Christianity

A Change in Time

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I have never been a big fan of Daylight Savings Time.  I can move the clock on the wall forward an hour in the Spring and back an hour in the Fall, but my internal clock never changes.

Now that we have moved our clocks forward an hour, we have gained another hour of daylight.  While this is true, it has not changed the fact that Father Time is still at work.  In his methodical way, tick by tick, he gobbles up the minutes and hours of our life.

In moment of quiet contemplation, the Psalmist wrote about our timely relationship with God:  Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90).

Now that we have taken the time to change our clocks, does there also need to be a change in our time?   Time expenditures are a good indicator of the priorities in a person’s life.  When a  person numbers  his days, he can see the #1 priority in his life.

I hope this is enough to keep you thinking.

The Day and the Hour

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Before you get started reading, I want to ask you to do three things.  First, look at your calendar and see what the date is.  Second, look at your watch or a clock to see what time it is.  Third, answer this question:  What were you worrying about in 2011 at this exact date and time?

Most people have a little trouble answering my question.  If you can remember what you were worrying about, I hope you discovered that all that worrying didn’t really change the outcome of your situation.

People worry about all sorts of things.  Some people get depressed because they worry about what they perceive to be impending doom.  I know some people who worry themselves into anxiety attacks because they are focused on what might potentially happen.   Anger, shame and guilt can also be the results of thoughts that focus on catastrophic thinking (thinking in terms of always, never, should have and oughts).

The truth is, sometimes people worry themselves sick.  Worry and stress have been linked to a higher risk for illness, including conditions such as obesity and hypertension.  Some people attempt to manage their proclivity to worry through self-help techniques.

While self-help measures can be very beneficial, I put a priority on the principles of Scripture.  In the case of worry, I like Philippians 4:6-7:  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I hope  the words of Charles Mayo are thoughts that will keep you thinking:  Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects the health. I have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt.

Vertigo

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Hey boys and girls, who can leap tall buildings in a single bound; is stronger than a locomotive; and, is faster than a speeding bullet?  That’s right, it’s Superman.

When I was just a kid, I watched superman every time I got a chance.  I think some of the opening words are still appropriate for today:  faster than a speeding bullet.  There are times that life seems to speed by at a dizzying rate of speed.  This fast-paced living can blur our perspective on life and leave us with mental and spiritual vertigo.

Spiritual vertigo can afflict all of us.  It even diminished the wisdom of Solomon for a part of his life.  Solomon began his reign as a man focused on the principles of God, but he digressed into a Hedonistic lifestyle that eventually morphed into fatalism (Eccl. 3:18-21).

The wise old king had failed to follow his own advice.  In Proverbs 3 he advises his readers to not lean on their own understanding, but to acknowledge God and to embrace His principles.

Solomon had become so dizzy with the world’s delights, his only focus was the horizontal dimension of life.  He had forgotten that his real joy and satisfaction had come from his vertical relationship with God.

Here is a thought to keep you thinking.  If you realize your life is just a merry-go-round existence, it’s time to slow things down and get your feet back on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.

Is It Who or Which?

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For sake of clarity, some new verisons of the Bible have made their appearance on the shelves of bookstores.  An example of this is the New Kings James Version (NJKV).  It is an update of the King James Version(KJV) that was printed in 1611.  The KJV had quite a few archaic words that were updated in the NKJV.

This attempt at clarity has muddied the waters in a few places.  Phillipians 4:13 is one such case:  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (KJV).  In the NKJV which has been updated and changed to who (Christ who strengthens me).

While there is truth to both the KJV and the NKJV, I believe the use of who misses the point of Paul’s teachings.  No one doubts that we find strength in the who of Jesus Christ; however, the point is we are strengthened in the which or the doing of the Christian experience.

Case in point is the time Jesus went to the mountain to pray and the disciples went to the sea of Galilee to fish.  While He was engaging in prayer, the raging sea was about to swamp their boat.  This was a learning lab that involved 9 hours of whiching that would prepare them for future endeavors.

The design of the lesson was to teach them that Jesus is present even in the storms of life.  As He was drawing near to the boat, He saw them cowering in fear.  He quieted their fears, and calmed the sea with a few words:  Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.

Notice that Jesus said, It is I–present tense.  He is not a has-been-god of the past, or a hope-so-god of the future.  As Pslam 23 says, He is present–The Lord is my shepherd . . .

