Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | October 6, 2016
Sometimes with a surgery there comes complications. Unwanted complications. Embarrassing situations. If you could foresee everything, you might be tempted to forego the surgery, although it was absolutely necessary. The Great Physician’s surgery on our hearts and souls can and often does result in unforeseen encounters – and even some foreseen. These tempt those who […]
PHall | October 6, 2016
Don’t get lulled into thinking Mark’s introduction is lacking when compared to the other gospel accounts. Mark’s begin with a veiled challenge to Caesar, then uses Jewish prophecy to link John to Jesus as forerunner is to king. Then the God of the Universe claims Jesus as His Son which is again a veiled shot […]
PHall | October 6, 2016
After Jesus’ baptism and wilderness fight, Jesus goes to several synagogues preaching the gospel of God and casting out demons. These “houses of God” are not the only tactical settings for Jesus’ invasion into Caesar’s and Satan’s territory. Mark 1:29ff – Jesus had called Andrew and Simon and is now in their home. Apparently these […]
PHall | October 6, 2016
A Two-Part Outline of Mark: I. Mark 1-8:30 – “Your emperor is nothing like Me because my power is greater than his.” II. Mark 8:31-16 – “I am nothing like your emperor because I give up my power to serve your needs.”
PHall | October 6, 2016
People ask if a congregation is “sound.” Maybe learning about “sound” synagogues might help. In Mark 1:21 Jesus went to the synagogue and started teaching. The congregants were amazed because He taught as one having authority (1:22). A demon-possessed man interrupted their service and Jesus threw out the demon in the man (1:27). Mark 1:39 […]
PHall | September 13, 2016
I love pistachios. Every once in a while, in a bag of pistachios, I get one that isn’t partially open. It is so closed I can’t crack it open. So I throw it away. We are like this to God. Our hearts can’t be totally closed. We aren’t useful to God unless He can crack […]
PHall | August 20, 2016
Recently a preacher got fired for being scripturally divorced. The congregation was sympathetic to his plight due to his wife leaving him and their children, to join her “lover” in Florida. The elders, however, severed their fellowship with him as a preacher because they were afraid his situation would be a “distraction” to the congregation. […]
PHall | July 23, 2016
The most amazing aspect of Jesus’ ministry is not that He loved the sinner while hating the sin; or loved those who hated Him. After all, we shouldn’t really be amazed at anything Divinity can do because God is God. When I am amazed at God I am looking at him through my sinfulness. What […]
PHall | June 30, 2016
Levels of Acceptance – Years ago I read a study on the three levels of accepting truth: Intellectual, Personal, Universal. When a sinner studies baptism and accepts the truth, the first stage is intellectual. Unfortunately we all have seen sinners stop there. They know baptism is when we accept God’s grace, but they will not […]
PHall | June 14, 2016
NASB A – MALE DEACONS 8) Deacons [diakonos] likewise must be men [added] of dignity [semnos], not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9) but holding to the mystery of the faith [pistis] with a clear conscience. B – BEFORE APPOINTMENT 10) These [houtos] men [added] must also first be […]