The President, Homosexuality, and the Log in our Eye

“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:2-5).

OK, so the President supports homosexual marriage (no surprise here). All over the Internet I’ve read posts, blogs, articles, Facebook conversations, etc. of Christians tripping over themselves trying to be fair, sensitive, discerning, and tolerant. When the citizens of North Carolina voted overwhelmingly to reject homosexual marriage, some Christians suggested that because of an increasingly pluralistic society it is inappropriate to “coerce” through legislation a morality that is derived from our faith tradition. To that I would reply that the purpose of all legislation is to encourage or “coerce” civic morality, and civic morality should reflect the highest good.

Continue reading “The President, Homosexuality, and the Log in our Eye”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

Footwashing: The Fellowship of the Towel

Footwashing has been observed by the Church for centuries. Some early church fathers understood footwashing as a sacrament and associated it with water baptism. Others used the word “mystery” when speaking of footwashing, and presented it as a sacred rite independent of communion and baptism. Churches representing all Christian traditions, from Roman Catholic to Pentecostal, observe this sacred act. Footwashing has often been adopted by various renewal movements as a protest against abuses of ecclesiastical hierarchy. Because early Pentecostals understood themselves to be a renewal of the “church of the Bible” the practice of footwashing was embraced. Every member was encouraged to observe this sacred act on the basis of fidelity to the Bible and the unity of the Church. Some have questioned the validity of footwashing. However, there are many biblical reasons why we should observe footwashing regularly.

Continue reading “Footwashing: The Fellowship of the Towel”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

The Gospel according to Elvis and Whitney

My favorite gospel music is that of Elvis Presley. From his majestic rendition of How Great Thou Art to Let Us Pray, the final song of his last movie, I love the hear Elvis sing songs of inspiration and faith. His musical style was born in his Pentecostal faith and married to the Blues music of Memphis. In fact, I enjoy all of his music, from Teddy Bear to In the Ghetto. When Elvis died I mourned his loss, but found myself wondering, “How can a man with his gift to sing sacred music and reared in Pentecostal church live and die like he did?”

Continue reading “The Gospel according to Elvis and Whitney”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

The Bible – A Dangerous Weapon?

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:19-21).

In the 1980’s I attended a small Southern Baptist College. This was during the conflict between the conservatives and moderates (liberals?) about the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. In our “Gospels” class, I remember telling a small group that the future debate would not be about verbal inspiration or inerrancy, but about hermeneutics. Thirty years later, that statement has proved to have been prophetic.

Continue reading “The Bible – A Dangerous Weapon?”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter