In the late 1880's, Benjamin B. Warfield, a professor at
Richard Dugdale, a sociologist and a contemporary of Warfield's, traced the known descendents of Max Jukes. Jukes was a Dutch immigrant that arrived in
The best ministry parents can have is to train their children to know Jesus Christ.
Carl F.H. Henry once said: "One child lost to the faith usually becomes a family lost to the faith, and not many generations later a whole community of unbelief is set in motion because of some earlier neglect of parental duties."
Paul's admonition to the Ephesian fathers was: "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4
Father's, this must be our highest priority!
Outlasting the Blues Go Top
2 Samuel 23:5
During a dark period of Abraham Lincoln's life, at the relatively young age of 32, he wrote:
"I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better I cannot tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible; I must die or be better, it appears to me."
It's hard to believe these words were written by one of our nation's most significant leaders. And it's hard to believe that years later this same despairing man was able to write:
"The year that is drawing toward the close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. These bounties are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come."
Abraham Lincoln's early years were filled with failure, and yet the final years of life--though certainly not free from struggle--were years of happiness, fulfillment, achievement, and success.
Because of his capacity to outlast the blues,
The same could be said for King David. As you read through the Psalms, you get a personal glimpse of his struggles and heartaches. (Psalm 10, 38, 102 come immediately to mind; there are many, many more.) And though his life was not without tragedy, David ended his days enjoying the benefits of God's blessing in his life. In a phrase, David outlasted the blues.
His final words, recorded in 2 Samuel 23, were:
Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? (2 Samuel 23:5)
We can certainly see in scripture that clinging steadfastly to hope in God's mercy ultimately pays off--far beyond what we could ever hope for.
Today, you may be facing the anguish of Psalm 38 or 102. But there's more to your story than just what you are experiencing today. God will bring to fruition your salvation--full and complete--and he will grant you your every desire. This gives us a reason to keep on...to outlast the blues.
In the days following the attack on
I guess this is good, in that indicates that as a nation we have moved forward and are no longer paralyzed by pain. But though we have put the tragedy behind us, we must be careful never to put the memory of the victims behind us.
As we approach the fourth anniversary of 9/11, a new crisis demands our attention. In recent days Americans have suffered in ways that we have never before seen Americans suffer. This lesson is the same as the one before: We're not invincible. It's difficult to admit, but impossible to ignore. This nation is like every nation; our people, like all people, are vulnerable.
This year we have the unique opportunity of honoring those victims of 9/11 in a special way. More than just saying a few sentimental words, we can emulate to a small degree the character revealed by so many of them in their final moments. How? In our response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
This is a call for action, not a call for words. Already too many aimless words have been spoken. While thousands are dying, others are pointing fingers, making accusations, and turning the event into a political grudge match. The victims of this crisis deserve better. Let's do something about it.
David wrote...
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. (Psalm 41:1)
Let's claim this promise. God has promised that if we will consider the helpless, he will deliver us in a day of trouble. That's the power of compassion.
It was October 6, 1990.
The Buffaloes finished unbeaten that season, and went on the win the national title. Had it not been for the five down series against
Fair or not, the bottom line was that
You know what? God has given us an extra play. That's what grace is. God forgives us, wipes the slate clean, and lets us start fresh. God is the God of the second chance. He is the God of the fifth down.
At the end of the 1990 season, when
In the same way, whatever success we experience in life, we cannot forget that if God had not graciously offered us a second chance, we couldn't make it.
Let us not forget to remember that we are who we are, and we are where we are, because God, through his son Jesus Christ, has given us all a fifth down in life.
Why did Jesus come?
Why did the Creator decide to clothe Himself in creation
enter this world through a young girl late one night in
the company of animals?
The Bible is very clear: Jesus came to save us. But His declaration in John 6:38 should tell us something wonderful about the will of God: It is good!! Jesus defines it for us:
"I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me."
