"If You Can't Get Along With Them, You Promote Them!" (Matthew 20:26-28)

The other day, I learned of an interesting management technique. I was lamenting to a colleague that it was so difficult to hire good employees. Their resumes may be stunning and their interviews, courteous and encouraging. However, after they are hired, I soon discover they are not team players; they do not play well in the sandbox.

My colleague shook his head and smiled.

“Yup. Same problem I had at another company that I worked. They had an interesting solution. If you can't get along with them, you promote them!"

“Wha?”

He chuckled. “Not all of them, of course. But it seemed that whenever someone with an inkling of talent revealed themselves as a poor team player, instead of trying to make a square peg in a round hole fit, management promoted them and created a new position for them!”

Tongue in cheek comment or sound business advice? Sadly, I, too, have witnessed this in action within several very large organizations which I have been involved. I do not have any firm statistical data for the efficacy or merit of this strategy but common sense informs me that if someone is not a team player at one level of the organization, it is unlikely, they will succeed at another, higher level of management.

It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:26-28 (ESV)

The disciples of Jesus were jockeying for positions of leadership with Jesus. Jesus saw right through their actions recognizing they were not team players, only seeking to advance their own interests. But instead of promoting them or dismissing their intentions, Jesus challenged His disciples with a startling proposal. If you want to be a leader, then learn to serve one another!

This is what Jesus Christ did. He gave His life as a willing sacrifice to receive the punishment for our sins by being crucified and dying on the Cross. He gave His life to serve mankind. And God honored His sacrifice by raising Him from the dead.

In business and in life, if you cannot get along with others, learn to serve them. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God will honor and bless you for your sacrifice!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Because You Love Me!" (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)

My son loves to listen one particular radio station. In fact, he has programmed all of the radio channels to that one station in my wife’s car. But in my car, I have not allowed him to do this. Thus, he knows that when he with me, he will have to ask permission to listen to his favorite station.

As soon as he enters the car, he will look at me and say, “Dad, can you put the radio on 104.3?”

When I oblige, I turn to him and ask him, “Do you know why I did this?”

His response is always the same, “Because you love me!”

Indeed I do!

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (NKJV)

I am happy to do this small act for my son, not because he needs to earn my approval, but because I love him. Nothing he could do will ever change my feelings toward him, and he absolutely knows this! My son has a childlike faith to trust and obey me and God. I should have a similar faith with God and emulate my son. God is ready to shower me with His blessings, not because I am a good person, have an education or a job, or am kind to strangers. These are important but not what God is ultimately seeking from me. I cannot earn His love. He freely gives it to me through His Son, Jesus Christ. And this love is available to anyone who confesses and repents of their sins and accepts His Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. The unlimited blessings of God are available to everyone because of Jesus’ death on the Cross and resurrection. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for me.

Because you love me!

God did this because He so loves all of us!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

A Busy Morning (Matthew 28:6-7)

This morning was unusually busy. I usually awaken at 420 AM every work day and by 445 AM, am in my car. At the first major intersection, massive road repairs were underway and traffic on a four lane highway was reduced to one lane and a stop sign instead of traffic lights. I quickly texted my staff and family, alerting them to avoid this intersection for that morning. When I arrived at 5 AM to my office, a rush case was awaiting me. The patient was scheduled for surgery at 630 AM and the dermatologist wanted a confirmatory diagnostic reading. I reviewed the slide, confirmed the skin cancer, and texted the dermatologist at 515 AM. As soon as I released the text, an email from one of our partner labs appeared frantically alerting us that the courier could not deliver our cases that morning. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth to ponder how to resolve this issue, but in the middle of this, I received a phone call from another courier from a different lab, who was waiting outside my door. He had been ringing my doorbell, which was unexpectedly not working, and was waiting outside my door to deliver my cases. When I returned to my desk, another email appeared, from yet another laboratory, documenting how upset a dermatologist’s office was about a specimen being mishandled by their laboratory and they wanted an immediate explanation.

All of this before 6 AM!

It was a busy morning.

But go back nearly 2000 years ago, to the early morning hours in Jerusalem and an even busier morning began. A young woman was heartbroken over the execution of her teacher. But when she arrived at His grave, she was surprised to see the heavy stone that sealed the tomb, rolled away. Peering in, she discovered that it was empty, except for two angels. One of them spoke to her.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.

