Which is better? A present or a lottery ticket? A gift or a gamble?
When it comes to religion, most people seem to prefer a gamble instead of a gift.
“Now hold on just a minute—why gamble your soul for eternity?” Good question.
But millions of people do it every day. Why? Because their religion teaches them to gamble.
Many religions emphasize salvation by works. In other words, when you die, your good works are weighed against your bad. And if more than 51% are good, you get to go to heaven.
But how do you know if you have enough good works? What if you die before that point?
Most people want assurance about eternity, but a false religion gives none. It’s a gamble.
One religion promotes a martyr’s death as the path to paradise. Another religion offers an endless cycle of rebirths. The hope is of one day being able to escape the cycle. Good luck.
False religions offer no forgiveness, only fate and fear of an unknown eternity.
Some religions teach that all paths lead to the same God and the same truth. But that can’t be true when you compare faiths and discover opposite beliefs.
If you’re born into one of these traditions, there is pressure to keep the family faith. To remain true to your religion. So you must decide if you will pursue tradition or truth.
In his book “Jesus Among Other Gods,” Ravi Zacharias compares the claims of Christ with the founders of other major religions. (It is a book well worth your time.)
The book observes that only Jesus claimed to be from Heaven. To be the Son of God. Buddha did not claim that. Neither did Krishna or Mohammed.
Instead of pointing to a “path” of rules to follow, Jesus claimed to be the path. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Zacharias writes, “The message of Christ was not the introduction of a religion, but an introduction to truth about reality as God alone knows it.”
What God wants is a personal relationship with us through Christ, not just rule-keepers.
Some religions teach you must pay for your sins. But the Bible says that, because Jesus was sinless, God accepted his death on the cross to pay for all our sin. What amazing grace!
Jesus paid the price to reconcile man to God and change the human heart by the power of God. He did not come to offer us a new religion. He offers a relationship with a personal God.
The Bible reveals the truth about good works. It says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Did you catch that? Salvation is a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not by works.
During this week before Easter, consider this: Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection are not just a myth; they are real facts of history. The evidence is there for all who will seek it. And if you will seek the truth about Christ, it will change your life forever.
It did mine. The day I put my faith in Christ is the day I found true peace and joy. I found forgiveness in Jesus. And that’s why one purpose of my life is to point people to the Savior.
The good news about faith in Jesus Christ is for people of all nations. It is for everyone who is tired of gambling on religious traditions. It is for people who want truth.
Only faith in Christ is a sure thing. For everyone. Because it’s a gift and not a gamble.
What will you trust for your eternity—God’s gift or man’s religion?
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Culture Shock
Sights and sounds, faces and food are different. Light switches are opposite (down is “on”). Even the date is written differently than in the USA (1 April instead of April 1, 2009).
Welcome to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago! The “West Indies” summons images of Robinson Crusoe and palm trees. Exotic birds and beautiful beaches. Calypso music and English with a zesty accent. Beautiful bronze and dark faces. Spicy food with curry.
Words might not mean what you first think they do. “Don’t study it” means “don’t worry about it.” “Good night” is a greeting used in the evening to say “Hello,” not “Good bye.”
Culture shock is a sense of confusion and anxiety you feel when you find yourself in an unfamiliar cultural environment. All of a sudden you’re out of your “comfort zone.”
Things are familiar but different.
Trini vehicles look the same but the driver sits on the right. On the road, cars keep to the left.
Familiar restaurants dot the roads. Names like KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays welcome the traveler. But you will find different flavors, toppings and seasonings.
There’s a Starbucks-like coffee shop called Rituals. People drink lattes and talk on iPhones. But prices are six times higher! That’s because TT dollars are six to one U.S. dollar.
Last week I was in Trinidad to teach. Once again I fell in love with the people. Just like I did five years ago. And I wondered if Jesus felt the same way when he visited earth.
“Now hold on just a minute! How is visiting Trinidad similar to Christ’s coming to earth?”
