Harry Whitt on the Journey with Jesus
Concerning our perceived effectiveness, the church has done a fair job of saving people from Hell, but a poor job of saving people from their brokenness. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples, not just converts. I am afraid in our enthusiasm to make only converts we have left a heap of lost souls in the wake of false confessions and hurry-up-sinner-prayers.
There are some striking similarities in the spiritual implications of Isaac and Jesus. I am sure their personalities were very different. Jesus, the Son of God taking his brief journey on earth was confident of His mission given by His Heavenly Father. Isaac on the other hand does not come across as the spiritual man of faith like his father Abraham, yet he was a link in the eternal blessing culminating in the Messiah, Jesus.
So let’s look at the comparison between Isaac and Jesus:
There are many examples of foreshadowing of Jesus in the Old Testament. The life of Joseph contained in the Old Testament (Genesis 37-50) is one of my favorites with many correlations to Jesus. Here are some examples with accompanying scriptures.
Our collective great-aunt, Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama just had a press conference with a “Stay-At-Home” order. Don’t you just love Aunt Kay with her South Alabama drawl; all our Southern politicians of old talked like this once upon a time, it was a requirement. I really like her, I really do. I would like to sit and have a chicken liver dinner with her, complete with potato salad, baked beans, and ice tea.
It is amazing how two people can see the same thing but have a different interpretation of what they experienced. So much of our lives is determined by our perspective. Many people are limited by their perspective. Perspective often determines victory or defeat.
There are some lessons about trouble that we can learn from the coronavirus. As in every difficulty of life, we can learn some valuable lessons. The latest situation with the coronavirus pandemic has some components that is like all troubles. Continue reading “Six Lessons from the Coronavirus”
The news cycle has been filled with the corona virus. Butch Suddath and I just got back from India when cases of the COVID-19 virus jumped from China to other places on the globe. Airport officials are much more alert now to travelers with possible symptoms and some people exposed have been quarantined for 14 days, the maximum incubation time for the virus.
Many of us have seen a video clip where two guys are facing off in an ultimate fighting competition. One guy is prancing around all full of himself and the other guy is watching quietly and then boom, the cocky guy gets knocked out with one punch. Spiritual warfare is not for the “showboat” but for the one who has a calm confidence in Jesus.
I would never describe myself as a fighter. In my view, it is better to avoid trouble than to stir it up. Some of us remember “The Jerry Springer Show” that kept its ratings by conflict, and more often than not, a fist fight on stage erupted. I knew then as now, that to fight is not the best option. It is better to walk away from trouble than to dive into it, but there are situations when we need to stand and not run.
Many people have a wrong perspective of leaders. In the extreme, some tend to either place them on a pedestal or despise them. Hopefully, most of us view them with some normalcy, as people with a tough job who are trying to do their best despite their own weaknesses. But how do ordinary people do extraordinary things?
Pathway Journey 