Growing up in a small town named Columbus, the Columbus Day holiday was always a big deal. One of the best parts of the day was watching them fly their hot air balloons. They were all different colors, and it was always amazing to me that they could get off of the ground and into the air. Periodically, they would have to have a burst of fire to create hot air. This was necessary to keep the balloon in the air. If you didn’t refill the balloon with hot air, it would eventually fall back to the ground. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a poster in a classrom that reads: “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your character.” That poster makes a strong point about the importance of each and every aspect of our life. Each thought we have, every action that we take has long term consequences. That is why we need to be so careful in everything that we do. Read the rest of this entry »

While coaching my sports as a child, my dad had a saying: “No pain, no gain.” I hated this saying. It made no sense to me. I thought there was a lot to gain by avoiding pain. Having pain was no fun. Unfortunately I learned that my father was right. In order to get stronger, faster, and better I had to work until there was pain. I had to push myself to the limits and beyond. It was only in doing this that was able to improve. There was no way around it. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most powerful, and sometimes most neglected, weapons in the Christian arsenal is prayer. As James points out, God’s power is amazing. For Elijah, he was able to control the rain. A brief scan through Genesis and Exodus shows us the amazing power of God. First we see that God is the one who created everything. Everything around us, everything we see was brought into being by him. In Exodus, God does amazing miracles, turning water into blood, controlling the weather and animal infestations, and even the power to give and take life. What is amazing about this power is that it is available to us. Read the rest of this entry »

The life of a soldier is a difficult one. He must go away from his home, and his life focuses purely on the war effort. He spends countless hours training himself for the life or death struggle before him. Every day he must look for a way to improve himself. He may have some time for recreation here and there, but for the most part, his life revolves around the task at hand. Read the rest of this entry »

“Cool Runnings” is a movie about the first Olympic bobsled team from Jamaica. It catalogs the difficulties and prejudices that they face as they try to break on to the Olympic scene. In their first run they struggled, but after a magnificent second run, they put themselves in place for a medal on the final heat. On their third run they were making great time until an equipment failure caused their sled to overturn. After a scary slide down the rest of the path, they come to a resting point at a final straightaway with the finish line in sight. In one of the great all time movie chill scenes, the captain is asked if he is okay. He responds by saying, “I’m going to finish the race, man.” The team then picks up the bobsled and carries it on their shoulders across the finish line, with all of their previous antagonists cheering them on for their fierce determination. Read the rest of this entry »

Revelation 21:4

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be {any} death; there will no longer be {any} mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

      The idea of rejoicing in times of trials seems foolish and naive to the world. Yet the Bible tells us to do this repeatedly. One of the reasons for this is that it builds character. It helps us to become stronger. Just like lifting weights, the more resistance you face, the stronger you get. However, there is another reason that Christians can rejoice in suffering. It is because Christians realize that there is something far greater awaiting them.

     The book of Revelation was sent to Christians in a time of persecution. While many people are intimidated by the staggering amount of misinterpretations, the theme of the book is quite simple. Christians who are will be victorious in the end. They will be taken home with their Father in Heaven. This knowledge gives them the ability to rejoice no matter what faces them.

     One of the things that when learn about Heaven in Revelation is that there is no more suffering. There is no more crying. No death or mourning. All those things will have passed away. Sometimes when people are depressed or going through a hard time, one of the hardest parts about it is that it seems as though it will never end. Their suffering will keep going through eternity. Christians do not have to face that fear. They know any suffering,  no matter how bad or even how long it goes, is temporary. One day Jesus will return and all their sufferings will be over and they will be rewarded. By looking at the big picture, they keep any suffering that occurs in perspective.

Romans 5:3

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

     “It will build character,” are some of the most feared words a child can hear from their parents. Usually when parents are telling their kids that an activity will build character, it means hard work and little fun. The child wants to go and play games or watch television. Those things are enjoyable. Tasks associated with character building, yard work or house work, are often viewed in a less favorable light. Yet the parents understand that such chores are valuable for a child, because it will indeed the them about hard work and discipline.

     Paul uses this same reasoning for why we have tribulations. He states, oddly enough, that Christians are to exult in their tribulation, and then he gives his reasoning for this. Most people do not view tribulation as a good time, but Paul’s perspective is different. He says in the following verse that after trials build endurance, they build character, and finally hope. Ironically, Paul takes the position of a parent here. He tells the Christians that they should be thankful for tribulations because, well, it builds character.

     Tribulations refine us and make us stronger, if we take advantage of them as we should. Most character changes happen in time of great difficulty. When everything is okay, most people do not see the need to mess with the status quo. In tribulations, we learn the patience that we need to have good character. This is indeed a great blessing, because as our character goes stronger, we know that we will grow closer to God. This assures us a place in His heavenly abode. That is the hope that we receive if we will build our character. A Christian can rejoice when trials fall upon him because any trial that he faces can be used to make him a better servant for the Lord.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

Revelation 3:8

‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Some people just have an open door policy. I do not mean bosses who want you to feel free to talk to them about anything. There are certain people who leave their house open for their friends and family. You do not need to call ahead, you can just stop on by. They do not even have to be there. You are welcome to come into their house any time that you desire. They want you to feel comfortable coming and going, and they do not want you to be discouraged by others about it. They truly have an open door.

What God is saying to the church in Philadelphia is that they have an open door before them. They are invited guests who are able to enter in. Yet this is no house down the street or even a mansion. This is His heavenly abode. At the end of the book we see just how amazing this home is. And the Lord wants us to feel comfortable there. He is inviting us in, letting us know that it is acceptable to come inside. That is of course if we, like the Philadelphia church, will do the deeds that are required of us.

What is also exciting about this is that no one can close this door. Many people will try. We will have enemies or maybe even friends who want us to be cut off from God. Satan is especially this way. He will do everything in his power to keep us from getting to heaven. Yet, try as he might, ultimately he does not have enough power to make it happen. The only people that can keep us from going through that door is ourselves. Knowing how great it is, we must choose to follow God and enter into the doorway of His heavenly abode.

‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Mark 1:35

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

     A look at our society today in America shows that we are a bag of contradictions. One of the most amazing ones to me is how we have so many things that are faster now, and yet the faster things go the less time we have. We have fast food, we have microwaveable dinners, and even pre-made easy to cook meals. All of these things are meant to make life easier and more efficient. The preparing and cooking a meal can be cut down from the couple of hours of yesteryear to as quickly as even five minutes. You would think that this gives us more free time. And yet, with the convenience we find ourselves having more we can do and thus more we feel obligated to do.

     The problem with our society being so busy is that many times people do not take time to be with God. To be a Christian requires true devotion. Take Jesus for example. If there was anyone who could do without the spiritual blessings that accompany prayer (stronger faith, etc.) it would be Jesus. He was God after all. And yet here we see that he takes away from His busy schedule of healing and teaching to go and spend time with God. We need to share a similar devotion ourselves. If Jesus needed prayer, we need it more so.

     Often times we claim that we are too busy to make time to pray or study. Yet that excuse shows us where our priorities lie. If there is something really important in our lives, we schedule time for it in advance. We need to do the same with our time with God. Time with God is vital to living a strong Christian life. It is also important to help make the relationship grow. Even Jesus understood that. What better excuse could there be to not go out to pray but to say, “Look I healed people and taught them about God, thought should suffice as my spirituality for today.” Instead He understood that His time with His father was more important than those other things. We too should understand this lesson for our lives today.

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.