Sometime around 175 A.D. a little-known Greek philosopher named Celsus decided to write what would turn out to be the earliest-known, comprehensive criticism of Christianity, ironically entitled, The True Word.

Seventy-five years later, a third-century Christian theologian named Origen decided to write a refutation of Celsus’ popular treatise, aptly entitled, Against Celsus. In it, Origen quotes directly from Celsus’ The True Word and refutes many of his claims regarding the birth and life of Jesus. Without Origen’s quotations from Celsus’ treatise, it would have been lost to us entirely.

According to Origen, Celsus asserted that Jesus invented the story of his virgin birth in order to cover the truth that Mary “was turned out of doors by her husband, a carpenter by trade, because she was convicted of adultery; that after being driven away by her husband, and wandering about for a time, she disgracefully gave birth to Jesus, an illegitimate child, who having hired himself out as a servant in Egypt on account of his poverty, and having there acquired some miraculous powers, on which the Egyptians greatly pride themselves, returned to his own country, highly elated on account of them, and by means of these proclaimed himself a God.”

Clearly this quotation of Celsus stands in stark contrast to the teachings of the Gospel writers that were accepted by successive generations of Christians up to the time of Celsus and beyond, but on one thing both Celsus and the Bible do agree—that a man named Jesus lived!

Celsus views him as a charlatan, but in his attempt to counter the Bible’s assertions about Jesus, Celsus unwittingly provided early proof for the historicity of Jesus outside the Bible, acknowledging that early Christians believed that he was born of a virgin, that Joseph had early concerns about Mary’s fidelity, that Jesus performed miracles and that he claimed to be divine—just as the Bible says.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirty-Eight, 2024

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

AI-Powered Necklace Will Be Your Friend for $99. “Friend” is a pendant about the size of an Apple Air Tag. Avi Schiffman, the twenty-one-year-old Harvard dropout who invented it, said he created the device at a time when he had “never felt lonelier in my entire life.”

The onboard microphone listens to everything happening around you. Powered by AI, it will answer questions, but also send unprompted messages to engage in conversation and offer encouragement.

In other words, it’s a technological companion to make up for the real thing. Not a day goes by that we don’t use some form of technology. Technology’s influence on our lives stretches back thousands of years to the use of shovels and spears. Whether it’s as simple as a chair or as complex as the systems proposed with brain-computer interfaces, technology is all around. In the last decade or two, we have seen exponential growth in technological innovation. This has led to many asking fundamental questions about how we use technology and what kind of influence it has on our lives.

AI, short for artificial intelligence is the latest exploding on the technology scene. It is big and it is powerful. If AI algorithms are biased or used in a malicious manner — such as in the form of deliberate disinformation campaigns or autonomous lethal weapons — they could cause significant harm toward humans.

While a quick search in a concordance doesn’t yield words like ‘technology,’ ‘artificial intelligence,’ or ‘smartphones,’ Scripture does speak to how we are to live in this world in light of the message of salvation found in Christ Jesus. Technology has always posed difficult ethical and moral issues that are not directly addressed by Scripture. And as much as we want it to, the Bible does not explicitly address how to use or when to avoid certain pieces of technology. However, it does address the moral behavior of Christians in everyday life. The biblical approach to technology is not one of complete withdrawal nor unquestionable embrace.

As technology grows increasingly more complex and powerful each day, it is natural to ask about the moral nature of it. We see the power and influence that our smartphones have on our speech and how they have changed how we interact with one another each day.

As technology grows increasingly more complex and powerful each day, it is natural to ask about the moral nature of it. The Bible doesn’t talk about “intelligence” but it does talk about wisdom, actually in forty-five different verses.

Intelligence in the Bible embodies wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. These elements are seen as interconnected and essential for a virtuous life. Knowledge represents the accumulation of facts and data, whereas understanding underscores the interpretive process.

The Bible never makes blanket statements on whether specific technologies are inherently good or bad, but it does hold Christians to a biblically-grounded morality and engagement with the world around us. We must think wisely about how we use these innovative tools.

