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Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’

The Devil and Lent

March 2nd, 2015 No comments

In this current age of technology and science, it is difficult for us to realize that one of the most important incidents reported in the Bible for understanding the Christian faith is about an evil spirit referred to as “Satan” or “the devil.”  The particular incident I am referring to is Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by Satan for forty days, related to us in Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-2.  (FYI: “Satan” is the Hebrew proper name of the supreme leader of evil spirits opposed to God; “the devil” is the Greek rendition of the original Hebrew proper noun; both mean the same.) Read more…

Something We all Can Give Up for Lent

February 22nd, 2015 No comments

For Western Christianity, February 18 was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  For as long as I can remember, I have heard Roman Catholics and Protestants of many denominations talk about what they are giving up for Lent.  I was reared in a Congregational Church, known now as the United Church of Christ.  We knew what Lent was, and there was mention of Lent from the pulpit.  But, as I remember, there was no emphasis on giving up anything.  Certainly, my parents, who were very active in the Church, never talked about it with my brother and me.  As an ordained clergyman, I have pretty much adhered to my childhood rearing, and I never stressed the need for, or the importance of, giving up things during Lent. 

 

But this year I am changing that.  I know of something that we all can and should give up–Roman Catholics, Eastern Christians, and every Protestant regardless of his or her denomination.  But before I get to that, in order to have a better understanding of the Lenten season, let’s just review some basics. Read more…

Will Your Foundation Pass Inspection?

December 31st, 2014 No comments

Throughout the world at the present time, there is an activity being carried on that has been in existence in some form since the beginning of civilization.  However, since World War II it has been on a steady increase, and now we find it in just about every direction we look.

 

Yes, in just about every direction we turn our heads we see people building.  Buildings—of all different sizes and shapes, constructed of all types of materials, and for a variety of purposes—are being built.  And there is one thing that all of these buildings must have in common to pass inspection: a solid and secure foundation.

 

If a building doesn’t have a good foundation, it won’t make any different how much money is spent on it or how well it is built.  It will not be long until the windows begin to jam, the plaster cracks, and the floors buckle.  One must have a secure and solid foundation upon which to build.   

 

What we have been saying about buildings is also true of people—we must have a solid and secure foundation for our lives.  There was an Episcopalian clergyman I was acquainted with who wore a size “tipple D” shoe.  His foot was so big he was fondly referred to as “Reverend Footsie.”  But this is not the kind of foundation I am referring to: I’m thinking about the foundation to man’s soul, the foundation to one’s very house of life. Read more…

Mary and Joesph

December 20th, 2014 No comments

Year after year Christians around the world celebrate Christmas by focusing on the story of the first Christmas as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (1:18-25) and Luke (1:26-38; 2:1-20): the story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus.  We concentrate on the same details each year: that Mary was a young woman, had not been intimate with any man, yet gave birth to Jesus as a result of God’s selection of her to be the mother of the Messiah, and that she gave birth to Jesus in a stable; and that Joseph was a carpenter by trade, kind hearted, a devout Jew, a good father to Jesus, and a very caring wife to Mary.  The purpose of this week’s article is to look at some aspects of Mary’s and Joseph’s lives less often written or talked about.

 

We do not know exactly how old Mary was. Read more…

Celebrating Christmas

December 15th, 2014 No comments

 

It was about 2,044 years ago, in 30 B.C., that there was a great celebration throughout all of the Roman Empire, especially among Roman leaders.  The Roman army became the supreme ruler of the land, and the ships of the Roman people became the rulers of the sea.  There was no question that Rome was the ruler of the world as it was known at that time.

 

There appeared to be much glory and splendor throughout all of Rome, but much of it was like surface skin that covers deep and fatal sores not visible on the surface—in this case, the hidden resentment of the common people.  They were poor.  And more than being poor, the common people were terribly mistreated.  Cruelty seemed to be the policy of the government toward them.  As far as the common people were concerned, there was no hope for the future, and they had become depressed, despondent, easy to mistreat, and subjected to becoming slaves.

 

But one night all of this changed when, in Bethlehem, a young girl, unknown to the world, gave Read more…

Ingenious Compromise: Reason for Hope

August 1st, 2014 No comments

Here are some headlines appearing in major newspapers recently:

  • “A Deeply Divided Supreme Court . . .”;
  • “Divided Congress is Deeply Fractionalized . . .”;
  • “The Deep Divide in Congress . . .”;
  • “Obama Warns a Divided Congress . . .”;
  • “The Sharp Political Divide in America . . .”;
  • “The Most Divided Congress Ever . . .” 

These stories all suggest that the United States today is so divided along political lines that the politicians are unable to pass meaningful legislation and that judges (even in the Supreme Court) are unable to make unbiased legal decisions.  But does a sharply divided America necessarily mean that no meaningful legislation can emerge from our political leaders on both sides of the aisle?  I don’t think so!  Read more…