PHall | July 26, 2011
“Please tell me you meant that” I will say after hearing a pun. I hear the pun, but that does not mean they mean it. Often they are not wise to their own wisecrack. Puns, witticisms, and such are not the inventions of Americans with a warped sense of humor. These puns and plays on […]
Category: Ephesians, I Samuel, Proverbs |
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Tags: Article, Humor
PHall | July 23, 2011
Brethren. Do we comprehend and appreciate the historical depth and spiritual ramifications of this word? Paul used this term over one hundred times in his writings (i.e., Col.1:2). A word that often chosen must be significant. And remember, ultimately, God through His Holy Spirit, is behind every word written by inspiration. The Jews used the […]
Category: Colossians |
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PHall | July 23, 2011
Paul claiming that he is, “an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will” is not simply a throw-away line in introducing himself to the Colossians who he has never met (1.4). Neither is it simply a title of superior rank. There is no rising in ranks in Christianity, just becoming what we are not by […]
Category: Colossians |
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PHall | July 17, 2011
Nicknames can be uplifting, fun or derisive. Some, called diminutives, are simply altered forms of formal names – Nick is a nickname short for Nicolas. Perry is short for Perrynoid. Parents often give nicknames to their children…and no I will not embarrass mine…at least this time. Sports are filled with nicknames – Do you know […]
Category: Acts |
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Tags: Article
PHall | July 9, 2011
While reading a gospel magazine, I kept noticing I wasn’t reading something. Most every article has the same void. In fact seventy-five percent have the same flaw – no scriptures. And remember, this was supposed to be a gospel magazine. So I e-mail the editor of the magazine. His response is that scriptures never prescribe […]
Category: Acts |
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PHall | July 9, 2011
Me, me, me…I can easily get interested in something if it is about me. The interest can soar or sour depending upon what is said…gossip hurts…praise feels good. If we are in a room and all of a sudden our name is mentioned…oh so softly…in a corner…we can hear it clear across the room. I […]
Category: Luke, Romans |
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Tags: Article, Serving
PHall | June 25, 2011
Think about the following observation: A barrier to true biblical interpretation is blindness to influences by our social, political, spiritual and personal environment. Before seeing God’s truth, we have to see ourselves truly. To shed biases is a lifelong process. Yet to deny truth is obtainable is to deny reality. True reality is that truth […]
Category: Matthew, John, I Corinthians |
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Tags: Article
PHall | May 3, 2011
To grasp all the possibilities can aggravate or gravitate relationships by having us repel or accept those different and blind to all the possibilities that we see as potential realities. To grasp all the possibilities means that we can see more than one point of view, not necessarily contradicting, but rather complementing one another. To grasp […]
Category: I Corinthians |
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PHall | April 30, 2011
Sin needs a remedy, but so does temptation. How easy is it to give in to Satan’s inducements? While the following anecdote is not serious, there is a serious point. Does the following example seem “too real” to you? A lady on a diet was determined to make it through a full week without cheating. […]
Category: Luke, Jeremiah |
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PHall | April 30, 2011
John preached a “baptism of repentance” (Lk.3:3). This repentance is not something simply and solely theological or personal. It is spiritual and practical; it reaches out to all because God reached down to us. Repentance is not just in the heart or mind. Repentance is not just looking to our sinful past. Repentance is a […]
Category: Luke |
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Tags: Baptism