Sometimes True Stories

I want to be a blank slate or a blank page for God. Where He can write His story on me. Where He can mold and make me into the man that He wants me to be.

How I long to be that blank screen.

To be wiped clean and made new, all I had to do was repent and ask Jesus into my heart as Lord and Savior and ask Him to forgive me of my sins. At that point, I was wiped clean, washed in the blood of the Lamb and made fresh and clean as the new fallen snow.

For some reason becoming a blank screen and clean page that longs to be used by God tends to be the harder part. At least for me. That’s where my will and my way collide with God’s will and God’s way.

When I surrendered and accepted Jesus, my will and my sin collided with Him and His grace, love and holiness.

Today, it’s my will and my ways, my dreams and my goals colliding with Him.

For some reasons those things are the hardest to let go of.

His will and His ways are far better, and though they are not necessarily my ways, they are far greater and far more than mine could ever be. His goals and dreams for me, far bigger, far loftier than anything I could ever dream or chase.

He has the keys and the car, but all too often I still want to drive.

So, I have to let go and give even that part of me to Him, and allow Him to take my will and my dreams and make them, even change them into His will and His way for me. It’s hard to let go and allow the Great Creator to create. Marty Stubblefield

Quotes You Can Use

We can be critical of the children of Israel worshipping a golden calf, but before we get carried away, think about how many times we checked on our own bank accounts and retirement accounts to see how many pieces of gold we are trusting. Dwight Short

You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. Margaret Thatcher

Of all duties, prayer certainly is the sweetest and most easy. Laurence Sterne

It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own. Cicero

Saying nothing sometimes says the most. Emily Dickinson

Man’s laws cannot make moral what has declared immoral. Even if sin is legalized, it’s still a sin in the eyes of God.

It is better to admit that you walked through the wrong door than to spend your life in the wrong room.

If money is the root of all evil, why do they ask for it in church?

The highest rank you can have in the body of Christ is servant.

If you ever see kids selling lemonade in your neighborhood, stop and buy a cup or two. Those kids have more ambition than the majority of adults in today’s work force.

Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader. They set out to make a difference. It’d never about the role – always about the goal.

Happiness is elusive because we look for it in the future instead of the present.

The older you get, the more you realize how precious life is. You have no desire for drama, conflict or stress. You just want good friends, a cozy home, food on the table and people who make you happy.

Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change. Prayer is a conversation you have with God about things He can change.

I serve a God that has a plan and a purpose for my life. I serve a God that is greater than my troubles. I serve a God that makes all things possible.

Worship isn’t about your circumstances, it’s about who God is.

Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that you are stupid and make bad decisions.

You are the greatest person you will ever work on.

Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they’ll become… habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny. Margaret Thatcher

Selected portions of Thoughts On Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024.

September 7, 2024

—Since Jesus likely died in 33 A.D., and most historians date the writings of Thallus to around 50-55 A.D., then Thallus is the earliest known non-Christian writer to mention Jesus by name, and to do so within seventeen years of Jesus’ life and death.

In fact, Thallus, like the Gospel writers, may have been an eyewitness of both the darkness and the earthquake that accompanied Jesus’ crucifixion,of which he wrote. Like the overwhelming majority of all ancient literature, Thallus’ original works have been lost to us, but fortunately Julius Africanus, a Christian historian who lived and wrote around 220 A.D., quotes from Thallus.

—According to Matthew’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus, “from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land” (Matt. 27:45), and following Jesus’ death “the earth quaked and the rocks were split” (v. 51), prompting the centurion in charge of Jesus’ execution to conclude, “Truly this was the Son of God” (v. 54). Not everyone who observed these events connected the dots as did this centurion. Clearly many assumed that both the darkness and the earthquake, though verified by the writings of secular historians like Thallus (and later Phlegon), were nothing more than natural phenomena and not God’s purposeful and miraculous intervention into the events of that day.

—However, writing almost two hundred years later, Julius Africanus argued that these events did in fact have divine timing and tremendous theological significance. His Christian faith, his confidence in the Bible and the historical records of these events as chronicled by men like Thallus led him to that conclusion, and here’s what he wrote, “On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness, and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness, Thallus, in the third book of his history, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.”

