•He is an infamous face.
•He’s mentioned by name in all four gospels.
•Thirty-eight verses in the New Testament tell his story.
•Yet he never speaks a single word.
•We know nothing about his family. His Age. Or marital status.
•He disappears from the Bible record as quickly as he appears.
•Yet movies have been made about him. Books have been written. Sermons have been preached.
Can you guess who he is? Continue reading
Filed under Cross, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
“What, in your opinion, is the greatest spiritual need in the world today?” How would you answer that question?
Dr. R.C. Sproul, the noted author, philosopher and theologian, was asked that question in a conference of religious leaders. Bill Hybels, in his book “The God You’re Looking For,” was there and relates what happened. Continue reading
Filed under God
A few years ago sociologists from Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion did a study about our view of God. The title of the research paper was called “The Values and Beliefs of the American Public.” It was the result of a survey done by Gallup for Baylor University.
In response to 77 questions, the study identified four distinct images that people have of God’s personality and attitude toward the human race. The research claimed this study may “tell more about people’s social, moral and political views and personal piety than the familiar categories of Protestant, Catholic, Jew, or even red and blue states.” Continue reading
Filed under God
Johnny approached his older sister, Suzie, with a serious question. “Suzie, can anybody ever really see God?” Occupied with other things, Suzie tersely responded: “Of course not, silly. God is so far up in heaven that nobody can see him.”
Time passed, but Johnny’s question still puzzled him. One day he approached his mother: “Mom, can anybody ever really see God?” Gently she replied, “No, not really. God is a spirit. He dwells in our hearts. But….we can never really see him.” The answer satisfied Johnny somewhat, but he still wondered. Continue reading
Filed under God
Sir Christopher Wren, the renowned English architect, supervised the construction of the magnificent St Paul’s cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the construction workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, “What are you doing?” Continue reading
Filed under Attitude, Word of the Week
Max Lucado calls it “the most famous trial in history.”
And the Judge? A man unqualified for the job. His position was the result of the right connections. And a fortuitous marriage to Claudia Proclua, whose father was Tiberius, the Roman Emperor.
So in A.D. 26 Pontus Pilate was appointed governor of Judea. He was responsible for maintaining law and order in the raucous land filled with Jews that hated Rome. He handed out justice. And collected taxes.
Historians describe him as tactless. Stubborn. Cruel. Censorious. Demanding. Self-justifying. Tyrannical. And disrespectful of religion. Pilate was everything that Jesus wasn’t. Continue reading
Filed under Cross, It's Friday. But Sunday's Coming!
Yesterday was my birthday. And this annual event has occupied my thinking a little more than in past years.
I have fluctuated between competing emotions. For instance I have felt a little like the baseball great Ty Cobb, who played in a different era. He retired in 1928 at the age of 41 with a lifetime .367 batting average. When he was 70 a reporter asked, “What do you think you’d hit if you were playing today?” Continue reading
Filed under Age
We’ve been watching the History Channel’s presentation of The Bible from Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. The reaction has been interesting.
Movie critics called it “fractious and overwrought,” “a further piece of evidence that drama and reverence don’t mix well,” and “a mini-series full of emoting that does not register emotionally.”
Predictability the Christian Post and similar news outlets have hailed The Bible as “awesome,” inspiring, and “spot on.” Continue reading
Filed under Bible, Discipleship
“These are the times that try men’s souls,” wrote Founding Father Thomas Paine in The American Crisis, as he described the beginning of the American Revolution.
Today in America we face a different kind of trial. A culture crisis. A clash of thought. Of Philosophy. Of basic beliefs. It is a culture war between the Judeo-Christian ethic on which our country was founded, and post-modernism, which rejects Christian values and seeks to eliminate religious thought from the public life. Continue reading
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Really? Says who?
Give me 1,000 words and I will give you: Continue reading
Filed under Communication, Word of the Week, Words
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