Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | January 3, 2024
Jokes are made about long-time married couples starting to act and even look like one another (poor Janet!). Such is even said about dogs and their owners as seen in Lady and the Tramp! Humor often is funny because it embodies a kernel of truth. That kernel of truth is we reflect what we love, […]
PHall | July 2, 2019
Forgiveness isn’t always good. Stay with me on this. If we forgive someone who has hurt us, who isn’t good to us, and we forgive because we don’t think we deserve better; then “forgiveness” is unhealthy. Such “forgiveness” is not the kind of forgiveness that God gives because He deserves only our best. So, ask […]
PHall | October 26, 2018
In reading Jeremiah 18 I got reminded of a valuable lesson; especially for a religious or even political discussion. First the text: Jeremiah 18:13-15: “Therefore, this is what the LORD says: Ask among the nations, who has heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most horrible thing. Does the snow of Lebanon ever […]
PHall | September 29, 2018
Would you say this is an accurate assessment: Most churches consider themselves like the Philippians, Thessalonians (1st letter), Smyrnians, and Philadelphians, wherein correction is not needed. The sad reality is most churches in the 1st century needed correction, which is why so many letters were written. They also needed encouragement and information, but correction was […]
PHall | September 29, 2018
There is a parenting technique called “natural consequences.” Basically you allow your child to suffer what naturally follows bad decisions, instead of bailing them out, or giving an unrelated punishment. This is seen in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). I thought of that when reading Jeremiah 8. Here God applies a posthumous […]
PHall | September 15, 2018
Jeremiah’ s temple sermon (Jeremiah 7) is still challenging for us today. Here’s 5 lessons from Jeremiah’s lesson: 1. “Correct your ways and your deeds, and I will allow you to live in this place” (7:3). God is a God of grace. Sermons should emphasize that. Just think of Jesus. 2. “Do not trust deceitful […]
PHall | August 29, 2018
For Us Preachers: Jeremiah is my favorite prophet. While his being a predestined prophet is different than us preachers, I think we can still make appropriate applications: COMMAND – “Then the LORD said to me: Do not say, “I am only a youth,” for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak […]
PHall | August 30, 2016
Does God commit “evil’? Immediately our response as believers is no, because immediately we assign the descriptive modifier “moral evil.” Raah is used frequently in Jeremiah 44 (13x), and in all of Jeremiah (85x). Basically it means “adversity” which admittedly sounds somewhat benign. Only when we see it applied contextually do we see the depth […]
PHall | August 20, 2016
The same offer had been offered and rejected time after time and then again. Years help had been offered; but it required something personally offensive to those whose world was obviously falling apart. Finally, after more than two decades some decided to accept. What changed? What was previously offensive but now palatable? What changed was […]
PHall | August 16, 2016
What is one of the most powerful God-created sources that is untamed and will always remain untamed? The sea. Considering its strength, what did God choose to control this mighty creation of His? Sand. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary of the sea, an enduring barrier […]