tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37732824455308280392024-03-17T21:58:48.990-05:00Living in the BibleKnowing your Bible is one thing, but are you LIVING in it? Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-22504819425086349632024-03-17T21:58:00.000-05:002024-03-17T21:58:11.693-05:00Unknown Sin<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So far, we have discussed the <a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/03/usurping-sin-unorthodox-subtlety-part.html">usurping
sin</a> of taking the Lord’s name in vain and the <a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/03/unforgivable-sin.html">unpardonable
sin</a> of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Today, we examine unknown sin:
instances where we commit sins of which we are completely unaware.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB5S-Q94UU5eEJU37zqdxBkTVstnt_jIxdRIiWrfbtlYDFY-JTgsutbXhdflc9KGT8pgjlRcVs-XPgk7YNdZh2JEeVWaLC1X4QG-GtG3QAoDke5Ii-MXJmTxGuNkqcqiftza0gJRWjUI0BjQcDGi1AMm7CpPJTGyKR8_X3_ckazPIEjoaArSMKDkYULM/s1920/pexels-ann-h-10981245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB5S-Q94UU5eEJU37zqdxBkTVstnt_jIxdRIiWrfbtlYDFY-JTgsutbXhdflc9KGT8pgjlRcVs-XPgk7YNdZh2JEeVWaLC1X4QG-GtG3QAoDke5Ii-MXJmTxGuNkqcqiftza0gJRWjUI0BjQcDGi1AMm7CpPJTGyKR8_X3_ckazPIEjoaArSMKDkYULM/w213-h320/pexels-ann-h-10981245.jpg" width="213"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start; white-space: pre;"><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/wooden-hand-holding-question-mark-10981245" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Ann H on Pexels</span></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>You undoubtedly have heard the phrase, “Nobody’s perfect.” I
would argue that there was one exception to that rule, but we (meaning
humanity) nailed that individual to a cross roughly two millennia ago. Nevertheless,
I’m sure that we would all agree that the sentiment is true today. The Bible
states the situation quite concisely…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“…all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God…” </i><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=all+have+sinned+and+fall+short&version=NKJV">Romans
3:23</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Most of the time, we think of sin as happening at a
decision-making point; we are faced with a situation where we must choose
between two options: one which clearly honors God versus one which we would
probably enjoy, but, for whatever reason, would put us clearly outside of God’s
will. The problem is… life isn’t always so clear-cut. Sometimes, we may not
even realize that we’re doing anything wrong!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Think back to your childhood. Did you ever get into trouble
for doing something? Of course, you did! Were you ever asked, “Why did you do
that?” Of course, you were! And I guarantee that you remember responding with, “I
don’t know,” at least once. As (perhaps jaded) adults, we typically respond to
a child who claims ignorance as a defense with disdain. “Oh, you know better
than that!” But if I really search my memories, I’m certain that there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were, </i>in fact, times where I did things
without thinking about whether they were good or bad. I just wanted to do it,
and so, I did it.<span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/03/unknown-sin.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-48487989292209933122024-03-10T22:39:00.002-05:002024-03-17T19:24:40.828-05:00Unforgivable Sin<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Last week, we discussed the <a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/03/usurping-sin-unorthodox-subtlety-part.html">usurping
sin</a> of taking the Lord’s name in vain. In our investigation, we uncovered
the seriousness of this sin; breaking the Third of the Ten Commandments…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You shall not take
the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless
who takes His name in vain.”</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=take+the+name+of+the+lord+in+vain&version=NKJV">Exodus
20:7</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=take+the+name+of+the+lord+in+vain&version=NKJV">Deuteronomy
5:11</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnA3z-w8m2gLCACqZSRafKrpXgJBWDJwGw3Zfh2PGqg_3BlxfSsxzgq6DHmUuPjtjzt0-kNzvQ1fc2nHaK5SBpUoQUGYjvG30pNror29RNE1PmhBSErza5nOAMgcRh1MtFNKItZQR-Yg6wm1j5BhRc75R67h6MITPNV-WZwQqBsReUcYg-7NFfiQ6UYc/s1920/space-7503574_1920A.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1920" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnA3z-w8m2gLCACqZSRafKrpXgJBWDJwGw3Zfh2PGqg_3BlxfSsxzgq6DHmUuPjtjzt0-kNzvQ1fc2nHaK5SBpUoQUGYjvG30pNror29RNE1PmhBSErza5nOAMgcRh1MtFNKItZQR-Yg6wm1j5BhRc75R67h6MITPNV-WZwQqBsReUcYg-7NFfiQ6UYc/w400-h228/space-7503574_1920A.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span face=""Open Sans", system-ui" style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; text-align: start;">Image by </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/users/adisresic-9188734/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7503574" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191b26; font-family: "Open Sans", system-ui; text-align: start;">Adis Resic</a><span face=""Open Sans", system-ui" style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; text-align: start;"> from </span><a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7503574" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191b26; font-family: "Open Sans", system-ui; text-align: start;">Pixabay</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;">The explicit statement that God will not hold guiltless
(will not forgive) anyone who takes His name in vain is a particularly
unsettling thought. That’s a very steep penalty, especially in light of the New
Testament, where salvation from our sins is based on the crucifixion of Jesus.
