Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | September 9, 2013
God’s people are like little children before Christmas, sneaking down to open their presents before Christmas morning; and breaking them way before they are even supposed to be opened. A toddler might get away with it because they are cute; but cuteness stops helping most of us way too soon. Scripture is filled with people […]
PHall | September 7, 2013
The Light of the World Sees The Blind Man – 9:1-5 The Blind Man Sees – 9:6-7 The Neighbors See The Blind Man – 9:8-16 The Blind Man Sees A Prophet – 9:17 The Pharisees Will Not See the Blind Man – 9:18 The Pharisees Will Not See Jesus – 9:19-29 The Blind Man Sees […]
PHall | September 7, 2013
Hear the word “Ebenezer” and our minds drift back to Dickens’s classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Being a literary genius, no doubt the name Ebenezer Scrooge was chosen meaningfully. Scrooge is a variation of an obscure English verb: “to scrouge” meaning “to squeeze” or “to press.” Scrooge pinched his pennies tightly and pressed heavily the poor. […]
PHall | September 7, 2013
John 9:1, where Jesus’ disciples ask “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” teaches a simple, essential, but too often forgotten lesson: Ignorance begins when we limit our answers. Jesus responded back with “Neither.” And then gave an answer the disciples never considered. The “problem” was not because of […]
PHall | September 5, 2013
What do normal, non-religious people have in common with pagan polytheists of 3000 years ago? The following story is touched by God’s unique humor. Israel treats God’s Ark of the Covenant like a graven image, a common idol. After Yahweh refuses them victory, they scheme like pagans: “Let’s bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant […]
PHall | September 3, 2013
Listening is a lost art, a lost courtesy, a lost tool for self-improvement, and a lost Bible study method. If we do not listen, we will be lost eternally. Too often when others talk, we are thinking what to say, ready to protect ourselves or defeat them. Too many suffer numbness of the ears; […]
PHall | September 2, 2013
Prayer leads to prayer when prayer ends in fulfillment. That is, unless we forget to give thanksgiving, or forget what we had prayed. I wonder how many heavenly requests we actually remember. Of course, some are so “big” they could never be forgotten. And, some are so selfish we are embarrassed upon reflection. Hannah prayed […]
PHall | August 31, 2013
PHall | August 30, 2013
There is an emptiness that consumes. When this emptiness is God absent, we can hunger and thirst after righteousness and be filled. When an unhealthy emptiness is like a black hole, it swallows everything around it into non-existence. Sometimes the pressure is self-inflicted, at times forced on us by family; even society can be guilty […]