Think of it like this: Jesus left his home and the familiar surroundings of Heaven to come to our earth. Imagine how strange the languages and customs must have seemed to him!
In some ways his trip was like mine. He came to teach about our Creator God who loves us and wants a personal relationship with us--how all people can know this holy God through faith.
He also came because we broke our world. And because we ignore God and disobey him. As a result, our world is a very different place from what God meant it to be.
Instead of knowing God as a friend, our sin separates us from him. Instead of a world that welcomes and supports us, it resists and hurts us. So to survive and thrive we need God.
You can read about how humankind broke the world in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.
When Jesus came, he loved us so much that he gave his life for our sins. To reconcile us to God. He wanted to demonstrate God’s amazing love for all of earth’s peoples.
What’s interesting is that Jesus gave his followers the same mission as his own: To reconcile people to God. He said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
This is the reason Christians tell others about Jesus. It’s not because they feel superior. It’s because they share his love. They want others to know the God who loves them.
If a Christian starts to talk with you about faith, listen a while. Ask about the difference Christ has made in their life. Imagine what your life would be like if you had real peace and joy.
So when you leave home and meet others who are different, remember what Jesus Christ did for us. If they’re from another country and speak a different language, welcome them.
If you’re a Christ follower, step out of your comfort zone and tell others of God’s great love. Tell them how they can find peace with God through Jesus Christ.
What’s amazing is that when you meet others in a strange culture, being a Christian breaks down barriers. You’re family. And instead of culture shock you find a common bond of love.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Welcome to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago! The “West Indies” summons images of Robinson Crusoe and palm trees. Exotic birds and beautiful beaches. Calypso music and English with a zesty accent. Beautiful bronze and dark faces. Spicy food with curry.
Words might not mean what you first think they do. “Don’t study it” means “don’t worry about it.” “Good night” is a greeting used in the evening to say “Hello,” not “Good bye.”
Culture shock is a sense of confusion and anxiety you feel when you find yourself in an unfamiliar cultural environment. All of a sudden you’re out of your “comfort zone.”
Things are familiar but different.
Trini vehicles look the same but the driver sits on the right. On the road, cars keep to the left.
Familiar restaurants dot the roads. Names like KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays welcome the traveler. But you will find different flavors, toppings and seasonings.
There’s a Starbucks-like coffee shop called Rituals. People drink lattes and talk on iPhones. But prices are six times higher! That’s because TT dollars are six to one U.S. dollar.
Last week I was in Trinidad to teach. Once again I fell in love with the people. Just like I did five years ago. And I wondered if Jesus felt the same way when he visited earth.
“Now hold on just a minute! How is visiting Trinidad similar to Christ’s coming to earth?”
Think of it like this: Jesus left his home and the familiar surroundings of Heaven to come to our earth. Imagine how strange the languages and customs must have seemed to him!
In some ways his trip was like mine. He came to teach about our Creator God who loves us and wants a personal relationship with us--how all people can know this holy God through faith.
He also came because we broke our world. And because we ignore God and disobey him. As a result, our world is a very different place from what God meant it to be.
Instead of knowing God as a friend, our sin separates us from him. Instead of a world that welcomes and supports us, it resists and hurts us. So to survive and thrive we need God.
You can read about how humankind broke the world in Genesis, the first book of the Bible.
When Jesus came, he loved us so much that he gave his life for our sins. To reconcile us to God. He wanted to demonstrate God’s amazing love for all of earth’s peoples.
What’s interesting is that Jesus gave his followers the same mission as his own: To reconcile people to God. He said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
This is the reason Christians tell others about Jesus. It’s not because they feel superior. It’s because they share his love. They want others to know the God who loves them.
If a Christian starts to talk with you about faith, listen a while. Ask about the difference Christ has made in their life. Imagine what your life would be like if you had real peace and joy.
So when you leave home and meet others who are different, remember what Jesus Christ did for us. If they’re from another country and speak a different language, welcome them.
