We can each provide a personal perspective of the world and current events. We form opinions each day as we try to take in the vast scale of all that is happening. Whatever your view, it is most probably influenced by a dark world. King David has an interesting insight into the working of an unconverted mind. It seems he was inspired to write about manâs wickedness as though he were seeing our day today: "Transgression (lawlessness) speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear … [Read more...] about Itâs a Dark World
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Handling Conflict with Discretion and Humility
We all deal with conflict daily, in many forms. Even the church has conflict, internal and external, from time to time. With the Bible as our guide, which biblical examples can teach us about a specific quality that foils conflict? Where does this quality come from? What does it lead to? Letâs consider Gideonâs example to identify this quality. Chosen by God as a judge of Israel he was assigned to defeat a threat from neighboring Midian (Judges 6:1-8:21). He assembled an army of 32,000, but … [Read more...] about Handling Conflict with Discretion and Humility
When You Are Accused
It is understood that at some point in our lives we will all be accused of wrongdoing. Shame and dishonor are brought against our name when we are innocent. It's the nature of the world we live in. David, King of Israel had no shortage of experience with false accusation and betrayal. King Saul sought to take his life, his own son Absalom sought to take his Kingdom, and he was often hated without cause. David sums up the intense feelings of betrayal in Psalm 109: âThey have also … [Read more...] about When You Are Accused
An End Time Indicator
In Matthew 24:12, the context of a statement by Christ is the time indicating Christâs coming and the end of the age. There are two points that immediately stand out with this statement. First, we can know as a fact that lawlessness will increase. Second, love will grow cold as a result. We can easily acknowledge the first by observation of the world around us. That lawlessness is increasing is an absolute fact. Lawlessness is defined as, âillegality, that is, violation of law or … [Read more...] about An End Time Indicator
Navigating Church Dichotomy Without Cynicism
The Church today presents a fairly complex panorama. Many different organizations each claim in their own way to be the true Church. But there are various flavors of culture and to some degree flavors of doctrine. Consequently, it is important to help young people figure out how to navigate the Church landscape today. There is a chasm between what the Church is and what itâs supposed to look like. Itâs difficult for all of us. But it is especially problematic for young people who are … [Read more...] about Navigating Church Dichotomy Without Cynicism
2024 Relationship Challenges
Due to the natural proclivity of the human mind to focus inward on self, relationships in âthe worldâ are deteriorating. Nations are turning inward as are the communities that form a nation. We see the emergence of what is being called âIdentity Politicsâ and the âNew Tribalism.â This is a form of polarization which has as its underpinning an emphasis on self. This should not surprise us as we know the god of this world is a self-promoter. At the personal level, our present cancel culture is … [Read more...] about 2024 Relationship Challenges
Is the Web a Source of Wisdom?
We hear very little about wisdom today. Instead, we hear more and more about the importance of information â about the virtues of information and the benefits of increased information. âBig dataâ and âdata miningâ are the buzz words of the day. These are quite literally seen by humanity as their savior. But it is important to recognize that information, knowledge, and wisdom are not the same things. I want to lay out the building blocks first from a humanistic … [Read more...] about Is the Web a Source of Wisdom?