For everyone who wondered how God sees him or her; for every-
one who has ever doubted God's love when a prayer has gone unanswered or a life has become broken; for everyone who has cried out to God, "Are You there?" or "Do You care?", Jesus has the answer: He has come to do God's will, and His will is very, very good.
So, enjoy this blessed season. We need no clearer illustration. Jesus is here by God's will, and it is God's will and great pleasure to love us!
Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled….I go to prepare a place for you…..I am the Way….” (John 14:1,2,6)
We’ve all had those times when problems in our lives have full impact on our inner hearts. Our hearts are troubled. We turn to Christ for help. He says to us what He said to His disciples in the upper room: “Let not your heart be troubled.”
The disciples’ hearts were troubled. The Greek word for “troubled” means to be “tossed to and fro” – like restless waves. Jesus’ assuring word is ultimately reliable: “Believe in God, believe also in Me.” How does this help a troubled heart? In just this way: We have a place to go with our troubled hearts --- directly to the heart of God!
The Father’s house is the Father’s heart. It’s expansive and inclusive. When Jesus said it has many rooms or mansions, He meant that it is our
true abiding place --- not different ones but one big enough to include all who come home to the Father through Him.
Jesus has prepared the place in God’s heart for us. And, there’s only one way to the heart of God, the way He ordained – through Jesus Christ, the Way. Let Him lead you home ---now!
Easter 2006 Go Top
We read in John 20:8 - “Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.”
John’s account of the resurrection of Christ is a firsthand witness. The “other disciple” is John’s way of referring to himself throughout his gospel. He was there in the upper room when Mary Magdalene burst in upon the discouraged disciples to say that Jesus was not in the tomb. We feel John’s excitement as he retells how he and Peter ran to the tomb and found the empty grave clothes and believed for themselves that Christ had risen.
We all need a firsthand Easter that’s more than the secondhand conviction of others or the temporary inspiration of Easter services with glorious music and the preaching of the hope of the resurrection. A real Easter is one in which we meet the risen Christ personally. This requires acceptance of the cross and the forgiveness of our sins. We must pass through our own death to self with a complete surrender of our lives.
Don’t make the Easter service just a one-time event. Instead, have a firsthand experience, and a person-to-person encounter with the living Lord! Anything less is a dead substitute.
“Hallelujah! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!”
Let me share with you five secrets that go into making strong and vibrant families:
1. COMMITMENT.
Critical to any family’s success is an investment of time, energy, spirit and heart, an investment otherwise known as commitment.Family members are dedicated to promoting each other’s welfare and happiness, and they expect the family to endure.
2. TIME TOGETHER.
When 1500 children were asked, “What do you think makes a happy family?” They didn’t list money, cars, or fine homes. They replied: doing things together.
3. APPRECIATION.
Feeling appreciated by others is one of the most basic of human needs. It’s no crime to make your son, daughter, mother or father, feel good about themselves.
4. COMMUNICATION.
As one father said: “We spend a lot of time in casual conversations. Sometimes we uncover important issues, feelings or values that need to be aired. If my son can’t talk with me about cars and tennis, why should I expect him to discuss the drugs at school?”
5. SPIRITUAL PRACTICS.
One man writes: “Our family has certain values….but we have to practice those in everyday life. I can’t talk about honesty and cheat on my income tax return. I can’t yell responsibility and turn my back on a neighbor who needs help. I’d know I was a hypocrite, and so would the kids and everyone else.”
This would be a good month to take inventory on these qualities and purpose to make them a real part of our families.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12
Patriotism has not gone out of style. God calls us to be loyal citizens of the nation in which we live. Our task is not to prove that we are bigger or better than other nations, but to be all that God is calling the
On the Fourth of July a good question to ask is, “If everyone lived out his faith as a citizen the way I do, what kind of nation would we have?” So few could say, “Great!” Most would have to say that they have left the burden on someone else’s shoulders.
