Stumbling About for Truth

A thought occurred to me: what if I am a blind guide? I don't mean, what if I am requiring people to measure up to my standards before I allow them to come to God. God forbid that I am dragging around that pointless cross again - I have not only dealt with those who think I should do things their way, but have also myself, tried to require others to tow my own lines of interpretations on what to believe on various issues, both moral and practical. There really is only one non-negotiable when it comes to God: the only way to Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid for our sins on the cross. I gladly tow that line. All else, while not being irrelevant, does not even come close to this eternal truth. What I am talking about is when I try to live my life for Christ and when I help others, am I trying to do it on my own? Or am I relying on God to lead me - even if it means the decision I would like to make immediately isn't what He wants? How do I know what He wants? Hurry Up...

As I have pointed out in the past, I am reading through the book of Matthew. The other night I was reading through chapter 23 - the culmination of the the Pharisees, Sadduccees—the teachers of the law trying to trap Jesus in whatever way they could. Jesus finally fed up with all that they were trying to trap Him in - well, he let them have it - he ripped into them to their faces and in front of the very people they were afraid would rise up against them because of the Savior's teachings. I have read through this passage before - but I have never read it like I am this time. I am, for some reason, realizing the depth of Jesus' righteous anger, disgust for these "authorities" and His passion for those they were leading to hell. I will let Jesus' words speak (to you, without any commentary from me) for themselves... Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So pra...

... be back tomorrow night. -Alan

I was on the way home from work today and heard another report about the terrible fire in South Carolina. The fire killed 9 fire fighters when a firestorm erupted and the roof suddenly collapsed in a big, warehouse-type building. A bystander was being interviewed and told of being within earshot of one of the fire fighters on the street and his radio. He was communicating with his comrades inside the building after the roof collapsed. The bystander said that he heard one of the men trapped inside the building say, "It looks like I am not going to get out of this thing. Tell my wife and kids I love them." Then, apparently, there was radio silence. The bystander couldn't listen anymore and he walked away - overcome by the emotion of it I guess. The fire fighter's request reminded me of a couple of things: 1. God has ordained our days and He gives us only one shot at this life. 2. Money and "stuff" ain't important. 1. God has numbered our days. I don't ...

I was thinking tonight about my blog and of course trying to think about what I was going to write. I thought, "Who cares? I am only one voice out of many - a voice in the online wilderness." Maybe my family members and a few friends will read this. But that ain't many people. So why bother? Then of course, being a good Christian and remembering my reading from Matthew, I remembered John the Baptist, a lone voice in the desert - a wilderness of sorts. Now, he is not to be confused with the fighting, bickering, sometimes-they-try-to-get-along-but-it-just-never-seems-to-work-out, Baptists of today. I have heard that it is more correct to say "John the Baptizer" anyways. But that's besides my point. John lived out in the desert, an outcast, a weirdo who dressed funny and ate bugs dipped in honey. He was a prophet who called - more like shouted - "Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is Near!" Picture a guy standing on the corner in downtown Dallas screaming...

I am a part of a group that meets every other Saturday morning for prayer and for breakfast. One of the requirements of belonging to the group is that we commit to reading our Bibles, journaling our thoughts and then sharing with our group what we have learned. Here lately, I haven't been either able or willing to get up at 5:30am to go pray and meet. I am sure Jesus would treat me the same way he treated the disciples who just couldn't stay awake while he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemene! At any rate, I have been faithful to keep up with my reading even if I haven't been attending the meetings and we have been reading through the book of Matthew. As I read through Chapter 10 where Jesus is sending his disciples out to preach to the people - the Jews in particular that the "Kingdom of Heaven is near", it occurred to me that he had some very interesting instructions for them. What follows is a few lists to consider along with a conclusion at the end. I will ...