Building on the Foundation

What started as an interesting thought project for my own amusement has grown and developed into something quite substantial that I'd like to share with you. For you long-time readers, you may remember an article with a similar title that was posted quite a while ago, but regardless of the similarity in title, they cover two completely different topics.  As followers of God, we refer to our walk with God as, “Christianity” and we say “Christianity” is our “religion;” one of many religions worldwide, and even one of many sects within Christianity. A problem has developed with the idea of religion and even with the idea of Christianity, and they have come to carry the idea and weight that they are a thing that exists alongside our lives. We have our life and then we have our career and our religion, and these two things exist in parallel with our life.  Religion is found in the New Testament, so there is nothing wrong with the word itself, but the idea behind the word, and the c...

What is the most common conversation you might have with a Christian?  I'd wager that somewhere in a conversation with a Christian, no matter the denomination, a relationship with God will be mentioned. We might even be the ones who bring it up! This is a natural topic of conversation since that is the most important relationship we have, but there is a hidden danger in this discussion. The main danger is the fact that there are usually two different gods being referenced, especially when you get out into mainstream Christianity. What I mean is that many remake God in their own image, essentially making themselves, or the relationship, God  Philippians 3:18-19 KJV — (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) Our relationship with God is vital. It is the most important relationship w...

Lately, I've gone back and studied something a little more in-depth than I have in the past that has a tremendous bearing on our spiritual walk with God. I've studied this in the past, but I didn't have the same context in my own life then that I do now. It has to do with some commands from God, and with marriage. Now, when God gives us a command or tells us to do something, that means that whatever He is telling us to do is against our natural nature. It's not something that would be natural for us to do without Him telling us to go do it.  This statement might appear a bit confusing on the surface so let me explain a bit more. Think of breathing. God didn't have to tell us to remember to breathe every ten seconds, it's a part of our natural, uncorrupted, God-given nature. God didn't have to tell us to sleep at night, that's natural for us to do. We get tired, so naturally we go and sleep.  Now, no one likes to think that without being told to do somet...

A topic debated of old in the Church of God is that of makeup. To wear it or not to wear it is the question, and many try to prove that only prostitutes wear makeup. In the Bible anyways. In spite of this it has long since been proven that the Bible has nothing to say against makeup directly, though nor does it have anything to say in favor of it. It seems to be entirely neutral on the subject, and since my desire and endeavor is to be strong where the Bible is strong and soft where it is quiet, it would seem that is that. Or so one would think. A certain video and the fact that women look more beautiful to me when they go all natural prompted me to revisit the topic from a slightly different angle. With this article, I hope not so much to push my opinion as to ask a series of what I hope are thought-provoking questions in the light of Scripture. My post on modesty covers the mindset we should carry toward uncovering ourselves, but makeup is the opposite; covering something up.  ...