out of control anger is … Continue reading →

Monday, Aug. 18 “A fool may be known by six things: anger without cause; speech without profit; change without progress; inquiry without object; putting trust in a stranger; and mistaking foes for friends.”—Arab proverb. This is more than a proverb; … Continue reading →

Sunday, Aug. 17 A number of crowns are referred to in Scripture. There are five Hebrew words and two Greek words that are translated as “crown” in our English Bibles. Most of them do not fit the picture that most … Continue reading →

Saturday, Aug. 16 I suppose all the apostles wept at times. We have several episodes recorded. Peter wept bitterly after denying the Lord (Mt. 26:75). Peter repented, was forgiven and became a pillar in the early church. Judas Iscariot also … Continue reading →

Friday, Aug. 15 A day or two before the crucifixion an unusual incident took place in Bethany. Mark 14:3-9 describes an unnamed woman who broke an alabaster jar and poured the very expensive perfume over Jesus’ head. This occurred in … Continue reading →

Thursday, Aug. 14 “There are moments when, whatever the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.”—Victor Hugo. Not too long ago, our preacher suggested getting on our knees for prayer. This was a rare thing for most … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Aug. 13 “Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide them.”—La Rochefoucauld. It’s a human tendency to try to hide our sins. For an unbeliever, that may be the only way to … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Aug. 12 Canning fruit is an avocation that I enjoy. I’m not an expert, mind you, but I have done it for years, having learned some of the skills from my mother. I learned awhile back that some of … Continue reading →

Monday, Aug. 11 “The middle of the road is where the white line is—and that’s the worst place to drive.”—Robert Frost. Nice statement, but I don’t agree with it. I have no doubt that a worse place to drive is … Continue reading →

Sunday, Aug. 10 “When men speak ill of you, live so nobody will believe them.”—Plato. Although Plato was a great philosopher, he was not a Christian. He spent a lifetime trying to figure out the eternal nature of things, but … Continue reading →

Saturday, Aug. 9 Francis Thompson’s poem “Hound of Heaven” changed a lot of lives. R. H. Ives Gammell produced a set of 23 paintings in the late 19th century based on this poem. George W. Price, an atheistic evolutionist, mentioned … Continue reading →

Friday, Aug. 8 You probably know that atheists have been actively fighting Christianity for some time. They seem to be picking up the pace lately. They want to get rid of all crosses and public displays of the Ten Commandments. … Continue reading →

Thursday, Aug. 7 “To believe only possibilities is not faith, but mere philosophy.”—Sir Thomas Browne. Have you ever prayed for something and have it happen, and then wonder if it is because of your prayer or would have happened anyway? … Continue reading →

Wednesday, Aug. 6 “My duty is to obey orders.”—Stonewall Jackson. I wish I had the context of this statement. I know it would be interesting. The military has made this a cardinal rule. Strict top to bottom obedience is crucial … Continue reading →

Tuesday, Aug. 5 “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up.”—Jesse Jackson. I’m not an avid fan of Jesse Jackson, but this little snippet is good. Jesse’s life was not altogether dedicated to this principle, but then Solomon … Continue reading →

Monday, Aug. 4 “Do not get excited over the noise you have made.”—Desiderius Erasmus. The key word here is “noise.” If Erasmus had used the word “impact” or “money” you might have passed right over it. The issue is the … Continue reading →

Sunday, Aug. 3 “We cannot hoard life as we can money. When a person tries to be a miser of his health, he usually makes himself miserable. Mental talents, if not used deteriorate. —Ralph W. Sockman. So not only do … Continue reading →

Saturday, Aug. 2 Many a man thinks he has an open mind when it’s merely vacant.”—Anonymous. I don’t know who this guy Anonymous is, but he has some poignant thoughts. An open mind is marvelous if it means that a … Continue reading →

Friday, Aug. 1 I watched the baseball All Star Game the other day and enjoyed it. I wasn’t interested in who won the game. I was just watching a bunch of superb athletes do amazing things on the field. In … Continue reading →