God Blesses Israel
The neighborhood in which I grew up was very middle class. We had all types living there from professionals to laborers but everyone got along, at a distance, and it was “safe.” There were no drugs or serious mischief of any kind and the parents let us kids romp freely without worry. We rode bikes in the street (very little traffic), played baseball or football, depending on the season, and we even had woods and a creek nearby that gave us many opportunities to do a bit of safe exploration.
Our street was a long slow curve the ends of which attached to a moderately busy throughway but we always felt comfortably isolated from the mainstream. From our neighborhood we could see the world without being in it and yet we were very close to every possible amenity. Within two minutes “walk” we had a drive-in theatre, a children’s hospital, a church, a community hall (we had Cub Scout meetings there) and just a bit further away was an orphanage (with a dairy farm), a well developed shopping center and most of the kids could ride bikes to the local elementary school. It was a nice neighborhood situated close to everything you might need.
From the age of 8 to 16 I lived some of the most formative years of my life in this neighborhood. It was there that I developed some of the closest friendships I ever had and experienced many personal firsts: kiss, smoke, caught a fish, fight and there are a few I won’t mention. That neighborhood molded the perspective I have on life and the world. Even today, many years later, my experiences there are still the reason for many of my idiosyncrasies.
The one interesting thing about this neighborhood was the presence of several Jewish families. I recall at least six but there may have been more. Of the six, two lived on either side of us. The Rothenbergs lived on the left and the Aptakers lived on the right. We were close to these families. The kids from all three houses played together. The adults talked across the fence. My dad and Mr. Aptaker often discussed their common interest in gardening. From my youthful point of view I thought they were the only two people in the world who could enjoy gardening. I’ve since learned that there are many other people with this same affliction. Read more
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What Is The Purpose of Bible Study?
Bible study is one of the cardinal practices of today’s churches. It happens at least once and often multiple times weekly in most Bible believing churches. It is so heavily featured that most pastors aspire to be great teachers of the Bible and work hard at honing their teaching skills as if there are no other significant activities to ministry. To be recognized as “knowledgeable” or “clever” is considered a great honor. Unfortunately, style and originality don’t vary that much between churches. If you’ve heard one you’ve heard most of the others as well.
And for the church member, attending these studies in addition to regular Sunday services is the gauge of their spiritual vibrancy. When they miss too many they are treated condescendingly at arms length as if they have contracted a communicable disease. Having this rule in place, of course, keeps people coming back even when the teaching is less than compelling. In many cases it is far less. Read more
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Most Everything About Prayer
Prayer is nothing more and nothing less than conversation. We call it prayer because it is a conversation with God.
Like all conversation it is a means of communicating and it has many styles, settings and purposes. Read more
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What Is the Significance of the Resurrection?
This question is usually broached on a theological level and is defined primarily in terms of the atonement with an eye to the future, beyond this life. For example,
The resurrection is proof that Jesus’ death solves our sin problem and God’s wrath has been abated giving us hope in the eternal sense of the word.
This definition, however, is attractive mostly to scholars musing in classrooms filled with theological fumes. It doesn’t do much for the average guy on the street trudging through the difficulties of day to day living, struggling with personal failure and chronic faults, and it certainly doesn’t parallel the first thoughts of the early disciples either. Read more
Tim Pepper - Beautiful Frustration