The calling of every Christian is to be a minister. This means not only introducing others to Christ, but it also means social responsibility. We are to pray for guidance – for the Lord to show us the need in which He wants us to be involved. Find a need and let Him help you fill it.
So before the fireworks start, take time for concentrated prayer for our nation. When “God Bless
A college student complained that she had few real friends. “What kind of friends would you like?” someone asked. The young lady listed the qualities she wanted in friends. She wanted them to be faithful, loyal, caring, and share her commitment to Christ. “Then be that kind of friend to others, and you will never lack true friends again,” came the suggestion. The advice was simple, yet is the secret of developing enriching friendships.
In a lonely world, it’s tragic to be alone. Everyone longs for the same kind of friendships. A Christian is an imitator. Having been loved by Christ, we are set free to reach out to others. Life will never be boring or lonely. We will have more friends than we ever dreamed possible.
Jesus’ Golden Rule encourages us to do to others what we want them to do to us. Our difficulty is in picturing what we need others to do for us. We expect little and are not disappointed. But when we experience the Lord’s unlimited generosity, we begin to appreciate what a loving friend is like. A friendship revolution is started when we dare to be to others what Christ has been to us.
We strive to develop that kind of friendliness… and, more importantly,… those kinds of “friendships” at our church. If you’re looking for friends, visit us!
As you can see, after much prayer and deliberations, we have changed the name of our church to Lighthouse Christian Fellowship. We didn’t change it for the sake of change alone. No, this name change will allow us to use our church name to express our ministry objectives and purpose, as well as to keep our mission in focus.
The word “light” is a very Biblical term. And, we know and proclaim that Jesus Christ is the True Light.
Jesus said: “….I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Again, He said: “I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46)
He is the Light. But Jesus also gave us some insight as to who would be used to reflect His pure light to all the world. Speaking to us, He said: “You are the light of the world….Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
As His people, we are to be as lights shining in a darkened world. This is our mission and calling. I pray that our new name continually reminds us of our real purpose and reason for being.
“So carry your candle run to the darkness,
Seek out the hopeless confused and torn.
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle and go light your world.”
Remember Paul’s words to the Ephesians….after warning them against the darkness of their generation, says: “…for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light…”
(Eph. 5:8)
Elisabeth Eliot, wife of slain missionary Jim Eliot, once said:
“Some of you are perhaps feeling that you are voyaging just now on a moonless sea. Uncertainty surrounds you. There seem to be no signs to follow. Perhaps you feel about to e engulfed by loneliness… but it is…. only then, that we can perceive His all-sufficiency. It is only then the sea is moonless that the Lord has become my Light.”
Christmas. It’s a time of Light…..and……loneliness. It seems that Christmas brings out the best and the bad. Why? I think, at least one reason is that at no other time of year is there such an emphasis on light. You see lights everywhere and on almost every house. Even Hanukkah is all about lights. Light crowds out the darkness, but darkness does not give up easily. And, the battle between light and darkness becomes all too obvious at this time of year.
There are many people abiding in darkness today. Some, to be sure, relish the darkness because their deeds are evil. But others, are truly seeking the light. The timeless truth of Christmas is that the Light of the World has come; joy to the world!!
Isaiah, looking forward to that dark night in
“The people that walked in darkness have seen
a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow
of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isa. 9:2)
Like the bright, shining beam of a lighthouse, God’s Love reaches out to us at Christmas….piercing through the darkness.
“For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of
darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6)
Jesus said: “….Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13:34-35 – The Message)
Let’s face it: Some Christians aren’t easy to love. Some bug us; others frustrate us; while others differ over doctrine and church customs with us. Add to all this the common relational problems of pride, envy, competition, and power struggles. And yet here is Jesus telling us we are to love one another as He has loved us. To make it all the more embarrassing, He tells us that the world will know whether or not we are His disciples if we model His deep quality of love.
