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Not Some Dead Guy Telling Me What To Do

August 10, 2011 by Fritz

Garret Keizer

“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. – 1st Corinthians 15:14

Some ask what difference it makes whether or not Christ was, really, bodily raised from the dead — lots! Garret Keizer, American author, writer and essayist puts it this way,

“On the day when I can no longer believe in the resurrection I shall no longer be able to follow Christ. It’s not that I require a reward after death, it’s just that I refuse to have a dead guy running my life.”1

— fritz@langgang.com
1. Marry a Pregnant Virgin: unusual Bible Stores for New and Curious Christians by Frank G. Honeycutt, pg 171

Posted in Faith, Garret Keizer, Quotes, resurrection | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

Just Too Tense

August 9, 2011 by Fritz

The story is told of a man complaining to his psychiatrist about continuous nightmares, first of being an indian Tee-Pee then of being a pup tent over and over, driving him crazy. “Relax”, said the doctor, “You’re just two tents (too tense)”.

Verb tense, however, has nothing to do with nerves — it’s what tells us when action happens.

Notice the two verb tenses in Pauls’ words to the Corinthians — after giving a whole list of the kinds of people who won’t make it to heaven he adds,

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. – 1st Corinthians 6:11

English combines two tenses, the past tense (washed, sanctified, justified) with the present tense (are), to express action that began at some point in past but hasn’t quit.

Why is that important? I wasn’t only forgiven for what I did, I was, but I am still being forgiven, still being changed, still cleansed — and someone like me needs that.

— fritz@langang.com

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Why Pray When God Knows?

August 8, 2011 by Fritz

[Y]our Father knows what you need before you ask Him. — Jesus (Matthew 6:8b)

Philip Yancey has some insight about why God wants us to pray when he already knows it all.

“We do not pray to tell God what he does not know, nor to remind him of things he has forgotten. He already cares for the things we pray about…. He has simply been waiting for us to care about them with him” – Philip Yancey, Prayer pg. 60

— fritz@langgang.com

Posted in God's Plan, Philip Yancey, Prayer, Quotes | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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