Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | October 28, 2013
God would rather do great things through us than have us do great things for God. Can we get so fixated on doing great things, even out of deep humility, that we lose God’s focus? Can we become so confused by our pride that we want to do great things instead of God’s simple ones? […]
PHall | October 25, 2013
Sometimes what’s not in the story is the real story. Today’s event is a repeat of a repeat of a repeat. Contrasting it to one where the theme is not repeated shows what’s missing is what’s important. Once again “David inquired of the LORD” (2 Samuel 5.19). “Should I go to war against the Philistines? […]
PHall | October 18, 2013
Prayer is supposed to solve problems. Talking to God and getting advice from God is not supposed to cause pain, suffering, and division. But this time it does. Once again “David inquired of the LORD” (2 Samuel 2:1). Saul, along with three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, are dead. The sons are killed in war […]
PHall | October 16, 2013
Success. Few words in the English language have more power and allure than “success.” In sports, success is often narrowly defined as defeating an opponent. Success means winning. Winning means someone loses. Success also means teamwork. Golf, of course is a team of one, oh, except professional golfers don’t carry their bags, do they? Coaches […]
PHall | October 10, 2013
Ignored by God, terrified by life, left all alone, Saul turns to a witch. Feeling powerless, panicked, and lonely is dangerous; often leading to despair and desperate acts. “I would never” often and sadly means, “I haven’t yet.” Regret leads to regret. How many have done what we promised we never would, committed acts formerly […]
PHall | October 8, 2013
How good are you at making the right decisions? To become good requires surrounding yourself with those smarter than you, and who you respect, resulting in a willingness to follow their advice. A recurring theme in David’s life is one all should incorporate into their decision making process, realizing we are poor sources of ultimate […]
PHall | October 8, 2013
The massacre of the innocents is not just a story of Herod and Jesus, nor Pharaoh and Moses. It is the story of Saul and David, made even more sad since Saul too was God’s anointed, unlike Herod and Pharaoh. A paranoid king Saul orders the death of innocents, this time priests, because he suspected […]
PHall | October 4, 2013
I do not want to serve the purpose of God. I want to be special. Now, few would say that. However, is that our unspoken attitude spoken in whining, “That’s not fair?” Do we look around and think, “Why not me, God?” Is this modification more palatable: I do want to serve the purpose of […]
PHall | October 3, 2013
What happens when we stop praying? What happens if no prays? Few stories are more popular and personally claimed in troubling times than David and Goliath. So ingrained in common culture, “David versus Goliath” is part of sport’s jargon and business competition. It is the classic story of the underdog, the little guy, the everyman. […]
PHall | October 1, 2013
My wife and I received an invitation from friends to join them in traveling to a foreign country to preach and teach. Having traveled to Jamaica, South America, and the Philippines, this would not be my first evangelistic trip overseas. This time though, was different. Preaching the gospel is illegal. Christians there meet secretively. Applying […]