NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Blinded by Religion

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What was religiously motivated in the Old Testament is politically managed today but without the moralistic, holier than thous overtones.

Religion Is Nice
Born Again Is Imperative

Most people think that religion can make a person better morally and bring them closer to God but that idea is far from true.  In fact, James said people who live a religious life and brag about it (bridle not their tongues) are delusional (James, chapter 1 verse 26).  According to James, a religious life is useful but not for moral improvement.

Take, for example, some of the religious regulations in the Old Testament and there were many.  Diet, food preparation, sewer management, dress code, work-rest cycle (time management), charitable practices, financial management, personal hygiene and medical procedures were all included in the religious code.  When James mentioned religion this is what he was referring to. [Read more…] about Blinded by Religion

How Are Money and Success Related?

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Christopher Morley said, 

“There are three ingredients in the good life:  learning, earning and yearning.”

If Morley’s statement is correct, we would understand that money is only one of three essential ingredients to success, not the essence of it, and in fact, any one of the three without the others is success distorted. [Read more…] about How Are Money and Success Related?

Most Everything About Prayer

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"Pray" is what we do when surrounded by well meaning but misguided people.

Praying For Unqualified Goals
Is A Waste Of Energy

Prayer is nothing more and nothing less than conversation. We call it prayer because it is a conversation with God.

Like all conversation it is a means of communicating and it has many styles, settings and purposes. [Read more…] about Most Everything About Prayer

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

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Would we approve if Hitler or Stalin had died as infants?

Humans Have God-Given Power
To Influence
The Balance of Good and Evil

It’s an age old problem. It happens in every generation. Good people die before their time, sometimes in horrible ways, or are disabled by unfair injuries or are crippled by unexpected financial loss…and we really get upset about this! Our sense of justice is offended.

When bad things happen to people we perceive as good, especially children, we become indignant. Why doesn’t God stop all the unnecessary pain and suffering? Why should any child be afflicted with disease, neglect or abuse? Why should any good person at any age endure painful experiences?

And the fact that God created the world in the blink of an eye begs the question. With all that power, why doesn’t He protect innocent people from bad things and prove to everyone how benevolent He can be? To any person who hasn’t become emotionally callous this is a fair and reasonable question but is it really an emotional issue? We can’t reasonably consider this question without asking several more questions first. For example… [Read more…] about Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

Did Jesus Heal To Show His Power Or Be Helpful?

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Jesus performed thousands of miracles.  He was constantly healing endless numbers of people. Some He raised from the dead.

He was sensitive to the needy and never avoided or resisted an opportunity to give His support. He even responded to basic human needs that were far from life threatening. He fed thousands who were neither poor nor malnourished on at least two occasions, possibly more. John did say Jesus performed many other miracles that were not reported.

But, the questions are:

  • Was Jesus being helpful or miraculous?
  • Was He being supportive or sensational?
  • Was He demonstrating usefulness or power?

These are important questions. They establish motive and we can never qualify as “followers” of Jesus if we don’t understand and adopt His motives.

[Read more…] about Did Jesus Heal To Show His Power Or Be Helpful?