I saw one shoe—one lonely shoe—in a parking lot, today.
That’s weird, isn’t it? Did someone not notice that one shoe had come off while
continuing to wear the other? Or, does this suggest that there is a one-legged
person now walking around barefoot? Why just one shoe? …These are the kinds of
important, penetrating, meaningful, challenging questions that I ponder. Which
may indicate that more therapy is needed.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
A Mustard Seed of Faith
According to Jesus, even a small amount of faith is
significant. “…[T]ruly I tell you, if
you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move
from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” –
Jesus, Matt. 17:20. Wow! Move a mountain, huh? "Lord, give us a mustard seed of faith."
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Bible and Transformation
The Bible isn’t supposed to be a book that we study only to
gain historical information or learn ideas about God. The Bible is God’s word that has been given
to move, guide and affect us. The point
of studying God’s word isn’t just to increase our knowledge it is also to
transform our lives. As we come into
contact with God’s word, the Holy Spirit uses it to make us more like Christ.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Should God Stay In His Proper Place?
Some people believe that there is no God. I understand that reality. Hold on!
Don’t get nervous. It’s not that
I agree with that position. I strongly
disagree. I’m simply saying I realize
there are people with that belief.
It’s harder for me to understand when people state that they
believe there is a God but this God and His role in our lives is strictly a
private matter. When people say they
believe in an Almighty Creator God—like the God of the Bible—but this God
should not be trotted out to affect our lives in any public way, that seems
like a strange position to hold.
This suggests that God is either irrelevant to some areas of
life or that His relevance should only be manifested in an unnoticeable, personal
and private way.
I understand that we live in a pluralistic culture and this
will involve some sensitivities when it comes to our public convictions about
God. Furthermore, I understand that
people have abused the idea of God or used it to their selfish advantage, and
that is certainly wrong. Furthermore,
the abuse of God creates additional sensitivities for people in regard to our public
convictions about God.
However, I wonder: Do
these people, who believe that the Almighty Creator God should be confined to
certain personal and private areas of life, think that He will be a good boy
and stay in His proper place?
Do these people, who believe that the Almighty Creator God
should be confined to certain personal and private areas, think that they know
what God’s proper place should be? Are
they going to make Him stay in His proper place? Do they control Him and who He is and what
He’s going to do?
And if some people can control this God—because He has a
tendency to be politically incorrect and He might possibly make some things
uncomfortable—just what kind of God is this?
Again, the belief that there is no God at all, from a
logical standpoint, actually makes more sense to me than the idea of a
compliant God who can be sent to His room by people who find Him to be a bit
too uncomfortable for the general public.
This God who can be “grounded”—whoever He is—is definitely not the God
who is described in the Bible.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The Importance of The Way We Treat Each Other
As we grow in Christ there is a way that we treat each other
that reflects the truth of Jesus alive in us.
For example, check out this passage: “Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians
4:32. It would be very nice if there was
a lot of this kind of behavior going around, wouldn’t it?
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Free From Condemnation
How would you like to feel free from condemnation? That reality is experienced in Christ. Here’s what it says in Romans 8:1&2, “Therefore,
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free
from the law of sin and death.”
Monday, September 3, 2012
What About Near-Death Experiences?
Medical researcher, Dr. Jeffrey Long, “People who have
near-death experiences are generally unconscious or clinically dead at the time
of their experience. It is medically inexplicable that they would have any
conscious experiences, let alone experiences so packed with evidence pointing
to an afterlife.” Hmm, seems to suggest
that a purely materialistic explanation of life is inadequate, huh?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
How Has Jesus Changed The World?
Review of: "Who Is This Man?"
If you were to ask people, “who is the most significant and
influential person who has ever lived?” many would say, “Jesus.” Even people who are not Christians or people
who are not particularly religious would be inclined to say that Jesus is the
most influential person who has ever lived.
I would be quick to agree with that answer. But if you were to say to people, “give me
specific examples of how Jesus has impacted areas like the arts, or education,
or deeply ingrained attitudes about humility, or forgiveness, or the treatment
of children,” most of us would probably not be able to offer specific details.
In this book, “Who Is This Man?” by John Ortberg, the
specific details are provided.
I find the content of this book to be interesting,
compelling and, even, exciting—I should probably admit that as a Christian I
have a fairly strong bias in favor of Jesus.
But when a book is really good it also has to with the fact that the
author of the book is a wonderfully gifted communicator. Even with my bias in favor of Jesus, I have
read a number of books about him that were… um… well… a bit dull.
That is not the case with “Who Is This Man?” John knows how to tell stories, he knows how
to use humor well, he knows how to communicate in a way that resonates with a
reader (at least, he knows how to do it with this reader).
I read approximately 80 books every year. I can confidently tell you this is one of the
best books I’ve read in the past 4 to 6 weeks.
(I’m kidding… it’s one of the best books I’ve read this
year! Seriously, it is.)
Dan Marler
E-Flash From Dan, Sept. 1, 2012
Dear E-Flash Friends;
Some of you might be
thinking, “If I go to church on the Labor Day weekend will I get some kind of
extra credit from God?” And of course,
we all know God doesn’t work that way.
Come on, don’t be silly. It’s not
that you will get extra credit from God. In fact, I’m chuckling at such an amusing
thought. No, you won’t get extra credit
for attending on the Labor Day weekend, it’s just that *God will sort of like
you a little bit more.
So, I’m hoping to see you
all at church this Sunday, September 2nd!
By the way, we really do
have a terrific service planned. We will
have great worship music. And I have a
message, from the story of Jesus and the woman at the well, that I believe God
will use to challenge and inspire us.
And don’t forget that our
Fall Kick-Off is coming on September 16th; A Fresh Start And A New
Beginning.” This year the Falll Kick Off
includes the roll out of our new Next Step format on Wednesday nights. Please pray that God will use our church in
powerful ways. I’m believing that He
will!
Love and blessings,
Dan
* Note: Just in case it’s only obvious to me, please
know that this is a joke.
.
A Faith That Is First-Hand And Personal
Authentic Christian faith is not just a system involving
intellectual beliefs; in fact, it is incredibly personal. “…[B]eing a Christian means being, in some
sense, part of Christ. Christians
believe that they are ‘in him, and he in us…’” —Malcolm Guite. If you are a Christian, here’s a fair
question: is your faith in Christ first-hand, vital and personal?
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