Recapturing Beginnings

March 4, 2009 1 Comment

Origins and the Gospel

February 12th 2009 marked the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. While there are many angles one might take, rather than address arguments for or against the various view points on origins there are other questions that deserve consideration. It has been my experience that many Christians seldom consider the ramifications of any particular view of creation. Yet many times we see in scripture that the presentation of the gospel, particularly to gentiles, include a treatise on origins. We see this in Lystra when Paul and Barnabas presented the Gospel and when Paul presented the Gospel at the Areopagus in Athens. Colossians and 2 Peter written to Gentile churches include treatise on creation. If the Apostles considered a correct understanding of creation, God as Creator, man and the fall, critical to the gospel then should we not as well?

Read more of this post

Filed under Appologetics, Origins Tagged with , ,

Recapture the Compelling Message

November 24, 2008 2 Comments

Retracing Our Steps

Peter Proclaims the Good News

The good news of what Jesus Christ has done on the cross has gone out. The message of repentance, redemption and reconciliation has transformed the world and continues to do so. Yet in some places and settings the impact of the gospel appears to have become stalled, aged, maybe even dull. Nations that have been labeled “post-Christian” come to mind. Our own country’s adoption of progressive ideas that have marked the path of many “post-Christian” nations press upon my thoughts.  Maybe at times even in our own life the message does not feel fresh.

If you ask my wife she will tell you that I am prone to misplace things. I tend to feel that others move them around on me but that’s an argument…er, ah discussion for another time. When it occurs that I misplace something sometimes I find it effective to retrace my steps. When I make a wrong turn and get lost I have had to back track. When I loose myself I reflect upon where I’ve been and where I was going. Whether we personally feel that our faith and hope is week or less effective or corporately find ourselves ineffective, out-of-touch, warren… it can be helpful to back track.  If the message doesn’t seem fresh or compelling to the world around us then why not back track to when the message truly was fresh, new, vibrant, irresistible. Being a little peculiar myself I went a step further and read a passage of Scripture backwards, while hanging upside down. Ok, no, not really but I did start with a verse in the middle of chapter and back tracked from paragraph to paragraph asking why before each step back. I have been a christian for a while but what I found was none the less moving and I hope that it might help others and the Church refocus. Read more of this post

Filed under Soteriology, Theology Tagged with , , ,

Through This Valley.

November 9, 2008 Leave a comment

Knowing that darkness will precede the light even so we resist the darkness; being children of the light.  Passing through

Fields of Plenty

Fields of Plenty

this valley of the shadow we bare the light; confident, bold, unwavering knowing that there is no darkness which can overcome the light of Christ!

Read more of this post

Filed under Poetry, Theology Tagged with ,

Wonderful Stuff I’ve Learned from my Daughter

October 23, 2008 1 Comment

My Kids on a Train

Well, I guess my title may be a little “miss”leading.  I suppose it would be more accurate if it said what I’ve learned because of my daughter.  But I love my kids and to be sure I have learned much from them.  Jesus said “Let the little children come to me and forbid them not for such is the kingdom of heaven…”.  When I help out in Sunday school or spend time with my kids I always have the thought in the back of my mind;  “Cool, I am spending time with ‘such is the kingdom of heaven’.”  Just replace your kids names with that phrase and maybe when your patience is being tested it will help and maybe it wont.  Its been a hit or miss thing with me. 😉  The trick is getting past the current circumstance which quite obviously doesn’t look anything like you may have envisioned the kingdom of heaven to be like.

Pooh – “Hello rabbit, are you home..”
Rabbit – “Let’s pretend I’m not and see what happens…” Read more of this post

Filed under Clean Up, Household

2008 Election: Banking on … ?

October 16, 2008 Leave a comment

A World in Turmoil

While world economies are in turmoil and health care costs and quality have become problematic for many.  While natural disasters are on the rise and many are worried about global warming.  While the supply, demand and costs of energy create concern because of our dependence upon energy.  While we live in this world we are faced with these things and we will be faced with more as life goes on…

In September 2008 everyone looked sideways at the bank or the financial institution holding their retirement hoping it wasn’t going to go belly up.   Everyone felt a little insecure having placed the capital for their futures in financial institutions that were dealing in “securities” (the term security became an oxymoron).  Here in 2008 in the month of October facing all these difficulties and uncertainties we find ourselves in the midst of elections for the leaders of our nation.  The debates quickly refocused on financial issues and everyone was asking what the candidates’ plans and priorities were.  People are hoping to pick a candidate with a plan they can “bank” on, pardon the pun.  But, ultimately a plan is a plan and will have to be flexible as issues and road blocks arise and priorities change.  The formation of the plan and how it will eventually be played out is based upon the candidates view of the world.

Read more of this post

Filed under Editorial, Philosophy, Politics Tagged with , , ,

Back to the Source: Part 1 – Scripture on Scripture

October 13, 2008 Leave a comment

Rather then take up a current or hot button issue it may be profitable to go back to the source.  As mentioned in the charter for this blog let us consider somethings about the source of objective truth that goes beyond our own subjective evaluations of our experiences.  I’ve always wanted to write something that would help people get more out of God’s word and I hope to get some feed back on the articles I post about scripture.

Read more of this post

Filed under Theology Tagged with , , , , ,

Charter

October 8, 2008 Leave a comment

While the posts in this blog may be eclectic their guiding principle will be a thorough consideration of reason and a commitment to conviction.  However while I may come off as stalwart in principle I tend to be more tempered in practice; unless someone else is lambasting an issue I have no problem taking it up.  I intend to write about what interests me at the time or what has been laid upon my heart.  Even so I will attempt to temper my passion for an issue with prudence challenging the reader to reconsider reasons and evaluations rather than directly or initially positing a position.

Read more of this post

Filed under Philosophy

Newer posts →