Dear Christian, has the Master selected and sent you to your town, your workplace, your home? Did you know He sent you because He intends to be there? Well, He did and He does. Think about it.

We, humans, are often looking for "greener pastures" for our lives here on earth. Many choose Christianity because they believe their lives are a mess (which they may be) and they want a clean start. Others' lives, until now, have been hard, maybe even ruinous, so they opt for Christianity because they believe it'll be easier and/or they won't suffer the consequences of poor decisions. Wherever we are on the path of life, Jesus Christ will meet us; and, if we, by faith choose to become His companions and followers, He will take us on. But, Jesus Himself told us, His disciples, that faith in Him was no "walk in the park." He said we would have "tribulation;" that the world would hate us; that even our family members would turn us over to be killed. However, He did promise us that He would be "with us," to help and guide us through it all. He promised that in the end, if we persevered in the faith, we would receive far more than we ever lost. He wore the crown of thorns so we would receive a crown of glory. He was bruised and broken, so we could enjoy wholeness. He took chastisement so we could have peace. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, we will suffer while we live here on earth but life on earth is a puff of smoke compared to the life we will enjoy with our Heavenly Father for all eternity. Think about it.

We can be deceived, if we are unwilling to take responsibility for our throughts and actions. We will naturally seek a scapegoat to "blame" for our sinning. And Satan is more than ready to align himself with us, if we decide to "blame" God. It's easy to blame God. He is invisible so we think He is absent. It's so much easier to blame an absent someone for our transgressions or failures because they don't seem to be there to contradict us or prove us wrong. God did not make you a sinner, that came naturally. It wasn't Mom's or Dad's behavior toward you that caused you to do something destructive. No, you decided to respond with anger, bitterness and unforgiveness yourself. It is "your own lust" that tempted you to sin; and, you gave into it. The resulting evil is your own doing, not God's. God has continually labored to separate you from evil and sin. He removed Adam and Eve, your forefathers, from the garden so they wouldn't give evil "eternal" existance and death the victory. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem you from your sin and reconcile you to Himself so you would be blessed with life. If there is any good in your life, it is a gift from God. Be thankful and show it by honoring God, not blaming Him. Do not be decieved into believing that God has any part in evil or any fellowship with sin. He does not! Think about it.

Can one ever comprehend the depth of God's love, through Jesus Christ, if at first he/she doesn't comprehend the extent of his/her depravity? It has been my observation, through the years, that some of those who have been "raised" in a modern Christian environment and have become sure of their righteousness through their religious activities, find it hard to get passionate about God's love for them. Is it because, as the old saying goes, "Familiarity breeds contempt?" Or, is it because they have grown accustomed to "duty" at the expense of a vital relationship with the Living God? I have also observed that those, who have come to understand their desperate conditon without God, their extreme poverty of spirit and life, take hold of Jesus Christ with a deep, abiding fervor. If you consider yourself rich, what need have you for the favor of God? If you consider yourself healthy, what need have you of the Healer, Jesus Christ? If you consider yourself to be "the master of your fate and the captain of your destiny," will you look for a Savior? What is it that keeps you from being a passionate follower of the Lord God Almighty? Think about it.

Jesus' disciples were quibbling about not having enough food for their meal; and, they had just witnessed the feeding of 4,000 people. They were quarreling about who was greatest among them; and, in the next breath, Peter declares Jesus "The Christ, the Messiah." The disciples just didn't get it. They did not understand "how God works." Neither do we, His modern disciples. Some of us, much like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, want more and more "miraculous guarantees" that He is the Son of God, the Christ, so we can stick with "the faith." Some of us, want to skip the suffering and get right to the glory part of Christian living, so try to "lead" God instead of "following" Him. Many of Jesus' modern disciples desire and vie for "greatness" among their peers, ignoring Jesus' command to love and to serve each other. Is Jesus correct? We really don't get it. We don't really understand what faith requires of us? He is the greatest; He is capable of caring for His loved ones; and, He does have requirements for those "who intend to come with " Him. Think about it.

The human soul is the sentient part of man by which he/she perceives, desires interprets and feels his/her surroundings. Because of this the soul has become very precious to man. It is in the soul that the activity of the sin nature is exercised. In the soul of the redeemed holiness is effectual. The soul is the battleground of the flesh (sin nature) and Spirit. One is said to be "soulish" when he/she is driven by his/her lusts and appetites. One is said to be "spiritual" when one follows the guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit of God.