If you’re a Christ follower, step out of your comfort zone and tell others of God’s great love. Tell them how they can find peace with God through Jesus Christ.
What’s amazing is that when you meet others in a strange culture, being a Christian breaks down barriers. You’re family. And instead of culture shock you find a common bond of love.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Dirty Secrets
Do you have a “Dirty Little Secret?”
Many people do. But to do the equivalent of spring-cleaning in your soul you must first admit your life is not “as pure as the driven snow.”
I’m always amused to hear someone say, “Deep down inside, everyone is basically good.” As much as we’d like to believe it, all the evidence points to the contrary.
We can tell what we’re really like by two things: 1) What we think about when we’re all alone and 2) What we do (or would do) if no one is watching and we don’t think we’ll be caught.
A T-shirt I saw on a young student perfectly describes the attitude that drives this behavior. It proclaimed, “It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught.”
Evil behavior is fast becoming a standard on the Internet. Web sites across the Internet are flooded with vicious and slanderous comments. People are attacked for their looks, their weight, their opinions and their behavior. Civility has all but disappeared.
An AP news story observed, “The Internet—and the anonymity it affords—has given a public stage to people’s basest thoughts, ones that in earlier eras likely never would have traveled past the water cooler, the kitchen table or the next barstool.”
Notice that the Internet doesn’t make our behavior worse--it just allows what we already are to be more public. It provides the cover human nature needs to “rear its ugly head.”
Communication experts are at a loss to explain “the rowdy Wild West situation” that anonymity provides “with no one to filter it.” So far the only solution has been to take down the message boards that give offenders a forum.
The Apostle James in the New Testament of the Bible got it right when he said, “The tongue is…a world of evil…and is itself set on fire by hell.”
Jesus went further when he pointed out the source of our words. He said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” And “the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” Later he added, “No one is good—except God alone.”
Ouch! The truth hurts.
It would be easy to become a cynic about the human race--and many have. It looks hopeless.
But--hold on just a minute! There is good news. God can change the human heart. He can take what is corrupt and make it clean. In fact that’s one of the reasons for the Bible. It shows us real people whose lives God changed for the better. No one is beyond God’s help.
One of the worst was Saul who became the Apostle Paul. He was full of hatred and, by his own admission, a murderer. God changed him from a killer of Christians into a planter of churches. Read his story in the Bible book called The Acts of the Apostles, chapters 22 to 26.
Are you sick and tired of covering up who you really are? The message of the Bible is that God knows our hearts and he still loves us. He offers to forgive us and clean us up from the inside out. Forget about turning over a “new leaf.” God offers a whole new life.
The Bible says Jesus died for our sins so we could be forgiven and reconciled to God. The solution begins with a prayer of confession--calling on Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior--and it ends with a “clean slate.” God offers to take away your guilt and give you a fresh start.
Jesus called it being “born again.” It’s starting a whole new life as God’s child.
Does your soul need a spring-cleaning? God is up to the job if you give him a chance.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Many people do. But to do the equivalent of spring-cleaning in your soul you must first admit your life is not “as pure as the driven snow.”
I’m always amused to hear someone say, “Deep down inside, everyone is basically good.” As much as we’d like to believe it, all the evidence points to the contrary.
We can tell what we’re really like by two things: 1) What we think about when we’re all alone and 2) What we do (or would do) if no one is watching and we don’t think we’ll be caught.
A T-shirt I saw on a young student perfectly describes the attitude that drives this behavior. It proclaimed, “It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught.”
Evil behavior is fast becoming a standard on the Internet. Web sites across the Internet are flooded with vicious and slanderous comments. People are attacked for their looks, their weight, their opinions and their behavior. Civility has all but disappeared.
An AP news story observed, “The Internet—and the anonymity it affords—has given a public stage to people’s basest thoughts, ones that in earlier eras likely never would have traveled past the water cooler, the kitchen table or the next barstool.”
