Bible reliability | Stray Thoughts

This has been another light reading week, at least for online posts. But here are a few that stood out to me. A couple are related to Christmas, but still useful.

Christmas and the Reliability of God’s Words. “Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he reads, even when it’s a passage he has seen many times before. As I was rereading (for the fifth or sixth time this Christmas season) Luke’s nativity narrative, I was surprised by a repeated emphasis on the utter certainty of God’s words.”

The Weary World Rejoices, HT to Challies. “With the increase of mind-numbing songs that passed for Christmas music, I noticed a few years ago a hunger in me for a melodic reminder of what Christmas was all about (cue the stage lights for Charlie Brown and Linus). Like pink aluminum Christmas trees, contemporary Christmas songs seemed so far from celebrating the birth of our Savior! I began to listen more closely to versions of traditional carols played during the Christmas season, paying attention to the words rather than just humming along with the familiar melodies.”

32 Random Thoughts About Church.

Just a Stay-at-Home Mom, HT to Challies. “Whenever I’m around professionals, I feel shame prickle my neck and cheeks. As they tell me about their journey from college to working their way to this position they’re currently in, I cringe when the silence comes—because we all know the next question.”

Drawing Near: Loving Your Adult Children and Grandchildren, HT to Challies. “When children move from reliance on their parents toward the independence of adulthood, it can be disorienting. Initially, parents set the guidelines for behavior and schedules in the home, but adult children grow toward autonomy by moving out, pursuing careers, and establishing households — households with a culture of their own. These shifts can be accompanied by strong opinions and feelings.”

Finding Grace in Infertility and Loss, HT to Challies. “Goodness knows I’ve sat in the abyss for hours, days, months, wondering where all the light went or if it ever existed at all. The happy bow at the end of the story doesn’t erase the tormented nights, the weeping until no tears are left, the engulfing losses. The Christian life is far more mysterious than we are comfortable with.”

Many people start the new year planning to read the Bible more regularly. A couple of previous posts here might be helpful to you: Planning to Read the Bible More this Year lists several reading plans, and Making Time to Read the Bible shares tips.

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love,
and the future to His providence. Augustine

Here’s my recent roundup of recommended reading for your reviewing relish. 🙂

Yes, You Can Trust the Four Gospels. Even When They Conflict. Argument against a new theory that posits the gospel writers wrote in a literary way, changing and even making up details to support their theme. This author did a lot of research and contends that, no, they reported facts..

When Valentine’s Day Hurts.

Crumbling Into Compassion, HT to The Story Warren. Beautiful story of redemption and reconciliation.

Are You Too Sensitive? Sensitivity has its good and bad points.

People Are Hard to Hate Up Close. “Attributing these characteristics to those on the left or the right may give us the momentary thrill of self-righteous indignation, but it deepens the divide, fuels our anger, and keeps meaningful conversations from occurring.”

Are You Seeking Counsel or Gossiping? I’ve often wondered what exactly makes up gossip. It’s not just sharing when someone else did something wrong–the epistles do that. I’ve often wondered if it primarily has to do with intent. This post has some good guidelines.

The Advance of the New Legalism, HT to Challies. I have seen wisps of this: “We are prone to seeing our way of doing things as a good way (which it might well be). But what we consider a good way soon becomes the best way (which, still, it could be). Only, the best way quickly gets called the right way which, soon enough, becomes the only way that, in turn, becomes synonymous with a biblical mandate (at least, in our minds).”

Leave “Always” and “Never” Out of Your Marriage. I came across that advice early on, and it probably saved us trouble.

What Do Hit Men and Porn Watchers Have in Common? “So what about those people who watched the video? If they watched a person being raped for their entertainment, surely they are complicit in that rape, aren’t they?”

The Way to Good Judgment. Is it only through experience, and bad experience at that? Nope.

The Best Way to Give Generously, HT to Lisa. “I don’t know about you, but I have to admit that the gifts I give of myself are frequently stingy and laced with traces of criticism, if not outright begrudging. Here’s where we have the chance to offer ourselves grace, though, recognizing that when God highlights one of His attributes for us like this, He’s giving us an opportunity to do things differently.”

Finally, a thought for carrying Valentine’s Day love into everyday life:

Happy Saturday!