Lilies of the Field

‘Pharisees and scribes’—do they exist today? Who are they, and what do they look like? We tend to think of them as those religious elite who give others a bad taste in their mouths for ‘religion’. They are those who get pointed to as the greatest of all hypocrites. The mere phrase, ‘religious elite’, may immediately conjure up objectionable or offensive images in your mind that connote hypocrisy of some sort. But what if modern-day Pharisees aren’t just those flaunting themselves as leaders in the church? What if you happen to live with a modern-day Pharisee? What if the reflection you see staring back at you in the mirror each morning God sees as pharisaical? Do YOU have a pharisaical heart? This could be a danger for those who seem to fit the old adage of having too much ‘head knowledge but no heart knowledge’ and sometimes even for those described as ‘so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good’. But what do these cliches even mean? For example, it’s good to have knowledg...

  Is your God tolerant? Is your ‘god’ tolerance? These are not two sides of the same coin. It is one thing to acknowledge that others hold differing beliefs and accept it as their right to do so. It is altogether another thing when tolerance means being forced to accept those differing beliefs as true. That is something Christians cannot do.   According to one modern, secular website that popped up first on my google search, “Tolerance makes it possible for people to coexist peacefully. It is the basis for a fair society in which everyone can lead their lives as they wish.” It goes on to say, “To be tolerant means that you accept other people’s opinions and preferences, even when they live in a way that you don’t agree with. Tolerance also means that you don’t put your opinions above those of others, even when you are sure that you are right. Tolerant people show strength in that they can deal with different opinions and perspectives.” And “Teaching children about tolerance is...

  Who ‘in their right mind’ having a map to the greatest treasure that ever existed sitting on their living room shelf, would never dare to study it to find out where it leads? What absurdity would it be if the cure for the vilest life-threatening disease sat unopened on the side table of the patient’s deathbed? Imagine the treasure map or the cure for one’s grave illness had not gone unnoticed but had been pondered many times, even while remaining untouched. Each time they brought about conviction to act, they were refused with greater rebellion, inflexibility, and obstinacy. Only the man or woman with the reprobate mind would be so foolish to ignore and rebel against life’s greatest blessings.   Romans 1:28 talks about the time when God gives someone over to a reprobate or depraved mind. Only He knows when that will occur. Paul presents the case for God’s wrath on unrighteousness due to the understanding that everyone knows God exists, (whether they choose to acknowledge tha...