Living in light of eternity

"The most important thing is that the most important thing REMAINS the most important thing."- old German proverb. "And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?" (Mk 12:28) This scribe asked a very important question, "which is most important"? It's interesting how the Lord answered this question. He didn't rebuke him and say, "Why are you asking this? They are all important!" or any other dodge. He accepted the question and answered him straight up... "Jesus answered, 'The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ " (Mark 12:29) Jesus is clearly acknowledging that some things are more important than others and that one t...

"The single most important piece of information a leader possesses is self-awareness...Leaders lacking self-awareness are often besieged from within.  They often are their own worst enemy. and they don't even know it!"  from  "Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders"  by Reggie McNeal This is the one area that most often holds a young leader back. Every stress and strain a leader faces is interpreted through the grid of their own view of self. Did I cause this problem?  If so, how?  Was I misunderstood?  How should I do this next time?  Only through accurate self-awareness are these questions answered honestly.  You would think that time and experience would solve this problem, but its not necessarily so.  We've all known older people who are set in their ways with a well-fortified view of themselves far from reality. So what can you do to gain self-awareness? I know of three thing...

Scripture describes many situations where the Holy Spirit is working through God's people to produce what could best be described as a "spiritual movement". The movement is propelled with a spirit of faith. It's rooted in each person's very personal and even private relationship with God. It manifests itself in bold exploits for God and heroic actions that bring honor and glory to God. Hebrews chapter eleven gives us the taste of the glory and guts that come with those who truly live by faith: Hebrews 11:32-38 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortur...

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...

As illustrated in my blog entry, "Those That Gasp for Air" , I've recognized a certain condition that seems to affect (and infect) us all, myself included.  There is a chronic condition of basic doubt and fear that prevents us from more fully trusting God and resting in His sufficiency.  Although I have indeed "tasted and seen that the Lord is good" (PS 34:8) I have repeatedly drifted from that assurance and slid back to trying to find completeness in other things. There have been times of intense insight and spiritual refreshment over the years, followed by drift. There has consistently been a tendency to look for contentment in other things, like success in ministry, financial security, or family. (Jer 2:13) This illustrative blog entry from April 5, 2010 captures my experience over the years and to the present day.  Just as it is possible to doubt the sufficiency of the very air we breathe, I've found it possible and commonplace to doubt the very...