365 Reflections

There is a funny little story in Acts 20. A young man is sitting by a window on the third floor while Paul preaches into the night. He is overcome by sleep and falls dead. His name is Eutychus. Paul will revive him back to life and restore him to his parents. What's interesting is when this all happened. Acts 20:7 (ESV) On the first day of the week... Second, it was a fall from the third story. Third, they had just broken bread to celebrate the Lord's Supper. In this little story we have a reminder of what Christians are called to gather around. We gather around resurrected life. Our's is a faith that anyone can be raised to life from the dead no matter what. Death will not have the last word. The Early Church did not solemnly gather in mournful rows trying to stay awake during a boring presentation of religious jargon.  They did not do their "Christian duty" by showing up once a week. No!  They gathered together and enjoyed the Word preached until midnig...

Ephesians 4:17 (ESV) Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. The problem is not in the world. The problem is in your mind. It is also in your heart and soul, but here Paul addresses the mind. The word for "futility" can be translated "nothingness." A "what's the point" existence that lives for today and nothing more.  It's the word Paul uses when he speaks about our faith apart from the resurrection hope: 1 Corinthians 15:13 "if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain ." There's no point to the mind of an unbeliever. There is no ultimate goal. For your mind may conceive of things wonderful and beautiful, but in the end, they are all vanity and nothingness. The world is full of knowledge, but not much wisdom. Th...