Notice that the Internet doesn’t make our behavior worse--it just allows what we already are to be more public. It provides the cover human nature needs to “rear its ugly head.”
Communication experts are at a loss to explain “the rowdy Wild West situation” that anonymity provides “with no one to filter it.” So far the only solution has been to take down the message boards that give offenders a forum.
The Apostle James in the New Testament of the Bible got it right when he said, “The tongue is…a world of evil…and is itself set on fire by hell.”
Jesus went further when he pointed out the source of our words. He said, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” And “the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” Later he added, “No one is good—except God alone.”
Ouch! The truth hurts.
It would be easy to become a cynic about the human race--and many have. It looks hopeless.
But--hold on just a minute! There is good news. God can change the human heart. He can take what is corrupt and make it clean. In fact that’s one of the reasons for the Bible. It shows us real people whose lives God changed for the better. No one is beyond God’s help.
One of the worst was Saul who became the Apostle Paul. He was full of hatred and, by his own admission, a murderer. God changed him from a killer of Christians into a planter of churches. Read his story in the Bible book called The Acts of the Apostles, chapters 22 to 26.
Are you sick and tired of covering up who you really are? The message of the Bible is that God knows our hearts and he still loves us. He offers to forgive us and clean us up from the inside out. Forget about turning over a “new leaf.” God offers a whole new life.
The Bible says Jesus died for our sins so we could be forgiven and reconciled to God. The solution begins with a prayer of confession--calling on Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior--and it ends with a “clean slate.” God offers to take away your guilt and give you a fresh start.
Jesus called it being “born again.” It’s starting a whole new life as God’s child.
Does your soul need a spring-cleaning? God is up to the job if you give him a chance.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Unlikely Heroes
My childhood heroes were amazing. Heroes like Roy Rogers, Superman and Gene Autry. All were household names for my generation.
Such heroes were larger than life. It seemed like they could do anything!
What I didn’t know was that the true heroes in my life were the real people all around me.
People like my High School Guidance Counselor, Mr. Boyd. He listened to and advised me.
My Speech and Drama teacher, Mr. Umbach, taught me to express myself. To be me.
Mr. Amoresano, my Art teacher, encouraged creativity and believed in me when I did not.
The Teen Sunday School teacher at my church was Mrs. Culp. She prepared Bible lessons every Sunday and put up with distracted students. She wanted me to know God personally.
Ralph Irving was a youth sponsor at my church. He drove a big Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon and was our youth group’s transportation. Whether it was going bowling or just hanging out together, we could count on Ralph. He was there for us. He listened to us.
The reason I am who I am today is not because of Roy Rogers, Superman or Gene Autry. It’s because of people like Mr. Umbach, Mrs. Culp and Ralph Irving. Unlikely heroes all.
“Now hold it right there for just a minute! Aren’t heroes extraordinary people?” Not always.
In the song “Hero,” Christian rock band, SuperChick sang, “Heroes are made when you make a choice.” And that choice is the decision to get involved. To care about someone else’s needs.
Everyone must choose between getting involved in helping others or focusing on themselves.
One day a religious teacher asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Since they were both Jewish, Jesus asked him “What is written in the Law of Moses? How do you read it?”
The man replied, “‘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 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have replied correctly,” Jesus answered. “Do this and you will live.”
But the man wasn’t satisfied and asked a follow up question: “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus’ answer was the story of the Good Samaritan. In the story, a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. Three men happened upon the victim. The first two were religious leaders. But they crossed the road and passed by the man in need.
The third man, a despised Samaritan, stopped out of concern and helped the injured victim.
After Jesus told his story he asked the religious teacher which man was a neighbor to the man who was robbed. He could have asked which man was a hero. Same thing.
“The one who had mercy on him,” answered the teacher.
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
The Good Samaritan’s story is a surprisingly sad commentary on some people’s religion. The two you would expect to help did nothing. Apparently their religion didn’t affect their lives outside their house of worship. It could have but they didn’t let it.
