Think About It

There is a lot of discussion about the beginning of the world, but for those who believe in God, we must make sure that we don’t get too sidetracked by the “hows”, the key is the “Who”. When we accept the Bible as truth, we acknowledge that God is the source of Creation, so He must have been before the beginning. When we accept that, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) we declare that God is eternal. If He is eternal, He has to be Supreme and that is what gives Him the power of creativity. Honestly, I am not bright enough to know how He did it, I just must accept the fact that He did it. It is tempting for religious people to spend a lot of time debating non-believers about the process when we should spend our time affirming the providence. God is full of power – how He used it is up to Him. Let’s invest our time in accepting what He did and not worry as much about analyzing how He did it. Think About It!

What does it mean to be a Christian? Like with most opinion questions, it depends on who you ask. There are some who use that term to describe the moral make-up of our country (claiming we are a “Christian nation”). There are others who might apply it to a political faction (citing a “Christian coalition”). Yet, have we given much thought to what it means to be Christian as defined by the Bible? First of all, the term Christian is used infrequently in the Bible but the concept is very apparent. The biblical concept of a Christian has little to do with policies or preferences – it’s all about service to the Master. The Bible tells us, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11). Let’s be protective...

What is the purpose of the Bible? Throughout the years we have used it as a science book, a history book or even a civil guidebook, but when we do that, we are missing out on its true value. Sure, it teaches us some facts about how the world runs or what has happened in the past, but where it excels is in helping us come to a greater understanding appreciation of God. There is no better place to look for how we can live in harmony with each other, but when we use it to find a relationship with God, we get the most out of its pages. When the Apostle Paul reflected on the message of the Bible he observed, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 2:16-17). By digging into the God-breathed message, we become the spiritual beings we have been called to be. We learn about God and how we interact in His world. We see how He ...

Do we find certain aspects of our lives unfulfilling? Maybe it is our work, our household tasks or even a service project – but is there something that leaves you flat or even worse that you really dislike doing? Most of us have some aspect of our lives that we don’t get excited about – I mean not everything is worthy of celebrating – but could it be that the problem isn’t what we are doing? Is it possible that what we need a different reason to do it? When Paul wrote to the church in the First Century he challenged them, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17). Did he mean that everything needed to be done with a belief that our soul’s salvation depended on it? I don’t know that we could go that far, but how would our minds change if we did everything like we wanted to bring glory to God with our efforts? We do what we do so that the world can see that God is present in my life. ...

Every once in a while, we allow modern perceptions to overwhelm our understanding of the principles of truth. Take, for example, Solomon’s warning, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15). In the modern era, when child abuse is an issue and a concern, we are more apt to focus on the word “rod” rather than the concept of “discipline”. Solomon’s point doesn’t appear to be to beat the child into submission, rather the goal seems to be to disciple a child so that they can become mature. Children are born with a childish mindset – filled with emotions like selfishness and immediate gratification. It is natural that they don’t see the big picture. As parents and mentors our role is to help them to apply mature wisdom to their situations. No, it won’t happen overnight, nor will they get it right all the time, but when we work with them to help them grow and develop a deeper understanding of life, they will b...

I have a confession to make – I take sports way too seriously. Now, let me see if I can explain that. When I was playing, I wasn’t competitive top the point that losing a game sent me into a rage or going into a slump created a tailspin, but when it comes to following my favorite teams, their performance can have a negative impact on me. When they are winning, life is good; but I do tend to get a bit discouraged when they lose (especially when they should have won the game). Logically, I realize I have no real impact on how well they do, but there is just something disheartening when they lose. Unfortunately, since I am a baseball fan, I have a lot of chances for discouragement. Even the best of teams are going to lose over sixty times in the matter of a few months. I know it is illogical, but it is a challenge for me. I am working on it, but periodically, I struggle with reality. Is there something you know shouldn’t bother you, but it still does? Maybe it is traffic, the new...

I am in Phoenix this week. For the last couple of weeks, I have been looking at the forecast and been cautious about the temperatures in the 115 degree range. Whenever I mention that to someone, they respond, “Well at least it’s a dry heat.”. Folks, I have to be honest with you, I don’t know what that means and, in all honesty, it doesn’t help me all that much. Hot is hot, dry or not! Yes, I understand that humidity can be uncomfortable – even at lower temperatures – but 115 is rugged wet or dry! The reason I bring this up is to remind us to think about what we are saying. It is easy to offer platitudes without giving them much thought. While I tease about the consolation I have gotten about the heat, when we try to nullify hardships or tragedies with triteness, we can cause more harm than good. When someone deals with a crisis or loses a loved one, they need support, not vain repetitions of superficial phrases. They want to know that we genuinely care, not that we can repeat ...