—Julius points out too that an eclipse of the sun does not comport with the timeline of the events of the Gospels, for Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover, which falls each year on Nisan 15, a date on which the moon is always full. The earth always stands between the moon and the sun when the moon is full, so the darkness of Matthew 27:45 cannot be explained by an eclipse. As a result, Thallus is yet one more early secular source for the historicity of Jesus and the events recorded by the Gospel writers.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirty-Seven, 2024

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was one of the best players in professional basketball. His workout regimen was legendary and his dedication to the fundamentals of the sport was uncompromising.

The story is told that Nike sent Alan Stein, Jr. to witness one of Bryant’s workouts. When he arrived at 4:00 am, Kobe was already dripping with sweat with a warmup before the workout. For the next 45 minutes Stein watch Bryant work on basic basketball drills.

Later Stein, who admitted he became bored just watching Bryant’s routine, asked the star of 5 championship teams and many individual awards, why he spent so much time on simple, basic drills? Kobe’s response was golden.

“Why do you think I’m the best player in the world? Because I never ever get bored with the basics.”

The basic beliefs of Christianity include:

There is one true and living Almighty God. He created and sustains everything in the universe. He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.

Christians recognize Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save mankind from death and sin. Jesus Christ taught that he was Son of God. His teachings can be summarized, briefly as the love of God and love of one’s neighbor. Jesus said that he had come to fulfill God’s law rather than teach it.

The basic fundamentals of the Christian faith are briefly: (1) the inerrancy of the Scriptures, (2) the deity of Christ, (3) His virgin birth, (4) His substitutionary atonement, and (5) His physical resurrection and future bodily return.

The problem with many churches and denominations today is that they have wandered away from the basics and fundamentals of the faith. It was significantly diminished the impact of the church on our society. Why?

The church has much less impact on society today because society has had too much impact on the church. Are you focusing on the basics and fundamentals of the Bible or are you just along for the game?

Sometimes True Stories

In a consumption-based economy, we are conditioned to be consumers who choose what we want now over what we want most. In a post-Christian culture, we are conditioned to be existentialists who choose what we want in this world over what we will want in the next.

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There once was a reality show called “Extreme Makeover”. Someone who was not societies idea of beautiful would have all sorts of procedures. It could involve a diet, face lift, dental work, Botox, hair and makeup, and the latest in fashion. Family would come to see the “after” person and be amazed at the change. And all was done because they were dissatisfied with how they looked.

It was all about the exterior, when the truth is, we are really more dissatisfied with our inner sinful self. We know that all the exterior changes could not change the inside. Only Jesus Christ can do that. And it’s permanent….. long after the new hair and makeup fade away.

It gets better. The change Jesus brings carries into eternity. We will trade our sinful, corruptible self for the sinless, incorruptible self. Become that “after” person by trusting Jesus today.

You’ll be amazed. Rich Jensen

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The two most important questions you can ask:

1. Do you trust God?

2. Can God be trusted?

Quotes You Can Use

A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody. Novalis

One small thought in the morning can change your whole day.

God doesn’t send anyone to hell. He just honors their choice.

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Those who prevent history being taught fully intend to repeat it.

It is frightful that people who are so ignorant should have so much influence. George Orwell

The worst thing about stolen passwords is having to rename your dog.

Be thankful for the difficult people in your life, for they have shown you what you do not want to be.

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education. Bertrand Russell

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in a large group. George Carlin

Silence is the best way to reply to a fool.

A mistake repeated more than once is a choice. Paulo Coehlo

Never argue with someone whose TV is bigger than their bookshelf. Emilia Clarke

Never regret being a good person to the wrong people. Your behavior says everything about you, and their behavior says everything about them.

Do you know that butterflies rest when it rains because it damages their wings? It’s okay to rest during the storms of life. You will always fly again once it’s over.

When asked if a cup is half full or half empty, just be thankful that you have a cup.

You don’t stop having fun when you get old, you get old when you stop having fun.