Here is a thought to keep you thinking.  It is the heartache of the past and the trials of the present that which you into shape to face the future.

The Human Element

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As I was doing a mental thumb-through of some biblical stories, the human element was center stage time and time again.  In this human element, we can find encouragment for the daily trials of life.

As most of us know, life can be full of challenges.  The next time you are faced with one, think about Moses.  He had the challenge of leading over a million people out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and to the promised land.  Throughout this difficult journey, we see that provisions were provided for each step he took.

Has anyone ever betrayed you?  Do you still have a desire to even the score?  If so, you might identify with the story of Joseph.  He was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisioned.  Joseph’s faith never wavered, and it was God who evened the score.

How about disappointment?  Have you ever been disappointed by some person or some thing?  The air was full of disappointment on that long-ago Friday when Jesus died.  All of the hopes and dreams of the disciples were focused on this radical, new-found Messiah.  Some of His followers had been ostracized by society and others had been shunned by their families.  And now,  their dream had become a nightmare on the cruel cross of Calvary.

This disappointment had caused some of disciples to leave Jerusalem.  As they walked the dusty road to Emmaus, heavy hearts and a spirit of dispair overcame them.  They thought their lives were changed forever because Jesus had died.

They were right, but only half right.  Thinking the play was over they left at intermission, and they missed the final act.  A few days later the disappointment of these Christians vanished with the appearance of the resurrected Saviour.

The next time life starts to kick you and drag you down, remember there is a very human element in the pages of the Bible.  Remember that the God who did great things back then, is the same God who is at work now.  He has promised us the present of His presence in our darkest hour.

I hope this is enough to keep you thinking.

The Power of the Human Spirit

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There is a contrast as wide as the Grand Canyon on display in Ohio.  On one side of the canyon wall is the murderous act of  T.J. Lane in which he took the lives of his fellow students.  Far away on the other side of the canyon, are distraught families who are overcome with grief.

There is a bridge that joins the two sides.  It is an amazing act of forgiveness that reaches out  from a heart full of anguish and agony.  Phyllis Ferguson, mother of 16 year old Demetrius Hewlin, has issued a statement saying she has already forgiven Lane’s murderous act.

Mrs. Ferguson has said:  You have to forgive everything. God’s grace is new each and every day. Until you’ve walked in another person’s shoes, you don’t know what made him come to this point.

When I read stories like this, I’m reminded of the words Jesus spoke from the cross:  Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.

Whenever there are discussions of T.J. Lane, I hope the repercussions of Mrs. Ferguson’s forgiveness will also be remembered.

Why God?

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In the last two blogs, I’ve discussed the presence of evil in the world.  There are times when people meet evil face to face and then question the existence of God:  How can there be a God when there is so much evil in the world today?

My response to this question is a question:  How do you know evil exists?  To determine what is evil and what is good, a person must have some standard or moral law by which evil and good are measured.  A moral law of this sort requires a moral law giver, and that, I believe, is the God of the Bible.

With God as my starting point, I believe He created a universe in which there was no evil and no suffering.  This includes Adam and Eve who were created as perfect beings with the ability to choose right and wrong.

This is where things take a turn for the worse.  Adam and Eve freely chose to engage in an act of disobedience, and sin entered the world.  Their act of rebellion gave birth to sin and evil.

God did not directly create evil.  He created Adam and Eve with the ability to choose good or to choose evil.  “God created the fact of freedom; we perform the acts of freedom.  God made evil possible; men make evil actual (Norm Geisler).”

A couple of days ago, I made the comment that I find myself praying for peace.  The underlying assumption of that prayer is that evil will be eliminated.  When will this happen?  I don’t know about you, but I want it to happen immediately.

More often than not, I find that I do not understand God’s timetable.  In my understanding of theology, I believe God is in the process of eliminating evil.  The Scriptures tell us there will be a future day of peace when even the lion and lamb will lay down beside each other.

As we wait for this day to arrive, we need to realize that we are a key component in restraining evil.  This statement can be understood by seeing the contrast between the following statements made by Jesus.

  • Men loved the darkness because their deeds were evil.
  • You are the light of the world.
  •  God is light an in Him is no darkness at all.

Here is a thought to keep you thinking.  When your light shines in the darkness, is it perceived as one of condemnation or compasssion?  Is it a light that shows the Way or a light that pushes away?

Stop, Look, and Listen

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On Monday of this week, there was another incident in which a teenage boy opened fire on his fellow classmates.  This time it was in Ohio.

