With the Iowa caucuses less than a week away, we can already feel the breezes of the whirlwind that is a presidential election year. On the Democratic side, it has seemed like a fiat accompli that Hillary would be their candidate, though her past has made it more difficult than it might other wise have been. The Republican campaigns meanwhile, have been in overdrive for several months now and with the phenomenon of Trumpamania there has been plenty to debate and discuss. All of this on the heels of an Obama presidency that has left the majority of Americans unsatisfied and seriously concerned about the future. With fears of ISIS hovering over the us, the growing refugee crisis, the immigration problem, a languishing economy, and national debt spinning out of control, along with any number of other issues requiring strong leadership, many of us feel the urgency of the moment. This is not a year in which we can afford to swing and miss when it comes to electing our next president. Too much is at stake. That being said, we as Christians must be careful to keep a Biblical perspective or as Harry Blamiers said, to “think Christianly” as it pertains to this election. Paul understood....
"Taking Every Thought Captive" 2 Corinthians 10:5
Bill_Spanjer
New Year's Affirmations
It is funny how we as human beings love the idea of a fresh start. We get excited for the first day of school and convince ourselves that this year it will be different. Fresh notebooks, pens and pencils inspire us as the blank slate of a new school year holds out the possibility of great success. New Year’s provides that same hopeful anticipation, a chance to forget last years failings and start over; and hence the tradition of making resolutions. Unfortunately, our track record is not very good. Just as the new school excitement wears off in about a week and a half, so does the renewed commitment to eat healthy, hit the gym and lose weight in the coming year. Therefore I propose reciting some New Year’s affirmations this year instead of making another set of ill fated resolutions. That is, to be encouraged this year with some of the promises God makes to you rather than setting yourself up for condemnation by making dreamy eyed promises of your own. Perhaps we could take our cue from David in his familiar Psalm 23, a Psalm unfortunately relegated to funerals, but one that has a wealth of encouragement for the flock of God. David makes three affirmations in this Psalm that we would do well to recite to begin this new year. First...
Doesn't He Care?
It must have been brutal to have been one of those people who showed up to be healed by Jesus only to find out that he had just left the area. In Luke 4, after Jesus had healed Peter’s mother in law and many others he left and went off to be alone. The crowds, anxious to have him continue the amazing works he had been doing, pursued him and tried to convince him to stay. How many people hoped that this might be the answer to their prayers for healing only to be disappointed? How many people travelled some distance to get there and see him only to find out he was gone. When asked to stay, Jesus denied their request. He had come to teach, he said, and must go to others. How do we reckon with the painful reality that Jesus would not stay and heal the broken. How do we deal with fact that Jesus does not answer many of our prayers for healing and other good things? Didn’t he care? ...
Jesus' Censorship of The Gospel?
A few weeks ago I wrote about the amazing fact that the demons recognized and professed publicly the true identity of Jesus. I made the point then, that we must have much more than the faith of demons if we are to have saving faith. Well, one more word about the demon’s sermon in Luke 4. As shocking as it must have been to have a demon publicly announce the identity of Christ, perhaps even more shocking is the fact that Jesus commanded the spirits to be quiet and “would not allow them to speak because they knew that He was the Christ.” This is striking given...
Beyond The Faith Of demons
In what must have been a shocking moment in Luke 4:34, as the people were gathered for worship in the synagogue listening to Jesus’ teaching, when suddenly a demon burst forth in speech from the mouth of a possessed man. Contrary to the cursing one might have expected, Its’ words were perhaps the truest thing ever spoken in that synagogue. In some ways this demon preached the best sermon ever heard there. He yelled, “Jesus of Nazareth, have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Jesus’ true identity was being declared by this demon. In verse 41 we are told that...