The heart is the center, or core, of a person. It is the seat of the intellect, emotions and will. But it is the soul that gathers information, acts upon a decision and emotes the response to stimulation. The heart may govern the soul but the soul is the heart's informant and agent.

The body of each individual is animated by the soul and the spirit. The body is the material organism which is used by the soul and spirit to interact with its earthly environment.

The body is neither moral nor immoral. The soul can be either moral or immoral. The spirit is the imprint of God in man and is that feature of man that relates to God morally. The soul of a person "conducts" his/her individual life. If the sin principle is dominant and active in the soul, wickedness and every kind of evil is possible and death is emminant. However, if the soul is "born again" of the Spirit by faith, then the person is said to be "dead to sin and alive to God." In this case, the conduct of the soul would line up with God's standards and practices. The soul will conduct itself by what the heart believes.

In trying to define the heart, body, soul and spirit and their activities, let us remember there is no clear demarkation line between them. They are intimately entertwined and inter-dependent of each other for the living of the life that God has given each of us. Think about it.

Jesus Christ is the Life, and He brings people together in His life. As we commit ourselves to "the life together," dramatic change begins to occur. The Spirit of the Living God comes to "dwell in us." Sin no longer dominates us. We are filled with love for God and our neighbor. We no longer steal or lie or murder or hate without conscience. We begin to bless and not curse, do good and not evil. Our daily activities are now accentuated with the study of God's Word, prayers, worship and thanksgiving. Our lives begin to fill the fruit of the Spirit and empty of the deeds of the flesh. We find others who are like-minded with us in this "new life." We enjoy and encourage each other as we are truly knit together in the common bond of love and faith. We "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." We serve one another with the gifts that come with the Life. We, together, look forward to the day when "our faith shall become sight"--the beginning of eternity together. Think about it.

We are generations down history's road from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have copies of the Holy Scriptures, old and new testaments, all over the world, in various languages and formats. Churches dot the landscape, around the globe, and are both underground and magnificent edifices. We, Americans, claim our nation is established by and with Christian principles. Many other nations think American is synonomous with "Christian." But Christianity knows no political identity or limitation. Nor is the Christian faith just another religion that vies for supremacy though "holy" wars. True Christianity is found in the depth of love--love for God, first, and love for our fellow man, second. It is about the return of faithful relationship to God who created us, mankind, and gave Himself to us and for us. It is about receiving the gift of restoration and reconciliation and life that was lost to mankind because of sin. We, modern believers, are not Christian by familial default or locality or citizenship. Each of us, just as in the days of Christ and the early church, become Christians by believing in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and obeying His commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength; and, you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself." (See Matthew 22:37-40) This is the summation of all Moses and the prophets have said and written down.

Faith is the ultimate action of love. Believing in the one we say we love is the proof that this love is genuine and complete. Remaining in company and concert with our Beloved, the Lord who loved us first, will be our greatest challenge and our greatest joy. Think about it.

Man's domain is the earth. God gave him five senses to help him learn about his surroundings and to help him survive. Those senses are sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Though they are most useful to earthly life, they cannot sense spiritual realities. That is left to the human spirit. To try and judge what is spiritual by previous, or current, sensory information, leaves a person with little or nothing to go on. If man relies only on his senses, his understanding and knowledge will be very limited, or "narrow." The scope of what has been created by God is far greater, encompassing both the "visible and invisible" and "all things" (Colossians 1:16). Most of what we believe, as humans, is based on our past experience(some of which is based on imperfect, subjective perception). If we make our judgments and decisions based only on our experience, and the resulting understanding and knowledge ,we can find ourselves in such a narrow place that the life God intended for us is squeezed out. Think about it.

In the beginning, when you first became a Christian, did you enjoy being with Jesus and doing the Father's will? Have you lost that passion? Has your enthusiasm for following your Lord and learning of Him waned under the desire for man's approval of your religious activity? Have you begun to believe you could do something for God and forgotten that true religion is trusting God to do it for you? I'm sure there are moments when you remember and acknowledge that God was doing it, but it may seem that many more times you thought you had better do it for Him. Have you miserably tried to make your own purpose for life instead of receiving the life and purpose He intended for you? I have. That's why I thank God that He forgives me at my confession of such foolishness,restores me with His Word and by His Spirit and strengthens my faith as I follow Him. Think about it.

