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Success
Joshua 1:8 is the only place where the word “success” is found in the Bible. The requirement to achieve it is clearly marked: Meditate on the Word day and night so that you may do all that is written therein. It’s not talent or a matter of good genes. It’s constant meditation which takes time and effort. Knowing and understanding God’s Word demands our time and thought. I laughed to hear how long it took for a check to clear years ago: Two weeks! Today, the money is immediately withdrawn. There’s no time to “float” a check. Weeks have been…
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Motivation
Motivation. In a single word comes the advancement of a litany of books about the subject. Americans are addicted to being “Motivated.” It is the basis for conferences, conventions and in part, power drinks. Yet with all of this, we are doing less with more. We have more resources; more tools, more helps than at any time in history. Even still the cross-section of polling depicts a lack of movement and initiative. People are stagnate and empty. This was not always the case. One hundred years ago our country achieved more with less. Statistics even show that with all the…
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Infringement of the Major
After careful review of our most recent days, there is little argument that America has made a full shift from a conservative base thought to a more liberal expression. Themes as Equality, Social Justice, and Gender Fluidity now occupy newsprint and airwaves. Paul wrote that perilous times would come and indeed they are here. This is the end time when the world becomes the epitome of that darkness, i.e., the world is worldly. The world and all that is in the world is there by nature. So I am not as concerned about the exposure of sin as I am…
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How Christian Are You?
The Washington Times released a quiz for all who might wonder, “How Christian Are You?” A test follows with trivia-type Bible questions. The outcome is probably not as relevant as its reflection to the larger issue: There are now levels of Christianity. The Barna Group conducted a similar study called: “How Christian are Christians?” It measures attitude/actions of Jesus vs. modern, self-proclaimed Believers. These are but a few coinciding studies as the definitions of Christianity morphs from the 2000 yr. old base standard into a convoluted mix of 21st century subjectivism. This is where absolutes are non-existent and truth is…
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Time
Age, that undefeated foe, has reared its head more often than any other enemy known to our bodies. Its inescapable grasp has taken down the brightest of minds; crippled the most amenable feet; halted the progress of a million ambitions. The conclusion of all science, research, and medical advancements has failed to conquer it. The collective doctors of the world have produced only a handful of coping mechanisms to deal with the issue they cannot reverse. There is no pause button to Time. Prayer won’t remove the blot that it leaves upon our days. Even the holy scriptures give no…
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“Come as you are”
A recent church sign read, “Come as you are.” Without being antagonistic, something struck me as inconsistent with the scripture. When God called out to Moses in a burning bush, Moses could not come as he was, for God told him to take off his shoes, “for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” God would not allow the priests to enter the holy place in their normal apparel, nor did He condone the children of Israel acting as the heathen nations. David wrote, Psalm 4:3 “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for…
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Benefit of the Day
In his 7 minute address that now graces the halls of history, Abraham Lincoln said, “the world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it will never forget what they did here.” Two centuries have come and gone and few can remember what was said, but we do know that God blessed our country and gave us this liberty. We remember the actions of men and women who fought to free themselves from the tyrant of taxation and a burdensome monarchy. They came for religious freedom, so that a government or some ruling class would not…
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Unity
Unity. God looked down upon the tower of Babel and declared that because of their unity “nothing” would be withheld from them. Even though they were wicked in their actions and had set their heart against God, it was their unity that set them apart. Joshua found it to be true as he led the armies of Israel around the walls of Jericho; everyone holding their peace. Their solidarity displayed a unified effort and God gave them the victory through it. The day of Pentecost saw about 120 people in “one place and in one accord.” When they achieved that…
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You must Lead
The cast of images around Meca, Islam’s most important religious site, displays thousands of men walking, kneeling, and praying. While women are instructed in prayer and other rituals, the men of Islam lead their families in every aspect of worship as it is in accordance with their tradition and religious beliefs. Hinduism, while searching for self-realization, follows a similar construct. Hindu men lead in prayer, introspective study, and conversation among their children and their wives. They also feel that it is their spiritual appointment to set the example among their family members and community. In the Hindu home, men are to be…
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Where does God dwell?
After many years in the making, David is the king of both Israel and Judah. The land has finally been united. All of his enemies have been laid to waste as treasure fills the coffers and horses and land are held in abundance, but David is not content. He’s distraught over the Ark of the Covenant. The ark has been kept in tents as David rests in his palace. He turns to the prophet, Nathan, to say, “See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.” Priorities are about to shift in…