Think About It

I would imagine that when the Lord told the apostles, “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) they envisioned going out and overwhelming the world with the good news of Jesus.  I can envision them planning the trips and the triumphal crusades they would be involved in.  I doubt very seriously that they thought that it would be persecution that would often lead (or drive) people deeper into the world with the saving message of Christianity; however, that is exactly what happened.  Sure, there were times when the disciples were met with excitement as they preached Jesus, but all too often, what spread the Word of God was them being run from one town to the next – but as they went, they never neglected to speak of the saving nature of Jesus.   Isn’t it interesting, that the message that chang...

Happy Labor Day!   Traditionally, when we think about Labor Day certain things come to mind.   For many, it symbolizes the end of the summer (even though we can have a lot more hot weather before the official beginning of autumn closer to the end of the month).   Some think of Labor Day as back to school times.   Maybe even a few of us think back to Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day Telethons and staying up all night supporting (either with our funds or our interest) those who raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.   Labor Day has a lot of memories associated with it, but at the heart of this holiday is an appreciation for the laborers who made America what it has become.   While it is ironic that Labor Day is a day off of work for many of us, it is fitting to recognize the men and women who have not only built America, but keep it running day in and day out.   Over the last few years we have learned that whether it is processes or productivity, w...

Okay – now that the major players are set for the upcoming political races – what do we do?   For those running for office, the task before them is pretty clear … they are on a course to get elected.   For some of them, they are led by a cause … others are just wanting to win.   In all honesty, those who fall into this category are smallest minority.   Even if you include those organizing the campaigns, there are very few actual people intimately involved in running a political race.   So, that leaves the rest of us.   What should we be doing?   As I have watched our civil system work over the years I think we have invested our time in trying to get people to think (and vote) the way we do, but is that the best we can do?   What if we invested ourselves in making sure that our communities and our nation stayed united no matter what happens in November and January.   Rather than becoming pawns in some great big political machine that keeps thi...

How far are we willing to go to defend our children and our homes?  There are all kinds of safeguards available to us today to help us keep the occupants of our homes safe from outside influences, but have we given much thought to what we are doing to keep them safe from ourselves?  No, I am not (necessarily) talking about physical safety, rather, often the internal challenges are what put our families at risk.  We would never allow someone to break in and destroy our loved ones but, do we expose them to things like hate, abuse, additions, pettiness, negativism or lethargy?  We focus on creating a fortified barrier, but chip away at safety and security by our own actions.  Interestingly, the wise man of the Old Testament recognized the potential when he warned, “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” (Proverbs 14:1).   Let’s be safety conscious when it comes to defending our homes from those who wish to do us har...

I have been watching sports most of my life and one thing that I have come to realize is the value of doing the little things well.  While this is true in every type of athletic competition, I believe this is especially true at the professional level.  The athletic ability at this level of competition is typically very close so often what makes the difference between winning and losing is found in doing the basics.  It baseball, the difference might be in which team commits the fewest errors.  In football, it might be which team converts the most third downs.  In basketball, the record might come down to who makes the most free throws.  There can be gaps in talent, but the difference is often the execution of the fundamentals.   As I thought about this in Christianity, I found a similar trend.  Sure, there are some churches that grow because of a dynamic preacher or an intriguing program, but the thing that often makes or breaks the church (or e...

When the early Christians were taught about the beginnings of their world, how did they come to terms with the stories of Genesis?  They couldn’t do all the scientific testing that can be done in the 21 st Century – so how did they come to accept the message of Moses in what became the first book of the Bible?  I believe the answer is found in faith.  They believed that God provided them with the truth and they built their faith on His word.  In fact, the Apostle Paul reminded them, “ All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  Not only did they believe that what Moses wrote was the Word of God, they accepted it as being the absolute truth. I am glad that we have some scientific and history proofs that can support the message of the Bible, but l...

Not long ago I was looking at a picture of the Fab Four and it took me back in time. In all honesty, the Beatles were not (necessarily) the voice of my teen years, but I was quite aware of their music and their influence. Being a youngster in the 1960s made you keenly aware of the boys from Liverpool. In addition to knowing their music, you were also aware of the discussions of their style. From their haircuts (or lack thereof) and their lifestyle they were the center of attention and focus of a lot of derision – especially from the older generation. Interestingly, looking back on it them now, they seem rather well groomed and well-behaved young men. As I thought back on the influences of that era I wonder if all the dissention was worth the effort. Did the influences deemed detrimental really negatively influence people or was it just a difference in tastes? Now, as I look at it from a much different perspective – being the old guy – it does bring new meaning to picking your ba...