I love the word “righteousness” because it implies “being right”. That may sound like a silly thing to point out, but it isn’t if you really take the time to ponder it. Declaring oneself righteous is a lot easier, in practice, than actually “being” righteous. For example, how many times have you heard someone swear up and […]
Righteousness Implies Being Right Read More »
OUTLINE: The Deceitfulness of SinThe more you INSIST on your “light”, the deeper you sink into the deceptiveness of darkness. Your insistence drives you deeper into darkness, where you are less and less likely to “see it all as truth” (ala Eph 5:13-14a). A “good” lie never stands alone for long.Eph 5:22-23Wives, submit to your own
Part 56 – Proverbs 17 Wisdom Read More »
OUTLINE: If you want your perceptions to match reality, then you must possess the truth (aka the “light” – Eph 5:13-14).How Satan Influences YouYour perception may not match reality. If/when this happens (typically is due to you believing lies or half-truths), you are likely to make decisions that are sub-optimal. It’s like trying to build
Part 54 – Proverbs 17 Wisdom Read More »
I wonder if the inventors of television ever imagined the impact their creation would have on the world. I wonder if they speculated how people would become slaves to massive flat screens projecting larger than life characters portraying disproportionally emotional dramas, or high school caricatures, or superhuman sports heroes. I wonder if they could see
The Parade of Fools Read More »
I recently read John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. One of the characters, a farmer, was described as being quite content because he was, by contemporary social standards, uneducated. Because of this, he wasn’t distracted, drawn, or enticed by the lure of ‘better things’ outside of his ‘small’ circle of existence (I write with human perspective here).
The Grass Is Always Greener? Read More »
A beautiful woman bears a daughter. As she grows up, the mother buys her all the latest fashions and before she takes her daughter out in public, she dresses her up like a little porcelain doll. She beams with pride each time a stranger approaches the beautiful duo to say, “Wow, what a precious little
What’s the Message We’re Sending Read More »
When my sons were young, we took them to a Disney On Ice show at the Dunkin’ Donut Center in Providence, Rhode Island. One of the skits was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As the plot thickened and the evil queen prepared the poisonous apple for her stepdaughter, the audience became deathly quiet (not
OUTLINE: EncouragementDon’t be an island, or think others are OK being that way. (Heb 10:25, Ro 1:12) Ro 1:12 [NLV]Both of us need help. I can help make your faith strong and you can do the same for me. We need each other.Eyes On the PrizeWhen our focus/affections are diverted from Christ, misery seeps in and
Part 73 – The Deceitfulness of Sin Read More »
OUTLINE: John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress“God’s grace is the most incredible and insurmountable truth ever to be revealed to the human heart, which is why God has given us His Holy Spirit to superintend the process of more fully revealing the majesty of the work done on our behalf by our Savior.” John Bunyan, The
Part 64 – The Deceitfulness of Sin Read More »
What happens when you dislodge a deeply rooted doctrine from the human soul and replace it with a lie? Inevitably, you get false religion. Case in point, the Catholic Church. The Council of Trent (Latin: Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento, in northern Italy), was the 19th ecumenical council of
Sabotage: The Counsel of Trent Read More »