I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately hoping to wake from a nightmare. But a knock at the door jolted me into reality. This was a nightmare of sorts, but one I was very much living. The nurse entered my room, checked to make sure I hadn’t harmed myself, and left as quickly as she came.Continue reading “The Crushing Burden of Shame”
Category Archives: Sin
Problem Gambling
Problem Gambling Awareness Month was observed in March with several items in our local media. This is an opportunity to consider what problem gambling is and how to prevent and recover from it. A working definition of gambling is essential: gambling is putting resources at risk of loss for gain with no significant knowledge ofContinue reading “Problem Gambling”
Killing Sin
The deadliest snake in the world is Australia’s inland taipan. The venom from one bite can kill 100 full-grown humans. Imagine you came home to find this venomous killer coiled up in your living room. What would you do? You wouldn’t encourage your kids to play with it. You wouldn’t keep it around as aContinue reading “Killing Sin”
You May Not Agree
Some of you will object to my saying this—but it is my opinion that in Christianity we have overemphasized the psychology of the lost sinner’s condition. We spend time describing the sinner’s woes and the great burden he carries until we almost forget the principal fact that the sinner is actually a rebel against properlyContinue reading “You May Not Agree”
Our Common Birthmark
Derek noticed his son didn’t want to take off his shirt to swim and realized it was because he was self-conscious about a birthmark that covers parts of his chest, belly, and left arm. Determined to help his son, Derek underwent a lengthy and painful tattooing process to create an identical mark on his ownContinue reading “Our Common Birthmark”
Staying Spiritually Healthy
Sin is a serious issue with God. He never winks at it or takes it lightly. Satan desires to desensitize Christians to the heinousness of sin. He wants you to stop mourning over sin and start enjoying it. Impossible? Many who once thought so have fallen prey to its power. It usually doesn’t happen allContinue reading “Staying Spiritually Healthy”
Sin in the Heart
When the Pharisees observe Jesus’ disciples eating with unwashed hands, they ask him why they do not follow the oral traditions of the elders. These were oral laws added to the Mosaic law in an attempt to prevent sin, and they stipulated that eating with unwashed hands defiled a person. Jesus’ two answers to theirContinue reading “Sin in the Heart”
The Root Cause
The twentieth century was the start of the age of high technology. The technological advances of our age have eclipsed all previous generations. It was the nineteenth century that evoked an unprecedented spirit of human optimism. The Enlightenment concluded that man no longer needed the God-hypothesis to explain his origins and purpose. An optimistic humanismContinue reading “The Root Cause”
Demons
In rare and agonizing detail, Mark describes the condition of a demon-possessed Gentile. According to the Jews, the man is already unclean because he is a Gentile, but living among the tombs at the demons’ behest makes him more so. No one can constrain him, not even himself. When anyone tries to bind him, theContinue reading “Demons”
The Pattern of Evil
After the flood, Noah and his family began to repopulate the earth. Noah’s descendants became hunters and builders. A new technology emerged to provide more stable and suitable shelter. Brick and mortar became the means by which whole cities could be built: “They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And theyContinue reading “The Pattern of Evil”
Intentional Faith 