How important are relationships within the Body of Christ? This question is prompted by the state of affairs in what we broadly refer to as “the world.” The world is a generic term for planet earth and all life on it, including human civilization. We use it generally to address our environment. Currently, much press is devoted to the subject of the rise of nationalism. Remember how globalization once held out the carrot of the world coming together in one big homogenization of nations and … [Read more...] about Relationships within the Body of Christ
Growth
The Missing Dimension in Morality
We have a very real problem that pervades our world – and that problem is the missing dimension of morality. As one political commentator noted, “This is not a constitutional problem. It is a moral crisis.” The lack of morality is a disease of the mind, and one definition of madness is “extremely foolish behavior.” Why do so many of society’s influential people do things that leave us shaking our heads in bewilderment and asking the question, “What were they thinking?” What characterizes … [Read more...] about The Missing Dimension in Morality
Causes of Division
One of Christ’s primary concerns in His prayer in the garden the night before His crucifixion was unity: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in … [Read more...] about Causes of Division
Our Life – A Means to the End
We know that our physical life is designed to end. So, it is helpful to realize that our physical lives are simply a means to an end. “Means” is the action or path one takes to reach a goal. “End” is the goal distinct from what one does to reach the goal. Understanding what these are and being able to distinguish which is the “means” and which is the “end” is important as it helps all of us reach our intended goal. But what is the goal of human physical life? What goal … [Read more...] about Our Life – A Means to the End
What is on Your Mind Today?
What tends to be on our minds at any given time is somewhat driven by the events in which we are engaged. This is one reason the regular study of God’s Word is essential. World events also play a major part in our thought processes. For example, this week we read of the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Junker, advocating a combined EU military force. In 2010, the then German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, had called for the creation of a European army so that in the long term … [Read more...] about What is on Your Mind Today?
The Age of Uncertainty
The Centennial Edition of the Foreign Affairs Journal was a very interesting edition. The cover was absolutely black. And down on the bottom in a smaller space there was an individual holding what looked like a lantern, but it was the globe of the earth, giving off a very faint light and showing up very dimly around the ground that this individual was standing on indicating of course not very much light in a very dark world. The title of this edition at the bottom, underneath all of this was … [Read more...] about The Age of Uncertainty
Three Levels of Listening
Personally, I always thought I was a fairly good listener. That was until I attended a class on listening. It was only then that I realized I had been a very poor listener for most of my life. The Presenter spoke about the different levels of listening. He represented listening as a team building experience because we often get into trouble since we don’t want to hear the other person before we speak. Scriptures has several comments about our human proclivity to prefer speaking … [Read more...] about Three Levels of Listening