Unless I miss my guess, you can name a few Christians whom you find it difficult to love. So what do we do? I think the Lord knew how difficult it would be for His disciples to live His commandment. He spent a great deal of time urging us to love.
If it came naturally, He wouldn’t have had to go to the cross to create new creatures who would be transformed and filled with His Spirit. Living on this side of
Again, think of those few people who are difficult to love, and today ask the Lord for the miracle of being able to love them. It’s not too much to ask, but it’s too important not to!!
We read in Isaiah 43:25 - “I, yes, I alone – will blot out your sins for my own sake, and will never think of them again.” (NLT)
Henry Ward Beecher said that to say, "I can forgive, but I cannot forget" is just another way of saying, "I cannot forgive."
Paul tells us that we are to forgive one another "just as God in Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32) How has he forgiven us? He's forgiven us completely, without any merit on our part. None of us deserve to be forgiven, but he has lavished it on us anyway. He forgives our sins -- all of them. And then he forgets: “….and will never think of them again.”
In the case of forgiveness, forgetting is a matter of choice. To "not remember" an offense means that you will no longer attempt to hold that offense against them. You won't bring it up in a disagreement. You won't use it for leverage. This means you'll do your best to treat the other person as if it never happened at all, or as if it will never happen again.
Which brings us to another quote from
First of all, let me say that my heart goes out to the many devastated families who lost children in this unexpected slaughter. It is difficult to capture the horror such an event evokes, even in our calloused and violence-numbed age. I pray that those who grieve are people of faith who can find true comfort in the Risen Christ through whom we have eternal life.
Regardless of all the psychological reasons proffered regarding the reason for such a massacre, let me say bluntly: the massacre of 32 people in cold-blooded murder is simply the work of pure evil. The hand of Satan is all over this. It is his handiwork for sure. He milks anger for all it's worth until it becomes both internally and externally destructive. Jesus called the devil "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).
Herod personifies best the man driven by evil rage to kill the innocent. History bears out that he killed many of his own family before turning on the infants of
I am thankful that God has provided the blessings of righteousness and love in the Kingdom, but the battle with evil will rage until our Lord returns in glory at the end of time. As God’s people we need to always strive for peace and safety. But we should not be discouraged that attaining these goals perfectly in this life is not possible. Instead, we look for hope to the day when the devil is cast permanently into hell and the last enemy of death is finally destroyed and victory is complete.
April 21, 2007
Mother’s Day, 2007 Go Top
Curtis Martin, former running back for the New York Jets, unashamedly proclaims: “My mother is my hero.”
Curtis grew up in a rough
He said, "I listened to her because I hated to disappoint her."
To this day, Curtis remains close to his mother. She's the one he turns to when he has problems, and she even comforts him when he has a bad game.
A number of years ago when the Jets played the Buffalo Bills, Curtis didn't have a good game. Bruce Smith (the Bill's defensive end) was particularly hard on Curtis that day. After the game, Curtis' mom came on to the field and asked her son, "Honey, are you OK?" Then she went straight to Bruce Smith. She shook her finger at him and said, "I'm mad at you!" I can only guess that Bruce apologized; he certainly didn't want Curtis' mom after him.
This story reminds us that moms never stop being moms, and kids never stop needing them. It reminds us also of the words of King Solomon...
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
May 02, 2007
Build for Eternity Go Top
William James said, "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast us."
The overwhelming majority of things we do during the day are profoundly temporary; driving here or there, having a meal, watching TV. Even at work, what we do is more often about fixing yesterday’s problems than realizing tomorrow’s dreams.
So how do we bring a sense of the eternal into each day? How do we ensure we spend our lives building something that will outlast our time here on earth?
The only two things that last forever are the Word of God and people. If you want to build something in your life that will last, look for ways to connect these two.
Look for ways to speak God’s word into the lives of others. This involves more than quoting Bible verses -- though that is certainly part of it. It involves bringing the presence of God into every conversation.
