LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas
Any thinking person could have seen it coming.
In America particularly, we have made Christianity a genie in a book (some in a bottle) that serves our every need. God forbid that we ask our religion, the God OUT THERE, to do something and He doesn’t. Come on, you’ve been THERE: felt and thought those thoughts. Just when you were getting ahead, your AC unit breaks down in July. Of all times. What’s up with this God?
Continue reading ‘A Known Need for God’
April 9, 2006 - Jesus didn’t come to start a new religion (Christianity), but to reform an old one (Judiasm): one He defined as the Kingdom of God. He saw Himself as the Jewish Messiah, which has nothing to do with being the 2nd person of the trinity or the incarnate son of God.
I don’t know about you, but I thought I had this “Christian thing” down. After all, what pastor, minister, priest, rabbi, guru doesn’t? While it was never easy, I seemd to be cooperating with God and had things “under control”. Life was good!
Suddenly fifteen months ago it all began to get much better!
Translation please?
Continue reading ‘Are You Coming?’
Why is it so difficult to have an open, tolerant, and civil discussion with most Christians? Do we blame it all on Martin Luther? Is it a “protestant spirit” of division? I know that I used to be LESS tolerant in my early Christian walk which was a combination knowing it all and being a fundamentalist. Seriously, everyone I ran with just KNEW WE WERE RIGHT! What we couldn’t figure out was why so many other people couldn’t get it.
But, the older I get the LESS I am convinced I know anything for sure.
Continue reading ‘Don’t Fear the Truth’
We’re now just two weeks from Easter: a day of glorious celebration for all Christians, especially those that have been observing Lent in some fashion. I’ll be there when they open the doors at Starbucks Sunday morning. 
I just want to share one brief thought that occurred to me recently. And it has to do with the relationship of Jesus and John the Baptizer (no he wasn’t a Baptist).
Continue reading ‘John the Baptizer’
I was first told location, location, location.
And then it was context, context, context.
Location was the three most important things to determine real estate value. Context was the three most important things to determine how to interpret the Bible. I was taught context two decades ago, but evidently my hermeneutical elevator of understanding did not go to the top floor.
Continue reading ‘Follow the Map’
How about a little thinking? Would you believe deep thinking?
What IF God didn’t say?
I have a couple of images of bumper stickers in my mind. One of them that I’m seeing now reads something like this- “God Said It! I Believe It! That Settles It! It never made any sense to me when I first read it. I mean, what does my BELIEVING have to do with it. If God SAID IT, that settles it, my opinion notwithstanding. I know the intent though.
Continue reading ‘Proclaiming His Word’
Easter is coming and wild ideas are coming faster than rabbits!
It seems that the Lenten-Easter season is a time for crazy religious and pseudo-spiritual ideas to proliferate like a colony of rabbits. And probably chief among them will be the book converted into a movie- The Da Vinci Code! The songwriter, turned author, Dan Brown, has made a lot of money on the book and I am sure the movie will do the same. Like Mel Gibson’s Passion though, it’s unfortunate that millions of people will have their theology defined through the movies and not through the Bible.
Continue reading ‘Which Pill?’
April 2, 2006 - Jesus is neither liberal or conservative, but a Kingdom candidate. There is no doubt that Jesus felt that He was the fulfillment and consummation of Israel’s long line of prophets. He knew that He was Israel’s Messiah which is an entirely different concept than incarnation. He offered to Israel and the world an entirely new social order and way of life.
Onward With Judas
In addition to the Da Vinci Code battle that was played out in a court room in London, England today, the approach to Easter is now producing yet another turmoil.
Can you say JUDAS?
I’ve already posted my thoughts on the Da Vinci Code two weeks ago, March 29th to be exact, and you can go back in the archives and read that if you missed it and are interested. So onward with Judas!
Continue reading ‘Onward With Judas’