Bur has written on many topics. These papers address various topics not usually discussed in the Church but necessary to understand God’s plan for believers. Topics range from How to Raise Responsible Children to How to Share Jesus with Your Jewish Friends. These papers include theological content [Evil and the Goodness of God], biblical topics [Healing Myths], as well as Christian Living material [Decision-Making God’s Way]. Some are free downloads and others are available for a nominal price.
Papers
Healing Myths
Does God heal today? Is it God’s will that everyone should be healed? Is my sickness evidence that God is punishing me for my sin? Didn’t Christ’s death and resurrection pay the price for my healing? Doesn’t Isaiah 53:5 (“by his stripes we are healed”) promise my healing?
There are many erroneous teachings today about God’s healing. This paper provides biblical answers to five healing myths being circulated in the Church.
Myth #1 … God’s Word promises your healing
Myth #2 … It is God’s will that everyone should be healed
Myth #3 … Healing is part of Christ’s Atonement
Myth #4 … My sickness/suffering is proof God is punishing me for my sin
Myth #5 … God can’t use me until I’m completely healed
Theological Spectrum
Theology is a broad discipline. There are various views in the Church concerning biblical understandings, some even contradictory. Theology spans from the far-left liberal perspective to the far-right conservative viewpoint. The theological continuum shown in the enclosed chart shows these opposing extremes using two major doctrines, that of scripture reliability and the breadth and means of spiritual salvation. The chart is accompanied by an expanded explanation of the various theological positions presented.
God and Evil
The question “How can a loving God permit evil?” has been debated throughout Church history (and before). During the bombing of London during the Second World War, the famous author, H.G. Wells, is said to declare, “Either God has the power and does not care, or God cares and does not have the power.” How do we reconcile a good God that permits evil in our world? This paper is a short attempt to help understand this dilemma.
Decision-Making God’s Way
A believer’s decision-making must include a knowledge of God’s will, otherwise, we are making decisions based on our own understanding. Knowing God’s will is perhaps the most misunderstood theological question with which a believer struggles. Ephesians 5:17 says that we can certainly know what God’s will is – “17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” How can we know “what the Lord’s will is”? In this paper, I expose God’s expectations for the believer as he/she makes those major life decisions. This understanding is imperative for us to know as we honor Christ in our decision-making.
Christian Giving vs. Tithing
Many churches teach that believers today should give 10% of their income to the church. They often use the language “tithes and offerings” to identify the difference between this 10% requirement to be given to the local church and giving that lies outside this requirement. But is the biblical mandate of 10% expected of believers in Jesus? Does the New Testament place this Old Testament expectation on today’s Church of Jesus Christ? I believe it does not. This paper explains the difference between the Old Testament tithe and New Testament giving and describes God’s expectations for giving in the Church today.
Sharing Jesus with a Jewish Friend
Jews today are told by their Rabbis that to accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah is to become a Christian and thus lose their promised salvation from God. Sharing Jesus with a Jewish friend must not suggest they leave their faith. We are not asking them to become “Christian,” we want them to accept Yeshua as their personal Messiah. To do this requires us to understand several differences between our two faiths and how to show that Jesus fulfills all the prophetic requirements for the long-awaited Messiah. Of course, this takes time and an understanding of how to present this truth. This paper accomplishes all these essentials.
First-Century Crucifixion and Burial Practices
Crucifixion was a Roman practice in Palestine in the first century. It was done with speed and precision. Archaeology has discovered evidence of this cruel custom that changes some of the earlier concepts represented in Christian art by Renaissance painters. Jewish burial practices were observed for all residents except the poor regardless of their form of death. This paper describes the evidence of both of these techniques.
The Roman Road, the Path to Knowing Jesus
Religion and church attendance sometimes cloud the concept of knowing God or walking with him personally. Church rituals often take the place of a valid relationship with God because they are easily accomplished and require little commitment.
“Being saved,” “converted,” or “knowing Jesus as one’s personal savior,” defines the concept of a personal God. Having a relationship with this deity is found throughout Scripture. This concept can be understood by looking at a few verses from the New Testament book of Romans.
The Bridge Keeper
None of us like “troubled times.” In fact, if we could, we likely would avoid them altogether. But that’s not realistic. Life is full of trouble. Some of it’s from our own actions. Some from the actions of others. Some just because we were in the wrong place at the right time.
God does not protect his children from the world’s evil. Accidents, betrayal, illness, and death touch all our lives. Does this mean God doesn’t care? Of course not. We have a God that not only knows our troubles but feels them. He did not protect his own son from the pain of crucifixion but suffered with him as he hung on the cross. The Bridge Keeper is a story to help us understand the great sacrifice God made in providing our salvation through the death of his son.
A Final Escape
Jerry was a special friend. Born with cerebral palsy, he achieved more than anyone ever expected. We were high school friends. I did his marriage preparation (yes he got married). I sang at his wedding. I visited him and Barb in their new home in Echoing Hills after their wedding. We talked by phone upon every visit he made back to Findlay. Jerry loved Jesus and shared him with others every chance he got. He once told me, “Someday I’ll have a new body, perfect in every way!” Today he enjoys that body. Thank you, Jerry, for the many years of friendship.
Feelings, Conscience, and the Holy Spirit [How do we decipher the Spirit’s leading in Decision-Making?]
Written in response to a question about taking the COVID-19 vaccine, my response applies to all decisions we make day by day. The challenge is to decipher between feelings, conscience, and the Holy Spirit. They are not always the same. How do we recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice in the midst of so many voices calling for our attention? This paper is designed to assist us in making that determination.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
According to scripture, all human beings will be judged after death for either the sin they’ve committed or their faithfulness to Christ after salvation. Which judgment they confront is determined by their response to Jesus’ sacrifice during their earthly life. This paper explains both the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment.
Raising Responsible Children
For God a good home is not optional – it’s imperative! It is the basis upon which everything else is built. If one’s home is not right, then nothing else is right. How do we ensure a solid marriage and family? We don’t…but we can reduce the chances of failure by preparing our children for this, the most important responsibility of their future. This paper contains a specific design we used to prepare our children for this important task.
Martin Luther’s “Battle Hymn of the Reformation”
The Middle Ages was a period of illiteracy. Luther perceived music as an important way for a person to learn biblical concepts. What could be better than to memorize tunes and lyrics that could be repeated in the mind over and over during the week? For reform to capture the mind of the church it was necessary to reach both the common man and the intellectuals of the day. Luther saw music as that medium. Luther’s double-meaning metaphors like those used in this hymn (“the prince of darkness grim” – Satan and the Pope) helped to spark reactionary fervor from the masses. This paper is more academic and was presented at The Midwest American Popular Culture Association and The Midwest American Culture Association.
A Brief Jewish History
This paper provides a short history of the Jews using first leaders of the Israelites (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, the Judges, the monarchy, the divided kingdom) and then the 5 empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Hasmoneans, Rome) that controlled Palestine until the coming of Messiah (Jesus).
Old and New Testament Structure
The Bible is not meant to be read like most other books beginning with the first line and reading to the last. It is a collection of 39 separate books, each with its own author, audience, purpose, and content. This chart presents the various components of the Old Testament (Law, History, Wisdom/Poetic, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets) and New Testament (Gospels, Acts, Pauline Epistle, General Epistles, the Apocalypse) as they appear in the scriptures. This is helpful for a new believer or someone unfamiliar with the Bible.