Think About It

Are we afraid that the Lord’s church is going to become extinct?  If we aren’t careful, we can get sucked into some human reasoning that evil is going to overwhelm good to the point that God’s people are going to go away.  Now, while we might be able to make a logical argument for a bleak future, the truth of the matter is that just as sure as God is eternal, His people will always have a presence in His world.  No, there will never be a time when His church will die away.  Jesus made this promise to His early disciples when He established His church in the First Century, but we even get a glimpse of this promise even as far back as the time of David.  The Psalmist noted, “For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5).  While I can’t say that this verse directly predicts the establishment and perpetual nature of His church, I believe it can give us hope that God’s people will continue as long...

          Not long ago, I was reminded of an adage I have grown up with.  I am sure that when I originally heard “ignorance is bliss” I didn’t understand it.  In fact, I might have been a bit upset because I was probably pretty ignorant of life at the time.  Were people making fun of me?  Yet, the older I have gotten, the more I understand the concept that with more knowledge and wisdom comes more headaches and heartaches.  It can be easier not knowing what we don’t know that we don’t know.  (I hope that makes sense.)  However, the tradeoff between ignorance and wisdom is that it is only through maturity that we can really help others and make a difference in our world.  Being clueless can make my life easier, but the stress that comes with insight makes us and others better.           Many of us possess a sense of knowledge and wisdom – what are we doing with it?  Are...

There is going to be a lot of talk about civil rights and social responsibilities this week – and there probably should be.   While we have made some strides in the way we think about those who are different than us, we still have a long way to go.   In all honesty, this is not just an American thing or even a 21 st Century thing … it is a human thing.   As long as there have been different types of people there have been prejudices.   Now, while we should watch the way we think of others, I think that one thing we can do is to make sure that we protect the way people think about us.   No, we can’t control the innate thoughts others have about us, I believe that we can do ourselves good or harm by the lives we choose to live.   If we live quality lives, it is going to be harder for people to look down on us; but, if we live in morally questionable ways, we just add fuel to the fire.   There are always going to be people who are looking for ways to cri...

Sixty years ago, our nation was facing a divide that threatened to tear us apart – imagine that!   Of course, when you think about it, the 1960s weren’t too different from the rest of our history were they.   When we consider the 2020s and then compare it back to the 1860s, we have had a continual problem with social responsibilities, haven’t we!   One of the worse parts about these conflicts is that we are making life way more difficult than it needs to be.   The truth of the matter is that it is much easier to love than it is to hate.   Now, that might sound backwards, but think about it – to hate, we must continually keep score … we must keep fanning an internal emotional flame … we must find new and worse ways of displaying contempt to others.   When we love one another all we have to do is … well, just love one another.   Several years ago, Martin Luther King observed, “I have decided to stick with love.   Hate is too great a burden to bear...

          What can save us?   Maybe a better question is who can save us?   In modern times it is tempting to rely on processes for our faith.   It is easy to fall into a trap of advocating that if we live in the right place, vote the right way or back the right people (party), we are on the proper path.   Yet, the truth of the matter is that no man nor any manmade policy can save us.   We might be perceived as being one of the “cool kids” for a while, but unless we have a heart committed to the Lord, we are going to miss out on what we claim to possess.   It doesn’t do us any good to be pardoned by anyone – what matters the most is being forgiven by God.           Years ago, the Psalmist noted, “ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.   It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9).   Sure, t...

Have you ever heard of something (or someone) described as being slower than molasses in January?  Well, interestingly, that may not be as harmless as it might first appear.  According to American history, on January 15, 1919, the “Great Molasses Flood” of Boston killed 21 people and injured about 150.  While this sounds a bit silly, following an explosion at a holding facility, a 25-foot tidal wave of the liquid moved through the streets of Boston at the rate of about 35 miles per hour.  A flood of water that was that size and moved at that speed could have caused a lot of damage but imagine the impact that sticky stuff would have had!  As I thought about this odd situation in Boston, I was reminded of another image I often see.  How many times do we see the devil portrayed as some cartoonish oaf – someone (or something) goofy and harmless?  Yet, the truth is that satan is dangerous and ruthless.  In fact, the Bible warns, “Be of sober spiri...