Think About It

One of the problems with the world’s view of Christianity is that they tend to see it as a mere snapshot of modern time. They see it within the context of a 21st Century world filled with issues and strife. Yet, godly religion in general and Christianity in particular has been a part of the world’s history. Not only can we see the way Christianity influences the world today, but we can also look back to its beginning over two millennia ago. Yet, even before that, we see God’s hand in leading people to Him. Shortly after mankind first sinned God prophesied there would be a Deliverer who would come and save His people. In condemning the act of the serpent (satan), “The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you o...

I have always heard that “minor surgery” is something that someone else has. Well, I guess by that definition what I was going through three years ago today could be construed as “major surgery”. On May 23, 2019, I had quintuple bypass surgery. They tell me that there were several contributing factors to why I needed the procedure, but thankfully, everything went well, and I was as good as new soon after the procedure. I recently had a visit with my cardiologist, and he didn’t want to see me for another four months – another good sign. Now the reason I tell you this tale is a parallel I have seen in life. Shortly after getting some new cardiac plumbing, you have a tendency to take care of yourself – watching what you eat, getting exercise, etc. However, the further you get away from the surgery, the easier it is to fall back into bad habits. Interestingly, the same can be said for our spiritual heart as well. When we are first saved, we have a tendency to be dedicated to the Lo...

One of the struggles of modern society is the realization that we aren’t always in control. We have come a long way in being able to influence our surroundings and plot our course, but periodically life reminds us that we do not always have the final say over what happens to us. Events like tornadoes, illnesses, economic collapses and a host of other things are incredible humblers. In the blink of an eye our lives can change – and maybe not for the better. Interestingly enough, when this happens, it could be a defining moment for us. Condoleezza Rice observed, “You might not be able to control your circumstances but you can control your response to your circumstances.”. In essence, we don’t always get to dictate what happens in our world, but we do get to determine our reaction or response. Initially, it might be as simple as whether we fight, flee or freeze, but eventually we will have to evaluate our emotional perspective of how these events touch our lives. Will they make us...

There is a lot of talk about tolerance these days. The concept of “you be you and let me be me” has a lot of pull to it. It seems like the scriptures even promote this concept when we are told, “… with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3). Yet is there a limit to how much we can and should tolerate? When looking at this concept from a New Testament perspective, it was written to people who had a common basis of faith and obedience. The Christians were being told to accept others who were being obedient to the Lord. The idea wasn’t to tolerate sin, it was written to encourage people with different opinions to get along. The church was not to be torn apart just because two people disagreed on something that wasn’t defined by God’s law. Being tolerant has become a banner of some social – and even some religious – movements. While there is...

When Moses wrote, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) he set in motion a concept that would guide humanity throughout its existence. Through the years, this principle has been used to assess murder, abortion, capital punishment, suicide, euthanasia, and other topics. Sometimes these debates have been waged between believers and the world while, in other cases, different takes on this statement have generated intra-faith discussions. I really believe the initial principle was designed to identify life and death decisions, but the other day I got to wondering if we might not use it to help us value our own lives. If we are made in the image of God, shouldn’t that compel us to make the most of the lives we have been given? This isn’t just about illicitly taking a life, what about intentionally wasting a life? If God saw fit to create us and place us on this earth, shouldn’t we work our hardes...

While there is logic associated with the Bible, there some things that don’t quite make sense – at least not in the human mind. Take, for example, Paul’s writings to church leaders, “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” (Romans 14:1). Wait a minute, aren’t the newbies supposed to follow the more mature? Shouldn’t those with a more solid faith be regarded as the experts and lead the way? On one hand we can see the rationale of the strong getting their way, but let’s look at this from the Scripture’s perspective for a second. When people are new or weak in their faith, they are vulnerable to satan’s influence. Before having the chance to grow deeper roots, they might be susceptible to their emotions overwhelming their conviction. Their opinions might not produce the most advanced actions, but they might view those who conflict with them as the enemy and that might cause them to reject the faith. Please don’t be mistaken – Paul would nev...

Another weekend – another mass shooting. Another mass shooting – another crime apparently fueled by hate and bias. Another act of hate – another temptation to point fingers. Murder had been around since the beginning of time but our society, with its advancements in technology, have made more efficient ways to kill more people and spread the bad news more quickly. As a community mourns the loss of its citizens our nation must come to grips with these modern acts of violence that generate fear, embarrassment, anger and helplessness. It is tempting to deal with this tragedy by saying it was a random act of violence, but that doesn’t heal the sadness. Conversely, it is tempting to blame races, genders or generations; but the truth is that the overwhelming number of people who resemble the shooter condemn the incident and are embarrassed and angry that it took place. So, what can we do? First, we must come together in support of all the communities that have experienced these trage...