Matthew 28:6-7 (ESV)

Busy morning? In one morning, Jesus proved to the world that He is God. He secured our eternal salvation for everyone who confesses and repents of their sins and place their trust in Him as their Lord and Savior.

Busy morning, indeed. I can’t even begin to understand what a busy morning truly means!

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Moonlighting (2 Timothy 2:3)

When I was a senior pathology resident, I moonlighted at a community hospital. Many of my fellow residents viewed it as a rite of passage, a transition to the real world, unsheltered by the safety of a training program. It was also an excellent way to network with the community pathologists, better positioning ourselves to get a job after we completed our training.

I remember the first day I stepped into the pathology laboratory and began the work. It was only the simple task of grossing in the surgical specimens of the day but I was understandably nervous. This duty entailed describing the tissue samples that had been delivered from the operating room. There were uteruses, colons, breasts, and small biopsy specimens. Each specimen needed to be precisely sectioned and placed into tissue cassettes to be processed overnight and made into microscope slides. Although the difficult part of this entire process was reviewing the microscope slide and rendering the diagnosis, my role was not trivial. If I did not accurately describe the specimen and take appropriate sections, the senior surgical pathologist would be reviewing microscopic sections that were not representative of the patient’s disease. A cancer diagnosis could be missed or a malignant tumor could be misdiagnosed as benign. On several occasions, these selection errors were pointed out to me. I was chagrined but thankful for the instruction.

Moonlighting was an important stepping stone in my career. It matured me as I gained a complete understanding of what it meant to become a surgical pathologist and ultimately, a true physician. It was increasing levels of responsibility and independence. It allowed me to recognize bad habits before serious errors could occur.

In my Christian walk, God has also taken me through important stepping stones. He led me to several Bible studies and seminars before I led my own small groups. He led me to play guitar in several worship bands before calling me to lead my own worship team. And He allowed me to fail so that He could teach me important lessons in my faith.

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV)

During the first few years after I became a Christian, friends, family members, even college professors would question the reasons for my faith. While I knew what changes had taken place in my heart and my life, I could not articulate it to the satisfaction of my audience. God used these experiences to help me dig into His Word and find the answers.

Like the mistakes I made when I was moonlighting, God used these times of training to allow me to fail so that when I encounter these situations in the future, He would bring me through victoriously.

All praise to the Living God, Jesus Christ!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"It's Two Raccoons!"(Proverbs 16:18)

Our home has been invaded by raccoons!

The other evening, my daughter rushed into my room and exclaimed, “Dad! We have raccoons!” We quietly crept into her darkened room. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I peered out the window and two moving figures came into focus on the roof. Yup! Two raccoons!

For years, I thought the sounds I was hearing outside my windows were pigeons cooing. But as anyone with experience with raccoons can affirm, the raccoons make a sound something like a cross between a cat purring and pigeons cooing. In reality, the threat was far more sinister than I could have imagined. The raccoons had been gnawing on our satellite television wires, damaged several roof tiles, and left their calling card droppings on several key locations outside my daughter’s windows. In retrospect, it was also clear that these animals were responsible for shredding a cushion on one of our patio chairs and removing a barbeque cover. I ignored all of the warning signs because I made a careless assumption and was too self-confident in my own knowledge.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

In my walk with God, I sometimes grow lax in my spiritual discipline and may assume that a particular situation poses little danger. Like the raccoons, situations I encounter may be masquerading as something far more insidious. A casual discussion with my staff can quickly lead to a gossip session about a fellow physician. A small tax loophole may become an invitation to take a more than generous deduction.  It is my pride and arrogance, believing that I am strong enough to resist these situations and not succumb to these temptations, that leads to my downfall.

Thanks be to God that He continually reminds me of my need to be continually dependent upon Him. With every decision, in every situation, I must first seek His will and direction before relying upon my judgment. Only then will I be able to live a life that is victorious and pleasing to God.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

Aware Of My Spiritual Surroundings (1 Peter 5:8)

One skill I learned from my martial arts training was the importance of always being aware of my surroundings. Every corner, every step, every person, an attack could emerge. I had to remain vigilant, but also be ready to respond in an appropriate manner. The danger was not in the seen, but the unseen.

