PJ's Spiritual Meanderings

Where's the Beef?

Take a moment and view this 30 second commercial which first aired on January 10, 1984.

Where's the beef?" That is a good question that all of us need to ask when it comes to the "beef" of the Word of God. There is an alarming situation that is arising in the Church. On average, Christians today are reading, studying, memorizing, and applying the Bible less and less and churches are getting away from solid biblical preaching and teaching. Take a moment and look at your own interaction with the Scriptures. Read Psalm 1 and ask yourself if the psalm is a good description of you. And pray for our churches that we would renew our commitment to the Word of God!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

Now That's Amazing!

Dan Cohen just finished up his freshman year at Duquense University. He also just completed an amazing feat. He took a 4-by-4-by-4 Rubik's Cube and solved it in 46.03 seconds! Now that's amazing! And if you have ever struggled to solve one of these puzzling puzzles - you know just HOW amazing Dan's effort was! In fact, in doing what he did - he set a new world record, shaving .6 seconds off the old record which was set just last year by a Hungarian man.

Life can be a lot like a Rubik's Cube. We encounter a lot of different scenarios involving family, work, schooling, friends, health, finances, etc. And no matter how hard we try - sometimes we just can't seem to get the pieces to fall into place. When this happens (and sooner or later - more likely sooner - it will happen!) and you begin to feel anxiety and fear begin to grow in your soul, put into practice Psalm 46:10. In this verse God tells us to "Be still, and know that I am God." The words "Be still" literally mean "cease striving." What this verse is telling us

is that when life is growing more puzzling by the hour and we don't know how we are ever going to see it "solved" - we need to stop, take a deep breath, and then look to God. After all, he's the one (and the only one) with the solution in hand. Now as we fix our focus on God ... something incredible happens deep inside of us. Isaiah 26:3 gives us this promise: "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Even in the midst of great "puzzlement" - we can experience peace! Now that's amazing!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

Do You "Own" Things - Or Do Things Own YOU?

I was very relieved when I saw the recent list (put out by CCC Information Services of Chicago, an industry group that tracks theft and vehicle damage) of the top 25 automobile models that are targeted by thieves. Why was I relieved? Because neither of our two cars (a PT Cruiser and a Nissan Sentra) were on the list! But if you own a model of the Acura Integra you had better take extra anti-theft precautions. Six of the top 10 most-stolen cars were models of the the Integra!

Now what does this say about our society that there is an actual industry group that makes money tracking car thefts? For one thing, it shows that many give no regard whatsoever to the Eighth Commandment, "You shall not steal." But why do people steal? For some it might be a matter of personal preservation. They are so desperate to provide for their families, they see stealing as their only (or best) shot at doing so. Others steal to fund an expensive drug habit. Others steal for the thrill of it - the rush that comes from doing so and getting away with it. But I believe the reason most people steal is because they have do not have the right perspective on material things. They believe that if they had something that they currently do not (like an Acura Integra) - they would find the satisfaction that they are seeking.

Now there is nothing wrong with "owning*" things - but when things begin to own you - you need a change in perspective. God gives us "creature comforts" to enjoy (see 1 Timothy 4:3-4 and 1 Timothy 6:17). But he forbids us from reaching out and taking from someone else what he has given to them.

So - are you content

with what God has given you? Is your attitude one in which you "own*" things - or do your things own you?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

*We "own" knowing that everything we have really belongs to God and is simply "on loan" from Him!

Why Am I A Christian?

This intriguing question is behind a book John Stott wrote in 2003. In this book, Stott places before his readers 7 reasons as to why he is a Christian. Now some people might offer the following reasons as to why they happen to be a Christian: I was born into a Christian home, I accepted Christ as college student, I "went forward" at a Billy Graham crusade. Now granted, all of these are certainly part of the answer. Stott in his first chapter discusses what he considers "the most significant factor" as to why he or any of us are Christians. Read on and consider what he says,

"Why I am a Christian is due ultimately neither to the influence of my parents and teachers, nor to my own personal decision for Christ, but to "the Hound of Heaven." That is, it is due to Jesus Christ himself, who pursued me relentlessly even when I was running away from him in order to go my own way. And if it were not for the gracious pursuit of the Hound of Heaven I would today be on the scrapheap of wasted and discarded lives." (Why Am I a Christian, pp. 14-15)

Wow! Powerful! If you are a Christian today - pause right now and praise the Hound of Heaven - that he never gave up his pursuit of YOU!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

Information to Application...

