viva la vida
With lush orchestral chord progressions and an infectious melody, Coldplay’s Viva la Vida grabbed Song of the Year honors at the 2009 Grammys. That title, which means “long live life,” conveys a bitter irony. The protagonist depicted in the lyrics had held immense power but now was dealing with a reversal of fortunes. “I used to rule the world,” the words…
pseudo praise
When Hitler sought to placate Austrian minister Kurt von Schuschnigg by complimenting and praising him publicly, a disgusted Winston Churchill muttered, “When a snake wants to eat his victims, he first covers them in saliva.”
The Bible calls Hitler’s use of insincere praise flattery—words said and actions done to gain favor with others and advantage over them. Though some write…
who are you?
Charles Taylor has a big ego. The former president of Liberia once attended an African conference in full combat gear, riding into town as his armed bodyguards jogged alongside his car. When he was accused of being a gunrunner and diamond smuggler, Taylor shamelessly addressed his people clothed in angelic white. But Taylor’s atrocities finally caught up with him and…
amplified
Despite the recent economic meltdown, most people would agree that free markets have improved the lives of billions of people. Many people today are living longer and wealthier than anyone ever has, in large part because free markets incentivize us to create products that other people want to buy. Entrepreneurs who knew that they would profit from their efforts invented…
March 7, 2011
The Bible refers to hell in both the Old and New Testaments. What does Scripture actually teach about this place of judgment?
judgment in God's court
There are always two sides of a coin. In their coverage, the media make it a point to seek both sides of an issue to be able to present balanced news. When a complainant files a charge against someone in any court or public office, the one being sued will be summoned to defend himself. Recently, the integrity of the…
power failure
An impromptu high-wire act by a 26-year-old man caused a portion of Dongguan, a city in China, to experience a blackout. The man had lost his job and chose to drown his sorrows by drinking heavily. After his binge, the drunken one climbed a high voltage cable tower and began walking and hanging on the power cables. When firemen couldn’t…
not a minute late
Jason took a trip to New York during spring break. One afternoon, he piled into a cab with some friends and headed for the Empire State Building. The ride seemed totally chaotic and dangerous to Jason. After arriving at their destination, the group headed up to the observation deck.
Once there, Jason paused to take in the view—102 floors above…
curses and conflicts
Conflicts. I haven’t found anyone who truly enjoys them. I, for one, will do anything possible to avoid conflicts. For I desire and strive to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14). Genesis 3:15 is about hostility and animosity. In this verse, God declares that He will cause enmity between Satan and Eve. Why would God deliberately create…
age of grace
The world’s oldest person, a 115-year-old American woman named Gertrude Baines, died in September 2009. According to the Gerontology Research Group (GRG), the leading authority on “supercentenarians,” the world’s oldest living person now is Kama Chinen, a 114-year-old Japanese woman. The oldest verified person in history was Jeanne Calment who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and…
old black coat
I know I should say “bye-bye” to my beloved black coat. It’s almost 15 years old and the cuffs are threadbare. The blue satin lining is torn. Still, every time I put it on, it hugs my shoulders perfectly and falls at just the right length. I’ll admit it—I’m attached.
Psalm 102 says that the earth and heavens will one…
be silent
Recently a friend said to me, “I used to fear how people perceived me. Then I discovered that Satan’s deviousness is something even greater to fear. Later, however, I learned that to fall under God’s wrath is to be feared the most.”
Zephaniah describes the day when God’s anger will be poured out as “a day of terrible distress and…
taking God for granted
My wife and I have been married for 16 years. But, to my own embarrassment, there have been times when I’ve taken her for granted. I’ve been so familiar with her presence that I’ve been insensitive to her needs and wants.
Just as it’s not healthy to take our spouses for granted, King David would say it’s not healthy to…
God's patience
Nearly one-third of the recorded teachings of Jesus in the Gospels are parables. It’s said that a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” Jesus was the Master teacher who taught with simplicity, clarity (Matthew 13:54), and great authority (7:28-29). So much so, that the leading priests, teachers of the law, and elders asked Him, “By what authority…