Good advice for life and for my spiritual walk with God. I can avoid the obvious temptations of visiting a strip joint or shooting up heroin, anyone can see these dangers. It is the unseen that is more insidious and far more deadly. An innocent browse for information in the internet may lead to a pornography site. A simple loophole in the tax code may lead to fraudulent reporting of deductions. Unsuspected and unseen dangers may emerge from seemingly innocent activities and doorways.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)

The Bible reminds all believers to continually be aware of their spiritual surroundings. Satan devotes his existence to derail my life, causing me to look away from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He wants nothing more but to convince me that God does not love me and my salvation is not eternal and secure. He wants to compromise myself and listen to what the world can offer, not what Jesus Christ continually offers me.

I accepted the offer of Jesus Christ by confessing and repenting of my sins, and accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  He has given me His Holy Spirit to indwell within me so that I am more aware of my spiritual surroundings. It is a dangerous world in which we live. Thanks be to God that He is always protecting me.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Your Name Doesn't Make Sense!" (Revelation 20:12)

My Japanese surname is unusual and for non-Japanese, difficult to pronounce. It is so unusual that even native Japanese sometimes look at me with a befuddled look when they hear it. This polite acknowledgement changed one day, when I was with a group of other Japanese and we were writing our last names in Kanji, the Japanese written characters. One of the women in the group looked at the characters in my name, turned her head to the side and frowned.  Pointing at the characters, she declared, “Your name doesn’t make sense!”

I was startled by her accusation. “What do you mean?”

“We don’t read the Japanese characters like that!”

Her pronouncement stirred a memory that my parents shared with me about my name. When my great grandfather immigrated to Hawaii from Japan, the immigration officer incorrectly interpreted and mispronounced the written characters and assigned to him our incorrect present name. To my chagrin, this woman was absolutely correct and I acknowledged her observation.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Revelation 20:12 (NKJV)

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15 (ESV)

I am thankful that God places a great deal of importance upon our names. Jesus called Lazarus by his name when he raised him from the dead. He called Mary by name when she came to His empty tomb on that Resurrection Sunday. He also gave new names to His disciples. He renamed Simon as Peter. He renamed the brothers John and James, the sons of thunder.

My name doesn’t make sense! Yes, this is true. But thanks be to God that my true identity is not dependent upon earthly names but by the name that He gives me. He calls me and gives me my true identity as an adopted son of God. And this is the name that is forever recorded in His Book of Life.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

A Dream Journal (1 John 4:1)

Many years ago, I kept a dream journal. It was a notebook on my nightstand next to my bed. Whenever I awoke in the morning, I immediately wrote down as much as I could recall of my dream. This was a necessary task because within a few minutes of awakening, I often forgot most if not all of the dream.

I kept this journal for nearly a month and I observed some interesting patterns. Certain themes kept recurring, sometimes in consecutive dreams and other times, separated by a few nights. Certain characters and locations also kept recurring. It was eerie. I began to see these themes and characters in my waking hours. I began to wonder if these dreams were actually premonitions. Was I tapping into some hidden and untapped psychic energy? As I sought to make sense of these dreams, I wondered if I was influencing the dreams? What if the very action of observing and contemplating my dreams was warping this dream journal into something that was contrived? But an even more sinister thought crept in, what if these dreams were really an attack from Satan, urging me to rely more upon these dreams as some divine revelation? Was this a simple psychology experiment or was I edging into the occult, wishing to see the future? Was there any way to know?

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1 (NKJV)

God communicated with many of the great saints of the Bible through dreams. I believe God can still speak to us through dreams. However we now have the Bible as God’s complete revelation to us through the Holy Spirit. The Bible makes it very clear. I must hold every revelation, whether through prophets or a dream, up to the Word of God and test it.

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

1 John 4:2-3 (NKJV)

Any dream I have that does not honor Jesus Christ is not from God. In my dream journal, it was clear that the dreams did not honor God nor did it encourage godly behavior within myself.

Perhaps someday God will give me a revelation through a dream. If He does, I will know it by holding the dream to the light and revelation of God’s Word.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Where Is the Small Cutting Board?" (John 8:10-11)

“Where is the small cutting board?”

I was preparing dinner for my family and needed it to cut a small tomato. I spent several minutes searching for this cutting board, scouring the dishwasher, dishrack, and usual cupboard, all to no avail. Frustrated, I grabbed the largest cutting board and said to myself, “This family needs to learn to put things back in its proper place!” I intended to vent to my wife and daughter when they came home.

