A lot of preachers these days are taking on the prosperity gospel, also known as name-it-and-claim it. They object to TV preachers getting rich by telling us how to get rich, which is allegedly achieved, by the way, by giving our money to them.  They call it seed money for the blessings (riches) God will bestow upon us.

Of course, they back up their claim with scripture.  Jesus said whatever you ask for in His name, He will give it to you (John 16:24).  God told the prophet Malachi that if the people were committed to giving the tithe (“Test me in this.”), He would throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing [wealth?] that we wouldn’t be able to handle it (Malachi 3:10).

It’s like a Christian lottery.

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What does your countenance say to others?  How about the tone of your voice, the look in your eyes or your body language?  Does it say, “Come on in?”  Or does it say, “Keep out of my space?”

We all want to feel welcomed, but we are not always welcoming.  Obviously, if you’re sick, you are not as likely to be cordially open to others.  Blessed are those that can still do it.  Some experts advise us to “be yourself.”  Others say live for others (Philippians 2:4).  Can you do both?

The Roman playwright Plautus said, “No guest is so welcome in a friend’s house that he will not become a nuisance after three days.”

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Have you ever experienced despair, a feeling of utter hopelessness? Depression is a natural companion to despair, and most of us have felt it one or more times in our lives.  I’ve felt depressed before, but I’m not sure that it reached a point of despair.

Sometimes specific circumstances can trigger depression and despair, but there are other times when it just comes over you, and you don’t know why? Oddly enough, many people, including celebrities, can sink to despair, when they have absolutely no problems with security (job, food, home, etc) or pleasure (clothes, jewelry, cars, etc.).

What does our spirit need to deliver us from this valley of fear and doubt? The Apostle Paul writes that his trust in God’s power and the fact that Jesus lives in his heart keeps him from falling into despair.  (2 Corinthians 4:7)  But plenty of Christians are on anti-depressants, or are receiving counseling for depression.  Where is their victory in Christ?  Why doesn’t joy come in the morning?  (Psalm 30:5)

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I don’t mean, Does God inflict pain on anyone?  I mean, Does God feel pain?  My Sunday school class was discussing it the other day, and the teacher commented that when we sin as believers, it hurts God.  It got me to thinking.  The Biblical writers are free to project onto the Almighty human characteristics, like love, anger, hurt, and compassion.  They always leave out fear.  But, seriously, who or what could God be afraid of?

Biblical scholars, preachers, teachers and lay leaders all say that God can feel these emotions because we are made in His image.  But don’t we feel those things simply because we’re human?  I can see God loving us, even having compassion.  But can He really be hurt?  If you are hurt, it is usually because someone has exercised unwanted control over you, by word or deed.  Who could exercise such control over God?

And what about God’s wrath, or anger?  Is it a controlled anger?  Is He frustrated because He gave us freewill?  Can He get mad, since He is the one who has created us and knows ahead of time what we are going to do?

Jesus wept.  (John 11:35)  The shortest verse in the Bible.  Why did He weep? Was it His human side that identified with how death affects humans?  And what about His anguish in the garden before His own death?  Do we identify with Father and Son better if they display human characteristics?

I want a God who will never have the opportunity to “lose it” because of anger or grief.  He is my Rock and my Fortress.  Rocks and fortresses don’t cry.

How much do we really know about God?

It’s all about how you get along with others.  Is your wife getting on your nerves?  Is your husband SO not the same man that you married?  Are the kids out of control?  How about the neighbors?

Unless you’re a hermit, completely cut off from society, then you rarely go through a day without encountering at least one other human being.  You will interact with this person by your words, looks, body language, touch or even silence.  They will receive that communication, process it (often quickly) and generate a response.  Then it’s your turn.  Then theirs.  And so it goes.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of these events will occur in a single day.

Most of the time we will go through them without giving them a second thought.  Sometimes they evoke a feeling of love, joy or sympathy.  At other times tension will prevail due to anger or hurt.  This is the makeup of life.  It’s a major part of what separates us from the animals.  Do you ever give thought to how someone is perceiving you?  Have you ever changed your approach?  If so, why?

The Bible tells us to care for others more than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).  How do you do that?  Aren’t we put here to correct others?  What if we’re not appreciated for what we do?  Jesus was a great example of caring for others, but he was perfect.  Can we be expected to do the same?

With our technological advances in communication we are able to witness even greater misery throughout our world.  We can pipe into our homes graphic images of man’s inhumanity to man.  It makes us feel helpless.  Wouldn’t it be better to not know about it?

Maybe the answer is to not be overwhelmed at the big picture.  Jesus said that we have enough to be concerned about in our immediate environment (Matthew 6:34).  Is that good enough?  Or is it just a start?

I’m sure it’s true what they say about men.  They won’t ask for directions (I’m not lost), and they won’t ask for help (I’ve got this).  Are men worse than women in both categories, or just the directions part?  I think at some point or another we all tend to not want to ask for information, directions or assistance. Is that a pride thing?

It could be that we’re embarrassed to have the other person find out that we don’t know the answer. And we don’t want someone else to appear more skilled at anything than ourselves.  Of course there are those who will constantly ask for help to either get out of doing it themselves, or they’re too lazy to want to learn how to do it.