When I was in high school, many of us drove our cars and trucks to school with shotguns in the back window.  Even though we did plenty of stupid things, I don’t remember a single time any of us thought about shooting-up the school.

The days of my childhood have vanished and proof of this is the steady diet of violence on TV.  The Saturday morning cartoons are no longer of the Mighty Mouse variety.  Video games have gone from Pac Man to realistic and graphic simulations of warfare, murder and violence.

By the time the  average child is 12, he has witnessed thousands of violent acts through the media.  Watching it on TV is not quite as bad as role playing it with video games.  The problem with the video games is that they captivate and engage the psyche of our children in acts of violence.

The Zur Institue reports that, Violence in the media, whether it is reflected in music, games, cartoons, T.V. shows or movies, desensitizes children to the effects of violence, legitimizes and glorifies violence and can increase aggressive behavior or, at the least, increases tolerance and acceptance of violent and abusive behavior. After seeing violence on T.V., cartoons, and playing violent games, violence offline seems “normal.

I have read different reports that address this issue.  I find the work of retired Lt. Col. David Grossman to be very interesting.  An insightful interview that focuses on this issue can be read by clicking here.

Let me share a few statistics about school shootings:

  • In about 75% of the cases, the shooter had told several people about his plans.
  • In half of these incidents, the shooter was encouraged by friends to carry out the attack.
  • A large per centage of the shooters had experienced bullying and harrassment.

Grossman, in another article, suggests that one of the best deterrents to this type of senseless violence, it to have a police presence in the schools.  This sounds like an endorsement of the School Resource Officers  we see  in schools today.

After reviewing the research, I believe the message at railroad crossings is one we need to take to heart:  Stop, Look, Listen.  Since most of these shooters speak about their planned assault for weeks and months ahead of the attack, parents and teachers need to take the time to stop what they are doing; look for the message below the surface; and, listen to the emotion.

The simple truth is, hurting people hurt people.  Our task, Jesus said,  is to love others the way that He has loved us (John 13:34-35).  Instad of giving a struggling teenager a piece of your mind, try something different–give him a piece of your heart.

An Eye for an Eye

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An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a brutal philosophy to guide a person’s life.  It does; however, seem to make more sense than the inhumane acts that are routine events in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries in this region.  The most recent example is the rioting in Kabul in protest of some Korans that had been burnt.

I’ve grown a bit agnostic concerning the merits of our presence in this part of the world.  One thing I do know for certain is that my heart sinks every time I hear of the death of one of our soldiers in this region.  In my prayers, I find myself asking for peace to prevail.  As I make this petition, I realize I am asking for a miracle.

The Ayatollah Ali Sistani has been considered an ally in the region, and he is a good example of the State Department’s dilemma.  Sistani teaches that non-Muslims are considered in the same category as urine, feces, semen, dead bodies, blood, dogs, pigs, alcoholic liquors,” and “the sweat of an animal who persistently eats [unclean things]. 

If an ally will make statements like this, what are our enemies saying?

Abraham Lincoln once said:  The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him your friend.  I’m afraid even the wit and wisdom of Lincoln is not enough to make these enemies our friends.

When a find a situation to be discouraging, I look to God for something that is encouraging:  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

From Tragedy to Triumph

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Little Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee.   She came into this world weighing a mere 4 1/2 pounds. She spent the early years of her childhood in bed battling double pneumonia and scarlet fever.  When she was 6 she was afflicted with polio.  This disease caused her to lose the use of her left leg, so she was fitted with metal leg braces.

One day Wilma asked her parents:  Will I ever be able to run and play like the other children?  Her mother responded:  Honey, you only have to believe.  You have to trust in God because with God all things are possible.

If her story ended when her being a cripple, it would be understandable, but  Wilma was determined to turn her tragedy into  triumph.  She believed God could make it happen; and, by the time she was 9 years old, she was out of the braces and quickly becoming a star on the basketball court.

Wilma’s hard worked transformed her into a 5′ 11″ lightening fast runner, and she went on to win 3 gold medals in 1960 at the Rome Olympics.  She retired from running when she was 22 years old.  She turned her focus to coaching women’s track teams and encouraging young people.  Wilma used her talent and fame to establish the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to assist young athletes in reaching their academic and professional goals.

Here’s a thought to keep you thinking.  Talent is God-given, so be humble.  Fame is man-given, so be thankful.  Conceit is self-given, so be careful.