Saturday, July 30, 2016

The Mythology of the Mayas

The other day my wife and our family went to visit the Witte Museum in downtown San Antonio. We spent about an hour or so touring an exhibit in the museum called “The Mayas.” As the title would indicate, this exhibit has to do with the Mayan civilization that dominated great portions of Mexico and Central America during the pre-Columbine era. Although not a very extensive exhibit, it did contain the highlights of a civilization which spanned over two millennia and which left an indelible imprint on the culture and the society of the Americas. It was not until the Spanish invaded the New World, that the Mayan civilization began to wane and, eventually, disappear. Although there are still many people who claim their ancestry from this once proud civilization, the empire was quickly devastated and eventually absorbed by the unstoppable wheel of progress.


Saturday, July 16, 2016

The Importance of Church History

To hear some say it, you would think that the history of the church began at whatever point their particular denomination came into existence. If you’re a Baptist, then it began sometime in the 17th century. If you’re a Lutheran sometime before that. And if you’re a church of Christ member, then it began in the 19th century with Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone. Every denomination has its own particular reference point when their history began and beyond which the rank and file member seldom goes. But the fact of the matter is that, if the church began in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago, then church history is that old. Since the church did not begin with the reformation, its history did not begin there either. And it behooves those of us who call ourselves Christians to understand that history because, like it or not (or admit it or not, for that matter), that history does have a certain influence on who we are as a church in the 21st century.


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Liar, Liar!

I heard on a recent apologetics show, that there was a study conducted earlier this year that children learn to lie at a very early age. By the time the child reaches the age of three, the study concluded, about half have learned the “value” of lying. This takes place when they realize that others are unable to read their minds. By the time children reach the age of five or six, about 90% of them lie habitually. This should come as no surprise to those of us who are parents. Sometimes we wonder how it is that our children can lie with such ease. But the answer, and this should surprise no one who is a believer, is to be found in the fact that the world, and everything in it, is subject to the corrupting influence of sin. Our children are not immune from the insidious effects that sinfulness exerts over our world.