Politics – Loving Neighbors and God
from a Biblical, Christ Follower perspective
WHY DO we call him, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what he says? (Luke 6:46)
Careful opinions from a life of prayer, Bible study, concern, ministry, study of this world, and teaching (high school and college).
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If We Slander God’s True Graciousness – We Should Apologize
Of course I have believed in "Grace"as a cardinal teaching of Christian faith, and as something that I, and we all, certainly need to understand more thoroughly, more extensively.But We Often Do Misunderstand God’s Grace, God’s Graciousness of Spirit.We...
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Turn the Other Cheek MEANS Resist Them Non-Violently
I. THE PROBLEM: Jesus says to turn the other cheek. [See a summary of this post.] Is it ever...
Good Oldies
It’s Not Foreigners, Atheists and Gays Who Must Turn! 2 Chronicles 7:14
In this Scripture it’s NOT the foreigners and unbelievers who have to “turn”! WHO ARE WE TALKING...
Main Issues – Key Articles Here
Politics, Economics
Extremism
Spirituality
Jesus, Prophets
Jesus and Racism – Samaritan Lives Matter – Black Lives Matter
Samaritans in Jesus' day were both religiously and racially despised. The phrase "Samaritan lives matter" would have been very offensive to the Jewish culture in which Jesus was raised and in which he was a teacher and doer of good. But to Jesus, clearly Samaritan...
Turn the Other Cheek MEANS Resist Them Non-Violently
I. THE PROBLEM: Jesus says to turn the other cheek. [See a summary of this post.] Is it ever appropriate for Christians to resist authority? Many of us feel there is much in the behavior of our national leaders that cries out for criticism and resistance. Are...
100 Quotes
Nerd alert! This is a list that used to be behind the quote widget on the upper right of the page. They are from various places, maybe half from my personal reading (books). I'm not documenting sources because I don't have time or did not record them. There's...
German Christians Sold Out to Power and Glory
[A Review of Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, by Charles Marsh, 2014] This book is not written to coddle nor to discomfort whatever our self-image is as American Christians today; Marsh is trying to show reality. To me, two eras of Bonhoeffer's life seem...
On War – and Its Effects on Humans
Quotes from the e-newsletter I get from Information Clearing House. ... the United States, for generations, has sustained two parallel but opposed states of mind about military atrocities and human rights: one of U.S. benevolence, generally held by the public, and the...
"THIS IS HOW they made the pleasant land desolate."
The Bible fairly often makes a direct connection between the desolation of a land (and its people - and, obviously, its economic life) and moral corruption in the people's prior social, legal, and economic patterns. Here's an example from Zechariah 7. The residents...
Why Many Christians Do Not Vote Republican
This was written about 12 years ago (as of today, in February 2017). Wow. And the problems remain, and have grown; which means these things still need thinking and talking about. References and Bible quotations...
Family Values, Christian Morality – Defended by Hitler
Current prominent figures, speaking words the "Christian Right" wants to hear, are not the first national leaders to use Christian morality as a rallying cry. These words are from 1933: "The National Government will preserve and defend those basic principles on...
The Love Off-Switch – Say “Abortion” and You Don’t Have to Love Your Neighbors!
“ABORTION!” Some people do abortions!That settles it. I literally can ignore my neighbor whom, as it says in 1 John, I “CAN see” – because some people offend against unborn children. Maybe you didn’t realize that anyone sinning anywhere – if it’s a sin...
You MUST Obey? No. You Are Not a Dog. Romans 13.
Top US Government Officials Say the Bible Requires Us to Obey Them. NOT. Here is the audio of my recent sermon on that. Below are quotes from Romans 13, a passage the Attorney General referenced, and a couple outlines of key points. Romans 13:1-3 Let...
Are YOU On This List Yet? We are All In Increasing Danger.
TARGETED! One way or another, THESE people, mostly fellow American citizens - all fellow humans and all loved by God - THESE people are living in increased fear now compared to a year ago. "Making America Afraid Again" This is not a careful list; it's just...
NO RELIGIOUS BULLIES. We Must “Lift Our VOICES” – While We Lay Down Our SWORDS.
"Declare to my people ... their sins." Jesus, Isaiah, the prophets, the apostles - in all of them there's a STRONG Bible pattern of spiritual people speaking up about evil in society. Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet....
Christians & Churches Should Not Enforce the Bible on Us.
Here's another example of the misunderstanding and misuse of Scripture by the 'religious right'. This was quoted to me to show that no Christian could ever vote for Democrats. "Don't you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all...
