NowTHINK!AboutIt

God Speaks To Us – Abraham

March 31, 2009 by EnnisP 11 Comments

Abraham Didn’t Find God
He Recognized Him

Abraham is usually recognized as the founding leader of the Jewish religion and he definitely was one of the more prominent contributors. The interesting thing is, much of what he did religiously he received from his ancestors and, other than Abraham’s descendants being selected as the guardians of God’s revelation, there were only two new developments in this religion during his lifetime.

He didn’t wear different clothes or “move his affiliation” or modify his diet. The only additions were:

The institution of circumcision and
The naming of Canaan as the eventual home of those who followed.

Taken together, these additions don’t add up to massive religious changes but both were an inconvenience to Abraham, especially the land issue. It was a constant source of irritation.

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On a religious level, not much changed during his life but on a personal level, his world was turned upside down. [Read more…] about God Speaks To Us – Abraham

What Is the Significance of the Resurrection?

March 31, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

This question is usually broached on a theological level and is defined primarily in terms of the atonement with an eye to the future, beyond this life. For example,

The resurrection is proof that Jesus’ death solves our sin problem and God’s wrath has been abated giving us hope in the eternal sense of the word.

This definition, however, is attractive mostly to scholars musing in classrooms filled with theological fumes. It doesn’t do much for the average guy on the street trudging through the difficulties of day to day living, struggling with personal failure and chronic faults, and it certainly doesn’t parallel the first thoughts of the early disciples either. [Read more…] about What Is the Significance of the Resurrection?

Why Doesn’t God Speak To Us Normally?

March 20, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

God is equal and findable to every person.

He Isn’t In Your Face
But God Is Close

People often complain that God is neither visibly present nor audibly perceived and they are correct on both counts. I have never seen Him with the naked eye nor heard His voice and I’m okay with that. I’m a little unbelieving when others say they have. It’s a little scary.

That, however, doesn’t mean that God is distant or uninvolved or uncommunicative. He made extensive efforts to communicate with us, not just on the odd occasion, but throughout history. In fact, one New Testament writer captured the full extent of God’s effort to communicate in one very brief statement:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)”

In other words, God has spoken to us consistently over a long period of time (most of human history) and has used a variety of methods to do so. He didn’t sit idly by, watching while history and the people in it stumbled along. [Read more…] about Why Doesn’t God Speak To Us Normally?

Contending For The Faith Or With The Faithful?

March 14, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Sovereignty.

Everyone believes in it but we don’t all measure it the same way. For some sovereignty means God has all the power and all the will. He isn’t just omnipotent He is dominant. Everything that is or will be, was determined (pre – before it actually happened) by Him (salvation particularly).

You can accept His outcomes and go with the flow or not, (you can only buck His plan if He decided you would, even if you didn’t want to) but you can’t change it.

In this scheme, God has pre-knowledge of all things because He planned it. He knew what would happen because He caused it. Taking this idea to its logical end, we don’t have to do anything. In fact, we can’t.

Do you have a career path? Only if God wants it. Can you tell us what it is? Only when God shows it. If God’s will is such, why do we need a will at all? [Read more…] about Contending For The Faith Or With The Faithful?

How Do Parents Earn the Trust of Their Children?

March 10, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Safeguard Trust And Children
Won’t Require
So Much Protection

Trust. Without it, everything falls apart, especially in a family setting. When it is assumed, our most important relationships are bound to fail and that leaves us feeling desperate.

Children can explore the world confidently only if home remains a safe place to recuperate from life’s inevitable bruises. When parents can be trusted to offer acceptance and understanding instead of criticism and rejection, they help insulate their children from the bad elements of the world. Unfortunately, kids often resort to the world because home has failed them. When children don’t develop a bond of trust with parents, home becomes an emotional prison from which they will do anything to escape. [Read more…] about How Do Parents Earn the Trust of Their Children?