Within the hour, they returned home and I confronted them. My wife looked at me with a puzzled look and then said, “Our son put away the dishes!”

My son put away the dishes? He had never done this before. My wife turned to my son and kindly asked him to show us where he put the cutting board. He led us to a drawer that contained several plastic containers. There it was, neatly stacked on top of the containers. “Thanks Buddy! You were a big help to Mommy today!” My wife smiled and looked at me. “We will need to learn where to put all the dishes in its proper place, okay?” My son beamed and I was embarrassed.

As usual, I assumed the worst intentions when, in reality, the incident occurred because of the best of intentions. My son was seeking to please my wife and myself but my impatience and short sightedness almost led to conflict.

When things do not go the way I planned, I assume the worst and look to assign blame. My efforts are misguided because I do not apply grace to every situation, unlike my Lord, Jesus Christ.  I wonder how God can be so patient with me? I want to be like Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

John 8:7 (NKJV)

This passage from the Bible describes the humiliating story of a woman caught in the act of adultery and hauled before Jesus by the Pharisees. They quoted the Mosaic law demanding that she be stoned for her sin. They questioned Jesus, testing Him to see what He would do. Jesus did not chasten or berate her. He did not make demean her or her sins. Instead, He spoke to her with kindness and firmness, valuing her worth as one of God’s creation. He gave her instructions and pointed her to the higher calling that God has for all of our lives.

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

John 8:10-11 (NKJV)

Sin no more. Simple. Direct. Spoken with the greatest love and extending mercy and grace to everyone He met. This is why I need to extend grace to everyone and in every situation, because I want to be more like Jesus.

He is my Savior and Lord.

He is Jesus Christ.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"Stop Trying To Sing!" (1 Corinthians 26:13-14)

I enjoy my voice lessons but have struggled to rid myself of old habits. During nearly every lesson, my teacher will stop my singing, smile and say, “Stop trying to sing!”

As he has repeatedly pointed out to me, “Singing is like speaking but longer, stronger, higher, sometimes lower ...always better.” I am attempting to sing by singing, rather than speaking. In other words, I attempt to sing the way I think it should sound, rather than how it should sound. The end result is my singing sounds like a weak imitation of someone trying to sing.

There is a direct analogy to my spiritual walk with God. For many years, I attempted to live the Christian life by acting spiritual. I spoke and behaved the way I thought other Christians wanted me to behave. I was a Christian trying to act like a Christian, instead of being the man that God created me to be. The end result was a disingenuous Christian walk and a lie to God and myself.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (ESV)

My life as a Christian needs to be rooted in Jesus Christ, standing firm in faith. Yes, it is important to have good role models and a behavior that is evidence of a godly character. But to a be a Christian man means much more. I needed to stop being a man that I thought others wanted me to be. I needed completely surrender my life to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He alone is the Supreme role model because He perfects and completes my faith.

...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)

I had to stop singing before I learned how to sing. I had to stop acting like a Christian before I could learn what it meant to be a true Christian.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

"Is This Black Magic?" (Ephesians 6:12)

My wife and I enjoy watching magicians. One particularly talented magician was performing on the streets of Las Vegas. He deftly moved from simple card tricks to incredible illusions such as levitating and walking through an apparent glass window. As my wife and I scrutinized his performance, we were dumbfounded over how he could do all of this. We were wise to the usual tricks of deception and misdirection and yet, we were mystified. I turned to my wife and jocularly asked, “Is this black magic?”

We both laughed but there was still a lingering doubt. The next morning, I found one of my colleagues, who was also an excellent amateur magician. He was familiar with this Las Vegas magician and after I described some of his tricks, I nervously laughed and said, “We were wondering if this is black magic?”

My colleague smiled and said, “If you have enough money, there is almost nothing you can’t make appear like magic!” He went on to explain how elaborate sets are constructed to give the illusion of magic. Combined with very skillful misdirection, many magicians have become high-tech technicians. The street magicians and performers do not channel Satan’s powers but they are extremely clever.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

It was only mentioned in jest, but black magic, the occult world, and the power of Satan and his demons are very real. In the 21st century, the world dismisses the notion of Satan and demons as mythology, akin to believing that gods and goddesses live on Mt. Olympus. But the Bible is very clear and blunt about the reality of this dark world. Jesus Christ has already defeated them by His death and resurrection on the Cross. Satan his demons are powerless against the Word of God.

Confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will grant us eternal salvation. Through God’s Holy Spirit, a believer will alway prevail over the occult power of Satan. There is nothing to fear when God is on our side.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"I'm An Extrovert!" (Proverbs 17:14)

“Why does this doctor do this?” One of my staff was frustrated with the unorthodox manner by which this dermatologist’s office designated the sites of the biopsy specimens.

“Yes, I agree.” It was confusing and earlier in the week, it had led to an error with one of our reports. This error was on my staff’s mind and he wanted to avoid another similar problem. This staff member was also suffering from an injured back and the pain was fueling his agitation.

“Look, we can very simply resolve this by comparing the slides with the requisition sheet and…”

“But it is very confusing!” Another staff member interrupted me, her volume rising with an  annoying tone.

“This office does this all the time!’ A third staff member fomented.

Amidst the cacophony, I exclaimed, “I’m an extrovert. I feed off the energy of others! Right now, everyone is agitated and it is making me agitated!” I stared down each staff member. “Your back is sore. You are frustrated with this office. And you are raising your voice! We need to cool down!”

And with that, the heated discussion stopped and we all flashed a smile to one another. We recognized what was happening and was able to stop before it progressed.

But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

Acts 19:34 (NKJV)

The incident in my office reminded me of the riot that occurred in Athens with the merchants who were selling idols of the goddess Diana. They were outraged that the Apostle Paul was preaching Jesus Christ and some of the people were turning away from worshipping Diana, threatening their livelihood. I can imagine the frenzy as the emotions fed one another, leading to more chaos and confusion, some participants unsure why they were even there.

Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

Acts 19:32 (NKJV)

Had I been there, I am sure I would have been caught up in the frenzy of the moment. I am an extrovert and I must always guard against giving in to my emotions, particularly during heated discussions. I have struggled with this my entire life. God’s Holy Spirit has been changing my heart and through His Word, instructs me with His wisdom.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.

Proverbs 17:14 (ESV)

Quit before the quarrel breaks out. Good advice for an extrovert like myself. Good advice for everyone!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

2 Omega 5:2 (1 Peter 3:15 )

The taxi cab already had two passengers, a mother and young son, when I entered.

“Yup, headed to the airport as well, thanks!”

Great, I thought. We can share the fare. The mother was sitting in the passenger seat while her son sat next to me in the back seat. As we passed by familiar beaches on the way to the airport, the son pointed at several buildings and said, “Mom. What happened to all the trees that used to be on the beach?”

“Yes son,” the mother began. “That is written in 2 Omega 5:2-’The enemy will seek to destroy what you have built.’ ”

Whoa! Where is this coming from? Which verse is she quoting? What is the book of Omega? I needed to say something but knew I had to carefully chose my words. “Excuse me…” I began. My alarm clock interrupted my query. It was a dream. Or was it? I pondered the meaning of the dream for the next hour as I dressed and drove to work.

For several years, I was involved in a cult, following a woman who claimed be the reincarnation of a great prophet. She taught that all religions were paths to the same god. Thus, while she embraced and liberally quoted from the Bible, she also peppered her proclamations with Hindu and Buddhist ideals. Coexist, right? It all seemed to neatly fit. And then, I began to read the Bible and found some disagreements between what she was teaching and what the Bible revealed. When I brought these Bible passages to her attention, she dismissed my inquiry and redirected my attention to meditating upon God and seeking the truth. I took her advice and meditated upon God and asked Him to reveal the Truth. After many months of studying the Bible and deep conversations with a dear brother in Jesus Christ, God showed me the complete Truth. In the week before Easter 1982, I confessed and repented of my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

For the first few years after I became a Christian, I would fervently read and memorize Bible passages that would refute the teachings of this woman and her cult. Apologetics is the discipline of rigorously proving or defending the truth of a religious doctrine and I felt that this was one of the callings that God had for my life as a Christian. Through the years, this desire became diluted and diminished. Only recently, have I begun to once again read books on apologetics, rediscovering the love I first had for the subject.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear...

