Tag: SemonBytes

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Portending Apocalypse

apocalypseAs I read through various news articles related to the current anti-prayer culture war, my mind raced to memories of words I learned from the Biblical book of Revelation many years ago. The Apostle John relayed his vision of the future as given to him by God. He told of a day when the world would be in turmoil and people would stubbornly resist the call of God.

The refusal to repent is nothing new. We see it with Cain who failed to master his sinful thoughts before following through and murdering his brother Abel. The builders of the tower of Babel thought they could reach God without His help, and were scattered because of it. Noah preached the whole time he was building the ark. God didn’t want to bring the flood, but people continued in their anarchy and destruction. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah resisted the visitation of Angels and sought to harm them instead of receiving the grace that was available.

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Is Repentance Passe’?

repentanceI recently read a well-worded article written by a pastor about why he didn’t preach repentance. He pontificated eloquently about how such sermons place our focus in the wrong place and how thoughts concerning our failures diminish God’s marvelous work of grace.

I don’t know if this particular reasoning is the consensus of everyone in the modern grace camp, but there certainly appears to be a large number of Pastors and teachers who are avoiding the topic of repentance. I understand how appealing it can be to take our eyes off our short-comings and focus instead on the wonderful mercy and grace of God. Indeed, we should all spend more time reflecting and demonstrating our thankfulness for what the old song calls, “grace that is greater than all our sins.”

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The Search of True and Lasting Love

LoveFrom the Board Rooms of New York advertising agencies to school locker rooms, it is clear that we are all searching for true and lasting love. Billions of dollars, yen, sterling and other currencies trade hands every year in hopes that a product or service will somehow be the key to this elusive and priceless heart-cry.

In the process of this search, we have all been sold a bill of goods. The actors who portray perfect couples on television and movies, are often some of the worst at achieving lasting love. All too often, their home lives are a train wreck, plagued with unfaithfulness, abuse, divorce and brokenness. Their children often grow up confused and unloved – repeating the same mistakes in another generation.

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12 Scenes Where “Exodus: God’s and Kings” Misses the Mark

moses.exodusOkay, I know I am little late to the game, but Teri and I finally got a chance to see the DVD release of the latest Big Screen Moses movie. While the acting, production and direction were excellent, the storyline left a lot to be desired.

I understand creative license and the desire to create something unique and different. I even understand the drive to “fill in the gaps” where the historical record is silent. What I have never understood, or appreciated for that matter, is the need of some writers to change history in an attempt to create a more compelling story.

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11 Reasons Why Faith Is Not a Private Matter

privatefaithHow many times have you heard the refrain, “Faith is a private matter?” It has been repeated so often that it has become sacrosanct to many. The truth however is far removed from the rhetoric. It doesn’t matter how many times a lie is repeated or how profound it may sound, a lie is still a lie.

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“We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Church”

12 Biblical Reasons Why We Still Need Church

 

churchAccording to polls, per capita church attendance may be lower than any time in American history. Has the church-age run its course? Is church no longer needed except for the occasional wedding, funeral or concert?

If God has anything to say about it – and He does – church attendance is as important as ever.

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Why Glenn Beck is Dead Wrong!

glennbeckLast week I happened to catch a few minutes of the Glenn Beck radio program as the team was discussing comedian Louis C. K. ‘s monologue on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live. During the monologue, the entertainer joked about racism and child molestation. While some of his racism comments were perceived as controversial, it was the topic of molestation where I believe he really stepped outside the boundaries.

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Love Is A Verb

loveisaverb*** Warning Do Not Read this if you are a Hopeless Romantic ***

To be painfully honest, falling in love, as we have learned from our culture, is more related to the way we feel about ourselves than it is about the way we feel toward the person we are supposedly in love with. The romantic notions that pervade our modern minds and emotions are more rooted in the literary inventions of poets and storytellers than they are real life. Continue reading “Love Is A Verb”

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It’s All About Me

itsallaboutmeAttending a Christian concert last week, I was struck with how much some of the artists used the words “I” and “me.” I know there are many songs over the centuries that have used these personal pronouns, but it seems that more than ever, the Church is incorporating the philosophies of Carl Rodgers and Dr. Spock (The Physician not the Vulcan) into its theology. Continue reading “It’s All About Me”