Escaping Reincarnation

This He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Hebrews 7:27 Every 12 years in the northern India town of Allahabad, the Hindu faithful participate in what claims to be the largest religious gathering in the world. Nearly 70 million pilgrims converge on the spot where the Ganges, Yamuna and Sarasvati Rivers come together. It's timed to coincide with the alignment of Jupiter and the sun in the astrological houses of Aquarius and Aries. The two-month event draws Hindus and tourists from all over the world. The vast grounds are transformed into a tent city, with thousands of police on hand to maintain public safety and order. The origins of this pilgrimage - known as the Kumbha Mela ("Grand Pitcher Festival") - come from a bit of Hindu mythology. According to myth, gods and demons fought a celestial war over the nectar of immortality, spilling some of it at this sacred site. But the festival's purpose is much more distinct, if no less mystical: plunging into the chilly winter waters of the revered Ganges to be purified from sin and escape the relentless cycle of reincarnation. Try to imagine feeling the need to journey hundreds or thousands of miles in search of a peace and forgiveness that never seem complete. Try to imagine what it's like to hope that a dip in some murky waters will result in eternal life. If we're ever tempted to take Christ's once-for-all sacrifice for granted, may we picture ourselves in the frantic throng at the Ganges, wondering if this water is really enough. I am grateful for Jesus' claim, promise and authoritative words in John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." There is nothing murky about those words. Crystal clear. And if you believe, crystal clean! Please comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

A Light in the Dark

The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 On a rainy December day in December 1925, U.S. Army pilot Carl Crane was flying a congressman's son back to Washington, DC, when he became disoriented in a thick expanse of clouds. He was 8,000 feet over Detroit. With no gyroscope on his instrument panel to tell him his rate of turn, he didn't know if he was flying level with the earth or was banking into a free fall. Soon, he had swooped into a spiral dive and had lost complete control of the aircraft. But attempting any rescue move was a gamble. If he tried to level the wings, he was just as likely to roll upside down as right side up. If he tried to raise the nose, he might simply drive the plane more sharply into the ground. Finally, with his altitude shrinking to under 1,000 feet, he caught sight of the sign for the Statler Hotel. He now had only seconds to pull up. But with the lights of the buildings giving him guidance and perspective, he righted his plane and found his way to the Detroit River, which he followed back home, "shaking all the way." For us, the words of the Scriptures are like the lights of Detroit were to Crane on that misty night. They are divine points of perspective that give us our true bearings in every situation. They explain why we behave the way we do - and which way to turn when we've lost our way. If we will follow the Scriptures like the pilot followed the river, we will be led to a safe landing. God's Word will guide us home. Please comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Temperature Control

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17 When you enter a room - whether it's a church class, a company meeting or maybe a lunch event - it's usually not very hard to gauge the mood of the place. It's warm, it's cold, it's engaging, it's distant, it's comfortable, it's stuffy. Anybody can be a thermometer. But as Donna Otto, founder of Homemakers by Choice, once stated, we are not called to be thermometers in our homes but thermostats. That's because thermostats don't just read the temperature. They guide it. They determine how warm or cool the home environment will be. In the same way, parents determine whether a home environment will be fun, peaceful, authentic, full of grace. Will it be a quiet sanctuary from the hard press of life? Will it be a place of joy and celebration and fellowship? Many parents today feel helpless in adjusting the climate of their home. They feel as if they can't control the predominant tempo and rhythm of the day. They've grown weary of fighting the TV-watching, video game-playing, tuned-out isolation of individual family members. In the process, far too many homes have lost a sense of purpose and direction. They've become little more than random activity centers, with no grown-ups willing to set the tone. I encourage you to counter the frantic, frenetic pace of modern life by creating an environment that limits the endless noise of bustle and commotion. Train your children to be still and read a book, to interact, to ponder and to create. Don't be a thermometer. Set the temperature. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com