Overpopulated?

We hear a lot from the liberal media about the world’s expanding problems. We have been told since World War II that the world is overpopulated. But has that ever been verified? Is the media correct?

It is interesting that someone took the time and effort to calculate that the world is not overcrowded. That is not to say that many areas do have a population problem but it is not a world problem. Let me explain. If we took the world’s population (6 billion] and place them in the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida [885 square miles or 22 billion square feet] which works out to just under 4 square feet per person. (Standing room only)

I am sure no one could live in such a condition but add the fact North America actually has more wilderness than Africa. While almost 40% of North America is wilderness, only about 30% of Africa is. Over 82% of Canadian land is mostly untouched by humans.

So, it is not an overpopulation problem but rather a logistics problem.

{Now you know!}

Insignificant

I would imagine most of us have read or heard the story of Christmas hundreds of times. We probably just skim over the verses, telling ourselves we already know the facts. But for those who were present, the event probably did not have the significance as it does to us. Many of things than made up this story were “insignificant” to the people of that day.

From the human standpoint, there was nothing special about Jesus’ birth. Mary and Joseph were poor, ordinary people having a baby, yet this event was the most significant incident in human history. I did a Google search of the most significant incidents in human history and the birth of Jesus Christ was not even mentioned. The greatest event of all history, God becoming man did not make the list! Neither the Jerusalem Gazette nor the Nazareth News covered the story. To them it seemed insignificant.

Yet what appeared to be insignificant; had eternal importance. I wonder how much “insignificant” events fill our lives. I do not believe in coincide for the Christ follower. The Word of God teaches that God “orders the steps” of His children. This Christmas season, look for the “insignificant” they might just be God working in your life!

Home For Christmas

It was during WWII that singer Bing Crosby released a song, as if written from a “G.I.” far away from home at Christmas, it shot up the music charts and has remained a Christmas classic ever since. Part of the song says,

“Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I’ll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

 

How well I remember Christmas 1968 as I was flying over the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. Armed Services Radio broadcasted Christmas music to try and alleviate our homesickness. It is hard being away from home during the holidays. One of the great ironies of the bible is that almost everyone in the first Christmas wasn’t home for the holidays. The angel Gabriel left heaven to announce to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. Joseph and Mary left their home in Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem to give birth to their Baby. And of course, the Magi were a long way from home to see the newborn King.

Most important, the baby Jesus Himself was far from His heavenly home at the first Christmas. But there was a reason that all these were far from home – it was so we could find  our way back to our true home with God. As wonderful as it is to be home at Christmas there is still something in us that tells us we are not home yet. The Bible says we are strangers and pilgrims of earth.

 
As we celebrate  the first coming of Jesus don’t forget the fact that we’re not yet in our true and eternal home. So, keep focused on His Second Coming and your eternal, heavenly home.

I Love Mankind

In the comic Peanuts Linus once explained, “I love mankind; it’s the people I can’t stand.”  Somerset Maugham said it this way “I’ve always been interested in people, but I’ve never liked them.”

Maybe you can identify with those sentiments. People can be rude, selfish, foolish, trying and vicious. Some might even fall into the “enemies” category. When people mistreat or take advantage of us, it is just human nature to feel resentment, anger and even hatred.

The religious teachers of Jesus’ day taught you were to hate your enemies [Roman occupation]. Jesus comes with a radical new teaching, “Love you enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you…”

Our generation has a difficult time understanding this teaching because we look at love as an emotion. When Jesus gave the command to love our enemies He was not talking about our emotions but our actions. You cannot command your emotions to feel a certain way. “Bless those…do good…pray for those…” are all words of action. So, it does not matter how you feel about someone, to love is to do what is in the best interest of that person.

The Theology of Happiness

If you were to ask the average person on the street, "What do you want out of time for you and your children?" Most people answer, "I just want to be happy!" Even our Bill of Rights declare that man has an "unalienable right" to be happy. We are all familiar with the phrase "...and the pursuit of happiness." And it appears that most people are spending an enormous amount to time and energy in their pursuit of happiness.

This pursuit of happiness even carries over to the spiritual realm. We would never say it but we think God's major role in our lives is to see that be are happy. But unfortunately, that is not true. I know it sounds almost heretical that God's goal for us in not happiness. God is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. God's intent for us is to be Christ like. Romans 8:29

We treat God like a cosmic vending machine. We put in our spiritual quarter [prayer] into the vending machine [God] and wait for our prayer to be dispensed [answered]. And if God does not answer our prayer or at least like we think He should, we begin to complain that God has failed us.

