Life Goes On

I've been meditating on Matthew 6:33 for the past several days.  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." Righteousness is defined as "the state of moral perfection required by God to enter heaven."  John the Baptist called for righteousness or uprightness as an indication that one had truly repented of sin.  In Gen. 15:6 (quoted by Paul in Ro. 4:5) we are told that Abraham's faith (believing that God would do what he said) was counted as righteousness.  Summed up it seems that true righteousness is measured by the standard of God Himself.  In our current society which claims that there are no absolutes, righteousness becomes comparative rather than a standard. Using the "God" standard, Ecclesiastes 7:20 and Romans 3:10 declare that there are "none righteous".  If that is true, then is the pursuit (seeking) of righteous a vain endeavor?  I think not.  After all we are told

At any given moment there are numberless ideas floating around in our heads.  Occasionally one of these ideas rises to the top, moves from our sub-conscious mind to our conscious thinking and begins to gestate, much like an embryo in the womb.  At that moment "life" of the idea begins.  From that moment on it bugs us constantly until we either abort it or nurture it to fruition.  When we choose to nurture the idea, it becomes a driving force in our life.  We turn it over and over in our minds, studying it from all angles and looking for ways to make it reality. at the same time we release a power beyond ourselves to make it all possible.  Let me give you an example. Many years ago, as a young staff member of a local church in San Diego, CA, I was sitting in the balcony of the auditorium at Glorieta Baptist Assembly.  I think the year was 1967.  My wife and I enjoyed the presentation of one of the first "contemporary Christian Musical" entitled "Good News".

I was given this book by the B & B Media Group in exchange for my review on this blog. "Adventures Under the Mango Tree" by Lillian (Mama Lilly) Ann Klepp is a highly readable, book that feels like you are reading a personal journal or diary.  The style Mrs. Klepp uses is at once personal and informational.  I came away with a new perspective for what is happening in Sudan as I walked with "Mama Lilly" and her husband Dennis down the at times dusty and at times muddy trails of Southern Sudan.  This is more a story of the work of God through willing servants than anything else. I found myself asking "Could or would I dare to do something like this?" and then having my faith soar and declaring, "God could do something like this through me!" You'll be introduced to a cast of characters (all real people) like Caleb, their first orphan whom they later adopted both in Sudan and in the US, Mr. Mr. Mourice Akuno and Pastor Pooshani both of whom b

I received this book from the B & B Media Group in return for my review. John B. Wallace, a California dentist, former LDS member and convert to evangelical Christianity has written a "must-read" book for anyone wishing to understand the differences in Mormonism and Christianity.  Although he wrote it for LDS members who perhaps have become disenchanted with their faith, it is a treasure chest for anyone wanting to better understand the doctrine of grace. While dealing with some deep theology, he maintains an extremely practical and understandable presentation.  His illustrations and metaphors are spot on. In describing his journey from LDS to Christianity Wallace's passion for both understanding and communicating the transition shows through in almost every paragraph. In the preface John tells about a question someone asked him.  "John imagine that you are at the podium of an event being held in a large stadium.  This stadium is filled with 75,000 Mormons, eve