It’s time to look at Justice and Love to the Ancient Ones. Remember, the ancient ones created our species. We had a lot to learn. Justice was important to the ancient ones, so they wanted us to share the same feeling about it. But justice, by itself, can be just as brutal as a world with no justice. And so, the ancient ones also taught us about love. But, it was a slow process.
Does God always give us what we want? There are certainly those who say the answer is yes. Especially if we have enough faith.
Judas made the deal with the Jewish leaders that led to Jesus being arrested, and eventually dying on the cross. But, was Judas saved? Did God love Judas enough to forgive him? Those are questions that seem to come up quite a bit when talking about Judas. Of course, we won’t know for sure until the next life. After all, God can do anything, can’t He?
Bible. Certainly, non-Christians might feel no obligation to obey it. But if we’re Christian, it’s not a suggestion. It’s not just a “nice” thing to think about. It’s a command! And there aren’t any exceptions to go with it.
The Bible says we should care for the poor. But do Christians know who is poor? I always thought, for the most part, it was pretty obvious who was poor and who was rich. Maybe the middle is hard to determine, but the rich and the poor? I didn’t think so. Then I read something this morning. It totally blew me away. Shocking.
Do you make Jesus pray in vain? If you’re like me, the answer’s yes. Way too often. Why does it matter? We’re still saved, aren’t we? What’s the big deal?
So, it begins again. I started active surveillance for prostate cancer early in 2020. Now, two years later, after surgery for removal became necessary, I’m in active surveillance for cancer again. We’ll get to how that happened in a moment. For today though, after going from surveillance to surgery and back to active surveillance, I can’t help but think about the guy in Mark’s Gospel who asked Jesus, “help me overcome my unbelief”.
Is teaching the Bible in public schools a good idea? Most non-Christians probably answer that question with a great big “No!” But what about Christians? Do Christians think it’s a good idea for public schools to teach the Bible?
How can I leave you again? Some of you will recognize that question as the title of a John Denver song. Others will be reminded of someone. But who? Who can we leave, return to, and the lyrics to the song apply?
Church words. They are a problem. A big problem. We (Christians) use words that we learn in church. We know what they mean. But that doesn’t mean everyone else does. It’s like slang words/phrases – figures of speech.
God and me - this life and the next 