• One for the Road – “One Size Fits All”

    Posted by ACPT on March 6, 2016

    One size fits all.  There’s enough stretch to make it work for everyone.   Sometimes…people treat God the same way – He’s flexible enough to fit into everyone’s ideas.   The created fashions the creator.  The clay forms the potter.  God is made in the image of man’s choosing.   Nothing could be more sinister than this.  God becomes the God of convenience and accommodation…His…


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  • One for the Road – “Helping or Enabling”

    Posted by ACPT on February 29, 2016

    Helping…or enabling. That’s often a very difficult decision.   The Bible is clear. The followers of Jesus are to feed the hungry…clothe the needy…and bear the burdens of others.   But…what about those times when helping encourages laziness…or a misdirection of God-given abilities?   It can easily become enablement — fostering wrong behavior.   Of course…trying to avoid enabling can easily become an excuse for not helping…when…


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  • One for the Road – “Gnats and Camels”

    Posted by admin on February 27, 2016

    Gnats and camels.  The difference in size is striking.   Here’s what Jesus said to the Pharisees: “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”   They were meticulous about how they looked…and with whom they were seen.  But…justice and brotherly love hardly got a notice.   It’s easy to get caught in this trap.   Fussing about theological trivia – when people need the simple…


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  • One for the Road – “Speaking Truth”

    Posted by admin on February 26, 2016

    Speaking truth…in love.  In that order.   Otherwise…expressions of love can be interpreted as acceptance.   Rightly…Christians are not to be judgmental.  That’s true.  But…if that becomes an excuse for not speaking truth – sincere people become enablers of bad behavior.   Jesus is the very incarnation of love.  But He spoke directly against sin.  He was not judgmental…but He never hesitated to point out…


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  • One for the Road – “No Shame”

    Posted by admin on February 26, 2016

    No shame.  That can be good or bad.   Good…if it means no condemnation.  That’s the power of Jesus’ redemptive work.   “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…”   But bad…if it means hardness of heart – the loss of moral sensitivity.   Jeremiah comments on this: “Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?  No, they have no shame at…


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  • One for the Road – “This is True in Life”

    Posted by admin on February 25, 2016

    Don’t jump – until you’ve checked the temperature of the water.   This is true in life.  It is good to assemble all of the facts before you make a decision.   Do I have the needed information?  What are the variables?  Who are the people involved?  What are the potential consequences?   This is being realistic.  And…it will pay off in the long run.   Life…


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  • One for the Road – “Sanctity”

    Posted by admin on February 24, 2016

    Sanctity.  That means sacred…holy…God-ordained.   The sanctity of life.  “…he has made you, who formed you in the womb…”   Anything that changes or diminishes this truth is an insult to God.   The sanctity of creation.  “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command…”   Anything that changes or depreciates this truth is an insult to God.   The sanctity of marriage.  “For this…


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  • One for the Road – “Knowledge and Wisdom”

    Posted by admin on February 23, 2016

    Knowledge and wisdom.  They are not the same.   Knowledge deals with information.  Wisdom deals with judgment.   So…a person can be well-informed…but lack the ability to make good judgments.   King Solomon was known for his wisdom – unexcelled in his day.  But…in later life he became an idolater.  He turned away from God’s wisdom.   King David was a brilliant administrator.  But…his moral failure…and his…


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  • One for the Road – “The Absent God”

    Posted by admin on February 22, 2016

    The absent God.  Or…so it sometimes seems.   The psalmist said: “Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”   Job said: “When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.”   When God is needed most…He is absent.  Or so it seems.   Consider this.  The actors on a stage tell a story.  Each scene builds…until the plot…


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  • One for the Road – “Wasted Years”

    Posted by admin on February 21, 2016

    Wasted years.  They feel like a weight around the neck.   Years of addiction…an abusive relationship…an unfulfilling job.   But…when you bring your life to Jesus…He transforms the wasted years into something meaningful.   The Bible puts it this way: “…And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…”   In other words…the Lord redeems the whole life.  He forgives – redirects –…


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