Living in light of eternity

  From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. ” (Mt 16:21-23 ESV) In Matthew 16:13-23 we see an unusual series for four events: Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ. In Mt 16:13-20 Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  Peter gives an excellent response by saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To this Jesus gives Peter a big pat on the back and says that the Father had given him this understanding.  He also changes his name to Peter, the rock. I'm sure Peter ...

  For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.   (Ec 3:1-4)   Solomon writes a poetic section about the passage of time (Ec 3:1-8). There is a proper time for everything.  Life is full of many wondrous experiences, and they each have their place.  The passage of time also reminds us of our mortality.  It lets us know how small we are in the grand scheme of things.  It humbles us.     God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives.  (Ec 3:11)   Solomon sees the beaut...

  On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness ; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8) For many of us discipline is a dirty word, and we would rather not add any more discipline to our lives.  But think again.  Everything that is of any value to you involves discipline.  Love and marriage, child rearing, even hobbies require discipline.  The Christian life is no different.  If your relationship with God is something you value, then you will want to apply some discipline in it.   And the Apostle Paul, in writing to his young disciple, Timothy, says “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”. So, what is a spiritual discipline? According to 1 Timothy 4:8 a spiritual discipline is a biblical practice that produces godliness when done regularly.  The bible prescri...

  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...