Think About It

When Jesus came to the earth, one of His tasks seems to have been to bring clarity to religion.   Sure, there was godly religion (and had been for centuries), but with the new movement came a refocus on what was important.   Many of these principles are outlined in the Sermon on the Mount.   One of these observations probably raised quite a few eyes.   When Jesus noted, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20) He may not have made many friends.   What makes this so interesting is that some of the most religious people of this society were thought to be the scribes and Pharisees.   They seemed to know the Law, but they appear to be lacking in righteousness.   The may have sounded good … they may have looked good … but they just weren’t good. It is easy for us to criticize the pseudo-religious of the First Century, but we need...

When you think of wisdom, what comes to mind?   When most of us consider wisdom, we think of something positive – maybe even something noble.   Yet, there is another kind of wisdom.   Interestingly, it is the writer, James who identifies “negative wisdom” when he describes something as, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.” (James 3:15).   In other words, there is a kind of logic that doesn’t make spiritual sense.   While we might be surprised to see this in the Bible, this type of human logic doesn’t surprise us in the world in which we live.   There are a lot of people who use false reasoning to promote their own ways.   The unfortunate part of this is that way too many people accept their logic as truth and follow after their reasoning.   Thankfully, the Bible balances false wisdom with truth by noting, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,...

As I watched our nation celebrate our 250 th birthday under the intense heat, my mind was drawn to President Zachary Taylor.   While he isn’t one of our best known presidents (he only served a little more than a year), the events surrounding his death are rather remarkable.   During a particularly warm Independence Day celebration in 1850, President Taylor ate some cherries and drank some milk.   Not long afterwards, he became ill and passed away on July 9.   It wouldn’t surprise me if the “cherries and milk” observation hasn’t taken on a life of its own and overshadowed a more disastrous cause, but it does tend to get our attention.   President Taylor may have been a short-term national leader, but he had a pretty extensive record as a military leader.   Interestingly, it was something he said as a warrior that has garnered a lot of attention.   In bringing a resolution to the Mexican-American War, General Taylor noted, “It would be judicious to ...

What is the longest “chapter” in the Bible?   (Is that the theme for “Jeopardy!” I hear playing in the background?)   The answer is Psalm 119.   This work of David contains 176 verses … I am glad I didn’t have to memorize and quote it to graduate from Sunday School!   Interestingly, the 119 th Psalm is more than the answer to a Bible trivia question; it also provides insight into the unique nature of the Bible.   As you might imagine, a poem with almost 200 verses can cover a lot of topics, but one that is prevalent is the value of the Bible.   As I was scrolling through the chapter the other day I came across this pretty familiar observation.   “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.   I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.” (Psalm 119:105-106).   The opening verse of this work is pretty well known, but I think it is balanced by the second part.   The Word of God is u...

When Jesus was preparing His early audience for the coming of His spiritual kingdom, He challenged them, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1).   Jesus came to earth when religion was important in Israel; but it was by no means perfect.   (Does that sound familiar?).   As I read His warning the other day a couple of things came to mind.   First, we need to have a proper attitude about our religious rituals.   We have to do with them the proper attitude – a desire to please God, not to be noticed by mankind.   Yet, there was another aspect that jumped out to me – we were still supposed to do them.   Not only do we need to have the right attitude, we still need to do the right actions.   Over the next few verses we are told, “So when you give to the poor …” (v. 2) and “When you pray …” (v. 5).   Believers need to have more ...

What makes a solid foundation for appreciating life?   There are a lot of platforms upon which people anchor their future:   finances, family, politics and social causes just to name a few; but is that really what holds our lives together?   The economy can tank, family can move away, political parties let us down and social fads fade; so if we put too much stock into them, we are bound to be disappointed.   Now, while there are some unstable principles; there is one thing that will never let us down – a relationship with God.   His principles are perfect and His track record is spotless.   After pointing out the frailty of man, David, the psalmist, identifies a wise man by noting, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.   He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and...