Danny Taylor: Skinny Guy Thinking it Through

I am a tall, skinny guy with a metabolism through the roof.  There is no reason I am so skinny, and it is not for want of trying.  I loves me a cheeseburger, fries, pizza, bacon, and a whole host of other junk food.  If it were up to me, I would have a steady diet of donuts, greasy food, and little exercise.  Fortunately, I have a wife who loves me and wants me to live a long life, so she enforces a more balanced diet for the family than I would choose for myself.  Also, I have been told by people wiser than me that my metabolism will catch up to me some day, and just eating right isn’t enough.   So, in addition to a more balanced diet, I have also taken up running.  I hate running.  It is miserable.  It is agonizing.  My own personal Hell would be running in a windy snowstorm (which, by the way, I have done).  What motivates me to run is signing up for races.  This gives me a tangible goal to set for myself and if I am r...

There is a very false misconception that exists both inside and outside the church: the belief that the Old Testament and the New Testament portray very different Gods.  The God of the Old Testament is rather angry and violent God, demanding strict adherence to His moral code, ruthlessly punishing those who get out of line, and causing enough bloodshed to reflect a brazen disregard for human life.  Meanwhile, the God of the New Testament is a peaceful God whose love and acceptance knows no bounds: He loves his neighbors, makes friends with “sinners,” prays for his persecutors, and turns the other cheek, inviting you to do the same.   Let’s be honest: In the Old Testament, God did call for the complete destruction of Jericho, among other towns, with the precept to leave no survivors (Josh. 6.17).  Also, in the New Testament, much of Jesus’ message did concern love, peace, acceptance, and “turning the other cheek.”   However, nothing could be further fro...

“Imitation” can be positive.  When we see good qualities, habits, or characteristics in others, we do our best to follow their example.  Those people whose positive qualities we wish to replicate are called “Role Models”.   There are negative forms of “imitation” as well.  It is one thing to try to replicate the positive qualities of a role model; it is quite different to step in and pretend to be another, either for the purpose of deception or to take what doesn’t belong to you.  An “Impostor” is someone who dresses in disguise, pretending to be someone else, usually with bad intentions.  We are called to mimic Jesus in the way he lived and related to others.  Revelation 13 shows a more devious side of mimicking: a divine impostor. Revelation 12 began another sequence of seven, the “Visions” which introduced a red Dragon pursuing a pregnant woman and her child.  When the Dragon realized he could not overthrow God nor devour the woman’s ...