Worry about your character, not your reputation. Your character is who you are. Your reputation is who people think you are. John Wooden

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

Week Thirty-Six, 2024

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23

We do it the first Monday in every September. We pause to celebrate labor. For many, Labor Day is a three-day weekend that helps us celebrate the conclusion of a great summer with a party and some tasty grilled food. But what is Labor Day, really?

There’s so much more to Labor Day than the weekend getaways and the funny (but relatable) Labor Day memes we see online. In fact, as its name implies, the holiday has historical roots in the labor movement.

In addition, work is not God’s way of punishing us. In fact, He blesses us with the ability to work, so that we can honor Him. Colossians 3:22 says, “You who are servants who are owned by someone, obey your owners. Work hard for them all the time, not just when they are watching you.”

Whether you are a student, employee or both, it is important to look at our work from a Christian perspective. After all, we spend a lot of time at school and in the workplace.

Everyone has a different attitude when it comes to work. Some have the tendency to overwork themselves, while others avoid it at all costs. However, having either of these attitudes can lead to negative consequences.

So, what does the Bible have to say about work? As Christians, it is important to align our perspective with God’s when it comes to this topic. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, (24) since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

Paul was a tent maker.

In the New Testament ,

• Jesus made:132 public appearances – 122 were in the marketplace
• Of 52 parables that Jesus told – 45 had a workplace context
• Of 40 miracles in the Book of Acts – 39 were in the marketplace

Work, in its different forms, is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible – more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise and singing combined.

Don’t minimize your daily work – it is nothing less than a Holy calling. God has you right where He wants you… Right now!

When we go all the way back to Genesis, we can see that God worked when He created the world. Therefore, when we work, we resemble Him.

Colossians 3:22 says, “You who are servants who are owned by someone, obey your owners. Work hard for them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Work for them as you would for the Lord because you honor God.” When we obey the authority figures in our life, we are ultimately serving Christ.

As sons and daughters of God, we have all been given different talents and abilities. When we use our gifts, we can experience fulfillment as we serve Christ and share His love with others.

The Bible reminds us of the importance of rest. When God created the world, He worked for six days and rested on the seventh. When we give ourselves time to rest and be in God’s Word, we can recharge for what is to come. By resting, we ensure that we will be prepared to serve Christ in whatever comes our way.

This Labor Day weekend, take this time to rest. Reflect on what the Bible says about work and ask God to give you the discipline to apply these principles to your life. Ultimately, by doing this, we can glorify Him!

Sometimes True Stories

Stepping up and standing out for Jesus means to purposely find ways to “Step up your game”. That is, purposely find ways to glorify Him. To not only shine for Him in day-to-day activities, choices and reactions, but to find ways to make Him known and seen in those activities. To not only allow others to see Christ in us in our day to day, but make Him known by what we do, how we do it, and what we say about Him when we do it.

When we step up and stand out, we rise above the status quo. We rise above expectation. We rise above what the world says we should do and be, and we shine… shine for Him.

When we step up and stand out, we’re telling the world that we do what we do for Him. And in success or in failure or anywhere in between, we stand firm and strong in Him, doing what we do to bring glory and honor and praise to Him. Marty Stubblefield

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You go to IKEA and buy this really cool bookcase. You get it home and take it out of the box. You put the instructions aside and say, “No problem. I can put this puppy together.” Two hours later, you’re done and ready to stand it up. When you do, it collapses, and then you look for the instructions.

Life presents many cool opportunities to us, and they look easy and profitable for making our lives better. Without any research or advice you say, “No problem. I can make this work for me. Easy ‘peasy.'” Months later everything goes upside down, and you think it sure would be nice if I had some instructions.

There are. Life’s instruction book called the Bible. Before making any consequential decisions, consult that Book. It will tell you what you know, what to stop, what to start and what to learn. God always knows what you need.

Don’t let your life collapse. Rich Jensen

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Only 10% Between 62 and 70 ‘Financially Stable’ in Retirement. With the onus for retirement saving moved from pensions to 401(k)s, millions of older Americans can’t afford to stop working, USA Today reports. Coupled with rising housing costs and medical expenses, retirement today is becoming a luxury.

