Question: “If God created all things perfect, and without sin, then how could the Devil have possibly fallen?” (From S. in Roanoke)
My Answer: This question was posed to me at a small group meeting in Roanoke, Va. In clarifying the question, the issue was this: If everything was good, without evil at all, then how could it happen that a perfect, sinless being would possibly sin in the first place. Good question. Continue reading
I must confess that often the reason I write one of these small essays is when something ticks me off. And, you guessed it, again something has rubbed me the wrong way. Actually, it has been something percolating for a time in that part of my brain that registers frustration and irritation. A few things I have heard recently have now caused the percolation to increase to a boil. Here is what I am upset over…
I am pretty tired of any time a Christian makes a statement that a certain behavior is sinful, as defined by the Bible itself, then that person is branded as intolerant and mean-spirited. I am tired of preachers and teachers being labeled as judgmental any time they address the issue of sin, especially specific ungodly actions. I am tired of parents, teachers, and church workers being castigated as being legalistic whenever they expect Christians of any age, but especially children, to behave in ways that the Scriptures deem as righteous and godly. Bottom line: I am tired of being judged as unfair, unforgiving, and ungracious when I simply agree with what the Bible says about sin, wickedness and evil. Continue reading
Imagine that by just sitting quietly for 20 minutes two times a day and easily chanting a simple, “meaningless” word you can alter your heart rate, lower your stress level, change your thinking, revitalize your physical body, and achieve spiritual bliss. Wow! Sign me up. As overly simplistic as this sounds, it is one of the basic claims that Transcendental Meditation, or TM, has been making for the past 40+ years.
TM is a popularized and simplified form of Hindu practice that was brought to the West by a Hindu guru called Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Maharishi (meaning “great sage”) was catapulted onto the world stage in the late 60’s by the Beatles. Soon TM was all the rage among rock musicians and film celebrities. Its claims to positively affect the physical and mental health of practitioners caused it to be taught in government institutions, from elementary schools to federal prisons. It main PR approach was that it was not a religious exercise, but a mental health discipline—available to anyone. Continue reading
I have a confession to make. I am an information junkie. I am addicted to facts and data. I guess this is why I love trivia so much.
Love it? Indeed, I do. Trivia intrigues and captivates me. All kinds. Except about sports. Sports holds almost no interest for me. (Unless it the physics of why a curve ball curves. Now that is interesting!) Everything else is fair game. Like… Continue reading
One thing I have learned through the years—you can’t box God in. You can’t put HIM in a little, narrow confined space and say, “This is who God is and this is what He will do. And He CAN’T do anything else.” I can promise you, every time you try this, He will prove you wrong. Continue reading
TRUTH BUILDERS MINISTRIES 