Let's Go Back to the Bible

Thought for the Day (Page 129)

Humanizing unborn babies

Did you see the Super Bowl commercial of a soon-to-be dad eating a bag of Doritos, while an ultrasound was being performed on his unborn child? The commercial showed the unborn child reaching for the Doritos in whatever direction the dad moved his hand. Well, wouldn’t you know it, somebody didn’t like the ad. Specifically, a pro-choice group called NARAL tweeted that the…

“You’re right! You’re not strong enough!”

A friend of mine was going through a series of very difficult trials, and the troubles seemed to keep piling higher and higher. Like many of us who have been challenged by the adversities of life, this fellow Christian dispiritedly texted, “I’m not strong enough for this,” but probably did not anticipate the response that began, “You’re right! YOU are not!” How many…

The power to rebuke

When properly applied, the action of “rebuke” involves one, who is in a position of authority, severely censuring another. The Greek word for “rebuke” (epitimao) is found in 29 verses of the New Testament, and interestingly, 27 of the 29 verses are in Matthew, Mark and Luke. The Bible tells us that Jesus “rebuked the wind” (Luke 8:24). Isn’t that a cool…

“And” is such a big word!

Antidisestablishmentarianism is a big word. 28 letters. That’s pretty big! Have you heard of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis? It is supposedly a lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. 45 letters. That’s really big! But the 3-letter word “and” is even bigger! “And” is a coordinating conjunction, which is a part of speech that grammatically joins parts of a sentence that are equal (in importance…

What brand of paper do you use?

Go back 2,000 years and imagine explaining to someone all of the different brands and styles of paper that are available today. If someone is looking for plain white, 20 Lb., 8.5″ x 11″ paper, there are over 20 different brands (at least from my brief search). What! It’s just plain, white paper! Why are there so many different varieties? Why can’t we…

Is it ever ok to be angry?

When Moses came off of Mount Sinai and caught sight of the golden calf, his “anger became hot”  (Ex. 32:19). Was Moses wrong to be angry at Israel’s idolatry? When Jesus came into the temple and caught sight of “those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables,” “He made a scourge of cords, and…

Only loving parents discipline

“Mom, I thought you loved me!” “I do love you, sweetheart!” “Then, why did you spank me? If you loved me, you wouldn’t spank me!” “I disciplined you because I love you! If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t discipline you!” How many parents have had a conversation like that? Discipline, to a child and some outsiders, seems so unfair and so unloving.…

Looking for youth ministers

For more than 50 years, the question has been raised as to whether it is proper for the church to hire full-time “Youth Ministers.” This article is not about that question. For nearly 2,000 years, the church has desperately needed more and more “youth ministers.” Please notice the difference in spelling between the first and second paragraphs. The responsibility of Christians is…