Christianity 101

Father’s Day Message

No, this isn’t a message to my father.

This is a message from me as a father:

That’s your mother you’re talking to!

OK, there’s a second message that’s like unto it:

That’s your mother you’re talking about!

Those are my messages to all children out there.

Here are excerpts on the same subject, as recorded in God’s Word in Proverbs:

“Forsake not the law of thy mother” (1:8).

“A foolish man despiseth his mother” (15:20).

“Despise not thy mother when she is old” (23:22).

“There is a generation that…doth not bless their mother” (30:11).

Viral Friends

Is this Christian viral marketing?

Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam died in a traffic accident 5 months before the publication of his landmark book about the US war in Korea. In the days following the author’s death, fellow writers and colleagues volunteered to conduct a national book tour on his behalf. During every engagement, they paid tribute to Halberstam by reading from his new book and offering personal recollections of their friend.

[…]

At times we may feel that witnessing to others about our faith in Christ is a frightening task or a burdensome duty. But talking about a Friend whose presence and influence have transformed our lives helps us see it in a new light.

The gospel of Christ has always been most powerfully presented by the witness of His friends.

— David C. McCasland

I read the full piece in my print copy of Our Daily Bread — you may read it online here.

Picked On?

Not necessarily! Four measuring sticks to answer the question...

Everyone has felt picked on. (I assume that to be a reasonably accurate statement, don’t you?)

Too easily and too often, though, we feel picked on when we shouldn’t.

So, in the interest of clarifying that statement (as well as in the interest of helping you not feel picked on when you shouldn’t), I offer up four measuring sticks to answer this question:

Are “they” picking on you?

  1. If they are just fault-finding, yes.
  2. If they are sincerely concerned about you, no.
  3. If they want to know your view instead of assuming to know it, no.
  4. If they want you to tell them more about The Issue in order to balance their own views, no

Does that makes sense to you like it does to me?

But what if you truly are being picked on?

What are godly responses to being picked on?

  1. Pray blessing on them.
  2. Be open to what might apply to you anyway.
  3. Forgive them.
  4. Look for the opportunities to love them.
  5. Reject anger, bitterness, self-pity, vengefulness, and further fault-finding.
  6. Don’t gossip or resort to evil speaking of them.
  7. Remember: Any “lumps” you get actually are less than you deserve.

Tuesday Morning

Andrée Seu reflects over at WorldMagBlog:

On Tuesday, at 7:30 a.m., they took Marie away. I stood in my doorway peeking, like Gladys Kravitz in Bewitched. I can’t tell if they took her out dead or alive. When the ambulance came for my husband, they brought his remains downstairs in a black zippered bag, but Marie’s stretcher looked white, so she may still be alive. They had told her three-and-a-half years, and it’s been three-and-a-half years. I wonder how they know such things.

I prayed in the doorway but felt like an idiot.

Coming to a…Near You

Yeah, I didn’t want to use Church in the title. Maybe because I didn’t want to lose you. So please read on a little further, at least. 🙂

So, yes, (likely) coming to a church near you:

Harmony in the Home
Ephesians 5:21 – 6:4
May 24, 2009

That’s to be next Sunday’s lesson in many churches.

And I’m supposed to send out something on that subject to over 4000 subscribers.

Earlier this morning I decided to just use something I wrote back in 1999:

A Glorious Home Life

Using something I wrote long ago seems safest at this point. 😯

Above all, love God!