Paul said, "But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3)
Try this today. In every conversation, ask yourself, "How can I help this person experience more of God’s strength? How can I encourage him or her to keep pressing on? What words can I use to help them feel the comfort of God’s Spirit?"
It may take only a sentence or two, but every time you do this you’ll be building something that will last for all eternity.
May 24, 2007
The Last Word Go Top
COLOSSIANS 3:16
A sales manager and two of his sales reps are walking to lunch one day when they come across an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie appears, saying, "I'll give each of you just one wish."
One rep is quick to speak up first. He says, "I want to be in the
The next rep speaks up. "I want to be fishing in a stream in the Colorado Rockies." Poof! He's gone.
The genie turns to the sales manager and says, "Your turn." The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."
It makes a difference who has the last word, doesn't it? The question is: who, or what, will have the last word in your life today? Will your choices today be driven by ambition, revenge, or mere whim?
Or will the Word of God have the final say? Paul said, "Let the word of Christ dwell richly within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." (Colossians 3:16)
Do you know what he's saying? He's saying let God's word have the last word in your life -- today, and everyday.
July 19, 2007
Try Again Go Top
PROVERBS 24:16
Albert Einstein once said, "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." He may have understated his intelligence, but he does so to make a point: For more than any other reason, he was successful because he was persistent.
I'm no Albert Einstein, but I can also say that any success I have experienced can be attributed to this same principle.
Solomon said, "For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." (Proverbs 24:16) When I'm missing the mark in my life -- spiritually, financially, or in my relationships -- I have to remind myself several times a day that the difference between my being a wise man and a fool ... the difference between my being righteous and unrighteous ... is determined by my willingness to get up and keep going.
Have you fallen down? Has it happened more than once? If you're like me, you might be ready during these times to throw in the towel and call it quits. But remember this: if a goal is worth one good try, it's worth 10, 20 or even 100 more. Take another look at the dream God has placed in your heart. Then get up, and try again.
September 29, 2007
So many people ask me: “Pastor, why isn’t Easter on the same day every year? Actually, it’s a good question that can’t be answered quickly. People have written books about it, so I don’t intend to cover it exhaustively in this short devotional.
Believe it or not, there are 35 possible dates in the spring season for celebrating this one-time event. It has all to do with several variant calendars and decisions made several centuries after Christianity’s inception.
The calendars in question are the Julian or solar based calendar of the
After several church councils, the resulting accord stated that “Easter shall fall on the First Sunday following the first full moon following the spring equinox.” This explains the 35-day span where Easter can occur (March 22 – April 25). For a fuller, more detailed explanation, read the books!!
Like any celebration, the important thing is not the day but the reason behind it. And to Christians, Easter Sunday represents the most glorious event in all of history. It is the bedrock of our faith, the very foundation of all we believe. As Paul the Apostle stated: “… if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins…. And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.”
He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!! And, that’s all that matters!
March 14, 2008
Where do you put your trust Go Top
“Just trust in God.” Have you ever heard that before? Sounds so simple. In principle it is. But in practice we humans are wired to trust in means, not God.
Over and over I devise plans, and then find my initial enthusiasm rise or fall as the plan seems to work out or not. This is trust in plans, not trust in God. There is no doubt God wants us to use means to get His work done. But just as clearly He wants us not to trust in these means. “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31). Therefore, our confidence should not be in the horse, but in the Lord. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).
Moment by moment we use means to keep us alive and accomplish the purposes of God (food, houses, phones, cars, medicines, doctors, builders, advisers, etc). The lesson we need to learn is not to trust in these things when we use them, but to trust wholly in God. This applies also to planning for our church. We plan. We budget. We teach and preach and counsel. The temptation continually is to trust in these things and not in God to work in and through and without these things. So as we dream toward the future at Lighthouse, let us use means, but let us trust God. His promises are the only sure thing. All our means are fallible.
