The word anoia is translated as madness in one place and as folly in another. In Luke 6:11, the word describes the scribes and Pharisees in their reaction to Christ’s healing of the man with a withered hand. Because Jesus saved a life on the sabbath, they were determined in their “defense” of sabbath, to …
Bring Us Fire
“A lukewarm sermon sickens every healthy mind . . . Fire has never yet learned moderation . . . A live coal from off the altar is our need . . . Everything gives way before fire . . . Like the priests at the altar, we can do nothing without fire . . . …
The Marshmallow Test
“In an experiment at Stanford University known as the ‘marshmallow’ test,’ four-year-olds were brought into a room one by one. On the table in the room was a marshmallow. Each child was told, ‘You can have this marshmallow now if you want. But if you don’t eat it until after I get back from running …
Two Kinds of Light/Amos 10
INTRODUCTION: We have finished working through the book of Amos passage by passage, and we need to take a week to look at the structure and message of the book as a whole. Next week, Lord willing, we will come to some detailed applications. THE TEXT: “Hear ye this word which I take up against …
Fully Qualified
I was watching Barack Obama talking about something or other on the news tonight, and two things struck me about it. First, given the history that America has with race issues, the fact that Barack could be occupying the position he occupies right now is really remarkable. And the second thought is the reason for …
Don’t Want Anyone to be Caught Flatfooted
Because it would be bad to be caught flatfooted. The paperback edition of Leepike Ridge is due to be released one week from today.
The Silver Plated Pitchfork
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 146 “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house” (Prov. 24:27). If you are establishing a farm, cultivate the field first. Afterwards, …
The Placiness of Places
“The uniqueness, the placiness, of places derives not from abstractions like location, but from confrontations like man-onion” (Robert Farrar Capon, The Supper of the Lamb, p. 11).
Folly as Sin
In Scripture, folly is a moral issue, and not a question of IQ deficiencies. The word anoetos means foolish, which is how is it rendered most of the time. Paul says that the Galatians, when they were drifting away from the gospel of free grace, were being foolish. “O foolish Galatians . . . are …
Buried Within His Argument, Deep Calls Unto Deep
“Talleyrand defines a metaphysician as a man who is very clever in drawing black lines upon a black ground. I should like to draw black lines upon a white ground, or else white lines on a black ground, so that they could be seen; but certain preachers are so profound that no one understands them” …