"Simply put, Jesus has made me a better human."

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book, The Genius of Jesus (p. 18). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Erwin goes on, "Or maybe, Jesus made me human again.

"The data goes far beyond my own personal experience. For more than two thousand years, millions of people across the world have been transformed through their faith in Jesus Christ. If you were a cultural anthropologist looking to examine this phenomenon from a purely scientific perspective, you would have a massive sample size. The control group stretches across all of modern history, every economic and educational stratum, and virtually every culture across the face of the earth."

He says, "Academics even have a term for how a culture is transformed through belief in Jesus Christ: 'redemption and lift.' In his book Underdevelopment Is a State of Mind, economist Lawrence E. Harrison observed how the Christian mindset had a measurable effect on the economic development and prosperity of societies. His analysis focused not on the ceiling of wealth but the living conditions and well-being of the common citizen. Simply put, certain mindsets and belief systems create the internal psychological mechanisms needed to rise above poverty when the opportunity is given. The valuing of education, the treatment of women, the emergence of an entrepreneurial mindset, personal responsibility for choices: All these were elevated in Christian societies. Harrison was not in any way advocating for the validity of believing in Jesus. He simply identified an economic reality. Even if Jesus is only an idea, that idea changes the way humans approach life. Is there any other idea that has ever brought that kind of change?

"From a purely historical perspective, this would have to be identified as a work of genius. But it’s a different kind of genius than the one we’re primed to spot. Jesus’s genius is missed because it is comprehensive rather than contained in a particular discipline."

He continues, "Genius, as a rule, is not transferable. You could spend your life with Mozart and never become a great composer. You could spend your life with Picasso and never become a great painter. If you spent your life with Michael Jordan, you still wouldn’t make it to the NBA unless you were six feet six with a forty-inch vertical."

Erwin then says, "With Jesus, his genius is dramatically the reverse. His genius, it would seem, is contagious. When you align your heart with Jesus, it begins a process of transformation. Soon you begin to live your life as Jesus would. There is, if I could use the phrase, a transference of genius. Because of Jesus, I have watched people who have been reckless in their relationships begin to value others above themselves. I have seen men overcome a lifetime of arrogance and choose to define their lives by the strength of humility. I have known individuals of significant wealth move from a life of greed to a life of generosity. I have experienced the beautiful transformation of those trapped in depression and hopelessness finding new eyes to see the beauty and wonder of life."

He truly does make in us. Have you found that true? Yes, yes!

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference. You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

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