“This is one of the great secrets in connection with successful service for the Lord;” George Mueller once said, “to work as if everything depended upon our diligence, and yet not to rest in the least upon our exertions, but upon the blessing of the Lord.” Or, as the Bible more carefully says it: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Even more to the point, Paul says: “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
May the Lord grant us freedom from all anxiety as we trust Him, not means!
April 05, 2008
The story is told of a young boy who learned that a circus was coming to town. For many weeks he saved what money he could, until he had the required amount to pay for admission. On the day of the circus he jumped on his bicycle and rode into town. As he arrived, the parade was just getting under way from the railway station to the circus grounds. The boy stood at the curbside and watched it all go by - the clowns, the animals, and all the rest. As the last of it passed, he suddenly realized that he still had his money for admission clutched in his hand. He dashed out to a dancing clown and said, "Who do I pay?" The clown said, "I'll take your money." So the boy gave his money to the clown, got back on his bicycle and rode back home, believing he had seen the circus when all he had seen was just the parade.
Why do I tell this story? Because some folks, sadly, suppose they have gotten all there is from church simply because they have been there. But, there is more to worship than physical presence. As things are happening during the worship service, one after another in scheduled order, there is another stream of happening which moves beneath it all. There is a deeper level to this Sunday morning event, a deeper current moving.
At the same time that choruses and songs are being sung, and prayers are being prayed, and sermons are being preached, hearts are reaching out to God and God is moving into life. It is on this personal and deeper level that the experience of worship really takes place. May this be your experience as you worship at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship.
May 16, 2008
Let me encourage fathers to be good examples.
Actually, you are an example, whether you realize it or not...Your kids see what you do and are prone to do likewise. So, be aware that they are always watching you, and are, most probably, going to imitate you. It's a fact of life: Your children will pick up some of your characteristics and habits. Be aware of this and make an effort to strive to be a good example for them.
In the book of Acts there's a story about Paul and Silas being thrown into jail and bound by chains. During the night, an earthquake came and shook them loose, but they didn't try to escape. The jailer was so impressed by this that he asked them, "What must I do to be saved?" Paul said... Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household. (Acts 16: 31)
The Bible says that Paul and Silas "shared the word of the Lord" with the jailer and his household. The jailer put his faith in Jesus, and then He washed their wounds and brought them into his house and fed them. That same night he and his family were baptized. This jailer was saying to his family, "Starting today I will be a follower of Jesus, and it will make a difference in the way I treat others." And he proved his commitment by living out his example in front of his family.
The result? He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. (Acts 16:34)
Your children are going to follow your example, so strive to be a good example. If you keep in mind that they are watching you, you'll be far less likely to berate a waiter for messing up your order, you'll be far less likely to speak harshly to their mother, you'll be far less likely to tell a "white" lie for convenience's sake, you'll be far less likely to bend the rules to save a few dollars. You are an example; strive to be a good one.
June 11, 2008
Staying Focused Go Top
When the cable station TVLand first introduced themselves, their objective seemed pretty clear cut: They broadcast old television programs -- But then they began airing new programs, such as Extreme Home Makeover, as well as movies to their lineup.
When A&E Network's Biography series became popular, it received its own network. But before long they started showing a lot of Murder She Wrote. I wonder what this program has to do with a Biography concept?
We can go on with these examples, but here’s my point. It appears that a number of cable networks, seeking after bigger numbers and more viewers, allow themselves to lose track of who they really are and why they came to exist in the first place.
But maybe their loss of direction can help us remember how important it is to keep track of our own direction.
As a church, we need to stay focused. It's easy to get side-tracked. In an election year, some churches forget that they're not a political party. Some churches forget that they're not a social club. We need to remember who we are, what we do, and why we're here. We need to focus on doing what we're called to do, and focus on doing it first, before we do anything else.
At the end of his life Paul was able to say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) In other words, he stayed focused. He stayed true to his calling. May we all follow his example.
July 4, 2008