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A Child’s Idea

April 21, 2012 by Fritz

“I’m disappointed…I always had the idea as a child that adults were pretty much the people they wanted to be.” — John Ortberg

The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg, 1997 Zondervan

Posted in Growth, John Ortberg, Maturity, Quotes, Youth | Leave a Comment »

Conflicting Pictures of God?

April 20, 2012 by Fritz

There’s a noticeable difference in the Bible’s portrayal of God. In some passages God is seen full of anger while others show him full of tenderness.

As early as 144AD some, like Marcion of Sinope, taught the God of the Old Testament was not the same as one of the New. The Church dealt with that issue long ago but still this pops up from time to time.

Jesus, the Church, and even the Bible itself has always maintained there is only one and the same God — the difference is with with people.

For example: Vandals thinks I’m the grouchy old man who calls the police on them but non-criminals see a different side — I’m the same guy.

Another example: My young children think I’m the smart man who helps them solve their problems, hugs them all the time, and gives them stuff. My teens think I’m the stubborn guy who makes their life difficult and requires them to bring the car home by midnight. Some of my children think I’m the stupid guy who is just out of touch while others think I’m getting smarter as they get older.

I’m the same guy, the difference is the relationship my children have chosen to have with me.

The Bible says God is “Love” (1st John 4:8, 16) and a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:219) all at the same time. He offers a tender relationship if we will choose it.

“Jesus said If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” — John 14:23

— fritz

Posted in Bible Characters, God, God's Character | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Carpe Diem!

April 19, 2012 by Fritz

Garrison Keillor

NOW is another wonderful opportunity – think about it!

The Gospel spread like wildfire in part because of a new worldwide communication platform — Koine (common) Greek. Even those whose native tongue was something else wrote the Bible in a language everyone in the known world could read. Barriers were stripped and the Word of God held its own in the public arena!

Now, there’s another worldwide communication platform — the internet!

Barriers are removed and the Word of God (and every other word) can permeate even severely restricted societies.

Garrison, Keillor, long time author and professional communicator, put it this way,

“We live in a literate time, and our children are writing up a storm, often combining letters and numerals (U R 2 1derful), blogging like crazy, reading for hours off their little screens, surfing around from Henry James to Jesse James to the epistle of James to pajamas to Obama to Alabama to Alanon to non-sequiturs, sequins, penguins, penal institutions, and it’s all free, and you read freely, you’re not committed to anything the way you are when you shell out $30 for a book, you’re like a hummingbird in an endless meadow of flowers.”

To some this is a bad thing. Garrison go on tho say,

“And if you want to write, you just write and publish yourself. No need to ask permission, just open a website…. And if you want to write a book, you just write it … the future of publishing [is] 18 million authors in America, each with an average of 14 readers, eight of whom are blood relatives …”1

But it’s, really, a good thing for the Gospel! If every 14 believers reached 14 more, calculate the results!

So, dear 14 readers (Hello uncle Bussy, aunt Jan, uncle Tom, aunt Carol, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandkids, in-laws, outlaws, and my dear personal friends!), seize the day’s opportunity, share Christ, there’s nothing to stop you except you!

– fritz

1. The Old Scout, A Prairie Home Companion, May 25th 2010

Posted in Garrison Keillor, Opportunity, Quotes | Leave a Comment »

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