Category Archives: Trogo 1: Something To Chew On

Get ‘Em Lost!

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I heard a really good Bible lesson recently at the Community Bible Study at ANM.  A good friend, and excellent teacher, Eric Vess taught on grace, basing his study on Galatians 3.  Wonderful stuff.  In this lesson, Eric was talking about how the law causes us to realize that we are sinful and in need of a Savior.  It is so important that people understand this.  As Eric stated, people need to receive the bad news before they are able to receive the Good News. Continue reading →

The Master Artist

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A fascinating book to read and ponder is The Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens.  Peter Hitchens is the brother of the late Christopher Hitchens, a noted journalist and outspoken atheist.   In this book Hitchens describes his journey to faith in Christ from a background in staunch atheism.  As the title indicates, he also deals with the anger so many atheists exhibit against God and religion.  He makes an interesting point.  Why are the atheists so angry?  If we believe in God, and they don’t, so be it.  Why not just let each person have his own beliefs?  Why be so enraged about the whole thing?

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One Way

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I became a Christian during the Jesus Movement of the early 1970’s.  I look back with a fond nostalgia to that time.  It was an exciting time to be alive, to be a believer in Jesus.  Yes, there were many troubling things happening in our country, in the world.  Yet despite the troubles God was moving in mighty and dramatic ways.  How many thousands, if not millions, of young people came to Christ during that time?  Some of the excitement of that era is captured in the film Woodlawn.  (If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out.)  At the climax of the movie emphasis is placed on an iconic image from the Jesus Movement—the “One Way” symbol.  It was a common emblem in those days.  Young believers would hold up their hand with the index finger extended.  You would see posters emblazoned with a picture of a hand with one finger raised, boldly proclaiming “One Way.”  (I used to draw that symbol on the back of my school notebooks.)  It was a simple yet effective statement of faith in Jesus.  We all were declaring, “Jesus is the only way!” Continue reading →

Alchemy in the Academy

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JosephWright-Alchemist-CroppedSomething dangerous and scary is probably occurring right now at a university or college near you.  It may be disguised as a seminar on wellness, a class on well-being, or a conference on integrative health.  You might find it listed in the college catalog in courses labeled “Mindfulness Training” or “Contemplative Learning.”  It could more blatantly be offered as a program for student/faculty that utilizes yoga, Tai Chi, or meditation as an aid to mental and physical health.  And usually somewhere in the literature for this seminar, class or program you will find references to the “wealth” of scientific evidence that proves that mindfulness (or yoga, or contemplation, or whatever) is proven to be the panacea for all ills in body and soul. Continue reading →

Pray!

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On this site I have often addressed current trends in our culture.  Reviewing many of them presents a rather bleak picture of our society.  Morally and spiritually America is on the skids, it seems.  Is there any hope at all?  Yes.  We still have hope that God can send another Great Awakening to this land.  He has done it before, several times.  He can do it again.  The key to such an awakening is for the church to humble itself before God and enter into a season of fervent prayer.  Prayer is the key.  Recently I was part of a three week prayer effort in my local church.  As part of this effort, I prepared a series of devotional reflections about the importance of prayer.  Many of these offered practical instruction on how to pray more effectively.  If you would like a copy of this 21 Days of Prayer then you can download it from here.  Just click on 21 Days of Prayer.