In 1624 the English author and poet John Donne was confined to his bed with a serious illness. As he laid there alone with his thoughts, he heard the ringing funeral bells of an adjoining church house.
As Donne reflected on the transitory nature of life and the reality of death, he responded with these words that would forever cement his place in literary history. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Last summer while on our 50th wedding anniversary cruise, we visited Gibraltar, a British territory. While up on “the Rock,” we had to walk through an area with a very low clearance. On either side of the opening was the warning “Mind Your Head.”
Apparently, this is a decidedly British expression, because in London there is a sign when riding the Tube, “Mind The Gap.” ” It’s a warning for you to watch your step so you don’t fall into the space between the platform and the train. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Last week we published a post, “Are the Ten Commandments Binding Today?” In response one of our regular readers asked us to write about our position on the 4th commandment.
If you haven’t read last week’s post, click here to read it first. Continue reading
There’s a story that’s been around for a long time that’s been used by authors, politicians and public speakers about how to boil a frog.
Supposedly a scientific experiment was conducted in the 19th century where a frog was placed in a pan of hot water and it immediately jumped out. But the researcher found that if they placed it in a pan of cool water, it would placidly float along. Then they learned if they gradually increased the temperature the frog would sink into a tranquil stupor and finally allow itself to be boiled to death. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
“How do people go so far astray spiritually?” Asked Joe Stowell in his book Following Christ.
This question was raised when Stowell read an article in his local paper about a man, Tom Wilson, who was gunned down as a member of a Neo-Nazi gang.
Tom had grown up in the church where Stowell preached. He had confessed Christ and was baptized. And was active in the church as a teenager. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Today, January 22nd is the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, when United States Supreme Court struck down protections for babies before they were born.
For the past 45 years, Pro-Life Advocates have organized a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C. Although, most major new media outlets ignored it, this year’s march numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
This year’s theme, “Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science” emphasizes the increased role of medical and technological advances that affirm the pro-life movement. Dr. David Prentice and Dr. Grazie Christie, a Radiologist, joined with Jeanne Mancini, President of “March for Life.” They discussed how this theme embodies the pro-life movement. Continue reading
Filed under Abortion
The seed thought for our word today came from a recent “Minute with Maxwell” video by leadership guru John Maxwell.
John says whenever he’s working with someone and they are not performing well he always asks two questions about that person: (1) Can he or she? And (2) Will he or she?
“Can he” speaks to one’s ability. Sometimes an individual is trying to do something, but not being successful because they don’t possess the innate capacity to accomplish the task. Maybe they are unqualified. Lack the necessary skills. Or even the knowledge required to be successful. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
This week all the rage has been Gillette’s controversial ad. It opens with the narrator asking “Is this the best a man can get?”
The opening scenes show men and boys bullying, being obnoxious and harassing women. As men stand behind their barbecue grills and two little boys fight, the men are muttering “boys will be boys” implying that bad behavior is justified.
Interestingly the response has been mixed. First there was a backlash. Now there’s a backlash against the backlash. The YouTube video currently stands at 145,000 likes and 454,000 dislikes. Continue reading
Filed under Relationships
Author Andy Stanley, the Evangelical preacher at the North Point Community Church in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia, has recently caused quite a stir among his peers and many theologians.
In a recent column in Relevant magazine, entitled “Why Do Christians Want to Post the Ten Commandments And Not the Sermon on the Mount?” Stanley argued that the ten commandments are not binding on Christians. Continue reading
Filed under Christian Living
Years ago Paul Harvey told a story on his radio show about The Butterball Turkey company setting up a hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys.
One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in her freezer for 23 years.
The operator told her it might be safe if the freezer had been kept below 0 degrees the entire time. But the operator warned the woman that, even if it were safe, the flavor had probably deteriorated, and she wouldn’t recommend eating it. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
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