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Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025
THINK SERIES #14: THINK CRITICALLY - THE INTRO
Critical thinking is not what your critics (if you have any, of course, lol) think of us. It requires the capacity to do the following:
1. Look at an issue with the end in mind.
2. Identify what we need to do about it
3. Consider all the sides of what needs to be done to address said issue.
4. Consider the consequences of each action.
5. Consider who is going to be affected by any course of action
6. Take all that information and go to the Lord with it
7. Make the decision
We are born with the ability to think. The Cambridge dictionary definition is actually the simplest and most effective short definition of Critical Thinking. Cambridge defines it as “the process of thinking carefully about a subject or idea, without allowing feelings”.
As we already know, it is not something that is taught in the US education system, where feelings and other agendas trump the basics of reading, writing, and ‘arithmetic – the Three R’s (so to speak). It was something we hired a missionary almost two decades ago to teach our three kids as part of their education ,and it was a great lesson for me as well. This kind, gentle man, let’s call him John Smith Jones, was the epitome of kindness, patience, and grace.
How he taught Critical Thinking was a great example to me of how we should approach anything. Whether it is how we teach our kids the Bible or the tenets of our Christian Faith, there has to be a method that cries out for effectiveness. For many years, the fact that many Christian families lose their children to practical atheism by High School or College has bothered me until we figured out why – many young people do not connect the Bible stories they hear in Sunday School to real life, themselves, and the real Person of Jesus. When you add some parents living double lives or no life of righteousness at all, young people will walk from that kind of hypocrisy.
There is a relationship between Critical Thinking and the education of our kids in the Ways of our Lord. The Bible says in Psalm 139:17-18 the following: “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, Oh God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I am awake, I am still with You”.
These are our Heavenly Father’s and Creator’s thoughts:
* They are Precious
* They are so many and far-reaching they cannot EVER be counted (think about the stars in the sky – can you count them?)
* They are permanent
* They are embedded in the beings, just like the Law of God or our consciences
* They are ever present, whether we access the most valuable treasures found in the Mind of Our God.
Please note also, in Verse 17, the amount of original exclamation marks! King David, who we know from Psalm 51 was indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God to write the Psalms, was excited that the very thoughts and Mind of Christ were with him!
Now, look at the thoughts we have. Check Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me o God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts, and there if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way”.
What kinds of thoughts do we have? Well, anxious ones with the capacity and potential to cause hurt to others and us”!
The human condition is right there in the Bible.
We are full of anxiety, worry, and stress from both real and imaginary enemies, and our way to blood pressure medication or worse.
We are prime candidates for depression, depression meds, and being super discouraged to the point of even doubting God.
All of this happens because we do not think Biblically, as we spelled out in the past 13 posts on the “THINK SERIES”, nor do we practice “Critical Thinking” in most of our daily lives.
Biblical Thinking was addressed first in this series since we must possess the foundation on which to operate successfully as a man or woman of God. Critical Thinking will take a look at each of the seven (7) critical steps listed above and the benefits therein.
We will use the following as our theme verse, for this exercise, from Proverbs 14:15, where the Bible says, “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thoughts to his steps.”
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
THINK" SERIES: PART 13 - "WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE"
For something to be considered “praiseworthy”, it follows logic that the object of praise, approval, giving value to, or even some sort of adulation or adoration – must be “worthy of all praise”.
The only Being in this world, where this can possibly fit, is Almighty God, the King of Heaven and Earth. Seeing that the word “praiseworthy” is actually a combination of words used by Paul here, in Philippians 4:8, that is – “praise” with the preposition “towards or upon”, it only follows that all our praise; all our gratitude; all our worship; all our thoughts need to be directed in this vertical relationship we have with our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ Name.
Praise-worthiness explicitly implies a high view of God. It is said by many that what we think about God, at the highest level possible, determines our conduct, attitude, and respect or reverence for and to Him. If we have a high view of God, the humbler and more surrendered to His Sovereign Will we are. Conversely, a low view shows the carnal nature of mankind, where God is just an afterthought, even to so-called self-professed Christians. One of the best examples in life and in Scripture can be found in Isaiah Chapter 6. Read this amazing passage of the greatest of all Old Testament prophets – Isaiah, as he is allowed into the very Presence of the Holiest Being in the World – God the Father.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:1-5)
This incredible passage reveals the indescribable scene in Heaven when Isaiah realizes where he is. In verse 5, the prophet said “Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell amidst a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts”.
The vast majority of us will not have a similar experience on this side of Heaven. However we have the Holy Spirit, if we are born again, Who testifies to the same. But what Isaiah did can be best described as a realization of his own spiritual and moral poverty, and then the Highest View of God possible!
