Living in light of eternity

  At our birth, we join a family. We are part of a social group, and totally dependent on it.    Our parents take care of our every need. As we grow, we branch out and make friends.   Many find a mate and start a family of their own.   We all live in the context of the relationships we develop. There are extremely few hermits in this world. We leave this world much as we entered it. Once again, dependent on friends and family. They gather around to say their goodbyes.   From birth to death, we are constantly aware of this primal question, "Where do I belong?" This need for a sense of belonging is universal.   Throughout history and across cultures, humans have typically lived in various size social groupings. Smaller ones such as immediate family, close friends, and colleagues may make up a person's inner circle. Research and studies on social relationships suggest that a common size for a person's inner circle typically ranges from about 5 to 15 ind...

I'll bet I could write a survey that would give me a pretty good picture of who you are. Let me try…  Name, Age, Gender, Race, Height, Weight, Eye Color, Hair Color- that would get us started.   Next, I might ask… Single, Married, or Divorced, Number of Children or Grandchildren.   I might also want to know... Number of years of education completed, Current Job, and Yearly Income.   I would also be interested in… Place of birth, Current Hometown, Number of years at Current Address.   So, If I were asking "Who are you?" I could get a good picture.   So, how close would I be to truly knowing your identity?   Not very close.   You are so much more than a few facts and figures. You have a story to tell.   So do I…   I was the first of three children born to a father who was a dentist and a mother who was a physical therapist. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   I was from German and Scotch-Irish decent. I was always sma...

  The question of our purpose in life is both hard and simple.  Hard if you are asking for particulars, simple if you are looking at the big picture.  Fortunately, it's important to start with the big picture before you address the particulars. There is an old saying that goes like this… "The most important thing is that the most important thing remains the most important thing."  If we want to know what type of job I should get, who I should marry, or where to live, the answers don't come easy.  If we want to know what my ultimate purpose should be, the answer becomes clear.  So why do I say it comes clear?  Because I am making a very important assumption.  I am looking into the Bible to get the answers I need.  I decided a long time ago that I was not very good at answering the hard questions on my own.  I wanted to go to a source of wisdom that was greater than my own.  If possible, I wanted to hear what God had to say about the ...

 I suppose the question "Why am I here?" is either the best biggest question we could ask, or the most stupid.   I prefer to think it is the best.   Many would rather not ask it, because it can be so unsettling.   I guess it depends on your worldview. If you prefer a secular atheistic worldview, it really doesn't matter why you are here.   You exist, and there is no ultimate meaning behind your existence.   I am coming from a Judeo- Christian worldview. I believe in a Creator who had a purpose and a plan behind my existence.   In that case, I would like to know what it is. Another key question we may ask is "Who am I"?   Both questions lay the foundation for all other questions we have about life.   And whatever your worldview, these two questions will haunt us.   We have one life to live, apparently, and we must make some sense of it.   We have decisions to make, goals to set, and time to invest.   We need some definition...

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. (Ro 13:12-14, NASB95) When we think of armor, what usually comes to mind is something thick, strong, and heavy- something that would be a good protector.   We would expect that it would be able to withstand a bullet, knife, or powerful impact.   So when we imagine an armor consisting of light, it makes no sense, unless we think a little deeper. In the warfare between darkness and light, light wins every time.   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In h...

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. (Prov 11:24-25) It is easy to think that we should hold tightly to what we have. We often think if we are generous, and give it away, we will be left wanting.   Nothing could be further from the truth. In God's economy it is the generous one who is himself enriched.   It may seem counterintuitive, but it is true, nonetheless. This is because everything ultimately comes from God…   What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Cor 4:7b)   And on the topic of generosity, we often consider only money.   But when Proverbs 11:24 speaks of "scattering", it addresses much more than money.   It speaks to all types of resources.   We have spiritual resources, personal experience, time, and energy to share- and much more.   We have love...