Seven Pounds

I didn’t like this film, but here’s a review of it with a biblical perspective.

Filed under: nonsense, opinion

Hard Times

I’m never sure if I should be worried or not.  The way the newspeople tell it, the world is ending.  I find that the people I work with are all panicked and they aren’t sure why.  The New Great Depression is coming, and it’s the making of us all.  We’ve spent the last eight years buying above our means and now we’re truly paying for it.  Credit markets are suffering…  Really?  I wonder why!  We live in something called a “Free Market Economy” and it would seem that too many people have taken that to mean that they are free to spend over and above their means in order to live comfortably.  On the way to a near by movie theater, there are hundreds of huge homes lining both sides of the street.  My wife is amazed that there are so many big homes.  She wonders when we’ll get our own place.  I have no doubt that we will, but it will be nothing like these places.  The residents of these homes have purchased them without the benefit of paying cash.  They more than likely saved up for a long time just to make the 10% down payment and are now leveraged to the eyeballs to keep a roof over their heads.  Incredible.  How could a life lived on pins and needles be comfortable?  It’s a great country we have, within reason of course, and those who choose to live well can do so.  Those of us who yearn for that life should do it safely and know our limits.  God does not want us to be stretched to the point of breaking.  There are tests, don’t get me wrong, but in no way does he want the business of life to overshadow our relationship with Him.  Times are getting tough, but never lose sight of the fact that our Father will watch over us and protect us.  He loves and knows us better than we do.  Please, don’t panic!  The more panic in the world creates a steeper spiral.

Filed under: opinion

Jesus Isn't Coming Back

This weekend, our church held a prayer retreat at a local bible camp. It gave everyone time to reflect and call for prayer for a number of things. Currently, the church is finding itself on a rebound of sorts. We have moved into a new space and there is a renewed sense of purpose. My wife and I are on the front lines of this renewal, but the position itself has had its share of trials. I won’t belabor the point or descend into a complaining rant about any of it. This isn’t about that at all. What I want to talk about is the idea that God is somewhere else and will someday return to us. It was brought up a few times over the 22 hours we were together. During the sessions, someone talked about how we open in prayer and talk to God as if we are conjuring him up from somewhere else. We call Him forth as if he were some kind of spirit that would be used to smite our enemies. God, as it was said, is no off in some high castle. He’s everywhere and everything. He cannot be called forth because He is standing right beside us and within us. The idea that that Jesus will return to this world is in a state of doubt for me now. If God is everywhere, wouldn’t that mean that there is no need for return because He never left? Wouldn’t it seem that the illustration of God coming to our world, pulling away all the righteous, and devastating our spiritual attackers is just that? It feels to me like the word of the Bible has been taken somewhat too literally. We have been given this picture painted by many different people from different walks of life. Flowing robes and a man flying down or appearing in a flash of light, armies laying down their weapons. Groups of people have been waiting for this to happen for centuries and it has been happening everyday. Everyday people die and are buried. What happens when they do pass away can only be seen by those who are “living” through it. Is it so strange to think of it in those terms? I’m still trying to get the philosophy right in my head, but it makes a small amount of sense.

Filed under: opinion, theology