17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.” ~ Genesis 17:17-19 The Bible calls Abraham “the father of all who believe” (Romans 4:11), based on the fact that when God promised him descendants as numerous as … [Read more...] about When God laughs (a devotion)
What keeps me in the church?
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ~ Ephesians 4:1-3 There’s been an article making its rounds on my Facebook wall about why certain people feel disenfranchised and are leaving the church. I don’t want to deal with the article itself, but I want to consider something in its background and I want to do it from the angle: what keeps me ‘in’ the church?[1] This may … [Read more...] about What keeps me in the church?
Housekeeping (mint for your pillow?)
So, as he noted, while Dave is avoiding lions across the ocean, he asked if I could assume moderator duties for the time being here. For some reason, I said yes. :) I will not be donning any green suits in his absence, but I want to provide a couple of housekeeping notes. Most stuff around here stays fairly civil and decent, even when heated. I will check in as much as possible, but I probably won't scour through every comment. If you notice something inappropriate, email me at mbergman1980 [at] gmail [dot] com, and I will look into it asap. However, I am not omnipresent, and I do enjoy … [Read more...] about Housekeeping (mint for your pillow?)
Do what makes you happy, but…
It’s advice you sometimes hear people say: just do what makes you happy. On the one hand, it’s not terrible advice—happiness is better than walking around miserable all the time. But on the other hand, it leaves the door open to individualizing morality away from God’s holiness; and it turns happiness into a god of sorts, making the feeling the supreme objective of life. Solomon gave us an interesting take on the issue at the end of Ecclesiastes. Writing as an old man and reflecting back on his life, he mentioned several times how he had tested everything and denied himself nothing, even … [Read more...] about Do what makes you happy, but…
Why should we celebrate Christmas?
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates … [Read more...] about Why should we celebrate Christmas?
Christmas Peace (a meditation on 1 John 4:14)
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ~ 1 John 4:14 It doesn’t matter if you read the gospel, the first letter, or Revelation, in all of the apostle John’s writings you will find a global focus with the message of Christ. This is unquestionably one of the themes throughout all of Scripture, as well: God is Lord and King over all the earth and God is the Savior of the nations. God’s global focus began all the way back in Genesis 1 when he told humanity’s parents to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Even well after the fall, … [Read more...] about Christmas Peace (a meditation on 1 John 4:14)
Christmas as Spiritual Warfare
Maybe it’s burnout from too many baby-in-a-manger scenes, but when it comes to the Christmas story I tend to be drawn to passages of scripture outside of ordinary thought when we think about Jesus coming to earth. In recent years, one of my favorite passages about our celebrations of the birth of Jesus has become Revelation 12. With a giant red seven-headed dragon it certainly falls outside the realm of typical manger scenes. However, I think it communicates a strong point that we must keep in mind: Christmas is about spiritual warfare. And, no, I’m not talking about whether the WalMart … [Read more...] about Christmas as Spiritual Warfare
Southern Baptist Missionaries
When you look at the numbers, our North American Mission Board in 2013 claimed 2342 missionaries, plus 3514 chaplains and 1255 student missionaries. The International Mission Board in 2014 claims 4816 missionaries. That totals just shy of 12,000 missionaries working in various locations. I 100% believe we need missionaries like these serving on the field in various locations, and that we should support them through giving to the Cooperative Program and through other streams such as Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. This week my church began our yearly emphasis for the Lottie Moon Christmas … [Read more...] about Southern Baptist Missionaries
A Band of Brothers
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Thanksgiving approaches and there is a lot in life to be thankful for—my family, my church family, and my friends, for starters; all of whom I dearly love. But for a moment I want to … [Read more...] about A Band of Brothers
A Lego Church
I love Lego bricks. They are, without question (in my opinion), the best toy ever invented. Give a kid thousands of tiny little bricks and the freedom of imagination, and he or she will spend hours creating and configuring and combining with other toys… I’ve also always been a fan of space dramas, particularly Star Trek and Babylon 5. Much of my childhood was spent creating spaceships and space stations engaged in intergalactic combat for the fate of the universe. The possibilities were endless with a slew of little bricks in hand… One of the best things about Lego is that the bricks … [Read more...] about A Lego Church