My Online Faith Journal

     Recently, I had the chance to read the new book by John W. Price called "Revealing Heaven".   Rev. Price is an Episcopal priest who wrote this book in response to his experience of interviewing persons who died and were revived.  This is a very easy to read, short book.  Rev. Price makes it interesting to read and is clearly passionate about letting people know about what others have told him about their experiences of going to heaven and coming back.  There are many things that I like about this book.  There are also some serious theological concerns that I have about what Rev. Price says.     One of the things that I like about this book is that Rev.Price really calls on people to consider how their actions and words affect others.  He talks about how those who go to heaven have a chance to really feel and experience the joy and pain that they cause others.  This is really something to ponder.  He says that one of the things that many had in common was that they ha

    I realize that as I write this title with the word "Leviticus" in it that it doesn't exactly thrill the heart.  I told some people about a week ago that reading through Leviticus through Deuteronomy was my least favorite portion of scripture.  I am halfway through leviticus and my opinion hasn't changed any.  It is about as fun as having your teeth pulled without pain medicine to read all about the sacrifices and leprosy and blood and gore.  So, what possible lessons could you learn as a New Testament believer from this book of the law?     As I was reading through the sacrifices, I thought to myself if this was the requirement that the Lord still had today would many of us still want to be believers.  What would the animals rights advocates think of those who brought bulls, goats and lambs to their place of worship and killed them.  It makes it sound like God is a little blood thirsty here.  Is there really enough animals on all the earth to make us truly cl

     I am reading through the Bible chronologically this year and today's passage took me to Exodus 31-33.  Moses has been on top of the mountain for a long time, so they ask Aaron to make a idol for them.  It appears they are concerned that they have no leader now and possibly Moses has died.  This happens despite the fact that only back in Exodus 20:19 the people told Moses "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, lest we die."      What is surprising is how fast the people become corrupt and walk away from God.  But, even more surprising is how fast Aaron abandons God also.  After all, they have evidence that God is with them through the cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night.  They had this experience of hearing God's thunder and seeing the presence of God.  You would think that if any group would be obedient, after walking on the bottom of the Red Sea on dry land, then this group would be.       But, when you look at

    We heard a pastor this last Sunday talk about David's experience in 1 Samuel 22 where he is in the cave of Adullam.  Probably not most people's favorite David story.  But, it is important in understanding who David is.  A lot of the Psalms were written during this time, when David was getting his heart right with God.  In that respect, David and Moses have a lot in common.  They both were molded while out in the wilderness and both were shepherds.  First, they had actual sheep and then they had God's sheep.      In this passage, David has just return from an ill-advised trip to Gath.  He actually had to act like he was crazy to get away from the king there.  He is still try to escape from the deadly hand of Saul.  So, he goes to this massive cave and there his family comes to him.  I like what it says in verse 2 "And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them.  N

       There are several times after God appears to Moses in the burning bush that Moses tries to get out of doing what God tells him to do.  First, he complains to God that he is not an eloquent speaker.  Then, when Pharoah hardens his heart the first time and actually makes the Jewish people's physical  work harder Moses complains again.  Notice, after Moses first speaks to Pharoah and things actually get worse, Moses goes to God and says in Exodus 5:22 "then Moses return to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why hast Thou brought harm to this people?  Why didst Thou ever send me?"  Do you hear the accusation there?  Not only is he complaining, but he is saying that God has now caused harm.         Pehaps Moses was under the mistaken impression that if God causes someone to do something that it was going to be all peaches and cream.  Instead, it appears that Moses had his worst fears confirmed, that Pharoah indeed did not listen and he didn't redeem anything.  But,