Christ’s blood covers the sins of all who believe in Him, but we previously
discussed why an outward statement of faith is not necessarily a true statement
of what is in one’s heart. Even the New Testament mentions one sin that will
not be forgiven. The unpardonable sin is revealed to us in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+12%3A31&version=NKJV">Matthew
12:31</a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, “…every sin and blasphemy will
be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven…”</i></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It might be easy to conclude that since both testaments
mention a sin which will not be forgiven, the two sins in question must be the
same. I have heard this argument made in sermons from time to time, but I
believe it to be based on a misconception, much in the same way that people
misunderstand what it actually means to take the Lord’s name in vain. Let’s
explore the reasons why these verses refer to two very different sins.<span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/03/unforgivable-sin.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-23810153109011268222024-03-03T22:26:00.005-06:002024-03-10T09:54:28.415-05:00Usurping Sin<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHprv4oDEkHZwjYkvz_uvhU3M778A36yLF8T0iQ_gUOeh9uKzaXofQwqFIRhJiwvbdsYIhybueOHio3HKLqwRR8yjai6QrDZIo_8x8NRwi7pDVjGqE8_xr4_ElvlmDMei8yhrNZ_Uzs1xW06b0kEETE-ApLPkb25fycGxbqWmVe4f1QPgS-Sr5OMVv5Rg/s1280/pexels-pixabay-260024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1280" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHprv4oDEkHZwjYkvz_uvhU3M778A36yLF8T0iQ_gUOeh9uKzaXofQwqFIRhJiwvbdsYIhybueOHio3HKLqwRR8yjai6QrDZIo_8x8NRwi7pDVjGqE8_xr4_ElvlmDMei8yhrNZ_Uzs1xW06b0kEETE-ApLPkb25fycGxbqWmVe4f1QPgS-Sr5OMVv5Rg/s320/pexels-pixabay-260024.jpg" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I can't even begin to count the number of times that
I’ve heard fellow Christians say something about how they feel when they hear
someone “take the Lord’s name in vain.” We all know exactly what they are
referring to: a particular bit of foul language that begins by saying “god” and
ends with a word that sounds like the fruits of a beaver’s labor.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">All misguided attempts at dad jokes aside, I know
there are Christians out there who are sincerely bothered, even offended, by
hearing the word in question. While “g-d” is considered by most people (even
non-believers) to be one of the two biggest, or most intense, swear words (the
other being the dreaded f-bomb), it has become almost ubiquitous in its usage
in the entertainment industry and in the vocabulary which some people use commonly
in their own personal conversations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Bible clearly says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord
will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”</i> This prohibition
is important enough to be stated twice in the Old Testament: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=take+the+name+of+the+lord+in+vain&version=NKJV">Exodus
20:7</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=take+the+name+of+the+lord+in+vain&version=NKJV">Deuteronomy
5:11</a>. These verses are, in fact, the Third of the Ten Commandments!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Taking the Lord’s name in vain is a serious
offense, as the text indicates that anyone who does so will not be held
guiltless. Being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">held guiltless</i> is a
longer way of saying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">being forgiven</i>,
which in the context of Christianity equates to salvation; for only the saved
are forgiven of their sins. In light of the New Testament, we now understand
this to mean that anyone who takes the name of the Lord in vain shall not be
saved by the atoning death of Christ on the cross. Clearly, it behooves us to understand
exactly what act merits such a drastic outcome. As it turns out, an alarming
number of Christians completely misunderstand this sin.<span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/03/usurping-sin-unorthodox-subtlety-part.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-25075401464039092602024-02-11T14:32:00.002-06:002024-02-11T14:32:55.555-06:00Testing the Waters<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDScf6m-NbuIbauw2i0yDLhwdgod66ANOk3rcuZHFYxx9vF8OG12o-MulTmzI3PqRNuM34LLpZM1Pgu0cPPAovg1dRKuA8uQeAMUVJUIgEIVeqtNDmMdxo6-UC1nPD9rL8V68UaRiiEWS77LPTwCMUAq6Gc6n6QTgEmtVrAq4QKKZdDOW2jr0NTZRzD_I/s1280/rocky-coast-4077993_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDScf6m-NbuIbauw2i0yDLhwdgod66ANOk3rcuZHFYxx9vF8OG12o-MulTmzI3PqRNuM34LLpZM1Pgu0cPPAovg1dRKuA8uQeAMUVJUIgEIVeqtNDmMdxo6-UC1nPD9rL8V68UaRiiEWS77LPTwCMUAq6Gc6n6QTgEmtVrAq4QKKZdDOW2jr0NTZRzD_I/w400-h240/rocky-coast-4077993_1280.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; text-align: start;">Image by </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/users/dimitrisvetsikas1969-1857980/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4077993" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191b26; text-align: start;">Dimitris Vetsikas</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; text-align: start;"> from </span><a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4077993" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191b26; text-align: start;">Pixabay</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br>A week ago, I posted my first blog article in… well, a long
time. I’ve been going through my old files and I’ve found a few articles that I
had completely forgotten writing. Some of them are published in this blog, but
a few are not. What follows is adapted from an article which I wrote in March of
2016.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At that time, I was paying for a website with a blogging
tool included. Somewhere along the way, I realized it was not financially
feasible to continue paying for a website that generated no revenue, so I moved
most of what I had previously written over to Google’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blogger</i> platform, which I still use to this day. A few of those
older articles didn’t make the cut, for various reasons.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today, I was browsing through the old stuff and this
particular article caught my eye. It struck me as being very pertinent to my reboot
of the blog, and more importantly, to the last several years that I’ve
experienced. The term “mid-life crisis” might not be inappropriate. Sure, in
some ways my life has been pretty rock solid. I became a grandfather, I have a
stable job, my wife and I are in a fairly stable (certainly not luxurious!)
financial situation, and from many observable metrics, one might say that I’ve
been doing pretty ok.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But is this all there is? What purpose am I serving? Why am
I always anxious? Why do I feel so tired all the time? What am I even doing
with my life? I want to do… something. But what?<span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/02/testing-waters.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-42221587655950934062024-02-04T18:39:00.002-06:002024-02-04T18:39:18.562-06:00Frozen: Winter of the Soul<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PmhhAAnqbwn71MF8W3816cMhSZxkSWuUaREvyWX1G2tHZC7ucTKvTV6L3ZtgaK3zhf6r_xTWrzLcpRFagowdpdMaNe2eInB8qDdHjY287kUz7qzrpF9dJKx7IasJEz1gWTxrbWmD1m6K8MAdGiOrjI2dpLyqz03IK9P4Ot6uh3S2cXz1VZ34s2hJJVc/s2048/425004558_10159694394481961_8555762105102361472_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PmhhAAnqbwn71MF8W3816cMhSZxkSWuUaREvyWX1G2tHZC7ucTKvTV6L3ZtgaK3zhf6r_xTWrzLcpRFagowdpdMaNe2eInB8qDdHjY287kUz7qzrpF9dJKx7IasJEz1gWTxrbWmD1m6K8MAdGiOrjI2dpLyqz03IK9P4Ot6uh3S2cXz1VZ34s2hJJVc/w400-h266/425004558_10159694394481961_8555762105102361472_n.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo Credit - Natalie Duncan Riddell</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">An old friend of mine took this photo. That picture
is what actually inspired me to write this, even though in the moment that I
first saw it, I had no idea what I would be writing about. I just knew that I
had to write… something.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now, if you’re from the south, like both of us
(although she long ago went objectively insane and decided to move to the
frozen wastes of Montana, where she just recently snapped this shot), this
photo might look like harvest-time cotton, at least at first glance. But if you
look at it a moment longer, you will notice that it’s not cotton at all, but
rather snow collecting on the bare, spindly little branches of some type of
tree or bush that I couldn’t identify if my life depended on it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It’s a lovely shot, really; yet there’s something
