Prayer and Purpose

Lately my reading focus has been on the subjects of prayer and apologetics. Not at the same time, I just read like 10 books at a time. I’m sure this is probably not the most productive way to read, but it lends itself to my personality and to continue school again in the future because I never take one class at a time. So last night while reading the Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli, I came upon a wonderful, concise refutation to “liberal” theology. The correct theological term for many who label themselves “liberal” or “left-wing” or “progressive” theologians is “heretics.” By definition, a heretic is one who dissents from an essential doctrine (from the Greek haireomai, “to pick out for oneself”). Since most heretics today no longer believe in the very idea of essential doctrines, they do not accept the label. They also have a strong case in the press because the church still smells from the smoke of the Inquisition, when it made the ver...

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 2:28) and indeed, is our Sabbath, for it is in Him that we find rest (Mt 11:28). Not only does He bear our burdens with us (and fully understand those burdens because He took on humanity), He gives us peace and hope of a secure future with Him (Jn 3:16-17). Originally, we were given the Sabbath to rest from physical labors. If you look to Exodus 16, you see that it requires trust in God to rest. We must trust that taking a break from our labors won’t end up getting us behind and that God will continue to provide during that time of rest (Ex 16:5; 22-30). Now, we can rest assured knowing that through Him we accomplish more than apart from Him (Phil 4:13), that He works through us for good (Rom 8:27-29), and that through the name of Jesus, our requests will be filled according to His will (Jn 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-26). However, our delight must be in Yahweh, and thus we must humble ourselves, submit to Him, trust Him, rest in Him, and desire His will a...

A cursory glance at marriage statistics tells you that half of marriages end in divorce, including 41% of first marriages. In fact, “approximately every 36 seconds” a couple gets divorced. [1] Sadly, research shows that atheists and agnostics are slightly less likely to be divorced than people of Christian faith. [2] According to an article by Luisa Dillner, couples spend an average of 2-2½ hours together each day, but that is including 54 minutes for the combined activities of watching TV and housework. [3] I’m guessing with the rise of dishwashers that most of these couples aren’t washing and drying dishes together while enjoying a conversation about their respective days, so some days almost half of the average couples' time spent together is passive. With such a lack of quality time spent together, combined with society’s low view of the marriage commitment, it isn’t much of a surprise to see such high divorce rates. Juxtapose this with a Christian’s commitment to his ...

Spiritual warfare is real. We need to be prepared and know how to handle ourselves in the midst of a battle. The strongest attacks rarely come along when you are ready for them or at least not when you are expecting them. Some of that is because Satan is sneaky and he often attacks in such a way that you don’t realize at first that it is him. Doubt or fear creeps in and you just attribute it to your situation or your own reasoning, but it may not be. No matter where you are at in your walk with God, remember to keep your eyes on Him. He can handle all your doubts, fear, pain, suffering and anything else you can throw at Him, whether it is just a result of the fallen world, or a strategized attack to fight for your soul. The enemy has been defeated And death couldn’t hold You down We’re gonna lift our voice in victory We’re gonna make Your praises loud. [1] The above lyrics from Hillsong’s “Shout unto God”, along with Newboys’ “He Reigns,” bring a smile to my face in rem...

Introduction Dave Earley claims, “[T]o lead effectively by influencing others for God, Christian leaders must pray. If leaders want to lead well, they must pray well.” [1] In one way or another, nearly everyone is a leader, whether in their profession, at home, or a place where they volunteer. It is nearly impossible to find someone who does not lead in some capacity, so if prayer is indeed the secret of effective and persuasive leadership, then Earley’s book cannot be ignored. The following review of Earley’s book Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact Leaders, is an attempt to summarize and critique the book, with a particular focus on whether or not Earley wins the case for his thesis: “’Prayer influences men by influencing God to influence them.’” [2] Additionally, insight is offered into possible personal applications of Earley’s book. Summary Earley begins his book with an invocation, hoping to draw in readers with his stirring questions, whetting their appe...