Think About It

When you think about Jesus, what comes to mind? It is the Suffering Servant who endured life so that we didn’t have to spend an eternity in hell? Maybe it is the Perfect Son of God who was ready to defend the good life at the drop of a hat. For some it might be the Powerful and Perfect Judge who is sitting on the throne of heaven waiting for us to line up at His feet for our eternal judgement. In a sense, we could make a case for each of this images, but let me give you another one – He is the purveyor of joy! When Jude reflected on the power and presence of Jesus he observed, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25). Jesus is more than our Teacher and Savior, He is also the one who brings meaning to our lives. Are you looking for a way ...

Have you noticed how closely related our emotional health is to our physical condition? There are constant reminders all around us about taking care of our bodies, but what would happen if we took care of our minds as well? Things like stress, anxiety, overwork and not getting enough sleep can wreck more than our minds. When we worry about things, our hearts are forced to work harder. When we hold grudges our blood pressure is apt to stay higher. When we don’t take time to relax and enjoy the world around us we are always on edge which detracts from a healthy diet and a good sleep pattern. While it is advantageous to maintain a good exercise routine and good eating practices can benefit us, so can changing the way we see our world. Do you have personal conflicts that you could get rid of? Do you have days off of work that you could take? Are there shows that you could stop watching and help you enjoy life more? A quality life is a gift we can give ourselves. What changes can ...

Have we ever set out to point out someone else’s mistakes? Whether because of personality or perspective there are times when it is tempting to set our sights on proving someone else is wrong. There are times when this idea might be based on a matter of fact, but there are also a lot of other times when it could be a difference of opinion. Another consideration in this is the necessity for the confrontation. While there are times when someone being in error is important, there are a lot of other times when other people’s mistakes aren’t all that important. We may feel the need to correct the record, but does it really matter? There can be value in correcting other people; however, there just might be a difference in being accurate and being right. In other words, there is proper time, place and attitude in pointing out someone’s mistakes – and all too often, even when my facts are correct, my attitude isn’t right. When the Apostle Paul warned the early Christians about correctin...

We live in a society that isn’t very conducive to morality, righteousness and unity. (By the way, I doubt that this is shocking news to anyone!) When we look at what people are doing, it is easy to become despondent about the modern condition. Now, while accepting this demonstrates a firm grasp of the obvious, I believe that we don’t do ourselves any favors by sitting back and wishing that the world would change to suit us. Sure, it is easy to look at the chaos and crisis and think, “If they would just … everything would be so much better.”. The problem with this logic is that they probably won’t do it. Hoping for the world to change may be about as likely as seeing a leprechaun riding a unicorn. So, what do we do? If we can’t sit back and wait for the world to catch on to Christianity, how do we deal with our place in the world? I believe the New Testament provides us with a glimpse of what can be done when Paul wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed...

One of the most difficult things for most of us is confrontation. Some of you feel very comfortable challenging people, but a lot of us are more than willing to let hard feelings go uncorrected. The problem with this is that when we don’t deal with conflict it has a tendency to fester. Not only does it tend to become intense, it also becomes more deeply rooted in our relationships with others. Typically, when we think of confrontation, we envision going to someone who has offended us and dealing what they have done. However, the Bible reminds us there is another type of confrontation. Jesus addressed this situation when He said, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Matthew 5:23-24). In essence, when we become aware that someone has a problem with us, we have a resp...

One sure way to make ourselves miserable is to try to live with regret. Life is hard by itself, it is even harder when we hamper our contentment with shame. I believe that regret comes in two versions. The first is when we feel bad for missed opportunities. It is easy to regret doing things we could have done. There is a certain sadness that accompanies the thought, “I wish I would have …”. While this can be discouraging, it is the other type of regret that can become a major barrier to joy. This version of regret is described as feeling bad for what we have done. This emotion is often associated with harming other people. Whether the hurt is physical, spiritual or emotional, mistreating others can create guilt in our lives. The bad news is that regret can be a powerful feeling, but there is a little bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. There is a way to deal with regret. The first thing we need to do is to make amends when possible. We can’t undo what we have done, but...

One of the most interesting discussions among people who believe in Jesus surrounds the end of the world. There are several passages in the Bible that seem to describe some type of cataclysmic worldwide event. Interestingly, there are several interpretations of these passages: some believe these describe events in or around the 1st Century while others apply them to a future date. Some believe these events will happen in an instant while others teach that it will take centuries for the events to play out. There are some passages where believers seem to have come to a universal agreement, this is not one of them! We tend to create a lot of dissention when we discuss the “end of the world”; but I wonder if we aren’t missing an important, practical application. Interestingly, when Peter is adding information to this discussion he seems to stop and challenge his readers, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and g...