The hero of the story stands out because he made a choice to help a stranger in need. It wasn’t an amazing supernatural ability that set him apart. It was his choice to care and to act.
If you think about it, your life probably has a few unlikely heroes, too. Ordinary people who changed your life because they really cared about you.
Imagine the difference your life could make if you choose to be a neighbor, a hero, to the people God puts in your path. You could go from zero to hero just by making that choice.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Such heroes were larger than life. It seemed like they could do anything!
What I didn’t know was that the true heroes in my life were the real people all around me.
People like my High School Guidance Counselor, Mr. Boyd. He listened to and advised me.
My Speech and Drama teacher, Mr. Umbach, taught me to express myself. To be me.
Mr. Amoresano, my Art teacher, encouraged creativity and believed in me when I did not.
The Teen Sunday School teacher at my church was Mrs. Culp. She prepared Bible lessons every Sunday and put up with distracted students. She wanted me to know God personally.
Ralph Irving was a youth sponsor at my church. He drove a big Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon and was our youth group’s transportation. Whether it was going bowling or just hanging out together, we could count on Ralph. He was there for us. He listened to us.
The reason I am who I am today is not because of Roy Rogers, Superman or Gene Autry. It’s because of people like Mr. Umbach, Mrs. Culp and Ralph Irving. Unlikely heroes all.
“Now hold it right there for just a minute! Aren’t heroes extraordinary people?” Not always.
In the song “Hero,” Christian rock band, SuperChick sang, “Heroes are made when you make a choice.” And that choice is the decision to get involved. To care about someone else’s needs.
Everyone must choose between getting involved in helping others or focusing on themselves.
One day a religious teacher asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Since they were both Jewish, Jesus asked him “What is written in the Law of Moses? How do you read it?”
The man replied, “‘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 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have replied correctly,” Jesus answered. “Do this and you will live.”
But the man wasn’t satisfied and asked a follow up question: “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus’ answer was the story of the Good Samaritan. In the story, a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. Three men happened upon the victim. The first two were religious leaders. But they crossed the road and passed by the man in need.
The third man, a despised Samaritan, stopped out of concern and helped the injured victim.
After Jesus told his story he asked the religious teacher which man was a neighbor to the man who was robbed. He could have asked which man was a hero. Same thing.
“The one who had mercy on him,” answered the teacher.
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
The Good Samaritan’s story is a surprisingly sad commentary on some people’s religion. The two you would expect to help did nothing. Apparently their religion didn’t affect their lives outside their house of worship. It could have but they didn’t let it.
The hero of the story stands out because he made a choice to help a stranger in need. It wasn’t an amazing supernatural ability that set him apart. It was his choice to care and to act.
If you think about it, your life probably has a few unlikely heroes, too. Ordinary people who changed your life because they really cared about you.
Imagine the difference your life could make if you choose to be a neighbor, a hero, to the people God puts in your path. You could go from zero to hero just by making that choice.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Money Trouble
Have you heard the news lately? We’ve got trouble. And it’s getting worse.
The last six months redefined the economic reality of our world. Boom years are history.
Since the stock market’s high point in October 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down some 50 percent. That means over the last 18 months we’ve seen half the value of our nation's wealth vanish into thin air.
Unemployment is the highest in 25 years. Millions of Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Small businesses are hurting. Big businesses are on the edge of bankruptcy.
One commentator put it like this: “Confidence is low. Credit is tight. People are anxious.”
What about our leaders? They seem clueless. Congress is spending money we don’t have to fix a problem they don’t understand. And we’re already in debt up to our eyeballs!
If there’s a silver lining to this storm cloud it’s that we’re better off than the rest of the world.
What’s the solution? So far there doesn’t seem to be one that will work.
“Now hold on just a minute! Isn’t that depressing? Where can we turn for help?”
How about God? Seriously.
Oh, sure—people pray, but when will we get serious about God? Like we did after 9/11?
