Category: The Spiritual

Do you ever think that someday you are going to do great things for God? I have to admit I have often thought that and now, at 70 years old, I still sometimes think it. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that unless I, in waiting for that big chance, am missing doing the little things.  One of the most admired persons in my lifetime was Mother Theresa. She once said, “We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa.Jan 31, 2017. She began just going outside her convent to help the poor that went hungry outside her doors. I remember as a law clerk, after law school. I worked for a judge in downtown Atlanta. We lived in an Atlanta suburb. I commuted into town for work each day. If I got to work too early I would have to step over and around people, who slept on the streets of Atlanta. By 9, when most everyone was in town for work, the sleepers had all disappeared. I don’t know where they went during the day and never interacted with any of them or thought that much about it. How […]

Sometimes things just don’t seem to work out. When that happens I tend to go through a mental checklist. I play Linda Ronstadt’s Poor Poor Pitiful Me a few times in my head. I repeat a few more times, “It’s not me. I’ve done everything I am supposed to.” Then I start having a nagging feeling that maybe I haven’t. My last stand tends to be “surely God would have wanted this to work out.” It’s at this point I begin to consider that what didn’t work out might not have been “according to His purpose.” “His purpose” isn’t always clear to me. In fact, it’s often only after things don’t work out that I recognize my lack of acting “according to His purpose.”  How can I know and act in “His Purpose” in advance? 1. Read His Word To know His purpose we have to read his Word. Notice I didn’t say read about His word or listen to sermons or read blogs. Read His word for yourself.  This blog should also always be read. 😳 2. Live for others If we begin every day asking what we can do for someone else, we will be miles closer […]

Jesus paid attention to faith. When a Roman soldier, who had only third-hand knowledge of Jesus, believed that Jesus could heal his sick servant by just saying the word, Jesus was “amazed.” Luke 7. On the other hand, when the people who knew Him from childhood were offended by his teaching, He was amazed at their unbelief. Mark 6:6 Normally natural faith is a function of our experiences. Over time, we build our faith based on the actions of our faith object. When a friend seems to always be there in a time of need, we become confident that history will be repeated. Yet sometimes, that friend isn’t there when we feel we need a friend the most. When we put our full weight on steps going into our home for years, we develop a belief, a faith, that those steps will hold firm every time we enter. That’s usually true, but there are rot and decay. It’s possible, at some time least expected, our faith will prove to be unfounded and serious injury could follow. You would think after 70 years of God being there when I need Him, of His guiding light on treacherous paths, of His […]

Scripture makes it clear, in several places, that we are to pray continuously. When it comes to our petitions, it seems we are encouraged to nag God. “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV). Does that mean God will change His mind or be persuaded if we are persistence enough? Well, there is certainly evidence in scripture to support that. “I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” Luke 11:8 I think the better explanation is understandable when we consider the nature of prayer. Prayer is really just conversation with God. Of course, it’s much more than chatting with a spouse or friend. After all, this is talking with God, the Creator of the universe. We were really created because God want to relate and communicate with us. Prayer is the medium for the reason we were created. We should pray without ceasing. because spending time with God was the reason we were created. […]

In the early 70s I was a computer tech in the Navy. I worked on one of the most sophisticated computers then available. We used it to track Russian submarines. The computer filed a large room. I remember when we got a new disc drive and were excited because it held a million bits of info. The laptop I am writing this on has many times that memory. As does my iPhone or my Apple Watch. As a result I have a world of info at my fingertips. When meeting with friends, any question results in iPhones coming out and “let the googling begin.” There is no lack of info today. That’s why it is so shocking that there seems to be a nearly complete lack of wisdom. Folks, sadly me included, do incredibly stupid things. I googled “stupid things” and found this: https://markmanson.net/stupid-things. Of course, I edited the list. We spend a lot of our time and effort placing fault. We idolize people who directly affect our lives in absolutely no way whatsoever. We get jealous and possessive in relationships. We always need to be right. We focus on national politics ignoring local politics which affects us much more. We […]

Recently I started home delivery of the newspaper. It has caused me to restart an old habit: reviewing the obituaries. I don’t do it to make sure I am still alive. The practice does make me thankful that I am. I will be 71 in March. It is sobering to read the obituaries of those whose lives were so much shorter than that.  It’s a truth that life is short. It’s even biblical: 29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 It’s a Divine Mystery why some lives are so short and some so much longer. My guess is that God wants to keep us on our toes. We never know when life will end. The shortness of time makes it an extremely valuable commodity. The few minutes […]

One of my favorite Christian teachers recently created quite a controversy. Francis Chan has been researching Church history. He learned, for the first time, that the early church, for several centuries, gathered in ways very unlike the modern church. In early church gatherings, communion was the centerpiece. It was much later that the pulpit took center stage. Chan also believes the early church considered the bread and wine literally to be the body and blood of Jesus. Church historians differ on that point. All Christians believe that at the Last Supper, Jesus established an important tradition and commanded His followers to do “this in memory of me.” Some believe that communion is a simple memorial. Others believe in transubstantiation, that the bread and wine become miraculously the body and blood of Jesus. The middle view is that Jesus is especially present during communion, more than just a memorial, less than transubstantiation. I lack the knowledge, inspiration or courage to hash out these differences and take a firm position. I am concerned about the vicious attacks on Chan. He has been called a “heretic” and worse.  I have Christian brothers who hold different views of communion. Yes, I call them […]