Doing God's work, one step at a time

There's nothing like a disaster to bring about a unified spirit. In my lifetime, I've seen it happen a few times. The most prominent was after 9/11. Americans unified after that disaster like I had never seen before. Not since then have I seen it even close to that degree. That was until this week. Hurricane Harvey popped up out of nowhere, strengthened to become a storm stronger than they had predicted or even thought possible. Reeking havoc with winds and tornadoes then combining it with rain of epic proportions makes for a nightmare of a situation. Especially after the divisiveness we've seen after the past few weeks. But Hurricane Harvey seemed to manage to melt those away. Black and white, Republican and Democrat, Christian and non-Christian, Texan and Californian seemed to simply disappear into the mist becoming one fog, one people, one nation under God. What is it about a disaster that seems to do this? I'd say it's the fact that at this particular point, n...

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." These words were spoken by Abraham Lincoln in the house divided speech in a campaign for US Senator in 1858 in Springfield, Illinois. Do you know where he got it? "25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.'" Matthew 12:25; Mark 3:25; Luke 11:17 In all 3 Scripture instances, they were spoken by Jesus. Jesus spoke them in the face of Pharisees accusing him of working miracles by the devil's power. Jesus proceeds to explain that it's not possible for Satan to drive out Satan and that the Pharisees were on the brink of some very deep spiritual accusations against Christ that were unforgivable. Abraham Lincoln spoke these words about slavery. The United States was divided between the North that wanted to abolish slavery and the South that wanted it to remain legaliz...

Bullying. It seems rampant in our world. In fact, compared to when I was a kid, I see way more stuff about bullying nowadays. Part of the reason for that could be technology and social media as well. But what has gotten my mind going lately is the fact that Christians are being called "bullies". Naturally, we get called all sorts of things; bigots, hypocrites, judgmental, bible-thumpers, crazy, delusional, and brain-washed. However, bully is a new one coming around that I am seeing more and more often. So, with that said, let's dig in a little and see exactly what bullies are and whether or not this could apply to Christians or not. Bully : noun; a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker. Bully : verb; use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants. Courtesy of Google definitions With these definitions given, it seems to me that both sides of the argument can ge...

As I reflect on my walk with the Lord, one of the things that has hit me hard lately is the "fear of the Lord". We all have a tendency to get caught up in the whole "God is love" bit and seem to forget that God is also righteous and just. Without atonement by Jesus as our Savior, God will pass judgement on those who do not have that atonement. No one likes to think of their relatives or loved ones under the judgment of God. However, it is reality. We can't just claim Jesus is Lord and Savior, it must be lived out in our daily lives. Now, keep in mind, nothing we do can or will save us. Only Jesus can do that. However, if we are truly following Jesus, our lives will reflect the fruit of that. To be blunt, none of us even deserve to be saved. We are all deserving of hell and damnation. However, because God loved us so much, He provided a way to atone for the sin that plagues us. So the question then becomes, why in the world would we want to live in it? Obedience...

If you are a leader, whether in the church, business or at home, have you ever thought about the responsibility that comes with it? I mean, if you really sit down to reflect, the weight of responsibility might just overwhelm you. In the culture these days, I wonder how many leaders truly stop and think about the weight of responsibility that's on them? One of the things that has hit me lately is this fact. It's not whether or not I am effective or not, doing a good job or bad job, but rather, it's the responsibility for equipping people as God wants me to. No matter whether you're a leader in the secular world or in the church - or both - if you're a Christian, you have a responsibility and a gift that God has given you to use for His glory. Especially these days, the secular world needs good, honest and true Christian leaders. People who are willing to stand up for values and give an honest days work for an honest days wage. Too many people get caught up in the ...