Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-10) from his book, Spirituality for the Rest of Us: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Knowing God (p. 134). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We really need to realize that, don’t we?   Look at what Larry says, “He got the Bible right the first time. Nothing was left out. Nothing was forgotten. Our extra fences, hoops, and traditions not only aren't needed, they're harmful. And they certainly don't deliver on their promises.” “Rather than producing God-pleasing spirituality, they're more likely to produce pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency.” “Rather than providing extra protection against sin, they increase the odds that one day we'll try to ignore his clear warnings through the mistaken assumption that they're no more valid than the empty threats posted on our man-made fences.” “Rather than honoring God and keeping the church pure, they scar

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (Kindle Locations 2335-2336). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Here is the context of this statement.   Larry says, “Today there’s also a strong tendency to read the Bible through the lens of a poverty gospel. This is the predictable pendulum swing away from the nonsense and excesses of the prosperity gospel, which claimed that God wanted everyone healthy and wealthy. The poverty gospel declares the opposite. It asserts that godliness is found in simplicity, suffering, and poverty. It has a built-in bias against wealth.” He then says, “Try this sometime. Ask a group of younger Christians if the Bible says that money is the root of all evil. Nearly every hand will go up. But that’s not what the Bible says. It says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and that

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (Kindle Locations 2228-2229). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Now that doesn’t make sense, does it?   If I honor it and praise it and notice it then it must matter the most. Right? Here is what Larry says, “In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul said that the body of Christ is just like our physical bodies. The parts we notice, honor, and praise are the parts that matter the least.”   Check out 1 Corinthians 12: 22-25. He goes on, “For instance, you’ll never make the cover of a glamour magazine because you have a marvelous liver, kidney, or pancreas. You might make it if you’ve got great hair, beautiful eyes, a fabulous complexion, a body that won’t quit, or killer abs.” “But none of those are very important to life itself. You can live a long and p