Tag Archives: christianity

Henry Van Dyke, poet, preacher, author, published a beautiful hymn in 1911. It is full of triumphal optimism, an optimism that sounded perfectly normal at that moment in time. Western Christian culture, European and American, had in the previous century, the 19th, seemingly conquered every conceivable challenge, whether in science or philosophy or mechanics orContinue reading “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”

 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.”                                                                                                                              Isaiah 58:3 NLT TheContinue reading “Fasting”

“If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”                                                                                                                                                  1 John 1:9 NLT Should Methodists confess their sins? The answer is a resounding yes. We will never in this life reach the place where we are sinless, as pureContinue reading “Confession”

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.                                                                                                                                                   Hebrews 10:35-36 For many people, “faith” is a means ofContinue reading “Faith”

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.                                                                        Hebrews 13:21 KJV Modern translations avoid using the word “perfect.” In the case of this verse consider some of these renderings: NLT “mayContinue reading “Perfect Repair”

Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!                                                                                                                                                  Zechariah 2:5 NLT As best we can tell, it is a historical fact that after the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Babylonians, probably in 586 orContinue reading “Physical and Spirital”

…to know the love the surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.                                                                                                                                                         Ephesians 3:19 NIV In that wonderful prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul exceeds even himself as he prays for the church in which both Jews and Gentiles have been brought together toContinue reading “Knowing What Can’t Be Known”

And God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.     Genesis 2:7 KJV                                                                                                                              Unto thee, O Lord, I do lift up my soul   Psalm 25:1 KJV                                                                                               A recent newspaper column raised the question: will artificial intelligence someday haveContinue reading “A Living Soul”

“When you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.  Deuteronomy 19:14 NLT                                                                                                                                One of the features of the pagan understanding of reality is that there areContinue reading “Boundaries”

There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them, you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere – on murder after another.             Hosea 4:1b-2 NLT The Prophet Hosea says there are three things wrong with Israel: they do not exhibit self-giving love,Continue reading “Knowing God”