Living in light of eternity

God was certainly at work on campus back in the 70's.   There were many Christian groups springing up.   As a    young believer in Christ, I soon noticed that not all Christians looked the same.  Most were similar, but one looked very different.   I called this group "the Kumbaya Christians".     They liked to meet and sing and share Scripture with each other. There was nothing wrong with that, but they seemed so passive.   There was very little action.   They seldom shared their faith or reached out to others. They were sleepy Christians , I called them "Kumbaya Christians". Peter, Paul, and Mary popularized the song, "Kumbaya" in the late 60's.   The lyrics are quite interesting: Kumbaya my Lord , kumbaya Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya Oh Lord, kumbaya Someone's singing Lord, kumbaya Someone's singing Lord, kumbaya Someone's singing Lord, kumbaya Oh Lord, kumbayah Someone's la...

The Book of Ecclesiastes gives wonderful words of wisdom but also raises many unanswered questions.   Solomon reflects on life "under the sun".   This seems to indicate life in the human sphere of existence.   He rarely comments on what is right or wrong, but only tells about what actually happens.   He also brings a grand perspective and looks at life from beginning to end. One of the most interesting little stories he tells is of "The Poor Wise Man".           13        Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.           14       There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it.           15       But there was found in it a poor wi...

The biblical story of Gideon found in Judges has always been on of my favorites.   There is his unusual encounter with The Angel of the Lord, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior." Gideon seems far from valiant at this stage of his life- hiding from the Midianites as he threshes out the wheat in the wine press.   He obeys the Angel and tears down his father's altar to Baal. He only had the courage to do it at night, but still shows determination to follow the Angel's leading. That's impressive.   Of course we also have Gideon's fleece, possibly the most well-known aspect of the story. Gideon seems willing to obey, but wants to make sure he is hearing from the Lord.   We can all relate to that.   What leaped out at me this last time I looked at Gideon was the great extent to which the Lord took to diminish the size of his army.   Gideon as able to gather 32,000 men from the Abiezrites, Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali.   That army ...