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I Am Wrong
Long, long ago in a kingdom far, far away (well okay, maybe 15 years ago in Custer, SD, which is at least an hour’s drive from here, and that IS far, far away) I heard a sermon that I still remember....
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The Justification of the Prodigals
Before continuing with Romans, I want to look deeper into the meaning of justice, since it plays such a prominent part in this epistle. But what does it really mean? In Romans it mainly makes its...
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How to Right a Wrong
“If only I could have justice!” People have cried out for justice down through the ages, and how many of them have received it? If you’re wronged in some way, what do you want? What would make it...
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The Cup of God’s Wrath
Romans 1 diagrams a downward progression into depravity. What does it mean? And is this really all about “those people?” Any scripture passage needs to be taken in context of the whole Bible, but at...
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The Nitty Gritty on Grace
Grace: that which gives joy and pleasure — gratifying to the senses — beautiful, lovely, delightful. Grace (charis in the Greek) means sweetness and loving kindness and all things favorable and...
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No Excuses
If the second half of Romans 1 is a helium balloon for the self-righteous, Romans 2 is a dart gun. Ouch! Here’s my paraphrase of my first section: Therefore you who judge others have no excuse, for you...
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Is God’s Love Different from Man’s?
I was reading this morning and came across something I just had to share. The book is “Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus” by Lois Tverberg. Here is the excerpt: Hesed: Long-Acting Love Hebrew has a...
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Are You a Teacher of Babies?
I was going to say “babes,” as many translations have it, but that just sounded . . . well, wrong. You know? Romans 2:17-24 takes aim specifically at self-righteous Jews, but in our own era, it has...
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A Circumcised Heart
Circumcision was a BIG deal with Jews of Jesus’ time (and Paul’s of course). In my last passage from Romans Paul talked about the difference between knowing the law and keeping the law. In this...
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World, Huh! (Good God, Ya’ll) — What is it Good for?
What’s good in the world? If we try to keep the law, are we good? If we try to live good lives according to our God-given instincts, are we good? No one manages either of these feats. Paul talks about...
View ArticleShut Your Mouth, Child!
Nah, not really. It just sounded like a catchy title — I’m distressingly fond of cliche’s as you may have noticed. I must have been pressed for time when I did this particular study because I only did...
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What on Earth is Propitiation?
Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, but what does that mean? It isn’t an easy word to translate, but lucky for me I have lots of books written by smart people. Here is my paraphrase of Romans...
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Braggin’ Rights
I’ve got nothin’ to boast about — neither have any of us. Alas, this doesn’t always stop me from feeling like I’m at least better than “those people.” Paul didn’t think so, and (sigh) he’s probably...
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Who’s Ya Daddy?
The Jews were pretty proud of their famous forebear, Abraham. It was their descent from him after all that made them the favored, the chosen people of Yahweh. Do they have exclusive rights to the...
View ArticleAn Enemy Has Done This
Why doesn’t God make His truths more obvious? People ask this all the time in one way or another. “Why doesn’t God reveal Himself to me so that I can believe in Him?” “Why do all the churches believe...
View ArticleRide the Waves
There’s been a lot going on in my life. Like just about anyone, I’d like a little heads up as to what the plan might be. Father doesn’t always (or often, for that matter) tell us what’s going to happen...
View ArticleWhat does it Mean to be Free?
We Christians (and secularists too) debate endlessly whether we are in fact free entities capable of doing as we choose or whether we’re helpless elements of the universe whose every “choice” is in...
View ArticleThe Problem of Evil . . . (Part 1)
What is Evil? How do we define it? How do we recognize it? Some things are merely inconvenient and unpleasant, such as the dog forgetting his house-training, or winter starting in early October with...
View ArticleThe Problem of Evil . . . (Part 2)
The Great Dance Once upon a time, long long ago . . . (Okay, okay — this is my myth, and I’m using it to tell the truth. This is easiest way I know to do this, so humor me if you will.) Once upon a...
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