about it that makes me feel sad.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This being other than the fact that my friend now
lives so far away in terrible, yucky, cold Montana. Oh, I tease. Montana, I’m
sure, is a wonderful place (it’s certainly filled with beautiful countryside),
but I cannot resist teasing my friend about the weather there. I can’t stand
the cold. Not even a little bit. Give me the brutal summer of Arkansas in
August anytime over that double-digits-below-zero nonsense.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I will admit that I do love a good snowfall in the
winter. They are so rare here in the south. Snow blanketing the ground, the
trees, the streets… icicles growing from the eaves of houses, snowmen, snow
cream (yes the kind that uses raw eggs, USDA and USFDA regulations can take a
long walk off a short pier)… these are the joys of winter that I absolutely
love.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span></span></p><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2024/02/frozen-winter-of-soul.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-11024365220932975012020-06-26T12:47:00.002-05:002024-03-02T11:33:13.909-06:00Book Release: Living in the ArmorMy new book is available on Amazon! You can find it at the following link:<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087R5Q4XC">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087R5Q4XC</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Are you living in the Whole Armor of God? Come join author Craig Wadley on an exploration of the symbolism behind the Whole Armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:11-17. Examine each piece of a Roman soldier's gear in great detail in order to reveal secrets which are often overlooked. From the strengthening power of the Belt of Truth to the authoritative sovereignty of the Sword of the Spirit, every item unlocks new layers of spiritual symbolism which can be put to work in our daily lives. Learn how to apply the Biblical principles of truth, righteousness, preparation, faith, and so much more to situations which you face every day. The Whole Armor of God is a picture of the Christian life which you can use as a tool for growth in your walk with Christ. </span></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087R5Q4XC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img height="319" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41jQYLBF9rL._SX311_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087R5Q4XC" target="_blank"><i>Living in the Armor </i>by Craig Wadley</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-38462387277389513322020-04-24T09:44:00.000-05:002020-04-24T09:44:23.613-05:00Borrowed Trouble: The Art of Getting Bitten by Dogs<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t have to tell you that social media has become
a potentially ugly place. There are many issues which divide us, and emotions
run hot far too much of the time. Now I have to admit that I have been guilty
of this as well. Many are the times when I have posted some article, typically
political in nature, which had lit the fires of anger within me. But I have wised up and cut back on such
posts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had to, for my own sanity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZ5OEigM1KSkic76ZMhye-k-oyITVHw91e5_2X5IE8vCc4-IxVu3Uo-xgvovlG-F2KH7sTbCFJ7l7lXhfPDX28joZPjY2rSq-9z3iGoU_rcGU39O9EN99FU7avBe32vsB454TPB9IVko/s1600/labradoodle-1499231_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZ5OEigM1KSkic76ZMhye-k-oyITVHw91e5_2X5IE8vCc4-IxVu3Uo-xgvovlG-F2KH7sTbCFJ7l7lXhfPDX28joZPjY2rSq-9z3iGoU_rcGU39O9EN99FU7avBe32vsB454TPB9IVko/s320/labradoodle-1499231_1920.jpg" width="213"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191b26; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; margin: 0px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/GemmaRay23-2870035/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1499231" style="color: #191b26; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">GemmaRay23</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1499231" style="color: #191b26; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pixabay</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: x-small; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once upon a time, Facebook (my primary social media
app) was a fun place to go online. You had a wall where you could post <i>pieces of flair</i> (yes that was a long
time ago), you could share funny pictures, and you could update your friends on
what was going on in your life. Now to be fair, you can still do most of these
things (I think the <i>flair</i> app is no
more, alas), but Facebook took a turn for the worse when they introduced an
integrated News Feed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We all know what it has turned into today. Everywhere
you turn, there’s a negative or inflammatory article, an angry rant, or
everyone’s favorite, some fake news. I have friends on both sides of the
political aisle, and I can assure you that both sides are equally guilty of all
the bad things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Angry, profanity-ridden rants? Both sides.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Negative, divisive opinion pieces? Both sides.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fake news? Both sides.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unnecessarily hostile attitudes? Let me assure you,
this too is coming from both sides.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/borrowed-trouble-art-of-getting-bitten.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-18217516375801120652020-04-23T14:31:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:35:05.306-05:00The Final Cut (The Armor, part 18)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Better is
the end of a thing than its beginning…</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Ecclesiastes%207:8">Ecclesiastes
7:8</a> (ESV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And so we arrive at the final lesson in this series.
Not that we have uncovered all that there is to learn from the Whole Armor of
God, but all projects must come to an end. It is fitting that the Sword of the
Spirit represents the Word of God, for we are able to finish this study where
it began: with Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbc0NHGe-yCN3Ac9ahpkkYd0zzeEsySIJlodmNTgHHDIA9S8GOgKVnXFzTMRV2MyKOFYCmCFix1Sm-4M3YBX9Z3fB9FWeLHQ92pLd4ZYxrA6nMYpWVyckuyySSESK1NzZ99Rr4tKiFGuo/s1600/gladius-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1600" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbc0NHGe-yCN3Ac9ahpkkYd0zzeEsySIJlodmNTgHHDIA9S8GOgKVnXFzTMRV2MyKOFYCmCFix1Sm-4M3YBX9Z3fB9FWeLHQ92pLd4ZYxrA6nMYpWVyckuyySSESK1NzZ99Rr4tKiFGuo/s320/gladius-edit.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/albioneurope/6094292976/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Photo by Søren Niedziella</a>, edited for use here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You may recall that the first item of the armor, the
Belt of Truth, works to reveal the truth of Jesus Christ as both Lord and
Savior. As mentioned <a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/one-sword-to-rule-them-all-armor-part-16.html">previously</a>,
the Sword of the Spirit, as the Word of God, also represents Christ, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">author and finisher of our faith </i>(<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2012:2">Hebrews 12:2</a>). Whether
by intent or serendipity (or by divine intervention), Paul frames this entire list
of items in a way which echoes the following words recorded by John…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Revelation%2022:13">Revelation
22:13</a> (ESV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How do we use this final piece of the Armor of God? What
would it mean to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">put on</i> the Sword of
the Spirit? Can one wield Jesus Christ as a weapon? Could we turn the Messiah
into an implement of war?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/the-final-cut-armor-part-18.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-62167054934881419952020-04-19T20:33:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:40:45.812-05:00Close Quarters Combat (The Armor, part 17)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have never seen (nor do I wish to see) an exorcism. What
I have seen, and perhaps you have seen them as well, are cinematic portrayals
of exorcisms in movies and on TV. Linda Blair’s stunning scene from </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Exorcist</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (1973) remains one of the
most dramatic and terrifying scenes of spiritual warfare in cinematic history.
