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Tag: Judgment

Mockery Most Mysterious and Malign

Mockery Most Mysterious and Malign

Sometime around the middle of the first century, less than twenty years after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, the Apostle Paul confidently declared that there is an appointed “…day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”  (Romans 2:16) Paul happened to be in ancient Athens when he amplified on this theme, saying that in times past, God made allowance for ignorance of His will, “…but now [that Christ has come], God commandeth all…

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With And Without Excuse

With And Without Excuse

Human weaknesses, failings and misbehavior are unlikely to remain hidden indefinitely.  When they are in danger of imminent exposure or are actually revealed, excuses are inevitably offered. Excuses have two main purposes.  The first, is to enable us to feel better about ourselves, despite having done what we shouldn’t or having neglected to do what we should.  The second purpose is to induce others to feel better about us, our shortcomings notwithstanding.  We are most comfortable when one excuse serves dual purposes—persuading both ourselves and others…

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Avoiding Sudden Destruction

Avoiding Sudden Destruction

It has been widely reported in national news media that the world’s elites—the wealthiest of the wealthy and the most dominant of the dominators—are investing vast sums in modern-day bomb shelters for themselves and their loved ones.  These hardened shelters are said to be fortified against most any danger, from riot to invasion and are built to withstand any threat short of a direct hit by a thermonuclear missile. Most of these strongholds are at least partially buried and the best…

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Comfortless Fiction And The Comforting Facts

Comfortless Fiction And The Comforting Facts

The phrase “a comforting fiction” is a particularly interesting one.  It is commonly used in situations in which a fairytale seems preferable to reality.  When, for example, a triggering event like the tragic loss of a loved one occurs, the fact of the death is impossible to deny.  Yet, that fact may feel too cold, too stark, too heavy to bear. There is fear that its mere acknowledgement may—and more than likely would—overwhelm the bereaved’s defenses.  The resulting ground rush of grief and pain…

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An Emergency Without Urgency?

An Emergency Without Urgency?

The words “urgency” and “emergency” would seem to have much in common.  They’re both nouns.  They sound so very similar, and no wonder—their last two syllables are identical. But that’s just the beginning. Situations repeatedly arise, in which both words are applicable in the same place, at the same time and for the same reason.  It would be a challenge to name many other words more closely related in terms of proximity, causation, duration, and proportion.  Both urgency and emergency can trigger powerful emotions and great…

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Going By The Book

Going By The Book

At the risk of dating myself, I will tell you that I have always loved books.  As a young boy, I once entered a summer reading contest at our local library.  My sweet and patient mother (God rest her soul) walked me down there again and again, across the railroad tracks and over a bridge spanning the river, so that we could return one armful and pick up another.  I won the contest easily, reading well over 300 titles that summer.  [Admittedly, children’s books…

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Canceling Death

Canceling Death

Today I’d like to have a conversation on a topic that virtually no one wants to talk about. It’s time for a frank discussion about death. Let’s begin with its nature and consequences.  In plain terms, death is the cessation of all bodily functions.  Death separates the non-physical part of a person’s being (a.k.a. the soul), from the body.  Death brings an end to worldly passions, plans and preoccupations. Death severs all ties with the living, cutting off interaction and contact with the deceased. “Then…

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Defusing the Danger

Defusing the Danger

Excavations for the new luxury high-rise near the waterfront unearthed something frightening—a UXB (unexploded bomb), relic of an all-but-forgotten war.  It was a rusty, musty thing, with a small portion of one side exposed and part of one directional vane showing.  Despite having been buried for the longest time, it looked to be in remarkably good condition.  The workmen took no chances, scrambling out of the foundation works, taking to their heels and scattering in all directions. Construction was halted immediately, both by…

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At the Very Doors

At the Very Doors

In the final week of His earthly life, Jesus Christ took a few private questions from His inner circle, regarding the future.  Two of the three questions His disciples posed concerned the signs that would herald His return to earth and the end of the world as they knew it (Matthew 24:3).  Jesus ran through the signs and said this about the timing of His second coming: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth…

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The Unwillingness of God

The Unwillingness of God

If Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth, as His followers claim, what’s keeping Him?  I mean, if He’s really going to do it, what’s He waiting for?  He’s had a couple thousand years to keep His promise, so why hasn’t He returned? The answer lies in the absolute unwillingness of God.  The Apostle Peter introduces the subject this way: “This second epistle [letter], beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may…

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