Recently I was asked a question regarding spiritual warfare, specifically about something someone said and what the Bible says about it (can I be any more vague?). Specifically, this person was told to pray over various rooms in the house to be protected from demons and Satan, and they (nowadays “they” is used as an ambiguous … Continue reading
Category Archives: Christian Living
Should I Give Money to the Homeless Guy so He Could Buy Booze and Drugs?
I was walking around Venice Beach years ago on a Saturday afternoon, where the strand was busy with all sorts of “interesting” people. If you’ve ever been there, you know what I mean. I noticed one guy particularly on this occasion, sitting on the ground against a building–it looked like he may have been homeless–who … Continue reading
Christians and Tipping: Glorifying God at the Restaurant
For a helpful blog post on Christians and tipping, read this by Trevin Wax. I used to work as a server in a restaurant for a number of years, helping to pay my way through school. For those who’ve worked in a restaurant, particularly as a server, you get to see what people are really like, and especially … Continue reading
The H-Word: Hypocrisy
Many people (subconsciously) consider perfection to be the opposite of hypocrisy. In other words, if you are imperfect, you are a hypocrite. For example, someone once told me that she felt guilty about going to church on Sunday because she had been partying Saturday night and didn’t want to feel like a hypocrite. Others would … Continue reading
The Meaning of “God’s Temple” in 1 Cor 3:16-17
This passage has been used in various ways to promote things like good health and sexual purity, and to teach against things like suicide and smoking. It says: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s … Continue reading
Legalism: The Word Nobody Likes
No one wants to be called “legalistic.” It’s probably worse than being called an idiot or even an expletive. So what is it? There are various definitions, but I see two aspects of it. One is relative to justification; the other, sanctification. This first aspect of legalism, related to justification, is the belief that salvation is earned by … Continue reading
Underground at my Undergrad (Part 2): Some Important Clarifications
After publishing my previous post, I had some insightful discussions, including one with a good friend of mine who is particularly keen on the issues I addressed. These discussions resulted in my desire to clarify some statements I made and terms I used, which may not have accurately conveyed what I had originally intended. I … Continue reading