Quotes You Can Use

Everyone believes in the Bible until scriptures speak against things they love doing.

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings. Samuel Johnson

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Confucius

America right now is a perfect example of what happens to a successful business when you hire all of the wrong people. Elon Musk

Your destination will determine your life direction. Jesus was a man on a mission. He was a person with a purpose: Are you? Let me ask you: Where are you headed? Do you have a goal? Do you have a purpose? So many people live their lives with no sense of direction or purpose. Pastor Tony Walliser

A happy marriage consists of two good forgivers. Robert Quillen

The government you elect is the government you deserve. Thomas Jefferson

Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. John D. Rockefeller

The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. George Orwell

Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy. C.S. Lewis

Mistakes are always unforgiveable, if one has the courage to admit them. Bruce Lee

It is not the strength of your faith, but the object of your faith that saves you.

A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right and evil doesn’t become good, just because it is accepted by a majority. Rick Warren

One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is to shut their eyes to the facts. C.S. Lewis

I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church. Charles Spurgeon

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

Never heard of Phlegon of Tralles? Me neither, until I launched into the research for this series.

Phlegon was not a Christian, but rather a secular Greek historian who lived during the second century, writing in approximately 140 A.D., and who referred to Jesus by name and to the historical earthquake and eclipse that accompanied the crucifixion of Jesus. Although much of what he wrote has not been preserved in its original form, fortunately his words have been quoted by his contemporaries and by later writers.

Origen, who was a scholar and theologian from Alexandria, in his work, Against Celsus (Book 2, Chapter 14), attests to Phlegon’s historical references to Jesus. Origen writes, “Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events …. but also testified that the result corresponded to His predictions.” In other words, Jesus was thought to have accurately predicted the future.

Furthermore, Phlegon described an earthquake accompanied by an eclipse, which he stated had occurred during the reign of Emperor Tiberias, and this record matches the account in the Gospels of the darkness that fell “over all the land” while Jesus hung on the cross and of the earthquake which immediately followed Jesus’ death (Matt. 27:45, 51). According to Origen, Phlegon wrote that there was “the greatest eclipse of the sun” and that “it became night in the sixth hour of the day so that stars even appeared in the heavens.”

Finally, Origen concludes, “We have in the preceding pages made our defense, according to our ability, adducing the testimony of Phlegon, who relates that these events took place at the time when our Savior suffered, and he goes on to say, that ‘Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to himself, but that he arose after death, and exhibited the marks of his punishment, and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails.’”

The Christian historian, Julius Africanus, added that Phlegon even specified the length of the darkness as being from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, again matching the account of the Gospel writers. Eusebius, quoted by Jerome, quotes Phelgon as saying that both the eclipse and earthquake were felt as far away as Bythinia and Nicea in modern-day Turkey. A later historian, Jerome, confirmed the same without adding any new details.

Daniel McCabe

August 24, 2024

—Of the ten proofs to be presented in our series, this will be the only one with Christian roots. The remaining nine will be entirely of secular origin—writers and historians who have no ax to grind and whose motives cannot be easily assailed.

—Today’s list includes Christian writers whose works date between 50-157 A.D., quite early. Some knew and learned directly from Jesus’ disciples. For example:

—1. Clement, a bishop of Rome, who in The First Epistle of Clement, a letter to the church of Corinth, dating to 70-96 A.D., referred to Jesus’ teachings (13:1), his death (21:6) and his resurrection (24:1);

—2. Ignatius, a bishop of Antioch, who in The Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, dating to 110 A.D., referred to Jesus’ crucifixion under Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch (chapter 1), noting too that Jesus “suffered all these things for our sakes that we might be saved; and He suffered truly, even as also He truly raised up Himself” (chapter 2);

—3. Polycarp, a bishop of Smyrna, who in The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, dating to 110-140 A.D., referred to the life and death of Jesus (1:2);

—4. Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist and philosopher, who in his First Apology, dating to 155-157 A.D., referred to Jesus’ teaching, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension (chapter 21);

—5. Papias, a bishop of Hierapolis, who learned of Jesus from those who had been taught by him directly, particularly John the apostle, and who wrote a five-volume work, Explanation of the Sayings of the Lord; and

—6. Quadratus, a bishop of Athens and early Christian apologist, who wrote a letter to Emperor Hadrian in defense of Christianity, dating between 117-138, “But the works of our Savior were always present, for they were genuine; those that were healed and those that were raised from the dead who were seen not only when they were healed and when they were raised, but were also always present; and not merely while the Savior was on earth, but also after his death, they were alive for quite a while, so that some of them lived even to our day.”

