Posts by NSUMC
Ash Wednesday – A Tradition of Men (but a good one!)
Ash Wednesday is a traditionally important day within the life of many church denominations. Ironically, being one who is not overly friendly to non-biblical, man-made “traditions” within the current church calendar, I find Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season to be, rather appropriate, meaningful, and significant in the Christian experience. In fact, I think they are practices that really do define and explain just what Christ’s message and…
Read MoreRejected? Never!
In the Book of Romans, Paul reminds the believers in Roman that God has NOT rejected His people, Israel. Ironically, however, many translators simply cannot get that into their heads — that Israel was not and is not rejected by God. As Paul wrote: “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” (Romans 11:2) Yet,…
Read MoreLife or Death? Choose One!
In one of the Scripture passages referred to in the Revised Common Lectionary for February 12, 2023, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, (please see here) God, through Moses, offers the Israelites (who were a foreshadow and precursor of the Church) two distinct things, two very identifiable things. God offers the Israelites (and the Church by extension) life or…
Read MoreA Wisdom “secret and hidden”
In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2:6-8 , Paul shared with the Corinthians (and with us by extension) what he described as a wisdom from God – a wisdom “secret and hidden.” It was a wisdom that Paul declared was “not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.” Again, Paul…
Read MoreMaker Of All Things? Some Say No!
Recently I have engaged in a couple of discussions/debates regards the origin of evil. Yes, evil, that spiritual state that “appears” to be in conflict with the plans and ways of God. The discussions centered primarily on the originator of evil, who was (or is) the author, so to speak, of evil. One can imagine…
Read MoreJewish Wise Men?
The three wise men from the East that we have all heard about all our lives are an interesting part of the story of the Christ child. As with many of the stories and events depicted in the Scriptures, it seems to me that tradition once again trumps biblical reality. Firstly, it is only an…
Read MoreCommon Shepherds?
Have you ever wondered why when Jesus was born that angels appeared to shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem and announced to them that the birth had taken place? Why didn’t the angels announce it to the thousands of people in Jerusalem that was just a few miles away and where the Temple stood…
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