When Does Eternal Life Begin?
The question of eternal life is at the root of mankind’s eternal questions. Who am I? Why am I here? Is there anything more? What happens after I die? Because God has made us intelligent, we are naturally curious, and it seems we are most curious about things we cannot prove. One thing is quite certain; we do not want to die. Even when we grow old and fragile, clinging to life is more than instinctive and it is more than fear of the death of the body. It is a sincere desire to live on after the body has withered and died.
Making Disciples – The Blueprint for Network Marketing
I knew in advance that his topic would be about church growth and the things of God that fuel increasing revival on the small island of Cuba. What I was not prepared for was the striking resemblance between the process of discipleship he spoke of, and the network marketing industry, when it is done with honesty and integrity. No wonder so many people are attracted to network marketing… God is the genius who came up with the plan!
Along the Road
So what exactly is this road? When speaking of our experience as believers, we often refer to our Christian walk, or as I prefer to express it, our journey. The believer’s life is truly a process, with seasons of growth followed by seasons of rest and renewal. We are challenged and tempted, we fall down and we get back up, but the larger framework of this process is defined by two pivotal events that define the journey and reveal to us our God given purpose.
The Aaronic Blessing
It is found in the book of Numbers, the law that God gave to Moses. It follows the passages that detail how one takes the vow of a Nazirite to separate himself to the Lord. The Nazirite vows were specific and sacrificial, and according to the law, “…until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy.” Numbers 6:5 (NKJV)
That should give us a clue about just how serious this portion of scripture is, and just as the law concerning the Nazirite vows ends, God gives instruction on how the people are to be blessed by the priesthood.
A Jewish Perspective on Mathew 23
A friend of mine challenged me to write about Matthew 23:1-15 as she thought I might have a uniquely Jewish perspective on the subject. As I began to research the passage, it became apparent that she had found one of those never ending spirals, and this was going to be a lot of fun for me. In the end, a fine blue thread unraveled the mystery. Read on and you will see what I mean.
A Legacy of Gluttony
Those of you who are old enough (children of the 50’s and 60’s) will probably remember your parents telling you to clean your plate because “children in China were starving.” It never made sense the way they said it. Wouldn’t it be impractical to gather up the brussel sprouts that my sister and the dog and I didn’t want, and ship them over to China to help those kids? And how would my consumption of those disgusting green balls help those Chinese kids anyway? Obviously, we missed the point entirely, but so did our parents!
Small Victories Matter
Sometimes all we can see is the mountain, when the summit is truly the goal. What I have learned through marketing, is that the summit is reached when we scale the mountain a few steps at a time, recognizing the benchmarks, and celebrating the small victories.
Prevenient Grace
Many envision God as a god of wrath who punishes those who believe the wrong things and rewards those who believe the right things. They would have you place more emphasis on doctrine than on works, and more emphasis on works that on relationship. I do not know their god. What I do know is that we will never be holy, never have a perfect understanding of the scriptures, and never accomplish enough good works to be worthy of the love, forgiveness, and eternal life He has promised to His children.
The Truth About Taking Risks
One thing common to people who achieve a high level of success is their willingness to take risks. One of my early mentors always posed these two questions when I was considering a risky move. “What is the worst thing that could happen?” and “If that worst thing did happen, what would the damage be?”
The Paradox of Elohim
Suddenly everyone seems to be discussing the oneness, unity, and plurality of God as revealed in scripture. The paradox exists in many places in scripture, but is most often cited from the Shema, a sacred prayer recited by Jews the world over, and found in Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” It clearly states “the Lord is one” or “the Lord alone” depending upon which translation you read, however the the Hebrew word Elohim, which is plural, is the word translated to mean God in the singular.