Economically, the effects of this crisis could be more far reaching than the World Trade Center tragedy. This is a global economic mess. Fasten your seatbelt. It may be a rough ride.
Casual conversations frequently turn to the economy. People who never followed the stock market watch it now. They ask each other, “What’s going on? What will happen next?”
Does God have our attention yet?
Many years ago God told another nation in crisis, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Does that sound like something we need? No doubt. So what will you do about it?
Instead of pursuing possessions, will you seek God? Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” In one sentence Jesus diagnosed our trouble.
Our problem is we worship stuff and use God. Just the opposite of what we should do.
Jesus’ solution is to “store up for yourselves treasure in heaven” and to be “rich toward God.” We do that by spending money on things that have eternal value.
What if the Stock Market goes lower? What if you lose more of your wealth? What if you lose your job? Why not invest your time, energy and resources in God’s work now, where it will bring eternal returns?
This spring I’ll be in Trinidad on a mission trip. Friends who’ve invested in this trip know there will be eternal dividends on their money. Lives will be changed for good.
God is shaking our country and the world. He is making us all reconsider what we value, where our treasure is, where our hearts are. He is preparing us to stand before him.
When we see God, the Bible says there will be a day of accounting. He will ask us what we did with the resources He entrusted to us. What would you like to be able to tell him? That you helped the poor, fed the hungry and clothed the naked? That you helped the troubled find peace?
Some will be ashamed to say they spent everything on themselves. But that doesn’t have to be you! Start today and make an eternal difference in someone’s life. You’ll be glad you did.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
The last six months redefined the economic reality of our world. Boom years are history.
Since the stock market’s high point in October 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down some 50 percent. That means over the last 18 months we’ve seen half the value of our nation's wealth vanish into thin air.
Unemployment is the highest in 25 years. Millions of Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Small businesses are hurting. Big businesses are on the edge of bankruptcy.
One commentator put it like this: “Confidence is low. Credit is tight. People are anxious.”
What about our leaders? They seem clueless. Congress is spending money we don’t have to fix a problem they don’t understand. And we’re already in debt up to our eyeballs!
If there’s a silver lining to this storm cloud it’s that we’re better off than the rest of the world.
What’s the solution? So far there doesn’t seem to be one that will work.
“Now hold on just a minute! Isn’t that depressing? Where can we turn for help?”
How about God? Seriously.
Oh, sure—people pray, but when will we get serious about God? Like we did after 9/11?
Economically, the effects of this crisis could be more far reaching than the World Trade Center tragedy. This is a global economic mess. Fasten your seatbelt. It may be a rough ride.
Casual conversations frequently turn to the economy. People who never followed the stock market watch it now. They ask each other, “What’s going on? What will happen next?”
Does God have our attention yet?
Many years ago God told another nation in crisis, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Does that sound like something we need? No doubt. So what will you do about it?
Instead of pursuing possessions, will you seek God? Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” In one sentence Jesus diagnosed our trouble.
Our problem is we worship stuff and use God. Just the opposite of what we should do.
Jesus’ solution is to “store up for yourselves treasure in heaven” and to be “rich toward God.” We do that by spending money on things that have eternal value.
What if the Stock Market goes lower? What if you lose more of your wealth? What if you lose your job? Why not invest your time, energy and resources in God’s work now, where it will bring eternal returns?
This spring I’ll be in Trinidad on a mission trip. Friends who’ve invested in this trip know there will be eternal dividends on their money. Lives will be changed for good.
God is shaking our country and the world. He is making us all reconsider what we value, where our treasure is, where our hearts are. He is preparing us to stand before him.
When we see God, the Bible says there will be a day of accounting. He will ask us what we did with the resources He entrusted to us. What would you like to be able to tell him? That you helped the poor, fed the hungry and clothed the naked? That you helped the troubled find peace?
Some will be ashamed to say they spent everything on themselves. But that doesn’t have to be you! Start today and make an eternal difference in someone’s life. You’ll be glad you did.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Secret Life
Can you keep a secret? Chances are you already do--more than you care to admit!
