Posts

Thursday; June 4

In the late 1850s oil was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania.  In what was one of the earliest “booms” in the United States, western Pennsylvania became a hotbed of activity.  However, with the prosperity, came danger.  On June 4, 1892 the area was rocked by flood and fire.  The death toll exceeded 130 and the damage was in the millions of dollars.  Interestingly, what they felt would bring them prosperity ended up bringing them pain. As I read about this, I was drawn to a warning issued centuries ago by James, the New Testament writer, who observed, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (James 5:1-3).  We live in a society that lauds materialism; but it’s not all ...
Read more

Wednesday; June 3

Not long ago I heard a phrase that stuck with me.  A friend of mine observed, “Acceptance is not obedience”.  Now, while there are people who believe and do; there are also a lot of folks who know what to do – and might even agree with what they know they should do – they just don’t do it.  They have knowledge, they are in agreement with it, they just don’t have the follow through.  We have all heard of concepts that advocate a need to be doers and not hearers only or the requirement to bear good fruit and that is underscored by the need to be obedient.  When Jesus faced potential believers, He made it a point to teach them that acceptance wasn’t enough to produce discipleship.  After comparing the type of fruit genuine disciples produce, Jesus observed, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21). Are we willing to make a stand for the Lord?...
Read more

Tuesday; June 2

My parents’ wedding anniversary was June 2.  Before my mom passed away several years ago, my parents had been married for over 50 years and they provided my wife and me a positive example.  Please do not misunderstand me – they did not live in some fantasy world devoid of issues or challenges.  They had their hardships and disagreements, but one thing I always felt was that they were on the same team.  They were partners in what they did.  Whether it was discipline, household chores, church attendance – and so many other things, they worked together and just made it work.   There are a lot of passages of Scripture that can be applied to marriages, but one that I think really fit them was something Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11).  Just like my folks, this church had challenges, but they had each other’s backs. Are you looking fo...
Read more

Monday; June 1

With all the stuff on TV these days, periodically we have to take a break and watch the Hallmark Channel.  The other night we were watching a Hallmark movie and heard something I’d never heard before.  In dealing with the challenge at the heart of the movie, the question was raised if someone was a “warrior or a worrier”.  As soon as I heard that, I figured I would have to share it.  We live in a time when it so easy to worry about things.  There are so many things that seem to be outside our control that it becomes easy to stress about them.  Yet, how would our lives change if we stopped worrying about things and started feeling confident in our abilities to overcome the odds?  I am not taking about being reckless – just aggressive. Do we feel apprehensive because we don’t want to make mistakes?  Do we lose our confidence because of what we feel others might think of us?  I have never been a big advocate of the concept of seeking forgiveness...
Read more

Friday; May 29

I realize that summer doesn’t officially begin for another couple of weeks, but since we are post-Memorial Day and many school districts are beginning to go on hiatus, I thought it might do us some good to reflect on summertime.  I understand that the summer months can be busy, but I want to encourage us to take some time and enjoy this summer.  Specifically, I would encourage us to do a few simple, but refreshing things: • Take some time off this summer.   Whether it is going on a vacation or just enjoying the blessings of a staycation, do something(s) other than work over the next couple of months. • Do something fun this summer.   What do you like to do for fun?  Whether it is taking a trip to the beach or planting a garden, do something that refreshes your enjoyment of life. • Get out and enjoy some nature.   It is easy to stay inside during the summer months, but let’s do ourselves a favor and get out and enjoy some of God’s creation.  Remem...
Read more

Thursday; May 28

I am a big advocate for Solomon’s adage, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  While we might try to convince ourselves that mankind is creating new ways to do evil, in all honesty it’s probably happened before.  While this might prompt us to be depressed, I do believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  You see, if what we are experiencing today has happened in the past that means that mankind lived through it before; therefore, there is hope for us to deal with it today.  As I thought about this, I was reminded of a warning from several centuries ago, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21).  It doesn’t take us too long to see that there are people ...
Read more

Wednesday; May 27

Have we made religion more difficult than it needs to be?  Have we put too much emphasis on understanding the complexities of the Bible?  Now, before I move on, I feel compelled to say that we need to be students of the Scriptures and should dedicate ourselves to knowing as much as we can about the Word of God.  However, have we gotten so wrapped up in religious debates that we are missing out on the pure and simple teachings of Christianity?  I know that we can never be good enough to save ourselves, but how would our view of spiritual living change if we emphasized living simply good lives?  By all of us focusing on being and doing good we could change the world in which we lived. Centuries ago, David reflected on righteousness and observed, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking de...
Read more