Our Higher Citizenship
For most of us reading this who live in the United States, we may sigh at the way so many things get so political. Seems a person can hardly say or do anything without someone else politicizing it and getting upset, or commenting on it. And we wonder, What have we come to? And where are we going? Our nation, or any nation, does not need more conservatives, and we certainly don’t need more liberals. Our nation needs more Kingdom of God People. Every nation does. Jesus’ entire life on earth is the best example of this. Yet at the…
Tragedy and Substance
People naturally try to find meaning in the outcome of tragic events. Because finding meaning eases the pain of the tragedy. Absence or loss of meaning makes the pain unbearable. So we naturally go through inner turmoil when tragedy strikes or when life is unjust. Sometimes God seems way too quiet when we call out to him. Sometimes he seems absent. What do you do when God seems not to hear? It may help to know that natural disasters often result from the earth’s natural functioning: Earthquakes are necessary adjustments in the shifting of tectonic plates. Hurricanes are necessary atmospheric…
God: “Stop asking me to bless you.”
How many times have you prayed, “God bless __________”? We naturally pray for God’s blessing on us, on loved ones, and on things we do or things we care about. But one day as I sincerely prayed God would bless me, I sensed this impression as a reply: “Stop asking me to bless you.” What? Then I sense God’s prompting: “Be the kind of person I am pleased to bless.” And the same thing went for my church: “Be the kind of church I am pleased to bless.” I thought about that—a lot. Then I started…
The Killer Remote
This remote control nearly takes my breath away. Complicated. That’s the only word I can think of when I look at it. Sixty-two buttons. And four of the buttons are color codes, which, in various combinations with other buttons, vastly increases the possible functions. A killer remote. That’s what this is. It will wreak havoc on the brain functions of the poor soul who tries to make sense of the whole thing. On the other hand, some people would probably love it because it does so much. Complicated. This remote tells me that life is too busy and stuffed, that…
Whose Presence?
I was in a meeting where one of the guys said of a church leader, “I love to be in his presence.” The sentence repeated itself in my mind, and I asked myself, Do people love to be in my presence? I could not find a good answer. How about you? I’m not talking about being smart or funny or the center of attention or anything egotistical. I’m talking about character. Some people might like to be our presence. But let’s go beyond family, friends, or church members. Do people like to be in your presence? Whether the answer is…
