A Compassionate Measure

If I were about to walk off a cliff, I'd hope somebody would say something. This is what Jesus meant by His words," judge not lest ye be judged...for in the same measure you judge you too shall be judged." It is about the measure you use.

The Blessings of the Passover

In the next couple of weeks I will be writing some blogs concerning this season up to Shavuot. In the meantime, I wish to any reader the blessing of this day and what it means.

The Intellectual Faith of Thomas

So often we hear the phrase doubting Thomas, but did he really doubt or was he just more of a rationalist? It is quite possible that he was aware of the visions that some people had of seeing their relatives after they had past on and he wanted to be sure that Christ really did rise. He may not have been contending against the reality of Christ's resurrection but rather he wanted to be sure that he was not losing his mind in his mourning of Christ's death the days before. And how did Christ respond? He did not chastize him for doubting, rather He let him touch His wounds.

Sanctified Through Adversity: Part 1

More often we are sanctified through adversity than that of our own doing. I was pondering on this idea this morning. I was thinking that if I did everything right and lived according to the rules of holiness, I find that in some ways that I may have actually removed myself from ministry toward others. In the sense of being holyI would have actually pursued the avenue of self-sanctification. God indeed wants us to be holy, by all means, but we need to remember that other commandment to love our neighbor as ourself. Often there are objective lessons we teach others in making decisions in doing the right thing. It is not about us, it is about showing them Christ. Every aspect of the world will challenge the believer as it is, too often we will pursue holiness when we need to stay put and let adversity reveal our character to others. I am convinced that this is the way Christ wants to truly sanctify the believer.

I came across this verse tonight because I heard someone talking about this song by The Kinks awhile back. It fits very well following the C. S. Lewis quote....Where are the men with chests these days?? Oh , it is from the song Living on a thin Line.

"All the stories have been told Of kings and days of old, But there's no England now. All the wars that were won and lost Somehow don't seem to matter very much anymore. All the lies we were told, All the lies of the people running round, They're castles have burned. Now I see change, But inside we're the same as we ever were".....Ray Davies

C. S. Lewis Quote

This is one of my favorite C. S. Lewis quotes, I had to add it.

"We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and then bid the geldings to be fruitful."

Passive Sinners

There is a doctrinal fallacy that promotes the idea that all are sinners saved by grace and it does not matter what state of sin they are in. By other Bible passages this is unsound and a distorted doctrine. We are indeed sinners saved by the mercy and grace of God, but sin is never is to be an active role in the believers life. As the Apostle John writes in the passage of I John "if anyone says he is without sin he is a liar," also writes in the same passage, " I write these things so that you may not sin." This sound confusing but the New Testament encourages walking in the Spirit and to not follow the old pattern of the flesh. The sin nature is take on the passive role as we walk in the newness of life basically the regenerated life has taken over. There are times we may sin but dominant patterns and desires are to be broken before the true fruits of the converted life can take place.