viewoutsidethepew

Some Bible verses possess obvious teaching and potent value. Consider these two verses from Proverbs:

“Whoever ignores discipline despises self,
but the person who listens to warning gains understanding.
The fear of the Lord is discipline {leading to} wisdom,
and humility comes before honour” (Proverbs 15:32-33 God’s Word).

So you don’t like someone else pointing out your sins? And then you attack the very voice sent from God to discipline you. You don’t care enough about your soul and eternal matters to deal correctly with such words.

One must learn humility, Read more…

Truth often explodes out of fiction, and Jean de La Fontaine (July 8, 1621 – April 13, 1695) rates high. In his A Hundred Fables one finds the fable, “The Wolf Accusing the Fox”. The monkey acts as judge and makes this ruling:

“And hence I fine you both -…
You wolf, in short, as bringing groundless charges.
You fox, as guilty of it.”

I choose not to count how often innocent people have suffered terribly at the hands of false accusers Read more…

In the fall of 2011 I worked in Goderich following the tornado which struck on Sunday August 21. It offered many occasions to think about God.

For instance, people had their cars in garages and carports to keep them safe from burglars, bird droppings and the normal things. But the tornado knocked those structures down. The very thing that was intended to keep the vehicles (and other stored items) safe actually destroyed them.

So with us.

We join churches or clubs to keep us safe. But if they go bad they destroy us:

When a church or pastor teaches or lives contrary to the Bible God leaves;
When secret meetings happen, officially or parking lot, to have power over others;
When people choose one of their own who acts wrongly, over someone else, who, as a
servant of God walks in the Spirit;
When money is used wrongly;
When perverted people and abusers use it as a hunting ground;
When the members follow their own traditions instead of the hard guidelines of Scripture.

If you have anything other than the Holy and Almighty God as your protector beware. A “tornado” may come that will destroy you through the very thing you hide behind.

“How horrible it will be for those
who go to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who depend on many chariots,
who depend on very strong war horses.
They don’t look to the Holy One of Israel.
They don’t seek the Lord” (Isaiah 31:1 God’s Word)

Do you greet each day with anticipation?

On that first Easter morning the disciples were filled with grief. Sure, Jesus had told them that after three days death would be defeated. But surrounded by grief intellect does not rule the day. So they entered the day assuming defeat, again.

Read more…

Our Circle didn’t get together today, the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. And so I was not part of any ritual.

A part of me misses that because some parts of the ritual have emotional impact. Some parts I don’t miss, the fact that it repeats in identical (or at least very similar) routine year after year, for instance. Read more…