While I know little about whether the movie portrayed such an event accurately,
I am certain that such combat in our daily lives is always up-close, personal,
and dangerous. There truly is no such thing as safe, long-distance spiritual
warfare.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJPnPrGEo4PDBPCgEus632qikBPXhhqKyOsdjsyOdg5CIr_LbAhPD7nO7fNK742WQ_8cxPN2LQ986eo6WwpFo-y85Z5Aw4_CebEwfDY6IgMgFe_PFkJ6rbJUmFxqz9-FdRM493jQ7QnY/s1600/Gladius_in_hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="739" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJPnPrGEo4PDBPCgEus632qikBPXhhqKyOsdjsyOdg5CIr_LbAhPD7nO7fNK742WQ_8cxPN2LQ986eo6WwpFo-y85Z5Aw4_CebEwfDY6IgMgFe_PFkJ6rbJUmFxqz9-FdRM493jQ7QnY/s320/Gladius_in_hand.jpg" width="147"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gladius_in_hand.jpg" target="_blank">Photo by Matthias Kabel</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The same could be said of combat as experienced by
Roman legionnaires of the first century. Heavily armored and wielding large
protective shields, Roman soldiers required a weapon which could be easily
wielded in one hand. While spears and javelins were certainly used by the
Romans in conjunction with their large shields, Paul mentions only one weapon
in his references to the Whole Armor of God: the Sword of the Spirit. The sword
wielded by the typical Roman soldier of the era would have been the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gladius, </i>a short sword with a blade
approximately two feet in length. The length and weight of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gladius</i> complemented the use of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum, </i>the large shield commonly in use
during the first century.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many commentators have found it curious that a weapon should
be included as belonging to a set of armor. In our modern culture, the two seem
to belong to different categories. Armor is typically thought of as being any worn
item which is primarily defensive in nature, while something which is used to
attack the enemy would be categorized as a weapon. However, the Latin root word
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/armor">arma</a></i> literally means “tools
or implements of war” and technically applies to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">both </i>modern categories of armor and weapons. Similarly, the Greek
word Paul actually uses, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">panoplia, </i>also
refers to armor and weapons collectively. Thus, it is not incorrect to include
the Sword of the Spirit as part of a set of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">armor.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A short sword such as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gladius</i> is designed specifically to be easily maneuvered in
close-quarters combat. Both Paul and his original readers would have known
this. They would also have appreciated the resulting implication that spiritual
warfare is a deeply personal thing. One cannot engage in spiritual warfare from
a distance. There are no snipers among prayer warriors, only infantrymen. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/close-quarters-combat-armor-part-17.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-41741655528911221292020-04-18T09:18:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:41:08.619-05:00One Sword to Rule Them All (The Armor, part 16)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Lord of the Rings</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> for nearly as long
as I can remember. I was introduced to the Rankin/Bass animated version of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Hobbit</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> back in the late 1970s, and I
was instantly hooked. One of my favorite scenes is when Gandalf rescues Bilbo
and the dwarves from the Goblin King. The sword Gandalf wields, Glamdring (a.k.a.
The Foe Hammer), is featured prominently in this scene. The mere appearance of
Glamdring was enough to send the Goblin King into a panic, and Gandalf quickly
dispatches the brute and leads the party to safety. This scene left quite an
impression on the seven-year-old me, and I’ve been fascinated with swords ever
since.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tolkien’s Glamdring, King Arthur’s Excalibur, and
Charlemagne’s Joyeuse are just a few of the iconic swords which have played prominent
roles in fiction and/or history. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
the pinnacle of battlefield armaments, swords continue to symbolize power and
authority even to this day. In </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Ephesians%206:17"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Ephesians
6:17</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">, the Apostle Paul states that the Sword of the Spirit is the
“word of God.” As such, this final piece of the Whole Armor of God would be the
ultimate symbol of power and authority.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The use of sword imagery and symbolism in the Bible
can get a little strange. The first mention of a sword in the Bible is the
flaming sword which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“turned every way”</i>
to guard the entrance of the Garden of Eden (</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Genesis%203:24"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Genesis
3:24</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">). If a (possibly) levitating sword of fire isn’t odd enough,
imagine having a sword coming out of your mouth!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">…</span> </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword…<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">~</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Revelation%201:16"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Revelation
1:16</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> (ESV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This bizarre passage is not alone in the “swords for
lips” category. A sword is symbolically linked to the mouth </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=sword+mouth&qs_version=ESV"><span style="line-height: 115%;">numerous
times</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> in scripture! If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is
that words are powerful; none more so than the very word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg34efh086aLakYpY5ifCKORlWIXDXHiBeFsWpNw8HAhvndEqK5xDW8UB7tW_76wrMdFcG0fpsljsU1lfdmir0CYdnUDHb5OzPE3khqEeJyzz5Xd7zfNn_aYovvnYKW-IlYVELwMszP4/s1600/AdobeStock_65823084.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg34efh086aLakYpY5ifCKORlWIXDXHiBeFsWpNw8HAhvndEqK5xDW8UB7tW_76wrMdFcG0fpsljsU1lfdmir0CYdnUDHb5OzPE3khqEeJyzz5Xd7zfNn_aYovvnYKW-IlYVELwMszP4/s400/AdobeStock_65823084.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://stock.adobe.com/images/old-bible-with-sword/65823084?prev_url=detail" target="_blank">©B-C-designs - stock.adobe.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the
word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">~</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%204:12"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Hebrews
4:12</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> (NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This idea of the Word of God being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">alive</i> shares a direct link to another
passage of scripture which reveals the identity of the Word to be none other
than Jesus Christ himself.</span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/one-sword-to-rule-them-all-armor-part-16.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-43656499540280111952020-04-11T21:43:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:41:51.904-05:00Speak No Evil (The Armor, part 15)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“If you can’t say something good, don’t say anything
at all.” Countless parents have given this sound advice to their children over
the years, but judging by what we hear people saying on TV, on the radio, in
movies, and perhaps most appallingly on social media, the advice seems to have
gone largely unheeded. Vile words have always been a problem. Paul’s advice to
first century Christians sounded much like the timeless parental wisdom quoted
above…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don’t use
foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that
your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Ephesians%204:29">Ephesians 4:29</a>
(NLT)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many Christians grow weary of the seemingly endless
stream of profanity that surrounds us today, but the problem goes far deeper
than “the F-bomb” and other words which have been singled out as taboo. While
vulgar words are certainly things which a Christian should seek to eliminate
from one’s own personal vocabulary, the use of otherwise polite language to
demean, discredit, or destroy another person is a far more dangerous corruption
of the tongue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhbw3cNP3rSosXnEZUoAdtAljzP_xoUKicHz4qzD2DUm6Nl4WTDUwiHb6X13MCSuOjulOx8yYsAMCW1yoKMQDmFc7re2z_w2WJiGtgcqnZyUCEXd2UmH8aYifNdY4IARDa2_eciCQG64/s1600/gladiator-1931077_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhbw3cNP3rSosXnEZUoAdtAljzP_xoUKicHz4qzD2DUm6Nl4WTDUwiHb6X13MCSuOjulOx8yYsAMCW1yoKMQDmFc7re2z_w2WJiGtgcqnZyUCEXd2UmH8aYifNdY4IARDa2_eciCQG64/s320/gladiator-1931077_1920.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #191b26; margin: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ArtCoreStudios-704771/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1931077" style="color: #191b26; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">ArtCoreStudios</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1931077" style="color: #191b26; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pixabay</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let us once again consider the Helmet of Salvation, as
represented by a first century Roman soldier’s gear. There is some evidence
which suggests that the helmets worn by legionnaires were considerably less
standardized than other pieces of equipment. Assuming that to be true, one can
imagine that some soldiers would opt for helmets which would provide greater
degrees of protection for the head and face. Almost certainly, the original
readers of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians would have been familiar with various
styles of helmets, including full-face models.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You’ve undoubtedly heard someone speak with their
