For too long, I justified myself with the excuse that dancing with the devil was justifiable—if I didn’t slow dance. I’d edge as close to overt sin as I could without stepping over the line. Close enough to get some pleasure, but not too close to get trapped, to have guilt overwhelm the good times. In high school days, how much physical contact with girls was acceptable before it became sin? That became more subtle as an adult, how much information could I withhold, without actually lying, to give myself an advantage? Or, while remaining a nice guy, what balance should I strike between serving others and using others to serve myself? These are just a few of many cases I could list. That was fast dancing with the devil. Some…
Read MoreSurrender
Following Jesus is a dance, of hopes, expectations, wondering and sometimes doubting. Just how much power does God have? Do our choices have consequences? Is there a key to unlocking God’s power in our lives?
Read More
An Unchanging Frame of Reference
On evening on a recent trip to Palm Springs, Sheila and I grabbed our drinks and settled in on our patio to watch the night emerge over the mountain range across from us. As the sky darkened, we spotted a blinking red light in the sky, kind of like an airplane but without moving. UFO perhaps, to hover that that? Then Sheila said…
Read MoreLooking to Heaven
A week or so ago, some friends and I got in a discussion about what we know of heaven. Jesus gave us some clues, and we’ve seen some media, like the movie Heaven is for Real and the still bestselling book 90 Minutes in Heaven. I believe in heaven for those who choose to follow Jesus, and want to spend more than 90 minutes there! But I sometimes suspect that focusing too much on eternal life in heaven can distract us from…
Read MoreBeen There, Done That
I enjoy talking about God stuff, with those who follow and who don’t. Among the latter, I’ve often heard, “Been there, done that. I tried Jesus, but it just didn’t work for me.” Sometimes they’d explain why, and a thought came to mind. Not for all, but I know some of them fairly well. Perhaps they hadn’t fully tried Jesus--they just got vaccinated against him.
Read MoreWhen Knowing Hurts Knowing
I lean to rationalism, with a decent desire to know more, to question, to search. Many verses encourage that spirit: test everything, study. But one quest to learn more about God damaged my faith. Here’s how, maybe you can relate.
Read MoreNot a Safe God
In CS Lewis’ classic children’s tale for adults, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tell the children about Aslan, a mighty lion, a Christ-figure. The leery children ask, “Then he isn’t safe?”
“Safe?...Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”
Many desire a safe God, one who saves us, who helps us, but doesn’t disrupt our lives. But Jesus challenges us to transcend the fatal disease of complacency that afflicts so many of us. We love God, but not passionately. We change, but not radically. We give, but not sacrificially. We rely so much on grace (Ephesians 2:8), that we forget verse 9, that we’re saved to do good works.
Enough.
Read MoreGod Answers Prayer, But...
Too often, my prayers seem to bounce back from the ceiling. Not sure about you, but I’m often left puzzled at how God answers prayers, or doesn’t. I know the cliché: he says yes, no, or later. However, a transcendent God shouldn’t, and can’t, be simplified into a three-option cliché. Maybe we can find more nuances in his responses. Maybe we need to…
Read More