Tommy Mann

Atoms are the building blocks of life, or so I was taught in elementary school. Technically an atom is the smallest unit of matter that can retain the chemical properties of an element. Atoms are pretty much the smallest thing we can see or measure. The word atom means indivisible because it was originally used to describe something that was already reduced down as small as it could be. It is a Greek word, and we see it in the New Testament. Speaking of the resurrection of believers, Paul wrote, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)." The word translated as moment is atomos  in Greek. This is the only time the word is found in Scripture, but it is important. Paul is telling the church that their perishable, mortal, and physical bodies will be exchanged for ones that imperishable, immortal, and spiritual. Our bodies are weak; they will be raised up powerful. This is an incredi...

Picking out names for children can be fun. Maybe you once read names out of one of those books that tells you what each name means, or maybe you Googled the top ten names for the year; maybe you passed on a family name to your children.  For some people, names mean something; for others, they just like the way a name sounds. In the book of Proverbs we meet someone who gave her children interesting names. In fact, she named both of her daughters the same thing: Give. Verse 15 says, "The leech has two daughters: Give and Give." Some older translations say the leech is crying out Give and Give, but there is nothing in the original Hebrew to indicate she is saying anything at all. The best translation seems to be that she has named each of her daughters Give.  This is fictitious, of course, and she is a leech, so we know the author is just telling a humorous story. A leech (or horse leech in some older versions) is a parasite, attaching itself to a host and sucking its blood. She...

God is a God of love. 1 John 4 verses 8 and 16 both say so in as few words as possible: God is love.  John did not waste any words in informing us of God's love, and yet mankind has spent thousands of years writing as many words as we can muster to try to come to terms with the God of the universe loving humanity.  In his wonderful book Deeper, Dane Ortlund added his words to the many others that have attempted to capture the concept of God's love. He told us to "allow [God's] heart to plunge you into his oceanic love more deeply than he ever has before...you who are in Christ have never stepped outside the cascading waterfall of divine love." But next he said something amazing. "God would have to un-God himself for that deluge to run dry."  This is impossible for a number of reasons. First, un-God isn't a word, so God can't un-God Himself. Ortlund had to make up a word to make his point.  Also, God cannot un-God Himself because He can never stop...

A popular phrase I hear a lot is "let him cook," which is usually said in connection with an athlete. When someone gets in the zone and begins to go off, making big plays, the announcer might say he is starting to cook, or to let him cook. The phrase is used in other contexts as well, like when people are having a debate and someone starts to make good points, he is cooking. The phrase as a cultural metaphor originated with a rap song by Lil B., who used the picture of cooking to refer to someone letting their creativity flow without being interrupted. If someone gets in their way, they are not able to cook.  There is a Hebrew word that is related to cooking, but the way it is used, we should not let him cook. Proverbs 13:10 says, "By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." The word insolence is typically translated into English as pride, and that is the way the NIV renders it. The actual word means to be presumptuous or overco...

 When I was in elementary school I was startled by the fact that I caught myself reciting the pledge of allegiance without even thinking about it. I have done that with many other things since that day, but that was the day I learned that was possible. Our class stood up, just like we did each morning, and we said the words to the pledge. I was daydreaming, but snapped back into reality and realized I had been saying the words completely on autopilot.  I also have driven home and realized I didn't remember any of it. My mind can be so spaced out, but my body does things purely from memory.  We might also do that when we sing, but that could be a sign of spiritual apathy. Richard Owen Roberts, in his book titled Revival! , identified twenty-five indicators of a Christian who has lost his passion for the things of God. Number eleven on his list is "When you can mouth religious songs and words without heart." Instead of the pledge of allegiance, maybe you have caught yoursel...

Our middle school used to hold a science fair every year. The gym would be turned into a maze of projects where students made radios out of potatoes or demonstrated how two magnets repel each other, and they explained it all on three-sided poster boards. If your science fair was like mine, every other table featured a paper mache volcano.  No matter how many kids submitted that project, we were amazed to watch each one, as the vinegar was poured in and added to the baking soda, and then the eruption came. It is a simple science experiment about chemical reactions, but it provides a great visual effect. Did you know this science fair project appears in the Bible? While there is no mention of the paper mache, the active ingredients in the fake lava are found in Proverbs 25:20. That verse says, "Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar to soda."  Taking off a garment on a cold day portrays forcibly stripping someone...

What does it mean to be united? We live in the United States of America, where fifty independent states cooperate together as a single unit. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States rallied together because an attack on Hawaii was an attack on the whole. When Muslims terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center, all fifty states responded with a loud voice. It is a good thing to be united with someone who will have your back. Think about Pearl Harbor: Hawaii was not even a state at that point, but because the territory was united with the greatest nation on earth, they were not alone to face the Japanese attack.  Being united with someone is good, so long as the one you are united with is good. You do not want to be stuck with someone that is detrimental to you. Fortunately, as Christians, we are united together with the best Person for us: Jesus. Romans 6:5 says, "For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a ...

In Disney's iconic movie Frozen, there is a lovable snowman named Olaf, who in one particular scene, dreams about how great his life would be in summertime. He breaks into song about how much cooler he'd be "sitting in the summer sun, letting off steam." The lyrics are funny because he is blissfully unaware of the fate he would suffer once summer arrived.  We understand that snow does not belong in the summer. Olaf was mistaken when he sang, "Winter's a great time to stay in and cuddle,                                                                                                But put me in summer and I'll be a...happy snowman!" I'll admit though, this North Texas sun has me wishing for snow. We have had three consecutive weeks of triple digit...

When it comes to peace, some people are peacekeepers and some are peacemakers. The former simply shoots for keeping the peace, not rocking the boat or ruffling feathers, while the latter proactively strives to make peace where there is none.  The peacekeeper does not want to hurt feelings. These people will kick the can down the road rather than deal with a problem. There may be trouble brewing beneath the surface, but as long as things are not exploding at the moment, the peacekeeper will keep on keeping on. The peacemaker recognizes the coming confrontation and seeks to get out in front of it, to even prevent it from happening by brokering peace between the warring factions.  In his book on dealing with conflict, titled Firestorm, pastor Ron Susek wrote, "While peacekeepers try to sweep things under the rug, peacemakers try to sweep things out the door." (p.126) Those who are non-confrontational may avoid being peacemakers because they dread the difficult conversations that...

I recently read about a scam people are running at hardware stores. They purchase a pressure washer, then take it home and do whatever they needed to do--clean their driveway, their house, or anything else they needed done. When they are finished, they put the machine back in the box, take it back to the store, and claim it didn't work. They return the item for a full refund, and by the time manufacturer realizes there is nothing wrong with it, it's too late. The manufacturer and the store have lost a sale, and the money they spent sending back a perfectly good product.  Apparently these kinds of scams are common, with people even returning half eaten food to grocery stores. Our economy is a trust-based system where we long assumed people would do the right thing. Con artists were the rare exception to the rule, so that our system still worked. Maybe the store loses the occasional sale, but everything still ended up in their favor. But they are not the rare exception any longer...

People love to quote the first two words of Luke 6:37, which are "Judge not." For many people that seems to be all of the verse (or even the entire Bible) that they actually know. Others will quote the first eight words of the verse, which are, “Judge not, and you will not be judged." Jesus is not telling us not to judge, but is warning us that, once we start to judge, we need to expect to be judged by others. Those who "live and let live," who ignore other's sins in hopes that others will ignore theirs, are not doing anyone any favors. Rather than letting iron sharpen iron, we create spaces where sin flourishes, all while we pat ourselves on the back because we "judge not." Jesus didn't tell us not to judge, but actually taught us how to judge, as John 7:24 says, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." Judge is an imperative in Greek, an action verb; we are called to judge, so long as we do it the ...

A verse Christians love to quote is 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." But what does it mean to be "in Christ?"  Some people have a problem with this phrase, and have expressed concerns that it borders on blasphemy. The issue is that they have determined being in Christ means we become divine, especially if we add to this Peter's declaration that through the promises of Jesus we "may become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)."   Are these New Testament writers saying we, too, have a divine nature like Christ? That does sound blasphemous.  Saint Augustine compared being in Christ to a sponge soaking up water. The absorbent sponge soaks up all the water it can handle until it is dripping, but the sponge never becomes water, and the water never becomes a sponge. They are forever two separate objects, no matter how closely they are used toge...

What things are you occupied with? To be occupied means to be engaged in something, or giving our attention to that thing. You may be occupied with work, family, responsibilities, or hobbies. Those are all good things to be occupied by at the appropriate times. But in Acts 18:5 we read that the Apostle Paul was occupied by something quite noble. The verse says, "When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus." The Greek word that is translated as occupied means to be seized, as if something has grabbed a hold of you. Paul was seized by the word, completely controlled by it. "The word" refers to the Word of God, or the gospel. Paul was completely occupied by sharing the good news of Jesus with people who did not know the truth.  The Jews knew about Jesus, of course, but they did not believe Jesus was the Christ. Paul was able to build a systematic case for Jesus by using, you guessed it...

God is love. We know this concept and it warms our hearts. 1 John 4:8 famously says, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." The sixteenth verse repeats this truth that God is love. We love this verse because it teaches us that the God of heaven loves imperfect people like us. This separates our God from other gods, like the god of Islam, who is impersonal. But what is sometimes lost in this verse is a deeper truth that points us to the Trinity.  If God is love, there must be someone for God to love. There has to be an object of His love; otherwise, how could God be love? He doesn't just love in the abstract, but existentially. God being love can't just be an idea; it must be put into practice. It stands to reason then, that if God is love, there is someone to love. I think we all would agree with that. Who does God love? Us! we shout with joy. But what about before there was an us? Who did God love before He made Adam? Or we could ask, Who ...

I am afraid that people outside the church don't realize that Christians are allowed to enjoy life. They probably think we are a group of people scared into submission by the rules of religion, living by a code of "thou shalt not's" that only exist to keep us from having any fun. Those outside the church probably think that way because of those inside the church. Too many Christians seem to operate from that idea that God is a cosmic killjoy who wants us all to be miserable. If we like it, He says don't do it. Life is not meant to be enjoyed, only endured. Since Christians seem to believe this myth, it is passed on to those who are unbelievers. And that isn't a very good advertisement of our faith, or the kind of God we serve. Did you know the Bible speaks of us enjoying life? In 1 Timothy 6:17 Paul wrote these words: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who r...

When we hear someone described as being a fugitive it is never a good thing. "He is a fugitive of justice." That means someone is on the run; he has broken the law, and now the cops are trying to find him. We also use that word when someone breaks out of prison and there is a manhunt trying to track him down. To be a fugitive means you have made a series of bad choices, first in breaking the law, and then in attempting to evade the consequences.  But it doesn't have to be a bad word. Several times in the New Testament someone is commanded to become a fugitive. One such example is in 2 Timothy 2:22 where Paul writes, "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."   Like a fugitive, the word is hiding in the text. We don't see it because it is only in the original Greek. The word translated as flee is the Greek word pheuge,  and it gives us our English word fugitive. Rather...

Have you ever worn clothes that were too tight? Sometimes people have a suit they only wear on rare occasions, and when they pull it out of the back of the closet last minute, they discover it doesn't fit like it used to, and they have no choice but to wear it anyway. Or maybe the clothes weren't tight when you put them on, but they became that way over the course of the day. After a big meal, the waistband feels like it shrunk, and you can't wait to get some relief when you change into something else. If you have had to spend time in clothes that are too tight, you understand that good feeling when you can finally put on something more comfortable. After a long day you can slip into your favorite lounge pants and baggy shirt and just let yourself relax. You take a deep breath and hold it in for a moment before finally letting it out. At last you can breathe much easier.  In her book Forgiving What You Can't Forget, Lysa Terkeurst compares that feeling to when we finall...

Have you ever thought about the words you speak being food? That might not be the first mental image you get when you think about your words, but the book of Proverbs makes that comparison.  First, Solomon makes the analogy in a negative way, writing in 26:22, "The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body." A whisperer is a gossip, someone who has to look over his shoulder before he lowers his voice and passes on what he is about to say. Many people have a craving for gossip that can never be satisfied. And the whispered words taste so good going down--they are truly delicious morsels. The Hebrews phrase literally reads "things greedily devoured;" the gossip is a glutton, feasting on words when he should be pushing away from the table.  I might greedily devour an entire cheesecake, and enjoy each bite in that moment. But after the fact my blood sugar spikes and I can't button my pants. In a similar way, the w...

Critics of Christianity often point to the existence of evil as proof that there cannot be a God. After all, if there is a God, as we say there is, and if that God is good, as He claims to be, then there should not be any evil in the world.  We all know there is evil in the world, so God is either too weak to prevent it, or too cruel to stop it. Such is the claim of the atheist.  But evil is not really a thing. It is comparable to coldness or darkness. Think about it: cold is not a thing. Something is cold when there is an absence of heat. The same is true of darkness, which is only the absence of light. Where no light is present, there is darkness. Evil is like that. It is simply the absence of good. And God made a good world. When He created the universe He called it "very good." In Genesis 1 we see the word good used seven times to describe God's creation. There was no evil because there was no absence of good.  That was all before sin. Two chapters after calling every...

Is the New Testament part of the inspired Bible? While there is far more that can be said then I have room to share here, I think there is an interesting piece of evidence slipped into 1 Timothy 5:8. After Paul said an elder is deserving of his pay from the church, he went on to say: "For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves his wages.'”  Paul is clearly quoting Scripture. The reference to muzzling an ox comes from Deuteronomy 25. That was part of the old law, and verses like 2 Timothy 3:16 tell us "all Scripture" was breathed out by God. The Jews had collected all the books we call the Old Testament, and they viewed them as inspired writings from God through human authors, and thus incapable of containing errors. But Paul didn't just include Deuteronomy when he wrote "For the Scripture says." The second phrase about the laborer deserving his wages was a quote from Jesus re...