For reasons I don’t need to go into here, I have been mulling this last week on godly ambition, and the desire to make a difference in the world. For, of course, there is a dangerous counterfeit here. Wanting to change the world is one of the most predictable and worldly things we can do. …
All in the Family?
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 169 “Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer” (Prov. 28:24) One of the things we do in families is we make ourselves at home. A member …
Secret Sin
As we bring up the subject of secret or hidden sin, a few preliminary cautions are in order. We are not concerned with sins that might have been committed by somebody else but weren’t. Nor is this about sins confessed and forgiven. This is not a post put up to stumble the introspective. The sole …
He Keeps the Soul
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 167 “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent” (Prov. 28:20) One of the blessings that comes from Hebraic parallelism and its “thought rhymes” is the ability we acquire …
Getting Up Early and Working Hard
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 167 “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough” (Prov. 28:19) Proverbs are given so that we might know what is generally true. They are not intended …
Right Through the Sham
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 166 “The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out” (Prov. 28:11) When it comes to matters of wisdom about wealth, there are obviously many things that many poor people do …
Just So Many Moo Cows
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 165 “He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor” (Prov. 28:8) Usury is a big subject, but in this case we can limit our treatment of it. …
Beautiful and Stupid
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 164 “Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich” (Prov. 28:6) Proverbs is full of trade offs, and this is the way that wisdom has in teaching …
Sins Are Like Grapes
Sins are like grapes; they come in bunches. This explains two things that often mystify parents or teachers, but allow me to explain. Often a child gets into a blue funk, bad attitude, the works. Demeanor surly, nothing helps, you know the drill. This can be seen most clearly in little children, who do not …
Unbelief, Straight Up
The word apistos is rendered in a number of different ways, but all of them relate to the sin of unbelief. Paul refers to those “that believe not” in the context of marriage. A Christian spouse is not bound if he or she has a husband or wife who doesn’t believe, and who does not …