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

In my dream, I was ready to defend my faith. The book of 2 Omega? This dream was a wake up call for me to rededicate my life to defending my Christian faith. At a time when Christians are increasingly under attack and persecuted around the world for their faith and belief and even being muffled or ridiculed in the United States, a deep knowledge and understanding of the Bible is desperately needed by all Christian believers.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; keep our family strong.

"I Made Him Famous!" (Acts 4:20)

Al Michaels is one of the most respected sports commentators. His broadcasts bring great flair and color to every sport. Of his many memorable coverages, his quote after the Men’s U.S men’s hockey team upset the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter olympics is now legendary. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

But one little known fact occurred early in his career and Michaels was assigned to announce another hockey match. Michaels did not receive a player’s card and thus did not know the names of the players, save one. For the entire broadcast, Michaels deftly emphasized the actions of that one player’s name, who ironically, ended up being the star of the game. “I made him famous!’ he later quipped.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Acts 4:20 (NKJV)

The Apostles Peter and John could not stop talking about Jesus Christ. It was the only name that mattered to them and they wanted to tell everyone about the Good News of Jesus Christ. They wanted to make Jesus famous!

I agree.

If you only know one name, know Jesus Christ. There is no other name under Heaven or on earth by whom we may be saved.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"You're A Smart Guy!" (Luke 16:13)

A fellow musician on my church worship team recently engaged me in a conversation about our faith. We reflected upon the trials of our lives and how some leaders of the Christian church had fallen to the temptations of money and success. As we recounted the examples, he shook his head and then looked at me and smiled.

“You’re a smart guy! This wouldn’t happen to you.”

I shifted uneasily and nodded. Sure, I thought. Such a smart guy. So smart that I, too, fell in similar fashion. For many years, I turned my back on Jesus Christ and deliberately lived my life in opposition to Him, chasing after money and success in my business. But as my professional successes increased, my personal losses accelerated. I was miserable and lost, serving a false idol of money instead of the true and living God, Jesus Christ.

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Luke 16:13 (NKJV)

I served mammon-money, riches, and the accumulation of wealth. I did not want to admit it and convinced myself that my actions served the medical needs of my community, making life better for others. But the blunt reality was I served my own greed and interests.

Thanks be to God that by His grace and mercy, He rescued me from this life. It took many years and I still struggle with old habits. But God is faithful, even when I am not.

I am not a smart guy. I am a sinner and am saved only by the grace and mercy of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"We Were Too Busy To Do It!" (Psalms 46:10)

My company has several written protocols in place to ensure that pending cases are resolved and completed in a timely manner. Thus, I was quite surprised to learn that these protocols were not being followed when I was alerted to a case that was over a week old.

“I don’t understand how this case could have slipped by all of you? Our protocols should have identified this pending case after two days. What happened?”

My staff looked at each other with embarrassment and admitted, “We were too busy to do it!”

I dismissively shook my head. “But this is the reason why we put these protocols in place!”

My staff sheepishly acknowledged their error and recommitted their efforts to follow the protocols.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalms 46:10 (ESV)

Too busy to do it.

How often have I used these same words when it comes to my walk with God? There are many mornings, particularly after a weekend, when there are many pressing issues clamoring for my attention. I can easily lapse into a mindset that I am too busy to have my devotional and prayer time with God, needing to launch into my work. But this is precisely when I need to spend more time praying and reading God’s Word! If I only take the time to stop running my self-imposed rat race and be still and spend time with God, I will experience His peace that surpasses all understanding.

Too busy to spend time with God? It is during these times of greatest stress that God can show us His abundant grace and mercy.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

"I Haven't Left And I'm Already Missing All Of You!" (Philippians 1:3-4)

Our church celebrated and honored our youth pastor and his wife for their three years of service. God has been speaking to their hearts and, together with their young son, they will be moving to the next phase of their lives. Many people gave moving testimonies and a beautiful slide show captured the intimate relationships they had fostered. At the end, both the pastor and his wife took to the podium to thank everyone.

“Thank you so much!” he began. “This is so unexpected. We are so overwhelmed by your kindness! You know, this may sound strange, but I haven’t left and I’m already missing all of you!”