—Faith in Jesus exploded during the first century, and it’s difficult to explain this growth if no such individual existed, especially given the flood of histories and personal testimonies that refer to him, including those just listed.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirty-Five, 2024

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:10

In his book, Excellence Wins, Horst Schulze spells how he did it. As co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, he tells how he took it to the top of excellent and respected hotels. He spells out a no-nonsense guide to becoming the best in a world of compromise. An enjoyable read, it tells not just how to build a hotel brand, but how we all should manage our lives.

Though not a spiritual book, as I read it, I couldn’t keep from putting a spiritual spin on it. God wants us to live excellence in our spiritual lives. Like Schulze, who says to put the hotel guests first, God wants us to put Him first in our lives.

Excellence is the quality of excelling, of being the very best at something. Human beings have an intrinsic desire to see excellence. In every people group across the world, excellence is prized and rewarded. Whether it is a tribe celebrating excellence in hunting or a Wall Street accountant promoted because of his excellence in finance, our appreciation of excellence comes from our Creator. To be made in God’s image means that He imparted some of His character qualities to us (Genesis 1:27). We crave justice because He is just (Psalm 9:16). We love because He is love (1 John 4:16). And we strive for excellence because He is excellent in everything He does (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Many things get in the way of human excellence, including apathy, carelessness, and laziness. Our sinful nature is that part of us that is unlike God and is in fact in opposition to God and His excellence. We are all born sinners, and that sin manifests itself in a thousand ways. We cut corners, we shirk, we settle for second best (or third or fourth best) if the effort to achieve excellence is more than we’re willing to give. God’s cure for our careless ways is to remind us that He is our ultimate judge. We must answer to Him for how we spend our time, our resources, and our energy (Matthew 12:36; 1 Corinthians 3:13–15). Striving for excellence should be a part of all we do: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” Colossians 3:23–24.

Aware that it is Christ Himself we are serving, we don’t want to present Him with anything but excellence. Whether it is sweeping streets or running a country, we should strive for excellence in work ethic, in character, and in craftsmanship. No one is good at everything, but we’re all good at something. God expects us to develop the skills and gifts He’s given us in order to serve Him and others better.

Are you striving for excellence in your spiritual life?

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in America, more than 63,000,000 babies have been aborted.

This is a population four times the size of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston—combined!!!!!!!!

And yet, more Americans than ever before think abortion should be legal under any circumstances. More than two-thirds also believe it should be legal in the first three months of pregnancy.

If you believe as I do that life begins at conception, you might be asking yourself:

How can so many people be so wrong on this crucial issue?

Abortion is the moral issue of our day.

— o —

When they said, “Caesar’s,” Jesus then said, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Then the Pharisees marveled at His words and left Him and went away.

“Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” but we often forget the second part of His response.

“… and to God the things that are God’s.”

Wow… that means everything. Because it’s all God’s. God created it. God gave it to us. And Jesus reminds us and the Pharisees to give God everything that is His.

That means everything. Not just our money, but our possessions. But not just our possession, but our lives and our livelihoods. We are to give Him everything. All that we are. All that we do. All that we have. All back to God for Him and His glory. For Him and His work. For Him to do with as He pleases. What are you giving back to God?

Marty Stubblefield

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Suffering is not an optional class in the university of life. Dana Hardee

Christianity is not a religion. It’s a Divine relationship. God Blesses with His chosen children. Stephen Bernard

Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them. L.M. Montgomery

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in a large group. George Carlin

The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion. Paul Coleho

Beware of false knowledge as it is more dangerous than ignorance. George Bernard Shaw

When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom so that big sinners like me might fit through it. Charles Spurgeon

We often put ourselves in some pretty miserable positions because we move ahead without seeking God.

