We are all aware of the conflicts we face in being citizens in the world and being citizens in God’s kingdom.  This tension is seen in John’s strong warning in I John 2:15, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Certainly, the world operates with a different set of values and priorities.  Through opportunities and commercials, it appeals to the fleshly part of us and often leads us toward sinful things.  We would do well to heed Paul’s warning not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Yet, Jesus was deeply engaged with the world in which He lived.  He healed the sick without checking their spiritual pedigrees.  [...]

As the days grow warmer and the daylight hours become longer, we recognize that it is time for spring cleaning.  It is time to clean up the clutter and discard some items that have accumulated through the winter.  It is time to organize closets, landscape the driveway, clean the gutters, and scrub the floors. As spring arrives, it may also be time to do some spiritual cleaning in our lives as well.  Maybe through the winter we have fallen into some bad habits by neglecting prayer and Bible study.  Maybe we have missed more worship services than normal or gotten out of the habit of ministering to others. Paul challenged the Corinthians, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (II Cor. 13:5).  Maybe in looking at our lives this spring [...]

The past 24 hours have seen news coverage dominated by the tragedy at the end of the Boston Marathon.  Two bombs designed to create widespread human injury led to three deaths and over 150 injuries.  As we face the physical and emotional pain that is being endured by innocent people, we ask the difficult question of “why?” Only time will yield the answer of who planned the event and what their motives really were.  Yet, behind all such destructive events lies some level of hate.  It may be hate toward a nation or a particular race.  It can be hate toward a neighbor, a business, or a church.  Hate seeks to hurt others and requires no logic.   The beauty and power of Christianity lies in its signature characteristic of love.  We all face hurts [...]

The Scriptures repeatedly highlight the joys and happiness associated with living a life in Jesus.  Paul wrote, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).  He also wrote, “Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction” (II Cor. 7:4).  Peter powerfully wrote in I Pt. 1:8, “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Certainly joy has its home deep inside of us producing contentment, confidence, and peace.  As [...]

You have to wonder what Jesus was thinking when he chose His apostles. There were the boorish fishermen, who could have probably fit in well on the Duck Dynasty show. There was Thomas, a skeptic. Then you have the odd pair of Simon, a zealot and Matthew, a tax collector. Matthew’s occupation was to collect taxes for the same Roman government that Simon was committed to overthrowing. This is all not to mention Judas Iscariot, a crook and a traitor. Could Jesus have possibly assembled a more perfect mess of personalities? Community is a hard thing. Sure, it’s fun to see other cultures for a few days at a time, or to pose for a few snapshots with a local. But learning to get along with one group in one place for many years is quite a different experience. [...]