It was a very touching speech. Our youth pastor poured out his heart as he recounted the lives of the many youth that he was blessed to work with and see their growth in Jesus Christ. He shared that he was beginning to understand the longing in the heart of the Apostle Paul, when he wrote the following passage to the young pastor and his protege, Timothy. The Apostle Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, laid the foundation for many of the leading churches in the known world. His letters ring with the names of many saints for whom he was intimately acquainted. His heart ached to be with them.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy.

Philippians 1:3-4 (ESV)

God used this young pastor to touch so many lives in our church. And God used our church to touch his life. It was more than just his first ministry. We are family, brothers and sisters, united in the love of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Though all of us may be departed from one another for a short time, we have the assurance of God that someday we will be reunited in Heaven, in the presence of God.

I already miss my pastor, too. But the love of Jesus Christ will always keep us together!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Impossible Dream (2 Timothy 1:8-9)

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or cause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To fight the unbeatable foe, to reach the unreachable star

The Impossible Dream
Written by Joe Darion and Mitchell Leigh

Many are familiar with this beautiful song, taken from the famous Broadway musical, The Man of La Mancha. The main character, Miguel Cervantes, is imprisoned and about to face the Spanish inquisition. In prison, he is forced to make a defense of himself. He creates a fictional character, Don Quixote, a knight errant, sworn to uphold the forgotten traditions of chivalry. This song, sung to his love, Dulcinea, crystallizes his quest, his reason for living.

The words are majestic and the sentiment noble. And the message, strangely familiar.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
2 Timothy 1:8-9 (NKJV)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words at the end of his life. He had been imprisoned many times and faced death on many occasions. Shipwrecked, beaten, whipped, stoned-he endured all of this and more for one reason. It was not for chivalry, for the love of a woman, or some existential ideal for living. It was to share the good news of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior.

There are many noble causes for which one can fight and die. But there is none more noble than accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and sharing the Good news.

And this is not an impossible dream.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

The Fruits of the Spirit and Jeopardy (Galatians 5:22-23)

“Next category, The Bible!”

We were celebrating the service of our Youth Pastor and his family who were leaving our church after three years. As part of the festivities, a version of Jeopardy, personalized to their lives, was being played by the entire church. When the next category was announced, I was excited. “I got this!” I thought. My overconfidence and pride, once again, got the better of me.

“What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?”

Oh no! I knew the passage and some of the gifts, but shamefully, I never memorized the passage. But out of the corner of the room was a voice shouting the answer!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

My daughter perfectly recited the passage! I was absolutely beaming with pride! “That’s my girl!” I shouted. After the celebration, a sister in Christ came up to me and said, “I bet you were very proud of your daughter!”

“Oh yes! Never prouder!”

My daughter has been blessed by God with many gifts. She does well in school, plays the piano, is active in many volunteer activities, and is surrounded by many wonderful and caring friends. She has a kind and generous heart, especially toward her younger brother and other children with special needs. But it is her love of God that truly makes her beautiful.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Proverbs 31:30 (ESV)

My daughter accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She lives with the gifts of the Holy Spirit because she seeks to place God first in her life.

I have never been prouder.

Thanks be to God for blessing our family!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.

A Dinner Prayer for His Patient (Philippians 4:6)

My spiritual godfather was a God-fearing man and a great man of prayer. From the moment I met him, I saw so many things in him that I wanted to emulate. Even a before dinner prayer took on new significance when he prayed. At one family dinner, he led our two families in prayer. After thanking God for the food, he then added, “And Lord, please watch over the little girl, whom I saw this morning, who has the kidney cancer. Please give her strength and healing and comfort her family.”

He was the director of pediatric dentistry for a major tertiary medical center. He treated thousands of children and dealt with many life threatening illnesses. I was touched that he would single out this very ill patient whom he saw earlier that day. I later learned that he would often do this so his entire family would also be encouraged to pray for his patients.

My godfather’s faithfulness and honesty in prayer left me with a lasting impression. At the beginning of each day, I pray for my patients. But like my godfather, some patients do stand out, particularly the ones with serious and life threatening diagnoses. For these patients, I will single them out by name and follow up with the referring physicians.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

Prayer must always underlie everything I do. I am thankful for the skills that God has gifted me to care for patients, but if it is not empowered by prayer to God, it is not dedicated to Him. Through the example of my spiritual godfather and many other saints whom I have met, God has shown me that a life of prayer is the life God wants me to lead.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.