Tag: politics
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Humble Knowledge
1 Samuel 2:1–10, Job 36:1–4, 2 Peter 1:3–8 (read online) Knowledge is power, so it is said. One of the great gifts of the Enlightenment was indeed the removal of knowledge from the monopoly of the church. Knowledge, when freed from the shackles of human power and control, can grow. Knowledge, by the way, does…
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The Reformation Observed
Acts 15:1–21, Ephesians 2:1–10, 2 Timothy 3:10–17 Today marks 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the doors of Wittenberg Castle Church. Without question, Martin Luther was a key figure in the reformation of Western Christendom. Others, too, made many of the critiques that Luther did. They did it earlier and were…
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Church of Destruction
Galatians 2:17–21, Ephesians 2:1–10 There has been a lot of talk in some circles about the increasing percentage of the U.S. population that calls themselves, “nones.” This is used to define categorize people as those having no definitive religious identity. This “none” categorization is awful. It covers a huge range of people. The panic, in…
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Pagan Response
Ezekiel 27:1–36, Ezekiel 28:20–23, Luke 10:13–16 To understand Jesus’ “woe” statements, one needs to understand history. While Tyre and Sidon were now (in Jesus’ time) prosperous cities, their pride, pagan behavior, and anti-Israel behavior had gotten them a lot of punishment. After Ezekiel’s prophesy, the cities weren’t washed clean, but wiped-off-the-map cleansed. Because of their…
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Blind to the Signs
Ezekiel 12:21–28, Jeremiah 32:17–23, Matthew 16:1–4 In the Post-Enlightenment or Scientific Age (depending on how you want to define either or both), evidence has been crucial. It’s not as if we are all that different than the Israelites. Ezekiel’s words come at a time when there have been many Men of God who, by God’s…
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An Expert Problem
Ecclesiastes 1:12–18, Ecclesiastes 12:12–14, John 7:37–49 One of the biggest indicators of future success is a good education. Especially in this day and age, education is not a luxury, nor is it just the trappings of the well-to-do. Education is a necessity. The “Teacher” of Ecclesiastes is often assumed to be Solomon, however, based on…
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Kingdom Come
Psalm 102, Matthew 6:9–13, Matthew 13:24–33, John 13:1–17 “Kingdom work” and “Work of the Kingdom” Often these two phrases are used when people are (rightly) trying to teach people that they can bring people to God and can be people of God at work. This is a good thing. However, there is usually a problem…
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Power to Divide or Unite
Matthew 5:3–12, Romans 13:1–10 Authority is an issue. Authority is not the same as power. Plenty of people have power. In fact, most of us have power. We may not be aware of it, but we have it. One of the greatest powers we have on earth is our vote. It often doesn’t seem like…