Happiness is based on our circumstances. If our circumstances are "good" we are happy. If our circumstance are "bad" we are upset. But God offers something better, it is called joy. 1 John 1:4

God's joy does not depend on circumstances because joy is found in a personal relationship with Christ.

Truth

The story is told of Billy and Ruth Graham strolling through an old cemetery when they came across a tombstone that read, "Here lies a honest man and a politician." Bill remarked, "Look Ruth, they have buried two men in the same grave!"

I am sure many of you have watched the Presidential debates and I for one am glad they are over. Throughout the debate, the two "debaters" challenged each other by saying their statements were not true. Truth is a very rare commodity today, especially in politics. Americans have become accustomed to lies told by our officials, but being accustomed to lies does not make it right.

God places a high premium on truth: "The Lord detests lying lips but He delight in men who are truthful." Proverbs 12:22  (See also: Proverbs 29:2) In the end, truth will always win out! 

Welcome to the Angry Planet!

If extraterrestrials were to visit our planet, how would they appraise our world? What would they report? There is no question they would immediately observe that we are an angry planet! Every day we hear about a disgruntled employee killing his boss. The news reports violent protests around the world, children shooting other students because they were bullied and parents abusing their children. 

I am not a prophet of doom but the Bible has told us these days would come. “…what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?.. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… you will be hated by all nations because of me…At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other…

Though anger and hatred is common place in our world, as citizens of heaven we should not give into the spirit of this age. “My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.” James 1:9. Let us show others they can live above anger.

Investing

In today’s economy, there is much emphasis on investing, particularly investing in precious metals, i.e. gold or silver. Those advertisements assure us of the wisdom in such investing. But in these unsettling times, where does the Bible tell us to invest?

Jesus told us very clearly that we should invest in the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew 6:19-21 He tells us that “storing our treasures” here are on earth is the best investment, no matter how convincing the infomercials. In the last couple of years the news has testified to words of Jesus. Banks have failed and people have embezzled millions of dollars, so much for security on this earth.

Jesus promised that nothing can touch the investment placed in the Kingdom of God. Time invested in His service will be rewarded. 1 Cor, 15:58 Money given may influence someone’s eternal destiny. Remember, investing in the Kingdom of God has dividends ‘‘out of this world’.

Beauty?

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The story is told of Winston Churchill attending a dinner party in which he became very intoxicated. The more he drank, the louder and more boisterous he became. A lady who was offended by Churchill's behavior, approached him and said, “Mr. Churchill, you are drunk!” Churchill replied, “Yes Ma'am, I am drunk but in the morning I will be sober and YOU will still be ugly.”

There is no question that the world place much emphasis on beauty. Television bombards with commercials that their product will make you more beautiful and you can recapture your youthful appearance. Women that the world considers 'beautiful' will be hired over women who are 'not so beautiful.'

Twenty-three-year-old Lizzie Velasquez was born without any adipose tissue -- meaning she has no fat on her body. Some cyberbullies even dubbed her the "ugliest woman in the world," because of her appearance due to her medical condition, she said. Velasquez's condition is extremely rare; she is just one of three people in the entire world to have it.

But how does God see beauty? The Bible says, “...The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7 When speaking of Jesus' appearance Isaiah said “...There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,nothing to attract us to him." Isaiah 53:2

Let us not judge people by their outward appearance but by their inner beauty. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Stand Out

In the food industry, separating the good from the bad is important. As fruit passes down a conveyor belt, workers watch for blemishes and they quickly remove the unacceptable fruit. Because the vast majority of the fruit is good, when the imperfect appears, it stands out from the crowd.

“Standing out” works the opposite way as well, especially with regard to people. The Bible says that Jesus was not noticeable for His outward appearance, yet He stood out in the crowd. He stands out as the most remarkable person in history. People that are most like Christ will stand out as well. The crowd notices people that possess the “fruit of the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-23

Has anyone ever told you there is something different about you? Make it your goal in life to be so like Christ that people will be attracted to Him through you.

What Done Is Done

Our lives are made up of choices. Each day we make myriad of choices, some we would call trivial while others are weightier. Life is strung together by choices. Like pearls on a thread, our choices are linked one to another until the strand of our life is complete. Every time we come to a fork in life, the choice we make eliminates those we could have made. And the results are undoable. If we make a right choice, that’s good. But when we make the wrong choice, what’s done is done. It can be forgiven but not changed.

When David was running from Saul, a village that gave him assistance was later massacred by the king. I am sure David grieved over choosing to endanger innocent people. If you have made a choice that led to sorrowful consequences, accept God’s forgiveness and resolve to learn from your mistake. What is done is done. But that does not mean it has to be done again.