Living in light of eternity

Throughout God's creation, all living things reproduce; they multiply; they bear fruit.  There is a strong expectation for all that is healthy to bear fruit.  We see the same dynamic in the spiritual world.  In God's Word, the Bible, we see this consistent theme: Isa 5:1-2           Let me sing now for my well-beloved          A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard.          My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.          He dug it all around, removed its stones,          And planted it with the choicest vine.          And He built a tower in the middle of it          And also hewed out a wine vat in it;        ...

Proverbs 27:21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. About fifteen years ago I went through a strange time. Over the course of several months I repeatedly heard a particular compliment, "You are a very humble person." I remember how awkward it made me feel. I tried not to smile and tried to make some appropriately humble response . I immediately thought, "They really don't know me that well." or "I must be putting on a good front." I really didn't take it seriously at first. I actually thought that I must be getting good at "acting humble", never really seriously accepting the compliment, just deflecting it in a variety of ways. After a while an odd thing started to happen- I started believing it. I actually began to think that I was more humble than those around me. I Corinthians 10:12  Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall....

When we think of our growth in Christ it’s easy to go to one of two extremes. We will tend to focus too much on our own responsibility OR to focus too much on God’s role in our growth. Paradoxically, both perspectives are important and both must be embraced, even though at times they seem contradictory.   The apostle Peter handles this often misunderstood aspect of the   the Christian’s walk in his second epistle. 2 Peter 1:2–3 (NAS): Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;   3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness , through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. In chapter one, we see a great emphasis on what Peter calls, “the true knowledge” of Christ.   In the amplified version, which gives a closer rendering to the Greek, it says, 2 Peter 1:2 (AMP): [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and ...

The realization that God loves you is certainly one of the greatest things you can experience.   But with that realization comes a responsibility- to love others with that same kind of love.           And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. ” Lk 10:25–27. When confronted with this reality, the lawyer quickly asked an obvious question….     And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Lk 10:28–29. To answer his question the Lord told the parable of "The Good Samaritan".   In ...

If we know our bible, we know that Christ commanded us to "go and make disciples" ... (Mt 28:18-20) We also know that Paul exhorted mature Christians to take what they had learned and pass it on to others...       "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (2 Tim 2:2) At first glance it appears that growth in the Christian life is a linear, one-on-one process.  Certainly it can be.  But often the disciple learns, not from just one "discipler", but from a variety of sources. Input from pastors, friends, quality books, online articles, Christian concerts, conferences, and mission trips would be a few examples. One concept that has really helped my wife and I as we seek to build disciples is   "creating an environment for growth" . I Corinthians 3: 6   I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. There are a variety of p...

A striking characteristic of life on this planet is the sense that something is missing.  Most feel a keen sense of longing that seems almost impossible to satisfy.  Whether the search is directed towards material possessions and accomplishments, power and prestige, intimacy and understanding, or belonging and community, all efforts eventually fall short. In August 1969 Blind Faith released their one and only album, with the song Steve Winwood wrote called "Can't Find My Way Home".  Winwood's haunting vocals and Clapton's acoustical guitar captured the angst of the youth culture of that era.  Even today the lyrics express what many feel- a longing to find a sense of peace and security in life that is best expressed as "home". I personally experienced this angst.  As a teen I knew there must be something more to life than what I was experiencing, but I did not know where to look.  I felt "lost".  I could relate t...

Recently I've been asking myself what Jesus meant when He said,  "I am the light of the world." In this passage, He claimed not only to enlighten those who believe in Him, but the entire world . John introduces Jesus as the True Light, and suggests that He enlightens every man.    "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." John 1:9 We know from many other passages of scripture that John is not indicating that all are saved. But what is the scripture saying in this regard? Is there a general enlightenment that influences the entire world and each and every person? So, I've been asking myself, "How would the world be different if Jesus had never come?"  Obviously, His offer of forgiveness and salvation is His most significant influence, but this would mainly affect those who believe. I wonder if there are dramatic ways He illumined the world, even for those who have not believed in Him. Here are thr...