Living in light of eternity

As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” (NASB, Luke 17:12-18) Two realities were well known in ancient Greece: 1. Benefactors were recognized by their generosity. 2. Recipients were evaluated on their gratefulness.   This cultural norm continued into the New Testament times and throughout the Mediterranean world.   When Jesus healed the ten lepers only one returned to say thanks.   Jesus expressed...

Isaiah 50:11 (NAS): Behold, all you who kindle a fire,  Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze… When you look at Scripture, it's best to look carefully, otherwise you may miss the meaning.   At first glance, I thought Isaiah was complementing those who build a fire and advising them to remain in it's light.   If you read further, however, you can see I had missed the true meaning. …This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment. Rather than an encouragement this was a warning.   Those who create their own light and who walk according to that light are misguided.   There seems to be a tremendous difference between artificial light and natural light . Throughout Scripture we are admonished to come to the light, and walk in the light.   So what is wrong with these people who walk by the firelight they had built for themselves? This passage ...

Don’t ever forget, “ You ARE getting older!”  Strange isn’t it? A simple fact of life- whatever your age. But are you OLD? That’s a different question. Do you feel old?  Most people would associate aches and pains, forgetfulness, lack of energy, or old fashioned attitudes with aging. But it’s so much more. It’s a frame of mind.  Do you still have a sense of calling?   Have you maintained strong purpose?  Do you still believe God has a plan for you? Do you have something significant to offer others? Whether your wisdom, experiences, skills, or gifts, others need what you have. That’s the nature of the body of Christ. Are you willing to take the effort to reach out with the love of Christ?  People may not immediately recognize all that you have to offer. It may take some ingenuity to position yourself for influence. Take it slow. Be faithful with the opportunities given you. Tell your stories, a little at a time. Let peopl...

This summer I had the privilege of visiting with an old friend.   It was mid-morning around coffee as we reminisced over years gone by.   She reminded me of something I said to her back in the day, "Don't underestimate the goodness of God." Frankly, neither of us could remember the context of that statement, but we ruminated over it's meaning and application to our lives. It's so easy to underestimate God's goodness.   Maybe it's because we lack the basic goodness to be a fair judge of God's goodness.   Goodness, like holiness and other attributes of God are particularly hard for us to recognize because of the damage sin has done to our perceptions. Fortunately the Scriptures helps us because God's goodness is explained in a variety of settings: We can perceive God's goodness in His creation. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; (1 Ti 4:4, NASB95) The beauty ...

Most of civilized society has historically seen the world through the lenses of "Honor/Shame". The Greeks, Romans, Jews and early Christians all regarded honor/dishonor as the primary axis of value for their culture.   Each had their own definitions of what constituted true honor.   The Christians, in particular, relied on the Scriptures, the example of Jesus Christ, and the leadership of the Apostles.   Today much of the world continues to live by this axis of honor/dishonor and considers honor has one of the, if not THE primary virtues. “Without integrity and honor, having everything means nothing.”   Robin Sharma Research  reveals that during marital conflict a husband most often reacts when feeling disrespected and a wife reacts when feeling unloved.  7,000 people were asked this question: When you are in a conflict with your spouse or significant other, do you feel unloved or disrespected? 83% of the men said "disrespected..." In his ...

“Wherever you are, be all there, live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”- Jim Elliott, 1927-1956. Philip James "Jim" Elliott was an evangelical Christian who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. My wife and I served in youth ministry for thirty-three years. I must admit there were times where I had trouble following Jim Elliott's advise.   I didn't want to be there. Whether it was a conference or retreat, a small group discussion, or a one-on-one discipleship appointment, there were times when I just wanted to go home. Sometimes I just wanted to be somewhere else. I’m not proud of this. I'm just being real. Maybe it was burn out, or just the boredom that comes with repetition.   Maybe it was my flesh fighting against the Spirit. Maybe I was tired.   It really doesn't matter what the cause.   What matters was the solution....

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...