Judging the judge: You cannot have it both ways

Posted on April 1, 2013 Written by Mark McIntyre 9 Comments

We complain when God steps in to eliminate evil. We complain when he allows evil. We try to judge the judge, but we cannot have it both ways.

Beware the leaven . . . thoughts on contemplative prayer

Contemplative prayer has become a hot topic. My concern is that by applying labels and generalities we miss an opportunity to learn and grow. The danger is that we throw out the wheat along with the chaff.

Sunset on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

In reflecting upon this scene, I thought of the hundreds of thousands of sunsets over this canyon that have been at least as glorious as this one. We serve a God who cares enough to paint in such vivid colors, even when there is no-one there to appreciate them.

A victim of friendly fire

It has been said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. Sometimes the wounds are caused by friendly fire. It is the responsibility of church leaders to identify and correct this when it happens.

Where the wild things are . . . worshipping

I noticed a reference to wild beasts in Mark 1:13: And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (NKJV) While in the wilderness, Jesus was with the wild animals. Do you suppose that the animals recognized Jesus as their […]

Did God leave all mankind to die in sin and misery?

We like to think of ourselves as free moral agents with the ability to control our own destinies. We don’t want to have anyone tell us what we can or can’t do. We are taught that such freedom is our birthright and no-one should be able to take this away from us.

The church building is a tool

I received an email yesterday from a man who visited a new church only to be confronted by the pastor because the man’s wife brought a drink into the “sanctuary.” Lest you think that this is uncommon, it was not long ago that I attended a church where the pastor made a huge deal out of anything other than water being brought into the auditorium. Presumably, such rules are in place because of fear that coffee or other drinks might get spilled on the carpet and result in a stain.