Think About It

I imagine Jesus was a peculiar figure during His day. I am sure there had been a lot of people who had performed a lot of tricks to make a living. There may have been some who even staged incredible events for show. However, there was something different in Jesus – He did what He did to provide the recipient with an advantage. Jesus never did great feats for monetary gain, He did it to show how much He cared for those who needed help. His miracles were not used to buy something from someone nor even solicit a donation to His cause. His willingness to help seemed to come from two points of reference: first, they proved He was who He claimed to be and, second, they brought a blessing to the recipient. Jesus didn’t sell Himself – He gave of Himself for the benefit of others. Interestingly, this didn’t stop when it appeared the deck was stacked against Him. His final act before His death was His most selfless – He died so that we might live. Have you given much thought to our app...

One of the things I like about sports is how fluid they can be. While there are some sports empires that seem to transcend trends and decades, there are others that periodically get their moment in the sun. This year’s Major League Baseball is an example of this. While the Braves and Dodgers continued their winning ways, teams like the Orioles, Marlins and Rangers had some substantial turnarounds. Those of us who are fans of these teams might hope this will signal a resurgence, but for the short term, we’ll be happy to enjoy it while it lasts. As I thought about changes, I got to thinking about how quickly people can also make adjustments in their lives. While it is true that we tend to be creatures of habits, when we really want to do it we can make significant changes when we decide to do so. Take for example, the people of Jerusalem back a few centuries ago who did an about face in a matter of a few days. One Friday, they cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus but within a cou...

Many of us have heard the call of David when he said, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1); but have we read the rest of the Psalm? This phrase makes a great call to church attendance, but there seems to be more to the poem that just an invitation to worship. David concludes his wish with, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.’ For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, ‘May peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.” (Psalm 122:6-9). In essence it wasn’t just going somewhere that inspired David it was going there with his kinsmen. He was looking forward to the success and prosperity of others who shared his vision. This weekend we all have a chance to gather in a house of worship, but I want to challenge us to renew our relationships with those who share our common bel...

In what has produced one of the greatest stains on professional sports, members of the Chicago White Sox were indicted by a grand jury of throwing the 1919 World Series on this date in 1920. It wasn’t like the team was a bunch of hacks, they had won the American League with a record of 88-52 and had made it into the World Series. However, they would be forever remembered for what would be called the “Black Sox” scandal because they lost their integrity. I realize that baseball isn’t all that important in the great scheme of things, but it can remind us of what happens when we lose our values and honesty. Personally, the way that gambling has infiltrated amateur and professional sports over the last few years, I believe there are other scandals on our horizon – maybe some that will make what the “pale hose” did pale in comparison to what will happen in the future. The more money involved, the easier it becomes to justify cheating. However, even if we aren’t on the brink of another ...

One of the things that should scare us to death is a fear that God will leave us alone. I think we have a healthy fear of being in an adversarial relationship with God and being on the receiving end of His retribution, but there is something else that should concern us. It is said that one meaning of the word “death” is separation. And if that is true, one scary thought is becoming dead to God. What if God were to say to us that since we were seeking self-sufficiency, He would let us have it? No, it isn’t so much that He would zap us for what we did, rather He would just leave us to our own devices. Interestingly, this is a theme in the New Testament book of Romans. As Paul looks at the world around him, he warns about what happens when God just holds up His hands and says, “Okay, you do it your way”. On one hand this might seem like what we want, unfortunately, too often getting what we want isn’t all that great. Paul explains it this way, “Professing to be wise, they becam...

Many of us have spent a good portion of lives trying to get to know God. We have studied His word and prayed for the indwelling of His spirit. We have tried to use our prayer lives to deepen our relationship with Him. While this is a good and necessary effort, I think our desire to get to know Him has overshowed the fact of how much He knows us. Imagine how close we could really get to Him if we realized that He created us and designed us so He knows what we need to be successful. If we trust that God is constantly looking out for what is best for us, wouldn’t it seem appropriate that He would be guiding us to be our best. He knows what we need and has the power to deliver it, why not look for His guidance in our lives? When David reflected on His relationship with God, he acknowledge, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquaint...

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app...