mouth covered. The sound is muffled, and it can be quite difficult to
understand what’s being said. This would certainly be true of a soldier wearing
a full-faced helmet, but we know that God would not want us to deliver muffled,
hard-to-hear messages to the world around us. So how does the Helmet of
Salvation affect our speech once we have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">put
it on? </i>The answer, as always, is found in scripture…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/speak-no-evil-armor-part-15.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-19227637743146274852020-04-05T09:32:00.000-05:002020-04-26T08:31:00.824-05:00Filtered Input (The Armor, part 14)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In my youth, I
had a very brief romance with motorcycles. Oh, I still love to <i>look</i> at sick choppers and big bad hogs,
but my Honda Trail 70 and I had a falling out which permanently diminished my
desire to ever again ride a bike. One of the things I really love about biker
culture is the seemingly endless assortment of <a href="https://www.motorcyclelegalfoundation.com/types-of-motorcycle-helmets/">helmets</a>
available. You can create any aesthetic by simply changing from a simple <a href="https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/bell-custom-500-helmet-solids">open-faced</a>
helmet to a sci-fi themed full-face <a href="https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/scorpion-exo-at950-helmet">modular</a>
model. Or perhaps you want a more military look: you can choose from simple <a href="https://www.ironhorsehelmets.com/german-motorcycle-helmets/">kaiser</a> helmets
or something that resembles <a href="https://iamshopmall.com/products/best-motorcycle-helmets-tactical-military">special
ops</a> gear. The possibilities are endless!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A helmet’s
primary purpose is to protect the brain, which is both the biological control
center of the body and home to our minds, or thought processes. However, the
helmet can protect more than just the brain; the helmets mentioned above
provide various levels of protection for the eyes, ears, and mouth as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eyes and ears are vital to our experience
of the world around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we see and
hear has a huge effect on what we think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mouth is very important with regard to how we affect the world
(specifically, people) around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Biblical
Helmet of Salvation has much to do with both how we perceive the world, and how
the world perceives us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZDrOrFx7-gMfsDvB3xcx6SHwk4Zv9ARXKAYdCel8QbxOyfeQrfXDHns0xgW3JNeoU4i9oGjp8rY-39d1y75VR6qTIGV2xEHrASCDupBmT4ndChxRjNA_WpXmtneC7a-wwdzpuO-v5Lo/s1600/roman-58149_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1280" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZDrOrFx7-gMfsDvB3xcx6SHwk4Zv9ARXKAYdCel8QbxOyfeQrfXDHns0xgW3JNeoU4i9oGjp8rY-39d1y75VR6qTIGV2xEHrASCDupBmT4ndChxRjNA_WpXmtneC7a-wwdzpuO-v5Lo/s320/roman-58149_1280.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #191b26; margin: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/STVIOD-9653/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=58149" style="color: #191b26; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Steven Iodice</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=58149" style="color: #191b26; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pixabay</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191b26; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let’s turn our
focus toward the Roman military helmets which first-century Christians would
have been familiar with. Some types leave the ears open, while others cover the
ears completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The advantage to having
your ears covered is enhanced protection of the sides of the skull, but it
brings with it a serious disadvantage:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>you can’t hear as well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What about
protection for the eyes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most versions
protect the face only with hinged cheek guards, providing good protection on
each side, but leaving the eyes open and vulnerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some helmets covered the entire face,
leaving just the eyeholes open, which would provide much greater protection. Only
small objects that could fit through those eyeholes would pose a threat to the
eyes, but along with that protection comes the hindrance of a restricted field
of vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br>
</div><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/04/protected-input-armor-part-14.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-15791011381435682782020-03-30T19:03:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:42:45.900-05:00Put On Your Thinking Cap - The Helmet of Salvation (The Armor, part 13)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thus far in our study of the Whole Armor of God, we
have established that the Belt of Truth represents salvation by acceptance of
Christ as Lord and Savior, the Breastplate of Righteousness protects us from
the consequences of sin by engaging in good behavior, the “boots” of
preparation get us ready to spread the gospel of peace, and the Shield of Faith
adds a layer of protection which keeps us spiritually safe, even when all else
fails. In this installment, we will look at the Helmet of Salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At this point, alarm bells might be going off in your
head. ..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wasn’t the
Belt of Truth all about salvation?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Is the
helmet just a repeat of that?<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Keep calm and read on, dear reader, because the Helmet
of Salvation plays quite a different role in our spiritual lives than the Belt
of Truth. We can understand this better by considering the function of the
Roman soldier’s helmet, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">galea. </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLj-WkBjPVV7F64IZqVFupANwlvpZmgKWSBK_K0tWkoe5ZJapywW3CTULw8LVSsfcqWXDfjzMjTHFB5x73oLTrWmwbx5OvBo3EI8pgiPmB7PTyHuAp7NXP9aAighRhWx6Ini4XIwTW3q0/s1600/soldier+and+crosses.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLj-WkBjPVV7F64IZqVFupANwlvpZmgKWSBK_K0tWkoe5ZJapywW3CTULw8LVSsfcqWXDfjzMjTHFB5x73oLTrWmwbx5OvBo3EI8pgiPmB7PTyHuAp7NXP9aAighRhWx6Ini4XIwTW3q0/s320/soldier+and+crosses.jpeg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://stock.adobe.com/search/images?creator_id=54959&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aphoto%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aillustration%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Azip_vector%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Avideo%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Atemplate%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3A3d%5D=1&filters%5Bis_editorial%5D=all&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Aimage%5D=1&order=relevance&safe_search=1&search_page=1&limit=100&search_type=recentsearch&k=roman+soldier+and+crosses&is_recent_search=1&get_facets=0&asset_id=63299207" target="_blank">R. Gino Santa Maria</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">galea </i>in
its simplest form consisted primarily of a skull cap of iron or brass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some versions included cheek flaps made of
leather or other perishable material, while others sported hinged cheek plates
of iron or brass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of the
material used, the flaps tied together below the chin, both securing the helmet
and adding protection for the cheeks, mouth, and chin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some models of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">galea </i>had a rear neck guard, while cavalry helmets often featured a
full faceplate, with only eyeholes cut out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All versions of the helmet included an inner liner (probably of wool) which
provided vital cushioning for impacts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But what about the spiritual symbolism? Three times in
scripture, a helmet is linked to salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/thus-far-in-our-study-of-whole-armor-of.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-21091625508695743862020-03-29T16:58:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:43:10.565-05:00Choose Faith (The Armor, part 12)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m not a morning person. Waking up is a process, and
my morning routine seems to happen with little or no conscious thought on my
behalf. Sit up, put on my oversize fuzzy slippers, answer mother nature’s call,
feed the cats, make the coffee. It’s the same every day, and I go through it
without even thinking about it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Or do I?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even though I may feel (and look) like a mindless
zombie first thing in the morning, each step of my routine is the result of a
choice. I choose to get out of bed rather than sleeping in. I choose to put on
the fuzzy slippers instead of going barefoot. True, going to the bathroom may
be the unavoidable result of bodily functions, but I choose to do that before
feeding the cats or making coffee. Everything we do is the result of a choice,
even for one such as myself who, upon first waking, has more in common with the
walking dead than Mr. Rogers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzYyAaUra9cAGQ22S4Ll89yOEdLp4OgHsf-qerczrTSnQH-1oZ3aYIjhTx7D33PZ5aIuUJjt6poh_5aqt1LXcocFFizjLTMhlydFYV_a0mSsSePnd5p7wr7aeyLB8MfmNtN_4INq42Mk/s1600/choose-faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzYyAaUra9cAGQ22S4Ll89yOEdLp4OgHsf-qerczrTSnQH-1oZ3aYIjhTx7D33PZ5aIuUJjt6poh_5aqt1LXcocFFizjLTMhlydFYV_a0mSsSePnd5p7wr7aeyLB8MfmNtN_4INq42Mk/s320/choose-faith.jpg" width="320"></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is life if not a series of choices?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Choice </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">is an
ever-present factor of human life. Nothing that you do happens without your
choosing it. You chose your job. You chose what to wear this morning. You chose
what to eat for breakfast - or you may have chosen to skip breakfast altogether.
