Beyond Mediocrity Blog

(Image courtesy of istockphoto.com.) I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man ; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve ; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control (1 Timothy 2:8-15). The Nicene Creed, written in 325 A.D., was one of the first creeds written and formally accepted by all orthodox Christians. The document itself, however, arose out of necessity. The heresies of the day blasphemed...

(Image courtesy of pintrest.com.) “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). “It is not good that the man should be alone ; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). When God created man, he created him under the umbrella of two broad categories: dominion and companionship. Most of a man’s responsibilities fall under these two categories and, many times, they overlap. For instance, a man’s work falls under both categories: he has domain over a certain set of tasks to accomplish and at the same time is able to provide for the needs of his companions through accomplishing those tasks.

(Image courtesy of dreamstime.com.) A few years ago, I heard a missionary speak about the most difficult place to be a follower of Christ. I was expecting him to say “Pakistan” or “India” – some place where the persecution against Christians was the most intense. Instead, he said, “The most difficult place to follow Christ is in the United States of America.” Surprised, I listened intently to the reason why he would say that. He continued, “Because of the materialism in the U.S., it is difficult to stay focused on Christ.” His words still convict me to this day.

(Image courtesy of stocksnap.io.) Last night I had a very strange dream. My wife of over a decade said to me, “We’ve been married for a while, and things are going well. I think we’re at a place now that we can get a divorce.” To my horror, I agreed with her illogical conclusion. Quickly, I went and married a younger woman. After some time, I began to miss Lauren, and I wondered how she was doing. Running into her toward the end of my dream, she didn’t seem the least bit enthused that I had re-married. What a bizarre dream! When I woke up, I had to process what I just went through. How d evastating it would be for not only me, but for my entire family and future family to throw my marriage away at such an illogical, whimsical decision. Indeed, how more illogical can we become than when we reason, “I love you, and I’m growing in my love for you, but let’s end all that love and happiness right now just because, ok?”

(Image courtesy of istockphoto.com.) And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,                   “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,                                 because he has anointed me                                 to proclaim good news to the poor.                 He has sent me to proc...

(Image courtesy of stock.adobe.com.) “If you pray for patience, be careful; you’ll be given a lot of situations that will teach you patience.” This has often been repeated to me and probably to you. Perhaps you have even said this to others. I do not doubt the goodwill or the sincerity of the brother or sister in Christ who may have said this to you or vice versa, but I do think this common, Christian cliché deserves a little unpacking.