Danny Taylor: Skinny Guy Thinking it Through

Among all the things in life that I hate, one of the worst is being ignored.  I would rather be hated than ignored.  When talking to my kids, at the very least I want an insincere, “Yes dad,” acknowledging that my child has heard me.  I only get upset if there there is no response.   In addition, one of my biggest pet peeves in life is being interrupted.  I don’t mind if you interrupt me because you have something valuable to contribute to the dialogue or if my hair is on fire.  What I don’t like is when someone interrupts to change the conversation, or cuts me off in order to say something irrelevant to the discussion.  There is nothing more disrespectful than being interrupted or ignored.  It implies that what I have to say is not important to you. We all want to know that what we say matters.  We all want the dignity of having our voices heard.  Not everyone will always agree with us, but even so, there is something satisfyi...

The churches addressed in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 all have varying degrees of good and bad with appropriate warnings and encouragements related to each situation.  Not all churches are doing bad, and some churches are far worse than others.  Of all the things the churches have in common, what stands out are the promises made to those who “overcome”.   Unfortunately, “overcoming” necessarily implies a struggle.  In order to “overcome”, one must “overcome” something.  What is it the readers are supposed to “overcome”?  For the churches doing poorly, I suppose they would need to overcome their temptation to sin and stop compromising.  For the churches doing well, they may need to overcome their persecutors, even be willing to face death.  Either the pagan society is causing them to suffer by pressuring them to compromise their beliefs and behaviors, or the pagan society is causing them to suffer by killing them for maintaining their faithfu...

After the author introduces Jesus Christ in obvious divine terms, the scene shifts to seven letters written to seven churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).  There is little significant about these seven particular churches so that only these seven warrant a letter.  There could have been eight churches receiving letters, or only six.  But there is something significant about choosing “Seven” churches total.  “Seven” throughout the Bible (and especially in Revelation) is a figurative number, a symbol meaning “complete, full, perfect.”  That is to say, these seven particular churches are a symbolic representative of All churches Everywhere throughout All Time .  What Jesus has to say to these seven particular churches is relevant to all Christians both past, present, and future.   The actual seven letters follow the same basic structure An order is given to write to the “angel” of the church of X Christ is described in terms coming from c...

Way back in Exodus 3, Moses had his “burning bush” experience.  God wanted to release his people from enslavement in Egypt, and he intended to use Moses to get that accomplished.  All of the sudden, Moses came down with a case of the “Yeah-buts.”   Yeah, but who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh? Yeah, but what if they say, “What’s the name of your God?” Yeah, but I have a speech impediment! Yeah, but won’t you please send someone else? Moses was worried, probably for good reason.  He had previously fled from Egypt on bad terms and was not eager to return to tell the king, “ Hey, you know the entire blue-collar work force you have to build your pyramids?  My God wants you to let them all leave Egypt! ”  Furthermore, he had to convince his own people of that as well.  Perhaps one might have asked,  “Moses, who do you think you are?”    Maybe Pharaoh could have been convinced that Moses was right, but before considering...

In “Horton Hears a Who”(1), a noble elephant (Horton) inadvertently finds an entire universe on a speck of dust, carried along on a pink clover.  He is able to converse with the mayor of “Whoville” inside the universe, who is concerned that his universe may be in danger.  Horton confirms the mayor’s suspicions, and takes it upon himself to seek a permanent refuge for the speck of dust, finding the perfect spot on the top of a mountain.  So he journeys off on his mission. In the meantime, a Kangaroo thinks Horton’s “discovery” is absurd.  In her words, “If you can’t see, hear, or feel something, it doesn’t exist.”  As the self-proclaimed author and enforcer of the rules in the Jungle of Nool, she insists that “ believing in tiny imaginary people is just not something we do . . . OR TOLERATE.... ”  Furthermore, she reminds Horton that “ Our community has standards; if you want to remain a part of it I recommend you follow them. ”  Horton, however, ...

Where we end up in our understanding of Revelation is largely determined by where we start. Unfortunately, many start with a bad premise, and if we start with a bad premise we end with bad conclusions. Perhaps we have incomplete or just plain wrong definitions of words like “Revelation”, “Apocalypse,” and “Prophecy”. Then, instead of getting a more accurate meaning of the book, it ends up becoming a puzzle about the end of the world that we need to piece together. We become enamored with charting a timeline and interpreting world events as fulfilling biblical prophecy when in fact that is not the point of Revelation at all. So, to have a better understanding of the book, and the point the author is trying to make, I suggest we keep the following in mind: “Apocalypse” and “Apocalyptic” do NOT mean “End Times” Unfortunately, our culture has redefined these words to mean “End Times”, or more generally, a doomsday type of scenario. An “apocalyptic” event is understood as a sort of c...

My name is Danny Taylor, a tall skinny guy from the East Side of the Glass City.  I am a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, the husband of one (a smokin' hot blonde), dad of 3, lover of music (especially U2 and the Arcade Fire), proud owner of a solid spruce Martin DCX1E, and fan of Detroit Sports.  I am also a Sunday School teacher, and a student of the Bible. I believe that in the Bible are words spoken by a loving God, to a fallen humanity; a message of grace and mercy relevant to all people everywhere.  If we want to know what God is like, what he expects out of us, and what he did on our behalf, the Bible is probably the best place to get all that information.  However, in spite of the fact that we live in an age of limitless access to the Bible in countless translations, the Bible is perhaps the most mis-interpreted and mis-understood (least read?) piece of literature circulating on the face of the earth today.  So here I am, trying to do my part...