You chose to read this article (and I choose to thank you for doing so!). If
any of the above decisions were made by someone else on your behalf, then you
chose to let them make that decision for you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As stated in lyrics penned by the late Neil Peart of
Rush, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“If you choose not to decide, you
still have made a choice.” </i>There is no escaping the presence of choice in
your life. It touches everything that you do.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/choose-faith-armor-part-12.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-43164577617286792812020-03-28T10:49:00.000-05:002020-03-28T14:03:58.233-05:00A Christian Response to COVID-19<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/coronavirus-virus-mouth-guard-4817450/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="1600" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6H7rIfn7JjZnn4y97D9hs-5CfBrWTXoZqlGOhNVg50RzOX0bWP0RKbpSf0tFhcgLWxnsbcAd089L5oO_snoSJoJRQFKKMY-3Gw8hqYX2vVpMYUICfE9G04oG2gzikLz47mfgRenSTyqw/s400/coronavirus-4817450_1920.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the time of this writing, we are in the middle of
the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Many people are scared, others are skeptical.
Some are self-quarantined, many are practicing social distancing, and some few
are brazenly defiant of any such restrictions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And then there’s the shortage of toilet paper due to
hoarding. To be honest, I’m still scratching my bald head over that one. Even
under quarantine for 6 weeks, would you really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need</i> an entire case of toilet paper? I mean, my family of three
goes through a 12-roll pack about once a month, but that’s probably TMI…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Food hoarding? At least I understand that one, even
though it still creates serious problems for people who are unable to get
necessities while others take way more than they really need.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It seems to me that there has been quite a bit of
panic. For the moment, that seems to be subsiding, and I truly hope cooler
heads will prevail. Panic is never productive and almost always leads to
greater harm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All of this leads me to my next point. I’m sure I will
catch some flack from those who read my next paragraph and nothing more, but
bear with me and read the rest of the article before becoming a troll, if you
would.</span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/a-christian-response-to-covid-19.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-9647657928821195402020-03-20T08:34:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:43:38.597-05:00Defending the Faith (The Armor, part 11)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Shield of Faith is arguably the most complex piece
of the whole armor of God. The problem is that <i>faith</i> is such a complex word with many, many layers of meaning.
Faith is hope. Faith is trust. Faith is belief. Faith can also be a <i>set</i> of beliefs. The Bible tells us, <i>“faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.”</i> (</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2011:1"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Hebrews
11:1</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">) Faith is loyalty, confidence, assurance, and truth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this… without even touching the topic
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where </i>we should place our faith.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was with this awareness of the myriad definitions
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">faith</i> that I opened my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strong’s Concordance</i> to narrow down the
possibilities and try to find out what exactly Paul was getting at by invoking
the name of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">faith </i>in regard to the
Roman soldier’s shield. What I found was surprising. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We’ll get back to that later.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br>
</div><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/defending-faith-armor-part-11.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-70485497953388602052020-03-15T19:59:00.000-05:002020-04-26T07:35:25.529-05:00A Herd of Turtles (The Armor, part 10)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wolves have long been one of my favorite wild animals.
