Sacred Friendships

The early Christians lived in a society that produced more questions than answers, more persecution than peace, and more discouragement then encouragement. As a result they were in desperate need of godly input. Mindful of this the author of Hebrews provided them with strong counsel and also reminded them of the many inspirational examples who had gone on before them. Pointing them to a “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives testified to “the validity and veracity of faith” he made it possible for them to both see and hear these great heroes of the faith cheering them on in unison as they ran their “race of faith” despite overwhelming exhaustion and hurdles of unbelievable proportions.

Times have changed yet much remains the same. The need for spiritual inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment is as real now as it was then. But where is our “great cloud of witnesses?” In our search to find “relevant” solutions to all of life’s ills we have had a tendency to allow “today’s crying needs to drown out yesterday’s relevant answers.” Why? Because in our striving for relevance we have neglected the wisdom it is possible to glean from the many historical voices of the church. These voices of the past are deep wells from which we could quench our thirst for spiritual wisdom—if only we could hear them.

God, Tattoos & You

While running errands recently I saw someone do something that I rarely see, given that we live in what some might call "the cellular age." With Blackberrys and iPhones abounding I was suprised to hear a young lady asked someone if she could borrow a pen. Once given the pen she began recording information that they were giving to her on the palm of her hand.

Back in the stone age day this was the quickest way of retaining important data. We tattooed ourselves with Bic pens long before tattoos were cool. However, it's been a long time since I've seen anyone write someone's name and or phone number in the palm of their hand.

Later that night as I was worrying resting the scene replayed in my mind. How odd, I thought initially, until the Holy Spirit brought to mind a very powerful Scripture.

Poser or Praiser?

Sometimes Christians do silly things. We try to wring things out of people who are unwilling to do them while dismissing what is done by others as meaningless. Recently, while watching videos online, I came across several young children who have an extraordinary anointing on their lives.

In the course of watching the videos my heart has been warmed. Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing about many of the insults comments posted which were at best "cold as ice." I would have been disturbed but the Holy Spirit reminded me of a Scripture that helped me to better understand.

Familiar Foes

"O God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” II Chronicles 20:12 NKJV

Foes…we all have them no matter how likeable we are. Whether they are physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature they cause conflict and opposition in our lives. Some are more dangerous than others.

Sometimes our spiritual foes leave us bewildered and confused as they actively oppose and resist what God has for our lives. At other times they are determined to injure or overthrow us completely. They do not just want to inflict pain. They are intent to do harm and can be deadly.

Are You Ready?

Hold Your Horses

Proverbial sayings. We all know them and many of us use them on a regular basis.

One that has stood out to me recently is "you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink."

A Pain In The Neck?

"And the LORD said to me, "I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed!" Deut 9:13 NIV

 Recently after missing several weeks of physical therapy, I was very happy to find out that I had not lost any of the range of motion that I had slowly gained over the previous six months. Always excited by a new challenge I was happy to start some new exercises that seemed like a cinch to me. My therapist insisted emphasized that I only do repetitions of three, which sounded boring too easy to me. So, of course, I did more. Several hours later I began to understand why she had cautioned me. I was paying for my lack of obedience.

What State Are You In?

I don't know about you, but occasionally I wake up in a different state than the one I slipped off to sleep in. My body may stay at the same location but at times my mind and spirit go on vacation. Some trips are better than others.