The Premonition Trap
There have been times in my life when I seem extra vulnerable to the weird, bizarre or extraordinary—dare I say paranormal? Notice I’m not saying supernatural. At least not yet. That remains to be seen. But that’s what I mean. I’ve always relied heavily on something called “instinct” or “gut feeling” when making decisions. That’s part of it. But I have something else in mind. I’m referring to the sense that I know what’s going to happen ahead of time. The term “premonition” is often used. The times I’m most susceptible are times of anxiety and confusion. From a...
Read MoreThe Ten Plagues of Personality
You probably know the story of Israel and their miraculous escape from Egypt. It’s found in the Old Testament book of Exodus. It’s a wonderful story filled with drama and mystery, culminating in God’s astounding intervention in the lives of his people. Today we would call the dramatic elements a real “cliff hanger.” Of course, prior to his deliverance God was also trying to make a point: that the Egyptians were not sit able to receive God’s mercy because of the hardness of their hearts. This is where all those plagues came in. There were ten of...
Read MoreNeuroscience and the Mind of Christ: A Reaction to the Huffington Post
Recently, I read an article about the intersection of brain science and human conflict that I found most fascinating. Before you read on, I recommend you first be familiar with Derek Flood’s “Neuroscience and the Mind of Christ“ at the Huffington Post. A Little About Flood’s PerspectiveDerek Flood represents an element in Protestant/evangelical circles that leaves me conflicted. I don’t want to make this article about him (or even me), but I do need to say a little about where he’s coming from because it impacts my observations about the content of his essay. Flood and his...
Read MoreThe Cure for Disaster Fatigue
Call me gloomy if you want, but I’ve been expecting social and economic calamity to befall our nation since the early 1990s. I believe it was popular Christian author Larry Burkett’s book, The Coming Economic Earthquake that was the alarm bell for me. We took it very seriously and began preparing for tough times. Though Larry’s immediate projections did not seem to pan out, we kept on task, getting out of debt, avoiding credit, and establishing contingency plans for the “earthquake.” Then, just as we felt like things were settling down, a new threat appeared on the...
Read More