It’s not surprising, because I love dogs, I grew up owning dogs, and at times
during my childhood, I spent more time alone with my dogs than with other kids
my age. I have been described by numerous people throughout my life as a loner,
so I suppose it makes sense that I have often felt a kind of kinship with the
trope of the lone wolf.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While it’s true that a lone wolf can be an effective
hunter, such a beast will find itself limited to small prey. But a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pack</i> of wolves? That’s a different
story. Wolf packs are among the most successful of nature’s hunting parties,
able to bring down prey that would be impossible for (or even deadly to) a lone
wolf.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Believe me when I say that life as a Christian is much
the same way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A lone Christian can make some impact on the world for
Christ. Some would argue that it is in one-on-one contact and close
relationships with non-believers that a Christian is able to share the Gospel
most effectively, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But even so, all Christians need
to have regular contact with other believers, lest they cease to be the hunters
and become the hunted. Fortunately, there is a place where individual believers
can go to recharge their batteries on a regular basis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes, it’s the church.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even the strongest and surest individuals need a
support system. Indeed, as stated so succinctly by author John Donne, “No man
is an island.” Living and working in isolation is difficult for social beings,
whether they be wolves or humans. The work is tiresome, the resources scarce,
and the rewards limited. But as part of a group (or pack), the Christian can
find the strength and support to accomplish far greater things than the loner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncarey/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrNO-TEcAp6EHz0QwS-UcD6B6LtYFE2IaIJ_D3FFj16DJo-f7FJOm5eWW_g5MT2z0GHt3Dow8zaYztp1g2u57Nl3HBhl3-kpAO7sujH8mL4DJ_7EgSCJiShqsQUndjxIYgZjvpGnhweU/s320/Testudo_formation.jpg" width="320"></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncarey" target="_blank">Neil Carey</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0" target="_blank">license</a> CC BY-SA 2.0)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">An excellent picture of the power of a unified group
of individuals comes from Paul’s reference to faith as a shield in </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Ephesians%206:16"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Ephesians
6:16</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">. While the Roman <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i>
was a formidable bit of equipment for the individual soldier, the collective
strength of these shields when used in unison by an entire unit became the
stuff of legend. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When outnumbered or facing a rain of arrows from
distant archers, Roman legionnaires could unite in a special defensive
formation known as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">testudo, </i>or tortoise
formation. Soldiers along the perimeter of the formation would hold their
shields upright, side-by-side, while those inside the formation would lift
their shields horizontally above their heads, overlapping them to form a
virtually impenetrable shell encasing the entire unit. The formation could
maintain its position nearly indefinitely, and it could even move and advance
into enemy lines while providing superior protection to the soldiers beneath
the canopy of overlapping shields.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/collective-faith-and-turtles-armor-part.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-23137169919613747202020-03-12T13:09:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:44:39.699-05:00Complete Coverage (The Armor, part 9)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the primary goals of this study is to better understand
the symbolism used in Paul’s references to Roman military equipment in his
letter to the Ephesians. Why, for example, does he pair the shield with faith,
rather than some other spiritual quality? And why is faith, which is so
extremely important, placed fourth in this list of six items? The answers to
both of these questions lie in the broad nature of the word, “faith,” as well
as the equally broad coverage of the </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">scutum</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
itself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGsVxyJh7YMo1sdD1e5pOI9SrNwtk5BvcHd0BoTP2mmybFLat5Ge0eyAloACEHYoYNjX-5lXXY2Q_KxAy1IQVB5sVbsYYw8I6KWOBpjDmuPvqCtPefUeuWTlhmNpSOdO5sprqd-m9Q2w/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGsVxyJh7YMo1sdD1e5pOI9SrNwtk5BvcHd0BoTP2mmybFLat5Ge0eyAloACEHYoYNjX-5lXXY2Q_KxAy1IQVB5sVbsYYw8I6KWOBpjDmuPvqCtPefUeuWTlhmNpSOdO5sprqd-m9Q2w/s320/unnamed.jpg" title="Roman Legionnaire" width="172"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scutum In Action</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Roman soldier’s shield was a surprisingly versatile
and effective piece of equipment due, in part, to its large size and relatively
light weight. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i> was large
enough to fully cover a crouching soldier, leaving virtually no target
available for archers except the shield itself, yet lightweight enough for a
legionnaire to wield in one hand while brandishing a sword or spear in the
other. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i> quite literally
overlaps every other piece of the Roman soldier’s gear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In much the same way, faith has a broad array of
functions in the life of a believer. Faith, in fact, has an impact on every
other facet of our spiritual lives. Surely this is why Paul says…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Above all</b>, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Ephesians%206:16">Ephesians 6:16</a>
(KJV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the KJV translation of this verse begins with
the words, “above all,” <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Ephesians%206:16">other translations</a>
use phrases such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in all things; at all
times; in every situation; in every battle; in all circumstances; and in all
this. </i>Faith overlaps every one of the spiritual elements Paul refers to in
his references to the whole Armor of God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/complete-coverage-shield-of-faith-part.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-7346942295915038172020-03-11T13:00:00.000-05:002020-04-23T14:45:01.526-05:00On Display: The Shield of Faith (The Armor, part 8)<br>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you love the near-infinite variety of wildlife
found on our tiny blue-green planet (as I do), you are sure to have taken note
of some of the more prominent features displayed by nature’s children. Perhaps
you have marveled at the giraffe’s surprisingly long neck or have been
impressed by the peacock’s striking plumage. Maybe the elephant’s flexible
trunk and majestic tusks strike your fancy, or it could be that you are
enamored with the magnificent mane of the king of beasts, the mighty lion.
Whichever creature strikes you as being the weirdest, the wildest, or the most
bizarre, it’s probably due to that one characteristic which sets them apart
from the crowd. That creature’s most prominent feature marks it as special in
some way.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps the most prominent feature of a Roman
soldier’s gear was his shield. While the Romans employed a variety of shields
even during the time of Jesus, by far the most iconic and recognizable of these
was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i>, a curved rectangular
shield large enough to completely cover a fully grown man. The name <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i> is derived from the same word
which might refer to a turtle’s shell, and the protection afforded by a Roman
soldier’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i> was similarly as
effective and complete as that enjoyed by the armored reptile.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQfuKq-7_KMXFEbper71KI6KvMCR7tu3pK5hEGulD5upnyoDI9pVy37kQjNy0BbIva7hwXt6qbfVkSTVKMnQUIfTlnL3x2BLpaqDC4uh51h-EkbeP1AtBkbFOehXuQzztrB_Bbw47CNo/s1600/roman-2729315_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQfuKq-7_KMXFEbper71KI6KvMCR7tu3pK5hEGulD5upnyoDI9pVy37kQjNy0BbIva7hwXt6qbfVkSTVKMnQUIfTlnL3x2BLpaqDC4uh51h-EkbeP1AtBkbFOehXuQzztrB_Bbw47CNo/s320/roman-2729315_1920.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/roman-reenactment-costume-2729315/" target="_blank">Image by Parasit on Pixabay</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Roman <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scutum</i>
of the first century was a convex rectangular shield constructed of mostly wood
and leather, commonly edged with rawhide to make the structure more durable.