There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict. Walk away; the battle they are fighting isn’t with you, it is with themselves.

If Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, we shouldn’t condemn the world, either. Instead, we should “believe the God we believe in and thus share his truth with his grace. R. C. Sproul

We have enough money. We just cannot control our financial appetite. Chris Dodson

You can change what a person looks like on the outside, but can’t change one’s real person on the inside. Too often, we look at people the same way. We form our opinions of them by the outside, when it’s the inside that matters. Rich Jensen

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.

R. Buckminister Fuller

Never, never, never give up!!! Winston Churchill

Heaven has strict entrance requirements, but hell has open borders. Rodney Akers

My worship was empty because I was too worried about filling me… instead of pouring out and worshiping Him – the one that could and would wash me clean and fill me again. Marty Stubblefield

When you have a true encounter with God, you come away with the realization that God is for you. Dan Shock

We go to all kinds of seminars to get all kinds of answers, but God has our answers. Ask Him! Matt Blair

If it’s not in God’s time, you can’t force it. If it is in God’s time, you can’t stop it!

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet. Anne Frank

All in this world are not disobedient to God but, the devil is the most “cunning” ‘fisher of men’ as his baits are deceitful and enticing. Stephen Bernard

What’s one of the differences between humans and animals?

Animals don’t let the weak lead.

Trying to grasp the incredible gift of eternal life is like trying to understand the generosity of our Creator…watching a sunrise and sunset in just a twelve-hour period is a good way to start. Dwight Short

How closely does your life line up with the Gospel you profess? Brenden Schlappi

Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results. Forgiveness is Biblical and it is costly. The greatest act Jesus did for me was to make me a child of God by forgiving our sins. When we sin, we sin against God and only He can forgive our sins. When Jesus says your sins are forgiven, He is saying He is ready to pay the price for our sins. Be a great friend and bring others to Jesus. Warren Wiersbe

There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human, are created, strengthened and maintained.

Winston Churchill

I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business. Michael J. Fox

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun? Katharin Graham

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

August 17, 2024

Thank you, Mrs. Thelma, for teaching me the stories of Jesus in Children’s Church so long ago. Has it really been fifty years since I sat in her weekly service for six of the best years of my life? Along with other amazing memories I can remember standing each Sunday to recite our cornerstone Bible verse in unison. “First Corinthians Fifteen Three B and Four,” we’d begin, our voices just a few notches short of an all-out yell, “‘that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.’” Today I can still quote that passage without a bobble although I don’t get orange jelly slices any more for saying it. Oh, well!

But, yes, Jesus really existed. The Bible says so, and thanks to Mrs. Thelma, I can’t ever remember questioning the Bible! Perhaps you’ve heard too the same little saying that I picked up somewhere along my faith journey, “The Bible says it. I believe it and that settles it for me!” But truth be told, not everyone believes what the Bible says about Jesus. To many the Bible was written by religious zealots with an ax to grind who couldn’t possibly be trusted. “I would need proof from something other than the Bible if I’m ever to be convinced,” some might be heard saying, and upon hearing this objection most Christians are stopped cold.

Many don’t have the foggiest idea whether or not there even ARE any sources other than the Bible to prove that Jesus lived, and if I have to be honest, other than the early writings of Christians who lived in the one hundred years or so after the death of Jesus, I’m not sure I could have rattled off any myself. So over the next ten weeks that’s exactly what I’ll do—demonstrate for you that there are solid literary and historical proofs outside of the Bible that refer directly to Jesus, and they are quite early! In fact, our list will include only sources within the first and second centuries following the death of Jesus in 33 A.D.

Now you’ll be able to answer any objections that might present themselves to you by those who dispute the historicity of Jesus. I am indebted to the writings of Pastor Bryan Windle of Associates for Biblical Research whose research I have adapted for this series.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirty-Four, 2024

Commit to the Lord Whatever You Do. Proverbs 16:3

There have been a lot of books written, speeches spoken and things said about goals over the years. Most of us have gone to conferences and/or seminars that have guided us in goal setting and have reiterated the importance of having goals in business, in our professional life, in our personal life.

