Are You Arguing Over Principles or Methods? - Part 1

About ten years ago, I heard a lecture by a pastor that really stuck with me. It is from that lecture that I have gleaned pieces and even stole whole chunks of to use for this article. We are going to be looking at principles and methods, and how we should stop to distinguish which is in our focus when we are approaching a brother or sister in Christ to exhort or admonish them. 

Many people seem to not understand the difference, and so our churches across the land today contain many individuals who are quarrelsome and divisive, and do so under the guise of being zealous for God. They are quick to force their own understanding of an issue upon the conscience of another. 

Many people, when they get new light shed on some doctrine, are quick to want to go out and try to shine that light and shove that understanding upon others, and often time in less than a true loving manner.The internet has become a battle ground of doctrinal fights, where words are thrown out with little to no love of consideration for others. It becomes very impersonal as we just use key strokes to lob words at others with condescending attitudes and often including false assumptions.

Something to Pray For - Without Ceasing

A little Lord's Supper devotional I gave a while back...
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I just wanted to share a prayer of David from Psalm 25 that would not be a horrible thing for us to remember and pray for ourselves daily.

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. (Psalms 25:1-5 ESV)

I gleaned some tidbits of info on this section from the words of John Calvin, and added some additional comments of my own:

The Psalmist declares at the very outset, that he is not driven here and there, after the manner of the ungodly, but that he directs all his desires and prayers to God alone. Nothing is more inconsistent with true and sincere prayer to God, than to waver and gaze about as the heathen do, for some help from the world, and at the same time to forsake God, or not to betake ourselves directly to his guardianship and protection.

The Humanity of Christ Shows Through

A Lord's Supper devotional I gave a while back...

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This past week in my Bible reading, I was going through the chapters dealing with the arrest and trial of Yeshua, and in reading through with the chronological reading plan, it of course lumps all of the same gospel stories of this together. So basically I am reading the same story multiple times. In doing so, I was really struck by the humanity of Christ.

 Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." (Matthew 26:38)

The word in the original is much stronger than the one translated “sorrowful.” It means to be pressed down or overwhelmed with great anguish. Some translate it as him saying “my soul is so dissolved in sorrow, my spirit is filled with such agony and anguish, that, if speedy assistance is not given to my body, death must be the speedy consequence.”

Is This the World You Want?

A Lord's Supper devotion I gave a while back...
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A couple weeks ago, I was listening to a new CD we had got by the band Switchfoot. One of the songs caught my attention after a couple listens, and I was drawn to listening more closely to the lyrics, which really touched me. Shortly thereafter, I gave some thought to using them for a Lord’s Supper devotion here, and filed the thought away. 

Then last week in the sermon, the discussion was about our Christian walk. During it, there was one quote that really struck me as relating to the song I had thought about sharing some time earlier. The quote was by the unknown author which said:

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day. By the deeds that you do, and the words that you say. Men read what you write, whether faithless or true. Just what is the gospel, according to you?

Prior to that in the sermon, (Pastor) Dave had said:

We are to live consistent with what we know, with what we teach, with what we preach, and with what we believe—this is integrity. We are losing all credibility today because we say one thing and do another. We live one way and preach another. We must walk worthy of our calling, or we destroy our effectiveness and become a group of hypocrites.

Are You Murmuring to God?

A Lord's Supper devotion I gave a while back...

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Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Phil. 2:14-15)

I know for me personally, there are times I can struggle with contentment, and that leads to murmuring, so I wanted to take a quick look at this topic as a reminder to us all to watch for signs of this in our daily lives.

By murmuring, it does not simply mean complaining. There is a legitimate way of complaining to God about our situation that is not considered murmuring. Like when the Israelites were under the heavy yoke of bondage and cried out to God in their affliction. They were moaning about what was happening, and God brought deliverance.

The Sovereignty of God & "Stonewall" Jackson

A Lord's Supper devotional I gave:

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Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

    You have given me relief when I was in distress.

    Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

2  O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?

    How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

3  But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;

    the LORD hears when I call to him.

4  Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah

5  Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.

6  There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?

    Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”

7  You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

In reading this, especially the last verse – it strikes me at how often I lie down to sleep yet cannot, as my mind races with concerns and worries. While I claim to believe in the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh, there are still times where I do not put it into practice. 

What Are You Thinking? - Taking the Lord's Name in Vain

1 Cor. 11:24-34

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

During the week, as I pondered ideas for this morning, I found myself drawn back to last week’s sermon and the discussion on taking the name of the Lord in vain, and an idea of connecting that thought to the Lord’s Supper.

In the Wilderness: Christ Did What We Couldn't

A Lord's Supper devotional I gave a while back:

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Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deut 8:3)

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deut 6:16)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”(Deut. 6:13) Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Here we find Yeshua about to enter into his public ministry, and right after he is baptized he goes into the wilderness for 40 days. We can see many parallels in what he does here and what Israel experienced in their wilderness wanderings. The connection is seen initially from Yeshua’s quoting of three verses out of Deuteronomy that are part of Israel’s wilderness experience.

Allstate's Credit Rating System (Pt 2): Hiding Their Illogical Deceitful Practices

So, as I mentioned in part one, I demanded that the rep I spoke with have someone from higher up call me. I wasn't expecting any response, so I was surprised when in fact the next day they called. Unfortunately I was heading into a meeting and could not take it, so I asked them to call back. It took two days, but I finally did receive the call back. Unfortunately, just as with the previous reps, it was useless. Allstate has a secret, and they will not, indeed cannot, let it get out. if it does, it could cause an uproar in the insurance industry.

Here is the point - they (as with many insurance companies has started doing) base your rate on various aspects of your credit report. This is not based on your credit rating, it is based on many other aspects. When I examined their report summary showing what they consider optimal scoring pieces, the illogical approach was staggering. It is THAT aspect of the situation that I seek answers to. I spent the time writing a four page letter detailing their view as it pertains to my specific report and their rating of me, asking how they count as negative things that are indeed nothing but positive financial and credit rating moves?

Allstate's Credit Rating System (Pt 1): Trying to Get Answers

So many things we just ignore and take for granted are valid and logical, until they affect us and we stop to look deeper. Most companies count on people not doing this, and so we are therefore duped time and time again just because we're too lazy to stop and question.

I target this post at Allstate because they are my company, and I have been with them for longer than I can recall (at least 15 years), but I am pretty sure the majority of insurance companies pull this quick one over on people too. In all of that time I have always paid on time, usually with their auto pay feature. I have had very few claims (I don't recall ever claiming one on the car, but do recall one when lightning struck near our house). So, I have both car and home insurance through them, never been late on payment, and never had any real claims filed. I qualify for most all discounts they offer, and get all kinds of bonuses they offer. So, imagine my surprise when my recent policy renewal saw a decent jump in my premium.

I called my local agent and asked why, and they tell me they couldn't tell for sure, but that it is most likely related to my credit report, which they look at about every 3-5 years. If something had changed on it in the past 3-5 years, that is probably what caused the increase. I requested to know more, and specifically what on my credit would cause such an increase. My credit score tends to be 720 or better, so I was a little baffled. I was told I had to contact the home office for more details, and they only way to contact them is via mail. Really?!? In this day and age, they are only reachable by snail mail?