“Now hold it right there for just a minute! How do you know whether or not I keep secrets?”
That’s a fair question. Let me answer with the words of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”
In public we cultivate the image of self we want others to believe is true. Generous. Kind. Talented. Family man. Successful woman. Whatever we think will make others like us.
In private we “let our hair down.” We become the person with whom we are comfortable. Only our family or closest friends see this person. Some parts of this self make us ashamed. So we guard it closely, afraid others will not like us if they know the truth.
Then there’s our secret life. The self we become when we think no one knows. The self of our daydreams and fantasies.
James Thurber famously portrayed this unseen side of our lives in his classic book, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
Mitty was a meek, mild-mannered man dominated by others. But in his daydreams he was a fierce, courageous hero’s hero--the man he so desperately wanted to be.
What we are in the secret playground of our minds is the self we want to be. And while we may keep our secrets safe from others, we cannot keep them from God.
The Bible reveals that one day “God will judge men’s secrets.” It adds, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Accountability is a troubling thought to modern minds. We fancy ourselves free to do what we please without unpleasant consequences.
But the beauty of the Bible is that it presents us with unvarnished truth.
God says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Such truth pains our conscience. Why? Because we know God is ultimately right.
What makes the Bible unique is its uncanny ability to reveal who we really are. Its truth “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Once we admit our shortcomings and humbly approach God in prayer, we find that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
God is not the angry scorekeeper some imagine. Instead of sternly looking for people to punish, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.
The best part is God welcomes all that seek him. You don’t have to come from a certain nationality or a particular religion. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
Speaking of himself, Jesus added, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him, shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.”
It is no secret what God can do in a person’s life through Christ. So bring your secrets to God. He will love you, forgive you and transform you into the person you always wanted to be.
Then you can be the same person all the time. No more secrets. As God’s child, you have nothing to prove and nothing to lose because you’re loved and accepted for who you really are.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
“Now hold it right there for just a minute! How do you know whether or not I keep secrets?”
That’s a fair question. Let me answer with the words of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”
In public we cultivate the image of self we want others to believe is true. Generous. Kind. Talented. Family man. Successful woman. Whatever we think will make others like us.
In private we “let our hair down.” We become the person with whom we are comfortable. Only our family or closest friends see this person. Some parts of this self make us ashamed. So we guard it closely, afraid others will not like us if they know the truth.
Then there’s our secret life. The self we become when we think no one knows. The self of our daydreams and fantasies.
James Thurber famously portrayed this unseen side of our lives in his classic book, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
Mitty was a meek, mild-mannered man dominated by others. But in his daydreams he was a fierce, courageous hero’s hero--the man he so desperately wanted to be.
What we are in the secret playground of our minds is the self we want to be. And while we may keep our secrets safe from others, we cannot keep them from God.
The Bible reveals that one day “God will judge men’s secrets.” It adds, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Accountability is a troubling thought to modern minds. We fancy ourselves free to do what we please without unpleasant consequences.
But the beauty of the Bible is that it presents us with unvarnished truth.
God says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Such truth pains our conscience. Why? Because we know God is ultimately right.
What makes the Bible unique is its uncanny ability to reveal who we really are. Its truth “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Once we admit our shortcomings and humbly approach God in prayer, we find that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
God is not the angry scorekeeper some imagine. Instead of sternly looking for people to punish, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.
The best part is God welcomes all that seek him. You don’t have to come from a certain nationality or a particular religion. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
Speaking of himself, Jesus added, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him, shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.”
It is no secret what God can do in a person’s life through Christ. So bring your secrets to God. He will love you, forgive you and transform you into the person you always wanted to be.
Then you can be the same person all the time. No more secrets. As God’s child, you have nothing to prove and nothing to lose because you’re loved and accepted for who you really are.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Shadowlight
Did you grow up in someone’s shadow? I did.