It is an amazing passage to read, be fired up about, and then praise God that:
- He draws us into His Presence when He saves us
- He lets us into the Kingdom – past, present, and eternity. This means that we are now joint heirs with Christ from Eternity Past to Eternity Future
- We will be tainted by this world, just like Isaiah in verse 5, while we are still in these corrupt times. We are saints who sometimes sin, but the Lord has cleansed us with the righteous fire from the altar of Heaven.
- The end of verse 5 shows the awesome reverence, adoration, worship...and more that Isaiah had for the good Lord. He acknowledged Who he had just seen.
Acknowledging and being in complete AWE of The Lord of Host, the King of the Universe, led Isaiah to volunteer to serve the Lord of his own free will! All God had to say was, “Whom shall We send”? Our Father is so gracious that even in this generous state, which no living human eyes could ever see, He left it up to the mere mortal Isaiah to willingly serve.
While the greatest worship towards God are things we know about- prayer, praise, reverence, abiding in His Word – a willing heart like Isaiah’s to serve, rounds that up very nicely.
There are 305 references to the word “praise” in the most literal of Bible translations. The Bible tells us the Lord INHABITS the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3). The meaning of this phrase exhibits the living embodiment of “Praise-worthy”.
That is, because of our high view of God Who knows each and every heart, when we praise, adore and worship Him with our lives -whether it is on Sunday mornings, Sunday or Wednesday in a corporate setting or 24/7/365 in our own daily lives, we have created a pure atmosphere where He can be present and active.
This is, verifiably, a most significant habit to develop, as an attribute of our Faith. When we have a discipline of awareness of "Praise-worthiness," it can have a tremendous impact on the spiritual and emotional aspect of our lives. Removing the focus from what may, or may not be the deficits in our lives and looking up to the One Who deserves all praise, honor and glory will:
- Remove self-pity from our thinking.
- Remove any discontent we have with our current situation and replace it with an attitude of gratitude.
- Rejoice in what is of prime importance. Our Lord, Savior and Creator is to Whom all praise belongs, so let us then, readjust our entire mindset towards this goalpost, because it is here, to which all praise belongs.
Father, in Jesus' Strong Name, thank You for giving us this direction in Your Holy Word that we may realize what is truly important and that is - keeping our eyes on You, our mind stayed on You and our worship as a lifestyle that will remain free from the stain of the world, the more we focus on Your Goodness, Glory and Power. Thank You for changing us, transforming us, and rescuing us, by the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the King of all Kings, in His Name we pray, amen.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
THINK" SERIES: PART 12 - "IF THERE IS ANY VIRTUE....."
Can an authentic, practicing Christian, live a virtuous life, full of every attribute called for in this incredible verse (Philippians 4:8), 24/7/365, that is – all the time? In the natural – it is extremely difficult. Led by the Spirit of Christ – we absolutely, 100% can do it. Jesus Himself prayed in John 17:15 “ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world but that You should keep them from the evil one”.
This section of the verse makes the statement “if there is any virtue”….and therefore, it begs the question: what really is virtue? The Biblical Greek word is “arete”. It means the following in modern English: uprightness; a gracious act; moral goodness (which we would expect it to be); excellence and has the sense of the highest level of moral excellence, personal qualities, and attributes. You get the picture.
In Galatians, the Bible gives us a big contrast between the evil attributes of this world (click here) and the Fruits of The Spirit of which each and every Christian should be a live and living example. Virtue is one of the foundational blocks that makes those fruits of the Spirit, shine Jesus’ shine!
Since virtue and integrity are closely parallel, they are both an adjective and a verb. They are almost synonymous. However, while these incredibly admirable qualities reflect the honesty, kindness, graciousness, transparency, and love that we have for God and man, a high degree of maintenance is required. The minute we let our individual guards down, we are in trouble. If there ever comes a time we take a break from actively praying for all those qualities in Phil 4:8 to not just remain in us, but continue to seek the Face of God daily through:
- Mediating, reading, and digging into His Word. While we all love and acknowledge the Psalms, as the official “Prayer Book of the Bible”, other Books of the Bible are extremely beneficial. Not just Proverbs, but Isaiah especially. The Book of Isaiah is so rich that it could be considered five different books. The rich history of the people of God and the Mighty Hand of God throughout, from the personal to the prophetic, could and should drive you and me to our knees.