How can a person celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection with unbounded joy if he/she does not first come to the foot of the cross and sincerely embrace the grief of His crucifixion? Were you there? I was. I am one of those in the crowd who betrayed Him, arrested and beat Him, led Him off to be crucified and demanded it. I am one of the crowd who scoffed at Him because He would not save Himself. I thrust the thorny crown upon His head. I drove the nails through the very hands that reached to love and heal me; and, the feet that carried Him to me so I could hear and be set free, so I could be healed. Yes, I am in the crowd who came to gaze at the spectacle but walked away unmoved and unchanged. I denied Him. I cursed Him. But, when He arose, He came and rescued me from the "field of blood," the pauper's graveyard. He took me in and made me His child, a princess, a treasure. It cost Him dearly to pay for this sinner and to make her a saint. He counted the cost but thought it nothing compared to the weight of glory that comes when one sinner repents and believes.

Don't let the flame of continual thanksgiving die for lack of remembering Him and what He endured for you! Don't let it flicker for lack of fervant faith! Don't let the winds of worldly circumstance blow it out. Or did His passion ever burn in your soul? Did only remorse move you when you gazed upon the Innocent, who took your guilt, your crime, you sin upon Himself and forgave you? Has your fervor to love Him and follow Him been choked out by ease and compromise? Has your vow to be His, to know Him better, become only a hollow echo in your breast? Has the pursuit of His presence been supplanted by the trivial pursuit of your own pleasure? It's not too late! Quick run through the open door, into the presence of the Lamb and the Father! Ask for help and grace to turn your stoney heart to flesh, to revive your passion for Him, to re-ignite the light of faith. Hurry! At least,think about it.

Have you ever really trusted God to "set you right" when you've gotten it wrong? Have you tried to fight or work your way back to the right way when your've erred or sinned? Some of us ridicule ourselves, even "beat ourselves up" for making mistakes. We have heard, and even mentally assented, to the fact that God forgives and cleanses us from sin, but the fact that He'll "set us right" we may not have really believed that He would do it. Will you trust Him to do that--set you right again? There is great liberty in knowing that He will set us right again! But, we must be willing to let Him do it, submitting to His instruction and following His lead, just like Abraham. Think about it.

There is a “justification” that sinful man employs to prove he/she is right in being angry, unforgiving, destructive or vindictive against others. We can make “self” the judge and executioner, taking responsibility and authority that is not ours and, in our own energy, trying to manipulate two wrongs to make a right. In this way, we compound and propagate injustice, exponentially. We actually eradicate justice by taking it “into our own hands,” i.e. by each individual setting his/her own standard of justice. But, God, set up a universal system of justice, a standard of righteousness for all, to bless all with justice.

Faith means we trust God’s person, His position, His power and authority and His promises. He has said that we, who believe in Jesus Christ as the atonement for our sins, are declared, “Not guilty.” We are given God’s favor that we may “go and sin no more,” the opportunity for a “new life” and the Helper to teach us the right way of freedom. So, we have a choice, we can hold onto our own “justification” or receive God’s justification through Jesus Christ the Lord. Think about it.

There are times in every saint’s life when he/she may be “sifted like wheat.” When it happens, we may find ourselves turning away from God (or at least not making Him the first one we turn to), our confidence is scattered and our hope flies away before the wind of adversity. BUT, GOD has kept “that which we have entrusted to Him;” and, the Lord Jesus is “continually making intercession for us” that our “faith will not fail.” Therefore, when we have “turned again” and the winnowing fork is at last laid to rest, we will find remaining the kernel of our faith in which abides eternal life and sustenance to feed others. Think about it.

Every human saga is marred by at least one tragedy. When hope flags and faith falters in the throes of tragedy, love shines the brightest and lasts through it all. Love initiates recovery because he is willing to bear the loss with the grief-stricken. Love sustains the broken-hearted with the food of comfort and the solace of a helping hand. Love is patient and persistent in prayer and provision. In feast or famine, love is the steadfast friend of the mournful, as well as, the celebrant. Whether man obtains the riches of the earth or is one of the impoverished, he is often heard to say, “Is this all there is?” Love knows there is more and invites rich and poor alike to find their consolation in the Divine Caretaker. There is no high to which you may rise that love will not accompany you nor is there any low that love will not descend to attend to you; for love abides with all people, in all circumstances. Love chooses to suffer alongside, and even instead of, his beloved. Think about it.