Codger’s Cogitations

Although my faith in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only path to reconciliation with God has never wavered, other issues have long troubled me.

How can heaven be joyful unless God purges our knowledge of the eternally-tortured lost?

How can Christ be considered triumphant if the vast majority of humanity is not saved by His sacrifice?

I came to a solution for some of my concerns, which I’ve expressed in the post, “Whom Does God Love?“.

Some months ago a close friend introduced me to a solution for almost all of my other issues. After a lifetime of being taught that damnation was eternal, it was hard for me to consider an alternative. But several books later, I made the switch!

The website, Hope Beyond Hell, is the best single source for this amazing different (for most of us) view of life after death. I hope you’ll check it out for yourself.

A couple of friends and I wrote a biology textbook some years ago that had moderate success. I’ve started updating it and publishing each chapter as a 99-cent Kindle book. The first in the series is available, and I’m looking for folks to review it on Amazon. If you’re willing, please send me a message, and I’ll get a copy to you.

If you’re looking for an alternative Christian biology textbook for yourself or your child, this could be just what you want. It’ll cost you less than a buck to find out!

If you minister to children through your church, or just your family, you will find something worthwhile at Ministry-to-Children.com. A wide variety of materials are available, and the website is attractively designed with convenient navigation.

I used to do a children’s object lesson during each morning service, and I was always on the hunt for fresh content. This site would have been a real help back then.

I’ve read a ton of ebooks with my old (in gadget time) Palm TX. The big drawback of reading on an LCD screen is the poor visibility outdoors. I’ve just purchased an Amazon.com Kindle 3G, which won’t suffer that disability.

While waiting for my new toy to arrive, I Googled lots of links about the Kindle: tips and tricks, free and cheap books, etc. I ran across the 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge and decided to join in. I’ll be listing the books I read below this picture:

Book List

1. Common Sense, Thomas Paine: I don’t think I had ever read this document from U.S. Revolutionary times. I was impressed by the way Paine showed that kings are not God’s approved form of government. Payne would be dismayed by the beating that liberty has taken during the history of our country.

Read more »

Jon Acuff has a blog I respect, Stuff Christians Like, and today’s post was Reacting to Anne Rice. Jon said that Christian bloggers are required to respond to Anne Rice’s recent bombshell, so here goes.

Here’s what Rice posted on Facebook:

For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else. Read more »

There is an email going around the Christian Forwarders Network (I just made that up) which relates "a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry." In a conversation with a Muslim imam, Mathes asked, "Let me ask you a question: Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?"

Mathes’ question above reads like a powerful challenge, but actually it is rather trivial. It doesn’t matter who I would rather have. What matters is Who actually exists and Who is actually the Creator, Judge, and Redeemer. Read more »

"Just," not "Jesus," is the most often used word in most Christian prayers.

• We just want to praise You.
• We just thank you for…
• Just make this time together…
• Just bless our worship… Read more »

Most Christians, and many other theists (God-believers), consider abortions to be the murder of babies. And perhaps as many (or more) are opposed to the euthanasia of the elderly as murder of those at the other end of the age spectrum. These believers would consider themselves firmly in the "pro-life" camp. Almost everyone is pro-life for some parts of the age spectrum from conception to death. Ten years of age might find almost 100% totally opposed to their killing. But how many people are equally opposed to killing humans, no matter what their age? Read more »

Have you ever come to a point in your life where you wonder if God cares what you spend your time doing? I don’t mean good vs. evil behavior; I’m talking about what work you do, your job, your calling, your ministry. Can there come a time when God has no more plans for you in this life? Read more »

Christians ask God for all kinds of things, and as Scripture tells us, if you don’t ask, you won’t receive. It would be nice to believe that God wants us to always be healthy, wealthy, and happy, but the evidence is that such things are not high on His list of priorities. Read more »