- We also maintain a lifestyle full of virtue and integrity by, believe it or not, serving others. We need to make ourselves available for those who are younger than us, in both chronological years AND the Faith, to be the best example of the Lord, as we can. To that end, we should:
- Do random acts of kindness, love, and thoughtfulness. The vast majority of people do not send greeting cards or letters of encouragement. Therefore, why don’t you and I just continue being a living tradition of writing notes of faithful encouragement and hope to someone who needs it, for whatever reason? This is sure to buck them up, so they can know that when the chips are down, they have a friend who loves Jesus and talks with Him. I tell you what, boxes of Christian cards, for all occasions, can be purchased very cheaply at Hobby Lobby. One box, for $10, can last you six months to a year. The joy of a recipient of one of your encouragements would be priceless!
- Speak what is virtuous. There are countless Scriptures about the power of the tongue. The old adage "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, is Fake News!" Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit". What comes out of our mouths is, for the most part (not always), what is in our hearts. Therefore, let us be resolved to think biblically, so we can think righteously and act honorably. There is a pattern or sequence to this kind of living.
- Study the example of Jesus. While we are more headstrong or easily flummoxed by petty things like Peter, when he denied Christ, we can also be like the same Peter of whom it was asked and said in Acts 4:13 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus". There is no greater virtue than to be like King Jesus!
There is more to be said on this subject. However, these five exhortations are a handful enough to keep us busy for half a lifetime, if we would just become very intentional about accomplishing even 85% of them. In all the commands, statutes and precepts of the Bible, we have the most difficult time keeping even the very few critical ones, were it not for God's Grace and the Holy Spirit. So, may we be resolved to bear down on these five listed above - and excel in them....like a virtuoso!
QUOTE DU JOUR ON VIRTUE FROM CS. LEWIS:
"Christianity seems at first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, yet it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond. One has a glimpse of a country where they do not talk of those things, except perhaps as a joke. Every one there is filled full with what we should call goodness as a mirror is filled with light. But they do not call it goodness. They do not call it anything. They are not thinking of it. They are too busy looking at the source from which it comes"
Heavenly Father, thank You in the Mighty Name of Jesus, for the simple tools, resources and guidance, which You have given, so that we may live honorable lives - upright in the sight of God and men, so that "if there is any virtue", may it be found in us. Amen.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
THINK" SERIES: PART 11 - "WHATEVER IS NOBLE OR OF GOOD REPORT"
The world views "nobility" as royalty. The British royal family, or some European elites, are regarded as the "standard" in terms of class, wealth, and nobility. This is, of course, a product of centuries of class divisions, and in modern times, an obsession of the media and culture.
Nobility means something else to God. In our passage above from Philippians 4:8, the word "NOBLE" (or 'of good report') is an adjective with quite a punch. The original Biblical Greek is "euphémos". In this context, euphemos means of good report, reputable and praiseworthy (Strongs 2163).
If we look across the spectrum in public life, not many can fulfill the demands of these attributes. They are attributes. The original meaning of the English words found in this verse (Phil. 4:8) for "meditate or think on these things" imply action. The Biblical Greek word is "logizomai" which means reckon, conclude, decide, reason and more.....all verbs of action. We also get the word "logic" from this Bible word.
The Bible is not just true, inspiring, encouraging and more, but it inspires logic, thought, and positive action. I have a few friends who teach character development. One of them has made a living out of it, by developing an international ministry. Why is so much of the world, especially in certain areas of the United States, the Far East, and some developing countries, captivated by this concept of Nobility in thought, word, and deed?
Why? Because it is an attractive quality and leads only to good things - for families, churches, communities and business. People of Noble Character (which is the true meaning of GOOD REPORT) are:
- Pleasant to be around
- Dignified and courageous, yet as gentle as a lamb.
- Always willing to lend a helping hand of love, friendship and cheerful giving
- Genuinely generous with their time and resources
- Strong and humble. But do not mistake their humility and strength under control as a weakness. What they are exhibiting is the "meekness" which our Lord and Savior Jesus exhibited.
- Willing to mentor, share with, or instruct others in the paths which they can follow to become better-engaged and grounded children of God.
There are many more, but these main qualities of Noble Character, inspired by Godly and a clean mind focused on making the main thing, the main thing, will not just glorify God through our actions, but they will serve to honor Him by showing His people as ones of people of truly "good report".
As stated many times before, our actions are the results of our thoughts. Think on these pure and noble things, and we will stand before God and man, blameless and shining the Truth of His Gospel. Amen
Dear Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, help us to seal these truths in our minds: the Truths to the point where if any one of them is not yet second nature, that by the cleansing Blood of Jesus and the washing of Your Holy Word, each attributes or item listed in Philippians 4:8 will become to us, an integral part of our lives, in thought, word and deed, that we may glorify You and become living testimonies to the Glory of God, before God and man, in Jesus' Strong Name, amen.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
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