Taking the “abracadabra” out of understanding the workings of the Holy Spirit is important if, well, we truly want to understand those workings at all. Popular religion operates according to childish, magical notions of faith. The Holy Spirit is treated as a sort of divine
“If we live by the Holy Spirit, let us be guided by the Holy Spirit” (Gal 5:25) Some may think that being a Gay Christian is almost in-compatible. It is in some people’s mind an oxymoron. There are many other adjectives I have heard used
“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” -Job 33:4 “Don’t forget to breathe.” My girlfriend used to say this to me quite frequently, most often when she would instinctively know that I was under stress. It
It might surprise many of you that I am a very theologically conservative Christian! I believe in the virgin birth of Jesus; the Resurrection; the Ascension of Jesus into heaven; His Sacrifice that covers over all of our past, present, and future sins. I also
We all want to have the last word. In any argument, we want to win. When we hear others argue, we can hear how silly it sounds. All that wearying back-and-forth, when in the end, neither will admit to having lost. But when the fight
“I can never forgive myself for that.” How many times have we heard someone utter those words with a genuine sense of sincerity, spoken them ourselves, or experienced that thought as a feeling? It’s a phrase that a great many of us are likely to
It is easy to forgive those who forgive us. It is even easier to forgive those who love and support us. Or is it? Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me
It was just after the beginning of 2011 when I began to work out in earnest. It wasn’t because I had made a New Year’s resolution to get in better shape. I started, honestly, because I had time. I was terribly underemployed at the time,
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV) I’m getting old. Well, not really old, I suppose, but I recently turned forty-nine. So now I’m middle-aged. And I suppose
We talk about new pursuits and new beginnings. It seems that new and improved is all that is important. Scriptures each week push my thoughts in the direction of new. The word new and variations occur in the Bible over one hundred and fifty times.