Yesterday I wrote about the "hypermilers" and how they try to squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gasoline. Late yesterday afternoon I drove my wife down to North East Maryland for a special sea food dinner (it was her birthday). After dinner we drove to Sandy Cove Bible Conference to walk and sit and enjoy the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay. All in all we had a delightful time.

Now since I drove a total of 90 miles round trip, I had the opportunity to apply some of the tips of the hypermilers. And given that my car is equipped with a gauge that tells me how I am doing gas mileage-wise, I was set to test what I had read. The car I was driving was a 2006 Nissan Sentra. The best mileage I had been able to achieve to date (and we have had the car for one year) was about 36 miles to the gallon. Last night, when it was all said and done -- are you ready? -- I had achieved an astounding 43.7 miles to the gallon! So how did I do it? What tips did I apply? For starters, I used a light foot (not going over the speed limit, coasting down hills ... going a little slower up hills), avoided jack rabbit starts and stops and not running the A/C. In view of these results and the high gas prices at the pump, though I do not plan to join the full ranks of the hypermilers, I do plan to become a "quasi hypermiler!"

So in taking the information and applying it - I found that it works! It is the same with the Bible!

When we take the information that God gives to us in its pages - info about life and how we are to order it in HIS presence and then apply this info to where we live we live - we will discover (as I discovered with the info from the hypermilers) that it (the truth of God's Word) works!!! And this should not surprise us. For the Bible is given to us by the Designer, the Creator and the Sustainer of life!

So...the next time you open the Bible (which I surely hope will be TODAY!) ... remember that the Bible is not given for merely your information -- but your transformation. God wants you to take what you read and apply it to where you live!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

Going the Extra Mile?

Wayne Gerdes, of Wadsworth, Illinois is a "driven"man. He is obsessed with squeezing every extra mile out of a gallon of gasoline that he possibly can. And he has been surprisingly successful! He's been able to run a Ford Ranger pick-up so that it got 84 miles per gallon. And driving his current car, a hybrid Honda Insight, he's been able to achieve an amazing 180 miles per gallon! You see, Gerdes doesn't want just good or even great gas mileage - he is after "hyper" gas mileage. That's right, he's a breed of drivers known as "hypermilers."

Now how does he do it? For starters, he drives smart: a light foot on the gas pedal, less idling, no jack rabbit starts and stops. But Gerdes doesn't stop there. He does other things like checking his tire pressure every week to make sure the tires are at their maximum weight and learning to "sweat it out" on a hot day by forgoing the car's air conditioning (which can cut gas consumption significantly). In this day of high gas prices, all of us who want to get that "extra" mile out of a gallon of gas can learn something from these hypermilers!

Jesus talked about going the extra mile. In Matthew 5:41 he says, "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." He was referring to a common practice of Roman soldiers, who were allowed by law to require anyone they encountered to carry their gear for one mile. Jesus is saying that if this happens to you ... carry their gear for a second (or extra) mile. Let's purpose today to go the extra mile for someone. Look for an opportunity to be a "hypermiler" for Christ!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

When It Comes to Your Life - Who Is On Center Stage?

This morning as I was reading from Charles Spurgeon's Morning by Morning devotional, I encountered the following question that Spurgeon poses for his readers, Why does God leave us His children on earth when he could transport us to heaven the moment we trust Christ? He answers the question by saying, "We are here that we may 'live to the Lord' and bring others to know HIS love." Now of course we know Spurgeon is right on target with his answer. The Bible clearly tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." So life is NOT about me - it is ALL about HIM!

However, all too often we get that reversed ... and we live life in a way that shouts to those around us that life is all about ME! Please take a moment and watch this video which makes this point in a striking way. Then take another moment before you rush back to whatever is yelling for your attention and ask yourself if your life is ME-centered or God-centered.