Can We Talk? (article)

Article 5 of 34 from the Ponder This - 2000 series

January 2000 - Did you know that Calvary has an online discussion board where you can trade thoughts with people from around the world? Over the last few months more and more people are dropping by to offer an opinion, ask a question, or join in an ongoing discussion.

The discussion board contains a number of sections, such as Community Buzz, Prayer Requests, Ask the Counselor!, Allied Force, Worship, Creation Corner, SeekersQuest, and Ask the Pastor. Each section contains a number of ongoing discussions on a wide variety of topics. In the Ask the Pastor section, there are discussions such as these: The dinosaurs, Contemporary vs. Traditional, I once met a man from Bahai, At what age do we sin?, Racism, Harry Potter, Bible versions, Dungeons and Dragons, Indulgences, and Science catching up with the Bible. I moderate the Ask the Pastor forum, but that only means I try to answer each question. Anyone who wants to add a comment is welcome to do so.

Here's an example of a question and my reply:

Question: "We are currently studying Ecclesiastes in my Bible study and I was wondering why if King Solomon had so much wisdom did he go astray? I suppose the simple answer would be that it is not enough to have wisdom, but one must also apply it. I would think that if he had so much wisdom he would of been more aware of pitfalls and how to avoid them. I know in my own life that I have the wisdom to know what I should do in a situation or how I should act, but I don't always use that wisdom. What are your thoughts Pastor Ray?"

Answer: "I think you've given us an excellent summary. Wisdom by itself means the ability to live life skillfully. It's an insight into the issues of life that enables you to consistently make wise choices. Solomon truly had wisdom. That's the only explanation for the great kingdom built during his reign as king of Israel. If you visit the Holy Land someday, you will see the remains of various buildings he constructed nearly 3000 years ago. What he lacked was a heart fully devoted to God. Of David it was said that he was a man after God's own heart-even though he was an adulterer. That was never said about Solomon. I find this a sobering truth to ponder. A man may be wise and extremely successful and may even enjoy a measure of God's blessing, and yet in the end he may be a failure because his heart was not truly devoted to God. What happened to Solomon could happen to any of us."

The Can We Talk? discussion board is becoming a place for lively interaction on a wide variety of topics. Drop by this week and join the conversation. Just point your Internet browser to the Calvary website, www.cmcop.org, and then click on "Can We Talk?"