Nothing like the unexpected death of a friend or acquaintance to bring the reality of mortality front and center to your thoughts. Scripture says, "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," (Heb. 9:27), and a cursory review of history present and past bears this out. So, if the Lord tarries his coming, someday I am going to die, and so are you. Given this incontrovertible fact it behooves us, don't you think, that we consider this fact of life. Not to be morbid or funny, but to be realistic. If death was all there is we might all turn into nihilists, but death is not the end. The verse above mentions something after death - judgment. For the believer in Christ--in the language of the old King James Version--there is also the promise of "absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). In any event, death is not final, so we should be prepared for the afterlife, and the Good News of Christianity is that "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3:16). For more Christian commentary, see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #death #mortality #Gospel #eternity

In 2018, the Supreme Court of the US let the tiger out of the cage, decriminalizing sports betting. Now, with states jumping on the gravy train sports betting continues to attract ever greater numbers of bettors, particularly young men. Problem is, betting is as detrimental to human wellbeing as it ever has been. Gambling of all forms attracts the criminal class, graft, greed, and corruption. The temptation to cheat, to throw athletic contests with the hope of illicit financial gain, and the lure of "easy money" is as irresistible as ever. This inevitably results in individuals suffering financial losses they cannot make whole. This results in referees, umpires, players, and others engaging in gambling in a way that undermines the integrity of competition. This results in addictive behavior for some. While there is no "11th Commandment" saying, "Thou shalt not gamble," gambling nevertheless violates at least five doctrines of Scripture. Gambling, especially sports wagering, is a bad bet. For more Christian commentary, see my website www.rexmrogers.com, or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #gambling #sportsbetting #wagering

Can we believe anything we hear or view in media today? It's an interesting question. Point is, we need to discern what we are being presented because media is itself selective, biased, and at times untruthful. This is exacerbated today by America's political, and truth be told, cultural and social polarization. Media just reflects this, develops coverage that attracts people holding certain views, and markets what they present as reality, all for influence and profit. It's often said that media is left-leaning, and overall I'd agree with this, but there are also right-leaning media, and both are capable of selectively sharing in the interests of their preferred narrative. Christian media is capable of the same thing, presentations that slant in a preferred direction. Best way to see through this is to watch or read diverse sources, compare and contrast, discern. For more Christian commentary see my website www.rexmrogers.com or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers. #MediaBias