Category: The Spiritual Life

How God Decides

God will welcome many to his glory in eternity. Yet this good news touches a sensitive issue: it’s clear from the Bible that God draws some—but not all—to join him. So how does he make his choices? Does he measure the quality of human conduct, as in a naughty versus nice equation? Or before creation …

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Disrupted

The other day Terry asked me about evil. He’s a regular at the coffee shop where I do my morning reading and writing. His question had a sharp edge. Most of us began adult life with hopes for a successful career, a happy marriage, and a satisfying retirement. But who promised us this hoped-for stability? …

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A good conversation

Are you ever hungry for a good conversation? For a meal of rich ideas and strong values? If you answer yes I’m with you! And if you find yourself turning to books, crossword puzzles, or stacking pennies for lack of good dialog then you’ll catch the point of the question. But first let’s acknowledge the …

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Living Truth

This entry repeats an entry already offered at the Cor Deo site – please offer any responses there: thanks! The Bible is an epic story: a true and transcendent portrayal of reality. It invites us to live in light of God’s purposes and in line with his truth. In this story God—the Father, Son, and …

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Job’s Treasure

Job, an epic sufferer in the Bible, was both confronted and affirmed by God. God confronted him as a “faultfinder” (40:1) but he also affirmed Job for having “spoken of me what is right” (42:7) in contrast to Job’s moralistic friends. God’s contrasting references to Job invite attention. First, what in Job pleased God? A …

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Toppling Dagon

In the Bible—1 Samuel 5—we read of Dagon, the Philistine God of Samuel’s era. For a brief time Yahweh, the God of Israel, shared a room with Dagon. And it wasn’t a happy time for Dagon’s team. Let me summarize the events. At this stage of Bible history Israel was only superficially devoted to Yahweh—“the …

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Thanks!

“Thank you” is a bonding phrase. When our service or kindness receives a smile and a “thanks” a satisfying relational loop is completed. The other person’s words recognize our action not as a duty but as an expression of care. But thanksgiving is not as common as it could be. I know a man, for …

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Gaining Confidence

Most travelers share confidence in worldwide franchises. Tourists, for instance, can be sure a Starbucks in London will offer the features and format of counterparts in Portland or Miami. Familiarity and reliability invite customer loyalty. Here’s a question: can we also use reliability as a sign of authentic Christianity? When we visit a new Christian …

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