Applied Theology
Tropical Storm Isaac is scheduled to make landfall near New Orleans some time on the morning of August 29, 2012. On this very day seven years ago, Katrina unleashed chaos on the Crescent City. What have folks learned since then? No doubt, many improvements have been made. A Weather Channel report this morning catalogued the... Continue Reading →
Recently, a friend and brother in Christ bombarded me with a dozen or so questions pertaining to aspects of the Christian faith which have recently been puzzling him. I asked and received permission from him to post my responses here on this blog, thinking that if he has these questions, then others may have them... Continue Reading →
The Apostle Paul was once part of a shipwreck that didn’t have to happen. In Acts 27, Paul advises the Roman centurion and the crew of the ship to stay in port through the winter. The ship was bound to wreck, according to Paul, if it set sail before the winter was over. The ship’s... Continue Reading →
I recently had a conversation with a friend in which he expressed his disdain for “Christian coercion.” He didn’t exactly call it that, but I think that is an accurate description of what he meant. His concern was that Christians under the threat of eternal damnation pressure others to go against their natural desires. Specifically,... Continue Reading →
What if you lived like a mink? In the swamps of Louisiana, there are minks galore. So, there are traps galore set by trappers looking to make a living off the furry little swamp weasels. What if you and I had to live constantly in fear of being trapped by some scoundrel who wanted to... Continue Reading →
Here is the point I am trying to make with this illustration of my sister’s suffering. My sin of not honoring my mother’s commands caused both me and my sister to suffer a pretty nasty switching. And it wasn’t unjust. The responsibility was on me to make sure I had secured permission and that the... Continue Reading →
Oh, what a day we had! My sister and I were both just kids, less than 10 years old. But we knew how to have fun in a swimming pool. And the swimming pool we were in was fantastic. It was a big, in-ground pool, probably 20’ x 40’ with a nice concrete walk all... Continue Reading →
Can you imagine being kind to the thief who stole your new mp3 player? On two different occasions, my wife has had her purse and its contents stolen. I can recall many of our thoughts in response to the theft: anger, cursing, bitterness. We had a strange feeling of being violated and vulnerable, realizing just... Continue Reading →
Reading through Genesis 3 leaves the impression that sin is essentially explained in that chapter. The first sin of the race offers the framework by which all other sin can be assessed and understood. For me, one of the most striking aspects of sin as pictured in Genesis 3 is just how limiting sin proves... Continue Reading →
I had not thought of making wisdom and slavery opposites before reading Genesis 2 today, but these 2 ideas are opposites. The Lord speaks to the Man and gives him the command to eat freely of everything in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Obviously, for this command... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran