Chris R. Quinlan

So, I've had this back/neck/shoulder pain for two weeks now. It was getting so bad that I was really at the point of doing anything to get rid of the pain. Everybody kept telling me to go to the Chiropractor. I've actually only spoken to one person who has ever told me anything negative about their experience with Chiropractic treatment. Most people are convinced that it is helpful. A little history. About a year ago, I went to a Chiropractor here in town who was recommended by a friend. She told me that I could get a free exam and x-rays with a referral. Well, I figured if it was free how bad could it be. I was skeptical at that point. I do not like to be deceived, and from the things I was reading, Chiropractic treatment was pseudo-science and mostly "smoke and mirrors." I was in pretty severe lower-back pain at that time and figured I'd go ahead and give 'em a try and see what it was all about. I won't go into the whole story, but to sum it up, I was ...

"My dear friend, everybody wants to go to heaven. They just don’t want God to be there when they get there." ...On the modern method of witnessing by asking questions like, "Do you want to go to heaven?"  The point; A truly converted individual wants to go to heaven because they want God, not because of some notion of heaven as a splendid place to be, or as a more pleasant alternative to hell.

Proverbs 3:1-2 My son, do not forget my teaching,        but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years        and bring you prosperity. Solomon's teachings, in this case, are God's teachings, for all scripture is "breathed-out" and inspired by God. We see in this proverb that if we remember and keep these commands (the proverbs of Solomon), then we will be healthy and wealthy. Well, that's one way to see it. Unfortunately, many have been taught this way of thinking and have been set up to be deceived by the charlatans lurking on the television claiming to be Christian ministries. If it's not health and wealth, than what is it? Simply put, it is the blessing of God in all areas of one's life. In this passage, the blessings of long life and success in one's ventures are mentioned.  Two things very much on the minds of a young son of Solomon, and very likely, you! Once again, t...

Proverbs 2:20-22 So you will walk in the way of good men          And keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will live in the land          And the blameless will remain in it; 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land          And the treacherous will be uprooted from it. A simple word of wisdom with a peculiar promise. The statements in verses 21 and 22 are such that I would imagine the modern reader having a bit of trouble relating to. To Solomon's sons, their land was their home; A blessing given to them by God and a place of protection. To be "uprooted" or plucked out from their land, was to be removed from the blessings of God and left, without protection, exposed to the perils of the enemies of God. Shall we risk banishment from God's blessing and protection, by associating with those that are not "k...

Proverbs 2:16-19 (Wisdom) will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Remember that this section of the proverbs is directed to Solomon’s young sons. This wisdom applies universally to both men and women. There are certain sins that the bible gives the warning of death. I recall the first sin that mankind committed. Eating a piece of fruit on a certain tree. The penalty for this sin was death. There are some other attitudes and actions that lead to death that are mentioned in the proverbs. These are: - hating correction (Proverbs 18:10) - pursuing evil (Prov. 11:19) - doing what is right in your own eyes    (Prov. 16:25; 14:12) - careless conduct (Prov. 19:16) - laziness (Prov. 21:25) ...

Proverbs 2:12-15 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. Click here to read my commentary on these verses.

Titus 2:11-12 11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, In Galatians 5:22-23 it says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These are the virtues that grow in the life of someone that is indwelt with the Holy Spirit. So “self-control” here, is one characteristic of a true Christian. So, do we as Christians, have any responsibility to strive to model these characteristics? The answer is yes! So, as with many other aspects of living the Christian life, we can expect the fruit of the Spirit to grow in our lives, but at the same time, we are to strive hard to “work out our salvation.” We must understand that it is the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us, that enables us to accomplish any and all resistance to temptation and sin. B...

( Letters of John Newton , 1767) I am thoroughly convinced, that if there is any practice in this land which is sinful, attendance on the playhouse is eminently so! The theaters are fountains of vice, by which the god of this world blinds the eyes of multitudes! These haunts of Satan are to be shunned as pest-houses, and dangerous nuisances to precious souls! The Gospel opens a source of purer, sweeter, and more substantial pleasures! We may well bid adieu to these perishing pleasures of sin! We may well pity those who can find pleasure in those amusements where God is shut out; where His name is only mentioned to be profaned; where His commandments are not only broken--but insulted; where sinners proclaim their shame as in Sodom, and attempt not to hide it; where, at best, wickedness is wrapped up in a disguise of entertainment, to make it more insinuating! ___________________________ I find very few preachers willing to talk like this anymore. Can anything in this letter be den...

Hebrews 3: 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that when I look at other people’s bad behavior, the things that irritate me the most are the very things that I can’t stand about myself. It sometimes takes time to realize that I’m doing this, but often leads me to personal repentance. I want to talk about something I’ve seen others doing, realized I was also doing it, and then began to understand how destructive this thing is. It’s the sin of “grumbling.” Let’s face it. Grumbling is fun. It feels good. It’s a stress reliever. It seems to stroke a very pleasurable part of our flesh. I personally find myself drawn in when I hear someone who’s grumbling. Half the time, I don’t even realize I’m doing it.  The problem that I noticed was that I have been hearing more and more grumbling from fellow Christians. There co...