The Civilized Are Responsible
Originally published in 1976. My how times have not changed. The civilized have created the wretched, quite coldly and deliberately, and do not intend to change the status quo; are responsible for their slaughter and enslavement; rain down bombs on defenseless...
Theocracy (Religion Runs the Government) – We Would Deeply Regret It
I am a church person, a person of faith. But I don't think we need a government that rules as if it were the voice of God. This nation's Constitution was written partly in order to help us avoid theocracy. Unfortunately there are Americans today who clearly think the...
Fascism Appearing In America (says “The American Conservative” Magazine)
I've written some articles comparing America today to Hitler's Germany; and it seems it's not just me being paranoid and over-reactive. That concern is appearing in a number of places. Now The American Conservative magazine is running an article, "Hunger for...
7 Signs of a Healthy, Christ-Following Christian Faith
Unhealthy, dangerous forms of “Christianity” seem epidemic today. Are there healthy forms? Here, I believe, is a good example, from the church I attend. A summary of priority concerns of a Christ-following, healthy faith. 1. We strongly emphasize...
6 Lessons from New Testament Church Life: Diversity! & Jesus – Justice, Mercy, etc. – ACTS
This short list is a result of a number of hours I spent in the New Testament’s “Acts of the Apostles” recently. I believe there is some valuable teaching here. Headline 1 below gives two preliminary safety measures for Bible study. Headline 2...
Jesus Pushes Us to Judge Our OWN Lives – Not Other People’s
Jesus was a highly respected teacher of morality and of the spiritual life. So, logically enough, a man asked him to take a stand on a moral issue between the man and his brother (Luke 12:13-15) - Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to...
Let’s Build The Kingdom. Jesus said, “Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God.”
"Over and against these senseless modern myths ... there is the "myth" of the God of goodness who has chosen people to prepare a kingdom of justice, truth, and love on earth. This myth dies hard. Why should we refuse to admit that Christ taught it to us?" [from Andre...
If You Do Not Love Your Neighbor Whom You CAN See – Can You Love God?
The author of "1 John" makes a simple, blunt, very logical analysis of our emotional attachments - or professed attachments. (1 John 4:20) If you do not love your brother whom you can see, how can you love God whom you cannot see? Well, John, that's easy! We do...
Is Trump a Christian? What Does It MEAN to Believe in Christ?
There was some excitement among certain Republican Christians when Dobson said Trump had become a "baby" Christian and should be cut some slack on that basis. Two problems with that: A novice at practicing the Christian faith is not someone we should automatically...
Two Types of Religion – Authority vs Love
Seems to me there are obviously two primary modes for religious practice in this world. That amazement is the opposite of complacency and self-satisfaction. And that gentleness is very different from constant critique and...
The Quiet Places in Our Lives Make Our Public Activity Safer
Contemplation and Public ActionThe public good is most in danger when the voluntary visits to contemplation are neglected in favor of immediate communitarian action.We don't have to go off and become full-time contemplatives. But times of stepping aside from the...
It’s Not Foreigners, Atheists and Gays Who Must Turn! 2 Chronicles 7:14
In this Scripture it’s NOT the foreigners and unbelievers who have to “turn”! WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? Bible passages were not written to us personally. We are looking over the shoulders of people long gone – trying to learn important things about...
Advent: Christ Has Come. So, What Do We Have TO DO?
CHRIST HAS COME. SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO? 1. STAND ALONE “Peter … asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘… what is that to you? You must follow me.’” John 21:21,22 If Christ is really present to us in this world, we have to personally...
The Moral Priorities of Jesus – What Did Jesus Teach?
He said, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' but do not do what I say?" Maybe he meant it. This short book (40 pages) is available as a free pdf, or as a paperback at LULU.com (see the links below). It treats the following issues. Here, each chapter title is followed by...
Are Economic Matters a Moral Issue? Isaiah Thinks So.
In spite of Isaiah, and other Bible sources, we’ve all heard this - something like: I. It is NOT the government’s place to interfere in economic matters - tell people how they should spend their money or how they should treat their employees. That warps...
Prophets MUST Improvise, In and For Our Cities – a review of “Resurrection City” by Peter Goodwin Heltzel
The prophet’s task is to “reorder” and “refashion” the urban environment to be more just and peaceable. Yet ... the work of social transformation must be based on a deep inner transformation. That's the burden of this excellent book (quote from p97). Resurrection City...
Why I Pay Priority Attention to Jesus Christ
WHY? Why should we focus any more on Jesus Christ than on Abraham or Moses or Isaiah? Or on the laws in the Bible, or prophecy, or the end of the world? Is focus on Jesus more needed than pointing out sins – especially other people’s sins? Is Christ actually more...