Holy Spirit - Part 2

Do you make Jesus pray in vain?

Do you make Jesus pray in vain? If you’re like me, the answer’s yes. Way too often.

What do I mean?

Lk 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Satan is the accuser. He’s out to destroy all of us. With Jesus praying for us, how can Satan ever win?

Unfortunately, the answer is – all too often.

Do you make Jesus pray in vain? More

Christian and depressed. How is that possible?

Christian and depressed

The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. How is it then that we can be Christian and depressed? With all that love, joy, peace, Etc., is it really possible to still be depressed? From experience, I say absolutely yes.

Christian and depressed. How is that possible? More

Christianity and politics make strange bedfellows

Politics, government, religion and God

You’ve probably heard it before – Religion and politics make strange bedfellows. Today though, we’re going to narrow it down to Christianity, rather than religion as a whole. So we end up with Christianity and politics make strange bedfellows. And when we narrow it down like that, the combination of Christianity and politics is even more strange than religion and politics! Why? Because some religions do intentionally have the government, politics and governmental laws, integrated with their theology and religious laws.

Christianity and politics make strange bedfellows More

Is COVID in the Bible?

Artisanal Bible Study, COVID and Lamentations

Is COVID in the Bible? Not directly. However, there are parallels from certain viewpoints. One way to look at it is through the book of Lamentations. What can we learn about COVID from Lamentations? I believe we can learn a lot. If we want to. Lamentations is an Old Testament book about how the Israelites reacted to being defeated, having their homes and cities totally destroyed, and then either being in captivity in their homeland or being exiled to the land of their conqueror. Sounds pretty bad, right? Lamentations was a look at how the people reacted to those events. Reactions like anger. Blame. Self-pity.

Is COVID in the Bible? More

Old Testament prophecy: Was Jesus subject to the government?

Advent, Artisanal Bible Study

Was Jesus subject to the government? Yes, He was. Kind of. Sort of. Does Old Testament prophecy say this was going to be the case? Well, we can say yes, in a way. Yet again the Nelson’s Topical Reference we’re using for this Advent study has a New Testament verse for Jesus being subject to the government. Therefore, once again we’ll take the context of that NT verse and see what the Old Testament says about it.

Old Testament prophecy: Was Jesus subject to the government? More

The LORD Said. I Think. Oops! That Was Me!

Something from my day

“The LORD Said. I Think. Oops! That Was Me!” Yeah, that really happens. I do wish I could take credit for my title, but I can’t. It’s from a book by T. F. Tenney, titled The Lord Said– Or Was That Me: Some More Advice Unasked For And Seldom Heeded. I’ll hopefully write about it (the book) some day, but for now it’s just the title I’m borrowing.

It’s hard to admit even to ourselves when we do something because we thought it’s what God wanted, but then find out it wasn’t. Worse yet, it’s what we wanted.

The LORD Said. I Think. Oops! That Was Me! More

Darwin and COVID – Darwin didn’t say that the strongest survive.

A look at ourselves

I heard a restaurant owner on the news this morning talking about Darwin and COVID. He was talking about how Darwin didn’t say that the strongest survive. Rather, Darwin said it was the most adaptable who survive. And this particular person wanted to be one of the adaptable ones who survive.

There is, of course, a problem with that. Well, a few problems. The first one is that Darwin never actually said it was the most adaptable who survive!

Darwin and COVID – Darwin didn’t say that the strongest survive. More

How did Christianity get to be like this?

A look at ourselves

How did Christianity get to be like this? You ask, Like what? Let me answer, initially, with a hint, rather than a direct answer. Some think one of the worst things to happen to Christianity was when Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. As history is showing, that’s more significant that most people probably realize. The parallels to what’s going on in the U.S. today are incredible.

Historians now debate whether “the first Christian emperor” was a Christian at all. Some think him an unprincipled power seeker. What religion he had, many argue, was at best a blend of paganism and Christianity for purely political purposes.

How did Christianity get to be like this? More

Mourning over the loss of in-person church services

A look at ourselves

Do you mourn over the loss of in-person church services? If so, you’re not alone. But my question is actually more about the mourning. The process. The reasons why you mourn. That’s because the Bible actually gives us lessons, of a sort, on how and why to mourn. They’re in one of those Old Testament books that we don’t really like to read.

Lamentations is all about mourning. Grieving. All the gory details of what happened to Jerusalem, Judah, Zion, the Israelites when they were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar and sent into exile.

I believe they can help us today as well,
with COVID and the loss of in-person church services.

Mourning over the loss of in-person church services More

Does anybody really care? About what?

A look at ourselves

Does anybody really care? Did you ask, “Care about what”? Or did you just answer? If you answered “Yes”, what do you care about? Maybe the top five things? If you answered, “No!”, why don’t you care? On the other hand, if you answered, “I don’t know”, are you still alive?

Take those cute Koalas in the picture. Do you know, they probably don’t care about much of anything? They’re so spaced out on Eucalyptus leaves, that’s about all they care about.

Are we the same way? So spaced out on whatever our favorite escape thing is that we don’t care about anything? Not about ourselves? Not about each other?

Does anybody really care? About what? More