Think About It

          What can save us?   Maybe a better question is who can save us?   In modern times it is tempting to rely on processes for our faith.   It is easy to fall into a trap of advocating that if we live in the right place, vote the right way or back the right people (party), we are on the proper path.   Yet, the truth of the matter is that no man nor any manmade policy can save us.   We might be perceived as being one of the “cool kids” for a while, but unless we have a heart committed to the Lord, we are going to miss out on what we claim to possess.   It doesn’t do us any good to be pardoned by anyone – what matters the most is being forgiven by God.           Years ago, the Psalmist noted, “ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.   It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9).   Sure, t...

Have you ever heard of something (or someone) described as being slower than molasses in January?  Well, interestingly, that may not be as harmless as it might first appear.  According to American history, on January 15, 1919, the “Great Molasses Flood” of Boston killed 21 people and injured about 150.  While this sounds a bit silly, following an explosion at a holding facility, a 25-foot tidal wave of the liquid moved through the streets of Boston at the rate of about 35 miles per hour.  A flood of water that was that size and moved at that speed could have caused a lot of damage but imagine the impact that sticky stuff would have had!  As I thought about this odd situation in Boston, I was reminded of another image I often see.  How many times do we see the devil portrayed as some cartoonish oaf – someone (or something) goofy and harmless?  Yet, the truth is that satan is dangerous and ruthless.  In fact, the Bible warns, “Be of sober spiri...

          When I was growing up, one of my favorite books was Charlotte’s Web.  I remember that, as a child, I especially enjoyed the reading times in Elementary School when the teacher would read excerpts from the book as we would lay on our mats and discover the world of Wilbur and Charlotte.  While E. B. White influenced me early on with his story, it was a statement I read recently that really got me to thinking.  A quote attributed to him observes, “Prejudice is a great time saver.  You can form opinions without having to get the facts.”.  On the surface, it might appear to be beneficial to jump to conclusions, but the irony is that those conclusions might not be accurate.  Through prejudice, we can create ideas that make sense to us – they just aren’t factual.           If we are going to make the most of our lives, we need to invest the time to be honest and thorough in our fa...

          When we landed in Richmond the other afternoon, we arrived about the same time as some sailors who had recently flown in from Chicago.   As I looked at their faces (and the packs they toted) it appeared they had just gotten out of boot camp and may have been on their way to their first sea tour.   The first thing I thought about them was how young they looked.   They could have literally been my grandchildren!   Yet, as I thought about them, I was struck by another emotion – pride.   They were part of a next generation of citizens who are willing to stand guard over us.   No political party or national regime is going to get it completely right, but it does my heart good to see men and women who are willing to think outside their own motives and serve for the good of our citizens.   As I walked past the fresh-faced (and confused) service people, I was encouraged that they were entering a career of public service,...

Have you noticed how many people act like Christians?   Now, on the surface, that sounds like a good thing – the problem comes when considering the context.   There are way too many people “acting” like a Christian.   They aren’t committed to living the life, they are merely playing the role.   They do things Christians do, they say things Christians say – the problem is they aren’t living the Christian life with the Christian commitment.   It’s not enough to act like a Christian, we must genuinely be one. Hypocrisy has been a common trait among people for centuries and it continues today.   They do the right stuff – just for the wrong reason.   While this might be okay if the playacting led to a committed life, but all too often, when things become difficult, the façade begins to fade away and their true character is put on full display. Let’s stop advocating for role-playing and start demanding that those who wear the name live the life.   W...

One of my favorite parts of the Old Testament is when Joshua is commissioned as leader of the Hebrew people.   The exiles from Egypt had been under the leadership of the one greatest men of God of any age (Moses), but they had struggled to accomplish what God had led them to do.   Now, with a new opportunity and a renewed attitude, the Lord challenged, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-7).   As great as Moses had been, Joshua would be the one who would lead them on to great things! I believe that it is too easy to look backwards in religion and see all the great influences that we have had and ignore the potential that exists in today’s believer...

Today is an interesting day in U. S. history.  On January 8, 1815 the famous Battle of New Orleans was fought.  It was from this battle General Andrew Jackson gained political clout and Johnny Horton recorded a Number 1 record (some 145 years later).  Interestingly, Johnny Horton was not the only one who was impacted by a delay – you see the Treaty of Ghent had been signed on December 24, 1914 which effectively ended the war between the Americans and British.  The problem was that the word of the peace didn’t get to New Orleans before the hostilities began.  That seems kind of ironic (and maybe even a bit laughable) until we realize that there were over 2000 casualties in that skirmish.  To those individuals and their families, this was no laughing matter. As I thought about this, I got to wondering how many people are suffering today because they haven’t heard the message of the gospel of Jesus?  With the death and resurrection of Jesus, sin and suffe...