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Belief in God is difficult. I cannot see him. If a tree falls, but I didn’t hear it, did it fall? If I cannot see God, is he there? How do I know I’m not in the matrix? How do I know I’m not just imagining my world? You say it’s God’s Spirit who is the author of Scripture, but how can that be if it’s humans who did the actual writing? Would I be a Christian if I was born somewhere else? Isn’t…

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“If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. . . For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:8,11).

Spoiled.

How many of us seek the riches of God and yet assume the absence of his…

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In the movie A Few Good Men, Colonel Jessep (Jack Nicholson) responds to Lieutenant Kaffee’s questioning saying, “You can’t handle the truth!”

We’ve all heard that quote before. And while we may want to feel the indignation and righteousness that Lieutenant Kaffee does, I believe we stop short of the truth in our own lives.

In Psalm 4:2 David describes the upside down nature of…

Estimated reading time in minutes: 3

Use what you have to create and make ideas understood.

Don’t write like me. Don’t talk like me. I already impersonate enough for people to feed on the echo for days.

The story of our time has a foil as complicated as Israel.

(more…)

I, by myself, am not a person¹

Living here and not yet. Communion acts in opposition to individualism. For a Christian the idea that religion and spirituality are private matters, is as biblically illiterate as the goalie presuming she does not need her team. You need all the saints and they need you. That desire for perfectness is sifted out by being with others. When you see the bigger…

Fictional Memoirs: Stone them

And you who judge – casting the blame, the indictment of shame – you have no excuse. You who caste indictment upon others in the name of being a good judge of character, you have no excuse. Justifying grounds for you are looser than an untied shoe. Alas, justice and fairness must be dealt. “Thank God I am not a woman,” you pray.

It is this self-righteous attitude that makes you high. And when…

Common Grace is why rain falls on the just and unjust. Saving Grace is why your heart is flesh

Know where you came from.

You came from falsehoods and pain. The shadow in the cave; the man enslaved. You came from death. Looking at reflections from the light; yet, you misunderstood them. Too bright to take flight, you couldn’t flee because God’s light made you free. But it was misunderstood.  (more…)

You’re most valuable possession

Options options options

Apple or Microsoft?

Private or public school?

Democrat or Republican?

The red pill or the blue pill?

Options options options.

Yesterday I had one. Today I have two. Tomorrow I’ll have too many and I’ll wish I had a clue. I’ll wish things were simpler. Remember Blue‘s Clues? When I was younger options seemed simpler. Like everything was almost color coordinated up to the…

Fictional Memoirs: Bad Christian

I’m a beggar telling other beggars where to find food.

Real food is needed. Real truth is where unction meets function. Disciples will not be made until our pride is reduced like hide.

Life is built upon life. Cheap tricks won’t save a life lost in a cave.  We won’t use banana splits or any other gimmicks that are only counterproductive and destructive.

How many times will the youth pastor shave…

Regress is when our communication reflex resembles a symptom and not a cure when we reach for our phones in times alone.

Progress is when our communication reflex resembles eye contact and action verbs as our phones die in the McDonald’s line.

And when I’m depressed you reflect the last things I’ve said. And when I’m down you’re up, so I want to keep you there by avoiding communications touch.

When I see you I try to consider your experiences. I try to consider your pain. However in vain, my attempts may be, I feel a need to continue this search committees plea. The search committee of all my thoughts and me. I play the songs on…

Doing the right thing is having integrity regardless of bling. Good is declining your selfish desire when it calls with a charming ring. Who’s phone call will you answer; God’s or yours? Ring ring … one is good and one is bling.

And I know I ought to do the right thing. As an Eagle Scout I know I ought to do a good turn daily. Slogans to help pave a pathway. Even miscellaneous things like eating…

Challenged.

Doing things with my hands.

Working, and learning, and making new friends.

I had inspiration today.

I went to write it down,

But by then it went away.

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I tried to write something new.

I grabbed my pen and notebook,

But then it became taboo.

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Each time I go to write

Interruptions come up

Something about this life.

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I had inspiration today.

I went to tell a friend,

But by then it went away. 

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I thought of a way to help.

I  figured I could do my part.

But I became…

Whenever we praise God, what do we do? We simply say what He is! “You are this and You are that.” There is no other praise. We cannot fetch anything from anywhere else and bring it to God. – C. Spurgeon.