But isn’t asking for help, in a way, blessing the helper?  Haven’t you ever felt good after helping someone with a problem?  I admit, though, that there a few who have a sort of smugness about them when they realize that you are indebted to them, so to speak.  But that’s no reason to refuse to ask for any help.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would help you. (John 14:16)  Now, while He represents the mind of God, I doubt if He gets involved in helping you with that plumbing problem, or show you how to get to Poughkeepsie.  What He will help you with is how to sort out the meaning of life.  His office is open 24/7 for counseling, encouragement, comfort and even warning.

Can the Holy Spirit help you with your pride, which prompts you to shun help?  Have you asked?  Praying out loud is optional.

How do you remember to do things each day?  What devices help you to remember?  Some people have Blackberry’s or computer programs.  Others write on their calendars or use sticky notes.  What is so important that you need to remember it?

Here’s a few:  taking your pills; important appointments; to-do list for around the house; car maintenance; etc..  Most people who use daily reminders do so because they have missed deadlines or failed to do things simply because they didn’t remember.  Daily reminders cover all aspects of our lives. But wouldn’t you feel more free if you didn’t have these constant checklists hanging over your head?

Maybe you feel a sense of security in having these things to keep you in check.  Does God care that we remember things?  The Apostle Peter said that it was important for believers to remember the things of God so that they would be fully grounded in their faith. (2 Peter 1:12-14)  But does prayer and reading your Bible show up alongside the dentist appointment on your list?  Or have they become routine instead of reminder?

Sometimes we notice things in our daily lives that remind us of a past hurt, joy or concern.  Can the Holy Spirit be counted on as a daily reminder?  He certainly is concerned with those things regarding spiritual growth.  You have needs, wants, worries and doubt.  Can you remember to bring them before God?

What’s in your life?

The words are almost synonymous.  Mystery is something hidden, and wonder is wanting it to be revealed.  Wonder can also be a state of awe at the mystery itself.

I’m reading a mystery novel.  I wonder who the murderer is.

How many other populated planets are out there is a mystery, known only to God.  I look up into the clear night sky and wonder.

What do you wonder about?  How much of your wonderment is divided between this life and a spiritual life, or the next life?  It would be hard to imagine a human being who never questioned the meaning of life or thought about what happens after death.

I’ve met people over the years who appear to have a genuine connection with God.  And we’ve all heard stories of near-death experiences that seem so real.  Is it just our minds accommodating the need for addressing what can’t be explained, or is there more than this life?

Why does God use an almost clandestine approach to communicating with us in the here and now?  We have the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Jesus.  Isn’t that enough?

I am impressed by the mysteries of our ecosystem and the magnificence of our solar system.  I would have great difficulty believing that it all just happened.

And then there’s hope.  A person who is healthy and wealthy, or who lives in peace and security tends to live for the day.  Those that have experienced sickness, who have witnessed a death or have been exposed to the cruelty of man are more likely to hope for tomorrow.  Can the self-made man hope?

It’s a mystery that we even wonder.

Are you okay with the name your parents gave you?  Did they put a lot of thought into it?  My dad and I have the same first names, so my mom called me by my middle name in order that we may know who she’s calling for. Some people hate their names, and others take steps to legally change it.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, added the “w” in his name in order to disassociate himself with his great great grandfather, who was a judge in the Salem witch trials.  What would it take for you to change your name?

The Scottish judge, Lord Jeffrey, said, “A good name, like good will, is got by many actions and lost by one.”  While your name may be quickly forgotten after death, it would seem that you would want it to be respected in this life. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.”  Would you rather have the riches?

Does God care about your name?  Or is He more likely concerned with what you have made of your name? It seems that promoting your name by your achievements would have some pride in it.  Is it possible that, when people see us, God wants them to associate us with the name of Jesus?

Maybe you should Google your name and see what others think about you, if they think about you at all. Either way, God loves you, and your name is written in His Book of Life.  Isn’t it?

Evangelist John Wesley (18th century) had some suggestions.  In what later would be called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (1964) Wesley said that there are four areas in which we can learn of our Creator and what he wants from us:

SCRIPTURE – He was referring to the Bible.  The Old Testament makes the assumption that God gave out His information through the Jews.  The New Testament centers on God’s son, Jesus, who sacrificed His life for us.  Can we get any more from scripture than how to live our lives?  Is there a plan of salvation clearly outlined for us?

TRADITION – Wesley said that not only the writings of the church fathers, but religious traditions in place today should carry some weight in securing what we believe.  But what if the church fathers got it wrong?  Is it possible that the belief system of the masses could have some holes?

REASON – This one could be used on the other three.  Wesley saw reason as a way to correct interpretation of scripture or proper examination of religious teachings.  But what about “God’s ways are higher than our ways?”  Don’t we have to take a lot of things on faith, even though they don’t make sense?

EXPERIENCE – What is working for you?  Do you feel peace and freedom?  Are you secure in the destiny of your soul?  Then maybe it’s working for you.  But what if you’re wrong?

John Wesley fought for the free will of man working in conjunction with the leading of the Holy Spirit. He taught that these four tools must be used in balance, that over-emphasizing one would be detrimental to our spiritual growth.

Which one is the most important to you?  Can you balance them and come out alive?