My parents walked in the light of the Bible and I walked in their shadow. But they filled their shadow with light, the truth of God’s Word.
As they lived it, their lives reflected God’s light into my life.
Soon there came a day I had to choose whether I would step out in the light, cast my own shadow and fill it with light. It wasn’t easy.
Coming of age and going to college brings its own kind of darkness. Each one of us has to choose the light for our self. I learned that not everyone loves the light.
Jesus said, “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
God’s truth is light for the soul. It lights up a life and others can see God reflected in it.
Now hold on for just a minute! What’s all this talk about light? Doesn’t the Bible say, “God is love?”
It does. And as we learn about God and his love for us, our love for him grows. As we seek to know God better through his Word, the Bible, the result is enlightenment. Truth. Wisdom.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path,” a wise man once wrote in the Bible.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” When we come to God through faith in Christ we enter his light. Jesus continued, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
God’s Word adds, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.”
One of the blessings of God’s light is forgiveness for our failures. God said he accepts Jesus’ death on the cross as full payment for all our sin. And when God forgives us and shines his light in our life, we can reflect it to others who walk in our shadowlight.
When I stepped out of my parents’ shadow and walked in God’s light for myself, I learned that God was faithful to me. When I trusted him, I learned he was dependable. He led me, protected me and met my every need.
My children grew up in my shadow. Their faith grew in my shadowlight. And as my wife and I launched each one, we hoped they would step into the light, cast their own shadow and fill it with light for those who follow them.
Who stands in your shadow? Is it filled with the light of God?
Life can be depressing. So many people live in dark world. What they need is someone to shine God’s light into their life.
Do you walk in the light of God? If you do, then your shadow will be filled with his light. If you don’t, seek his light. Read the New Testament of the Bible and ask God to fill your mind with his truth.
God will surprise you because that’s a prayer he loves to answer.
There’s nothing quite like the joy of light entering a darkened life! Once you step into the light, you can cast your own shadow and fill it with God’s light. Your shadowlight.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
My parents walked in the light of the Bible and I walked in their shadow. But they filled their shadow with light, the truth of God’s Word.
As they lived it, their lives reflected God’s light into my life.
Soon there came a day I had to choose whether I would step out in the light, cast my own shadow and fill it with light. It wasn’t easy.
Coming of age and going to college brings its own kind of darkness. Each one of us has to choose the light for our self. I learned that not everyone loves the light.
Jesus said, “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
God’s truth is light for the soul. It lights up a life and others can see God reflected in it.
Now hold on for just a minute! What’s all this talk about light? Doesn’t the Bible say, “God is love?”
It does. And as we learn about God and his love for us, our love for him grows. As we seek to know God better through his Word, the Bible, the result is enlightenment. Truth. Wisdom.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path,” a wise man once wrote in the Bible.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” When we come to God through faith in Christ we enter his light. Jesus continued, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
God’s Word adds, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.”
One of the blessings of God’s light is forgiveness for our failures. God said he accepts Jesus’ death on the cross as full payment for all our sin. And when God forgives us and shines his light in our life, we can reflect it to others who walk in our shadowlight.
When I stepped out of my parents’ shadow and walked in God’s light for myself, I learned that God was faithful to me. When I trusted him, I learned he was dependable. He led me, protected me and met my every need.
My children grew up in my shadow. Their faith grew in my shadowlight. And as my wife and I launched each one, we hoped they would step into the light, cast their own shadow and fill it with light for those who follow them.
Who stands in your shadow? Is it filled with the light of God?
Life can be depressing. So many people live in dark world. What they need is someone to shine God’s light into their life.
Do you walk in the light of God? If you do, then your shadow will be filled with his light. If you don’t, seek his light. Read the New Testament of the Bible and ask God to fill your mind with his truth.
God will surprise you because that’s a prayer he loves to answer.
There’s nothing quite like the joy of light entering a darkened life! Once you step into the light, you can cast your own shadow and fill it with God’s light. Your shadowlight.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
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