Ecclesiastes 12:10

  It's funny how two jobs that take the same amount of time, occur in the same conditions, and require the same amount of effort can be felt in two totally different ways. The mental approach will determine if it’s a joy or a burden, if it’s easy or hard, if it’s meaningful or meaningless.   Author John Maxwell described it as the ABCs of energy drain.         A ctivity Without Direction—doing things that don’t seem to matter B urden Without Action—not being able to do things that really matter C onflict Without Resolution—not being able to deal with what’s the matter   In the end, what matters is if it matters to us. We can handle the work, we will accept the burden, power through the problem, IF we can see the purpose to do so. Churches would be wise to consider this in the work they do.   Often, we have programs and activities, and we forget to emphasize and reemphasize the why we do it. As time goes by, the w...

    In 1870, the James Robinson & Co. Circus and Animal Show wanted to drum up some publicity for a performance in Middletown, Missouri. As the clowns, circus performers, and animals paraded through town, the circus band played along while standing on the roof of a cage…that held two hungry lions.   Despite concerns that the roof wasn’t strong enough to support ten grown men, circus bosses ordered the band to keep on playing. So they did…right up until the moment the roof caved in. The musicians plunged into the den of hungry lions, who tore them limb from limb. Ten band members started the parade; only three survived.   You don’t play around with a lion.   In 1 st Peter 5:8, we are warned, “ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour .” Yet, we often will play alongside the Devil, thinking that we aren’t going to fall into his clutches. The barricades we erected will ...

  Fred and Martha were driving home after a church service. “Fred,” Martha asked, “did you notice that the preacher’s sermon was kind of weak today?” “No, not really,” answered Fred. “Well, did you hear that the song leader was off-key?” “No, I didn’t,” he responded. “Well, you certainly must have noticed that young couple and their children right in front of us, with all the noise and commotion they made the whole service!” “I’m sorry, dear, but no, I didn’t.” Finally, in disgust Martha said, “Honestly, Fred, I don’t know why you even bother to go to church.”   It’s good to be observant, but if all we can do is find fault, maybe it would be better if we didn’t pay attention. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.    James 5:9     Don’t be the person that only bothers to bother others. One of the greatest lies we believe is that our criticism and co...

  Today, it seems like cameras are everywhere. Stores have them to check for theft. Cars have them to record accidents. Most of us carry them around with us wherever we go, ready to whip them out and record anything that we like. Anywhere you go, you might be recorded.   But no place might be more surveilled than Great Britain. There are a reported 5.9 million closed-circuit cameras watching the people. On a single block in Canonbury Square in Islington, North London, there are 32 cameras trained on the streets, alleys, and even on people’s properties. The irony is that Canonbury Square’s biggest claim to fame is that George Orwell lived there while he was writing 1984.   I don’t know how this makes you feel, more secure or more surveilled, but in reality it isn’t anything new. While we might have only recently been able to watch everyone’s every move, God has seen it all for all time. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and lai...

    There has always been something at the scene of the cross that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.   In reality, none of it makes sense. How could they do that? How could He go through that?  Why did this have to go that way? It all boggles the mind. But the way I am referring to is the motivations of some of the actions at the cross.   We are told that those in attendance at the crucifixion were insulting Jesus. The chief priest and scribe make sense. Not in it was right, but they had been out to get Jesus for some time; you can understand their animosity. The crowd, in the same way, has a logic to it. They had been whipped up into a stir against Jesus by the leaders. Those insults go hand in hand with a mob mentality. Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him. Mark 15:32    It’s those that were crucified with him I just don’t get. If anyone understood his agony, it would be those experiencing it beside him. They ha...

    It seems that whatever it is we want, the when we want it is now. In the ancient world, when something was done quickly, it was described as “ that very hour” (Matthew 8:13, John 5:42). Today we think in terms of the second (or even the millisecond)!   The reality is that some things take time. With that in mind, let's consider Revelation 2:21, “ I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. ” In this passage, Christ is speaking to an issue with immorality in the church. By no means does he condone this, yet still he says he gave time for repentance to happen. Now that time was coming to an end because of the lack of repentance.   Yet, we must acknowledge that some time was given. Often when we confront a person about an issue, and there isn’t an immediate reaction, we think it did no good.  But that may not be the case. Some things take time. Time for behavior to be changed. Time for hearts to melt. Time for conv...