Monthly Archives: July 2010

Thoughts on the bread of life: you are what you eat

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What happens when we eat, say, a piece of bread?

First, most foods are not bite-sized, so we have to cut it up, tear it apart, or bite off a chunk.  Second, when we put it in our mouth, we chew it. That breaks it up even more. Third, we digest it in our stomach and intestines, breaking it up very thoroughly. From there, it enters the bloodstream and is carried to every cell in our body.

On the last evening of his earthly life, Jesus broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take. Eat. This is my body” (Matthew 26:26).Earlier, he had claimed to be the bread of life in a synagogue filled with adversaries and disciples who then abandoned him.… Read the rest

All you need is love

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The Beatles claimed, “All you need is love,” but “Now That the Magic Is Gone” by Joe Cocker contains these words:

You know love can be tender
Love can be cruel
It can smile like an angel
While it treats you just like a fool
It captures and haunts you
Until you give in
And it starts the dice against you
In a game you never can win
Just when I was thinking
Maybe luck was here with me
You’re telling me it’s over
Say it’s time for breaking free

That’s love in popular song. Everyone has heard lots of songs about the magic and rapture of love, and many others about the pain when it ends.… Read the rest

Light, darkness, and the return of Christ

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Living by faith requires living not only in the light of the resurrection, but also in the hope of the return of Christ. Jesus himself said that he, in his earthly body, did not know when he would come back.  He told his disciples that they should always be ready, because a thief cannot surprise a homeowner who is watching.

There are times in my life when a promise of God seems so vivid that I’m sure it will happen in the next fifteen minutes. Then the waiting starts. I know I’m not alone. The whole church has been waiting impatiently for the return of Christ for about two thousand years.… Read the rest

Love your enemy: a dangerous prayer rewarded

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“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’ but I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”–Matthew 5:43-44 (NASB)

The Bible, Jesus in particular, has a way of commanding whatever is most counterintuitive. We are such creatures of the world that, even as believers in Christ, the ways of the world seem more normal than what Jesus asks. Here he tells us to love and pray for enemies.

I have prayed salvation for Osama bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and other enemies of America and Christ. I hope all my readers have, too.… Read the rest

How to become wise

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Want to be wise? Wisdom requires some knowledge, but think of wisdom, in part, as knowing what to do about knowledge. The book of Proverbs often personifies wisdom as a female character, sent by God to accomplish God’s purposes. It often presents wisdom as advice from parents to children (Proverbs 2:1-5). Wisdom consists of both moral instruction on how to live a righteous life and practical advice that covers a wide variety of situations. No one is born with wisdom, and no one becomes wise without effort.

Seeking wisdom

Read the scripture, emphasizing the “if” written or implied before every verb.… Read the rest

Church unity in little choices

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Methodist churches get their ministers by appointment from a bishop. After every annual conference, lots of congregations get a new minister. For all you Methodist readers who still have the same staff you had before, if your senior pastor has been appointed to his or her seventh year, chances are better than even that you will have a new one this time next year. Not everyone will be happy with the new minister. Some folks will wind up leaving that congregation.

Many other Protestant denominations call their own pastors. Changes of pastorates  occur at less predictable intervals. They can be very messy if a bare majority of the church wants to dismiss a pastor.… Read the rest

Learning what Satan is like–the hard way

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I suppose not many readers spend much time with 1 or 2 Kings or 1 or 2 Chronicles. That’s too bad, because the stories in the Old Testament often provide clear pictures off New Testament truths. Amaziah, a king of Judah who served God half-heartedly, illustrates what happens to the double-minded man mentioned in James 1:6-8.

This post will comment on the time when he was afraid that his army wasn’t strong enough for a war he wanted to make against Edom. He hired mercenaries from Israel, but then a prophet said if he let them fight, he would lose.

Amaziah fussed a bit about the money he had already paid for the Israelite soldiers, but before he went to war, he dismissed them.… Read the rest

Miracles explained by higher mathematics

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Edwin Abbott, an English classics scholar and theologian whose hobby was higher mathematics wrote a charming classic called Flatland 1880s. Flatland is a two-dimensional space inhabited mostly by various equilateral polygons and ruled by circles.

The narrator, A. Square, explains how two-dimensional objects can recognize each other’s shapes by calculating angles. Except for triangles, irregular shapes present a public danger and are not allowed to live. He also explained their culture and history.

In their year 1000, someone went insane and insisted that a third dimension existed. He caused quite a commotion until the circles passed harsh laws against proclaiming such a ridiculous heresy.… Read the rest

Finding blessing in dangerous situations

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“Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” — Judges 14:14 (NASB)

One day, when Samson was on his way to marry a Philistine woman, a lion attacked him. By the Spirit of God, Samson killed the lion. On the way back  home, he noticed that some bees had made honey in the carcass. He stopped to enjoy it. At the beginning of the wedding feast, he proposed a riddle based on the incident.

Let’s leave aside the fact that, as one living under the covenant of Moses, Samson had no business marrying a pagan.… Read the rest

The joy of forgiveness

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I found a very interesting post that lists 35 reasons not to sin. One person commented that knowing reasons is not enough to keep him from wanting to sin. That, in a nutshell, expresses the entire human condition. But sinning brings only momentary pleasure. Then it causes all the pain that the list enumerates. God hates sin, but longs to forgive the sinner. Forgiveness received brings  joy.

David described the process in Psalm 32. Where Psalm 51 describes his repentance for his sin with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, Psalm 32 describes his process of receiving forgiveness and the joy it brought.… Read the rest