The handgrip was located in the center of the shield, with a circular cutout
which allowed the handle (grip) of the shield to be as close as possible to the
shield’s center of gravity. This placement allowed for better control of the
shield when gripped with a single hand. The hand itself was covered by a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boss</i>, a piece of domed metal intended
primarily to protect the hand, which would otherwise extend through the cutout,
beyond the surface of the shield, when holding the handle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2020/03/on-display-shield-of-faith-part-one.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-41048183779336256832019-11-19T17:05:00.001-06:002020-03-11T19:32:27.534-05:00Sonar's Riddle - In Memory of Dr. Daniel Ross - for Unaccompanied Oboe o...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZzLJzfvzbDM" width="480"></iframe><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<br>
For about a year back in the early/mid 1990's, I played bassoon in the Arkansas State University Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and the double reed studio. The exact year escapes me, as most dates do. This escapade was at the behest of then Director of Bands Tom O'Neal, who convinced me to fill in a much needed vacancy in the bassoon section. It was during this time that I came to know Dan Ross.<br>
<br>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
Oh, I knew Dr. Ross from my previous years as a student at ASU, but I was a saxophone-playing music education major, and only knew him as that weird guy that buzzes around the halls like an airplane. And oh yeah, he's the oboe teacher, right?</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
After joining the double reed studio, I came to know Dr. Ross more closely, and I can honestly say that I am a better musician and human being for the experience. Regarding musicianship, Dr. Ross taught me that all the finger-wiggling in the world wouldn't make me a successful performer. Now mind you, the fingers have to wiggle at all the right moments, but that's just the beginning of what will become music. In order to cross the threshold from being just sound to becoming something worthy to be called music, the vital ingredient is heart.</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
<br>
</div><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2019/11/sonars-riddle-in-memory-of-dr-daniel.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-24278789033670724662019-07-18T08:17:00.000-05:002019-07-18T08:18:24.099-05:00Formless and Empty: Genesis Meets Science Part 3<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ymNUDArTI-M" width="480"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve written before about how science and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Genesis%201:1">Genesis 1:1</a> tell
the same story of the beginning of the universe. Regarding the very first
moment of time, the Biblical account of creation and the big bang model of the
universe share many striking similarities. But what comes next? Do the stories
continue to agree, or do they part ways? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The answer may surprise you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For this article, let’s focus our efforts on the
following verse:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the
earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Genesis%201:2">Genesis 1:2</a>
(KJV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When we read this passage, most Christians are
probably going to visualize something like a world completely covered by
oceans, partly because “the deep” is a common term that we use in order to
avoid repeating boring words like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ocean </i>or
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sea</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">water </i>(because one can never have too many words which describe the
same thing), and partly because we know that subsequent verses mention the
waters being separated by dry land. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But that mental image is wrong on many levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2019/07/formless-and-empty-genesis-meets.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-14336377527684708222019-07-08T09:05:00.001-05:002019-07-08T09:05:58.993-05:00It's About Time: Creation and the Theory of Relativity<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e6hk5StJIgc" width="480"></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br></span>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We know that 60 seconds make up a minute, 60 minutes
make up an hour, there are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and so on.
Humans are obsessed with time. We celebrate the passage of it with
anniversaries and birthdays, we plan our waking activities around it, and we
build clocks of all different shapes and sizes, from Stonehenge to cuckoo
clocks to building sized monuments like Big Ben, to smart watches synchronized
automatically by your cellular network to super-precise atomic clocks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Peter Cetera, in a song by his band, Chicago, famously
asked, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Does Anyone Really Know What Time
It Is?</i> As it turns out, that question may be a lot harder to answer than
you think. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2019/07/its-about-time-creation-and-theory-of.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-24679496379612416972019-07-03T08:55:00.001-05:002019-07-03T09:06:40.995-05:00Hidden Meanings<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you’ve read the New Testament very much at all,
you’re probably aware that Jesus made extensive use of parables in His teaching.
In case you’re not exactly sure what a parable is, let’s define it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Parable: a
simple story about everyday life which is used to illustrate a spiritual or
moral lesson.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No matter what subject you’re teaching, your goal is to
communicate new ideas to your students. One of the most effective ways to do
this is to start with concepts which your students already understand, preferably
with ideas that they have fully mastered, and build upon what they already know
in order to learn something new.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2019/07/hidden-meanings.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-74413497531150801112019-06-22T19:08:00.000-05:002019-06-22T19:09:08.669-05:00Satanic Prayer Sparks Internet Firestorm<br>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/hail-satan-prayer-at-alaska-govt-meeting-sparks-protest/2019/06/20/22e00e5e-9385-11e9-956a-88c291ab5c38_story.html?utm_term=.7636864fbd29">prayer
spoken at a town hall meeting</a> in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Borough on June
18<sup>th</sup> of this year prompted several attendees and officials to walk
out, as well as sparking protests outside the borough’s administration
building. Controversy over public prayer is not a new thing in the United States,
but the prayer spoken at this meeting held <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hail-satan-invoked-during-alaska-government-meeting-prayer">south
of Anchorage</a> has turned the usual debate on its head.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa9teHsTqFci5AReoxV-1JXHjU2ycJPGc1gsSjHbbB1pfTD9SrMEevAGBFy4XqkQYBu1poZZVaoGFmVZqHA5A4PrF3zZpAJ3kp1mzJvvVgqqcHfzWhtuOTFmjtIJsCBiB5cCkgV4kbXQ/s1600/satanic+prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="781" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYa9teHsTqFci5AReoxV-1JXHjU2ycJPGc1gsSjHbbB1pfTD9SrMEevAGBFy4XqkQYBu1poZZVaoGFmVZqHA5A4PrF3zZpAJ3kp1mzJvvVgqqcHfzWhtuOTFmjtIJsCBiB5cCkgV4kbXQ/s320/satanic+prayer.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Satan#/media/File:%22Satan,_Don't_Get_Thee_Behind_Me!%22_-_Any_Thing_to_get_Possession_(4359535885).jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You see, the people protesting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> prayer are Christians, as the prayer was delivered by Satanic
Temple member Iris Fontana, whose closing words of the prayer were, “<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/449660-hail-satan-opening-prayer-at-alaska-government-meeting-prompts-walkouts">Hail
Satan</a>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Didn't see that one coming? You're not alone. But maybe we shouldn't be surprised by this at all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Christians in the United States have long been chafing
at restrictions placed on prayer at public events. The protests against prayers
at gatherings such as public sporting events or town meetings have typically
been spearheaded by atheists who claim that such prayer violates the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/interpretations/the-establishment-clause-hamilton-and-mcconnell">Establishment
Clause</a> </i>of the First Amendment:</span></span></div>
<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2019/06/a-prayerspoken-at-town-hall-meeting-in.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3773282445530828039.post-3339754779518325822019-06-20T09:02:00.000-05:002019-06-20T09:02:26.568-05:00Madonna Challenges The Pope, Says Jesus Would Support Abortion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Madonna_en_Chelsea.jpg/475px-Madonna_en_Chelsea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="File:Madonna en Chelsea.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Madonna_en_Chelsea.jpg/475px-Madonna_en_Chelsea.jpg" width="157"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madonna_en_Chelsea.jpg" target="_blank">Photo by Adam Sammler</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Apparently, pop singer Madonna </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48594/madonna-wants-meeting-pope-francis-tell-him-jesus-amanda-prestigiacomo?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=benshapiro" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">wants to have a debate with the Pope about abortion</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most disturbingly, she seems to suggest that Jesus would side with the pro-choice crowd. She proposes the following potential questions for the Pontiff: “What do you really think he thought of women? And don't you think Jesus would agree that a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pope Francis has made his pro-life stance very clear on a number of occasions. I'm no Catholic, but I have to say I'm going to side with the Pope on this one.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, Madonna, since you brought Jesus into this
conversation, allow me to provide you with the answers you would like to ask
about Him. Your <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7153859/Madonna-says-shed-like-meeting-Pope-Francis-discuss-womans-right-choose.html" target="_blank">overtly loaded questions</a> make it abundantly clear that you are
terribly, terribly mistaken.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.livinginthebible.com/2019/06/madonna-challenges-pope-says-jesus.html#more">READ MORE >></a>Craig Wadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00138881007530921753noreply@blogger.com0