Living in light of eternity

At a certain point in our parenting experience, my wife and I began to evaluate what the Christian life sounded like from our children's perspective.     Children are simple and they need things taught simply and concretely.   How do you teach about walking with Christ without it sounding, in the end, like a bunch of do's and don'ts?   We realized that we had been neglecting teaching the ministry of the Spirit to our children. In our own personal walk with Christ we had learned about being filled with the Spirit.   Eph 5:18 says   "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,"   It was a command.    Christ had taught the disciples about the ministry of the Spirit in the Upper Room Discourse: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him o...

With the stock market soaring here at the end of 2017 it's likely that more Americans are experiencing "prosperity" than ever before.  Everyone wants to see their portfolio grow, but with greater wealth comes added responsibility- and some concerns. Moses predicted that once Israel was in the Promised Land that they would turn away from Jehovah.       “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them , and spurn Me and break My covenant." Dt 31:20. For Israel prosperity actually became a curse.  It caused them to become self sufficient and turn their back on the true God, the One who had prospered them in the first place.  In their pride they turned to other gods and served them. Moses had previously warned but they failed to heed his advice.     ...

Our family doctor quoted Billy Graham as saying, "Aging is not for the faint of heart." I have to agree with him.  In addition to the aches and pains there is the change in our appearance.  Every once in a while I catch myself in the mirror and wonder who that person is.  But most surprising is the change in the way people relate to you.   A lot of it is good.  People often treat you with special consideration.  At the Hyatt recently the desk clerk ask me if I want a room on a higher floor, or lower.  She also ask me if I was sensitive to sound.  I wanted to laugh out loud.  Of course I want a floor near the ground, in case of a fire drill (which I have lived through several times). The question of sound was the one that caught me off guard.  Just ask my wife about my snoring.  The other guests may be the ones who have trouble with sound pollution. The Word of God has some great encouragement for those approaching their go...