Link: A Messy Incarnation
Energion author Bruce Epperly talks about the messiness of the incarnation in God’s Birth: It’s Fragile and Messy. I consider the incarnation to be the center of good Christian theology.
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We Have Sinned
This week as the story of yet another prominent Christian who had fallen passed through my news feeds, a young man who was pleading guilty to 18 counts related to sex with minors, I was led again to Daniel 9 and Daniel’s prayer of repentance. We argue about the impact of prayer and what God…
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Above and Below: Thoughts on Exodus 32
Yesterday I taught the Sunday School lesson for my class. The primary scripture was Exodus 32, the story of the golden calf. Our Adult Bible Studies title for the lesson was “The Permission Trap” and the goal was “To recognize the consequences of giving ourselves permission to do that which we know to be wrong.”…
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Proverbs 3:13-20 from the Daily Bible Study
Continuing my notes on the daily passages from this week’s lesson, I’m looking at Proverbs 3:13-20. I assume it’s clear to all that the subject is creation. We again find ourselves looking at God’s revelation through God’s work. I like to emphasize the importance of not just reading words from the Word of God, as…
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Psalm 19 for Sunday School
I’m teaching Sunday School this coming week, and the class uses the Daily Bible Study from Cokesbury. The first scripture for the week is Pslam 19:1-6. The lesson focuses on creation, so it’s not surprising that only the first six verses are used. Some scholars believe that Psalm 19 is two separate compositions. These first…
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When the Spirit Grabs You
… and it’s not fun! The temptation to domesticate God is strong. We say we are willing for the Spirit to use us, but are we willing to be used by the Spirit in ways we do not expect? AllanRBevere.com Be sure to read the rest.
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Overspiritualized Decision Making
The question came to me after I had been talking about intercessory prayer and hearing God’s voice, but it came as a surprise. “What should I do about sharing knowledge I get from God about other people? Can I tell other people so that we can pray more specifically?” I had not been talking about…
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The Danger of Making Things Tougher
I don’t spend a great deal of time talking about it, but following my MA in Biblical and cognate languages, I took one quarter in a MA in Theoretical Linguistics program. I had a full ride fellowship with a stipend, but after one quarter I resigned the fellowship and headed for more interesting places and…
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Signs and Guidance
Last night in our Tuesday night group we discussed signs and guidance. How does one get and follow the right guidance from God? We were reading the Matthew 2:1-12, and following my gospel parallels, I suggested a parallel reading of Luke 2:8-20, which we did. You have various signs, a report of scriptural interpretation, dreams,…
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What Is the Most Frightening Verse?
Pete Enns writes about what he believes is the most frightening verse in the Bible. His post is well worth reading. His verse should be frightening. He cites 1 John 4:7-8: Loved ones, let’s love one another, for love is from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. The one…
