Thoughts

Like other Christians, I've wondered how it could be true that God both directs the course of history and gives humans the freedom to make their own choices. More specifically, I asked the common question, "Do we choose salvation, or does God choose it for us?" Calvinists in the Reformation argued that God determined, or predestined, who would be saved and who would not be saved, but like many others, this led to what I thought of as an unjust God because it meant he condemned some and saved others. Putting aside for the moment this false assumption of God's possible injustice-- indeed, none of us deserves salvation, and God's choosing salvation for anyone is a grace those saved didn't deserve-- what I ultimately wondered about was God's sovereignty versus our free will. In my late teenage years, I thought I had solved the problem easily with a single verse: Romans 8:29, which reads, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the i...

*Note: In the following post, I am heavily influenced by a pastor named Bob Shirock. Specifically, Shirock writes about Solomon's response to the pleasures he experienced in life in Ecclesiastes, and observes that we can enjoy pleasures in life if we accept them as God's gifts, and if we express our gratitude in their enjoyment. He cites Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 and 1 Timothy 4:1-5. I’ve noticed something about pleasure: the highs can be followed by lows. This sounds obvious, but what I mean is that times of joy and fun in life's pleasures are wonderful, and can lift your spirits for a time, but they can be followed by a disappointment that comes from the realization that they are short-lived and will not satisfy us in the long-term. I’m calling this a pleasure hangover. We gain happiness for a time, but see that this happiness is temporary. We therefore feel a subsequent low that leaves us still longing. It reminds me of a theme in the life of C.S. Lewis: sehnsucht , or a wist...

As I studied evangelism, I was impressed by how much Jesus talks about growth in the kingdom of God (Mathew 13: 18-23, 24-29, 31-33). In fact, salvation and sanctification are both part of the Christian experience. We are to be apart not only of others’ salvation, but of their growth, as well. Jesus said as much in Matthew 28:19-20 when he commanded his closest followers not only to “make disciples” and baptize them, but also to teach them to obey everything they had learned from him. For the Christian who is sharing the gospel, however, we may not always see the results of our ministry. Still, Scripture assures us that God will multiply our work and lead to growth of God’s kingdom. This starts with planting a seed. Read, for example, 1 Corinthians 3:6-9: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one pu...

The dragon said he wanted more, So when he left, there were but four The gnome preferred we let her be, Then soon we saw there were but three The giant wanted something new Alas, we found there were but two And last, I set the puppy free And now I saw there was but me.

An article in the OurDailyBread website, titled "Evangelism in the Twenty-First Century," begins with a quote from George Barnum. It reads, "We are physically detached from each other. We change places of residence frequently. One survey revealed that seven in ten do not know their neighbors. As many as one-third of Americans admit to frequent periods of loneliness, which is a key factor in the high suicide rate among the elderly.” (1) As a Christian, I have heard the message that others don't want to hear the gospel. They don't want to be evangelized. They want to be left alone. Yet, here is a quote that is especially pertinent during this coronavirus scare. It shows that loneliness can have life and death consequences. In fact, Tim Keller, in a lecture titled "How to Become Evergreen" (April 30, 2020), highlighted a recent Harvard report, which studied the importance of church attendance. The author of that study reported a 68 percent drop in the like...