Tag: argue

  • An Abomination

    An Abomination

    2 Kings 25:8–21; Matthew 24:1–22 The fall of the First Temple had far-reaching consequences. It was the end of the glory of Jerusalem. Granted, the Temple had long been stripped of its gold, yet the Temple was still central to Jerusalem With the burning of the Temple, the cultural center was gone. The religious center…

  • Not Them Anymore

    Not Them Anymore

    Matthew 15:17–28; Ephesians 4:17–24 (read online ⧉) For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy. —Leviticus 11:45 When the Israelites were brought out of the land of Egypt, it wasn’t going to be things as usual.…

  • Stand Alone

    Lamentations 1:1–2, Matthew 5:13–16, Ephesians 6:10–17 (read online ⧉) One of the biggest traps in politics currently is the “going it alone mentality.” This is not just a US phenomenon. We are seeing this all over the world. At the same time, there is this competing feeling that we really are all in this together…

  • Grumbling and Arguing

    Philippians 2:12–18 The Philippians may be slacking off in Paul’s absence. At least that seems to be Paul’s concern. When Paul speaks about “working out” salvation, a better way to phrase it may be, do the Christian life in all that you do. Don’t just sit there. He notes that God works through them, but…

  • Enemies and Adversaries

    Rom 2:25–29, Revelation 3:7–13 The struggle between Jew and Christian has long been the case. Initially, there was a mix of those with good motives (e.g., preserving the “true” faith, protection from apostasy) and bad motives (e.g., pride, influence). Then there were those who regularly challenged the theology for various reasons. Paul regularly had to…

  • Spirit Grades

    Jeremiah 23:30-40, 1 John 4:1–6 What is a spirit? In the Scriptures, there is the Holy Spirit. That is certainly one. However, often the time spirit is used, it is not a good thing. There are evil spirits. There are deceptive spirits. It is the deceptive spirits that make an appearance all too often. What…

  • The New Healing Miracles

    2 Kings 4:18–37, 2 Kings 5:1–14, Mark 10:46–52, James 5:13–18 We are embodied creatures. In other words, our bodies are part of our being, well-being, and attitudes. When it isn’t well, it is harder for our perspectives to be positive or good. We have to work harder, pray harder, trust more to be joy-filled when…

  • Freedom From Earned

    Genesis 15:1–6, Romans 5:1–11, 1 John 1:5–2:2 One of the ongoing struggles that people have is earning their salvation. They think they can, or that they must. This is what is often called “works” in Christian circles. Theologians have discussed what “works” is from a more philosophical perspective. Some have argued that Abraham completed a…