But rarely have we heard much about having goals or setting goals in our faith life. Yet, here’s Paul plainly laying it out:

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14 NASB

Our Goal: The prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Now, what does that mean?

Paul’s actions steps to reach his ultimate goal were to…

Know Christ

Be like Christ

Be all that Christ had in mind for him to be

Forgetting what was in the past

Striving for what is ahead

Like an elite athlete in training, we must have a single-mindedness and not allow anything to distract us or keep us from reaching our goal.

Yet still remembering what Paul teaches in Ephesians 2:8:9, as Dr. David Jeremiah so clearly reminds us, “No one is saved BY good works, but every Christian has been saved FOR good works.”

To me, the cool part of this is that Jesus wants to help us reach our ultimate goal.

He wants us to know Him more.

He wants us, even calls us, to be more like Him.

He wants us to have an abundant life and to live it joyfully.

Opposite of what we often face when we set our business, professional and personal goals – instead of folks competing and striving against us, we have our goal, Jesus Himself, cheering us on, supporting our efforts, giving us strength in our weakness, reminding us that all things are possible through Him.

If we make Jesus our ultimate goal and our focus is striving to and pressing on to reach that goal, then all “other” goals (business, personal, professional) should fall in to their proper place underneath the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Set your sights on high. Know from where your help comes.

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Counterculture: a subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, often in opposition to mainstream cultural mores.

In a society and culture moving further and further from the values in which it was founded, how then should we live?

A Countercultural Standard For Living:

• Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

• Do not conform to what the world/age says is ok.

• Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you can discern God’s perfect will.

• Do not think of yourself more highly than you should

• Think sensibly

• Be a functional part of the body of Christ

How, then, will you live? For Christianity is naturally counter cultural.

What, then, will you follow? Mainstream society and the direction it’s world is pulling and leading? Or the counter… a world led by Biblical values, with decisions and choices made through prayer and supplication? Marty Stubblefield

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A.W. Tozer said, what you think about God is the most important thing about you. Because the problem with most of us is that our God is too small. We fail to grasp the greatness and power and majesty of our Lord. Folks if we ever get a glimpse of His glory, we would fall to our knees in worship. Paul says we are changed from glory to glory. We need to get a glimpse of His glory. It will change us and sustain us. Pastor Tony Walliser

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Morals have changed, Churches have changed, Society has changed, People have changed. But God’s Word remains the same. Billy Graham

Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is infallible and inerrant. Dan Shock

It’s impossible to soar like an eagle unless your launching pad is Jesus.

Jesus didn’t come to have coffee. He came to save the lost. Al Vonsteg

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

The only people who are mad at you for speaking the truth are those people that are living a lie. Keep speaking the truth!!!!!

Never confuse education with intelligence. You can have a PhD and still be an idiot.

Children must be taught HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Margaret Mead

You must remember that some things that are legally right, are not morally right. Abraham Lincoln

People claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live.

God used Goliath to get David to the throne. Your giants aren’t meant to defeat you. They are meant to promote you.

Every time you get upset with something or someone, ask yourself if you were to die tomorrow was it worth your time being angry.

Satan’s strategy is simple: Make sin look normal and make righteousness look weird.

The optimist says the cup is half full while the pessimist says the cup is half empty. The child of God says, “My cup runneth over.”

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naïve forgive and forget; the wise forgive but don’t forget.

An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground in order to rule over the ashes.

God didn’t remove the Red Sea. He parted it. God doesn’t always remove your problems, but he will make a way to get through them!!!!

The one who reads a newspaper knows what is happening in the world. The one who reads the Bible knows why.

Don’t come to church for an emotional experience. Come to church for the truth.

I do not ask you whether you are a Wesleyan, a Baptist or a Presbyterian. My only question is “Are you born again?”. Charles Spurgeon

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Your feedback is welcome and feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024