Why are we here? It is the big question nearly everyone asks themselves sooner or later; we all want to have purpose in life.
Scripture is clear that the nature of our existence is a pilgrimage — a journey through the physical world on our way to eternity with God. But … why the journey? What is it God wants us to accomplish in this life? Continue reading
One of the most difficult human emotions to control is anger. It either drives people away from each other or pushes them together into war. It alienates and offends. It births division and resentment. And once unleashed, its effects can only be undone with great effort and dedication — if then.
Scripture is full of passages addressing and demonstrating the horrible effects of anger. But perhaps they all are summed up by James 1:20 (KJV) “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Continue reading
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6 KJV)
As humans, we are concerned with three elements of time: the past, the present and the future. We remember things that have occurred; we try to cope with the things that are happening at any given moment; and we anticipate things which are to come. We find our identity in what we have been through, what we are now, and where we see ourselves going.
Because of this, our emotional state often is heavily influenced by the lens through which we view the world. For those who view the world from a carnal perspective (that is, a worldview that does not give due consideration to God and eternity), the past could be either irrelevant or full of regret; the present could be happy or weighed down with pain; and the future could be pleasant, dangerous, hopeful or bleak. But in any case, a carnally-minded person’s outlook is unstable and may change unexpectedly and often.
Those who lean toward a more spiritual worldview struggle with the same emotional fluctuations. However, there is an option available to them if they choose to embrace it — one that is not available to the carnally-minded person. Continue reading
A brother in Christ stood before our congregation about a month prior to the 2008 presidential election. His tone was intense as he recounted how many patriots had died for our freedoms. With great conviction, he admonished us to exercise our right to vote.
I had struggled with these concepts during past election cycles, but I had drawn different conclusions. I could see worldly benefits and drawbacks to voting for various candidates. But both candidates stood for certain things I thought were contrary to my Christian principles. As I struggled with my choices, a single questions kept emerging in my mind: Who would Jesus vote for? Continue reading