Daddy, I'm Scared (Luke 22:44)

A few weeks ago, my son contracted pink eye aka conjunctivitis. His left eye was bloodshot, irritated, and itchy and he was incessantly rubbing it. We stopped off at the drugstore and got some topical eye drops that contained a soothing anesthetic. When we got home, I had my son lie down and I positioned the bottle over his left eye. As I held his eyelids open, he looked at me and said, “Daddy, I’m scared.”

I was shocked by his statement. My son is effervescent, always happy with a broad smile on his face. To see him exhibit fear, an emotion I rarely ever see him express, disturbed me. I stopped what I was doing and reassured him over the next few minutes that it would only hurt a little and then he would feel better. After a few moments, his trust in me was reassured and he allowed me to put the medicine in his eye.

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:44

Sometimes I do not appreciate that Jesus was fully man and fully God. He was God. He taught and brought divine insight to Scripture like no other else who had ever lived. He performed miracles that only God could perform. And He conquered death through His resurrection.

But Jesus was also fully man and was not hindered in expressing His emotions. Although we see many different faces of Jesus in the Gospels, it is the times when He expresses His emotions that move us like no other experience. We feel the sadness that Jesus felt as He wept outside the tomb of His friend Lazarus. We sense the anger and disdain that He felt as He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and drove them out with a whip in the temple of Jerusalem. And in this passage, Dr. Luke records with intimate and raw detail, the agony and emotional intensity that Jesus Christ experienced just before His arrest and crucifixion. We share in the intense spiritual, emotional and physical agony that Jesus experienced before His betrayal.

Just as any unexpected emotion that I witness from my son disturbs me, seeing Jesus in such agony disturbs me far more. I cannot begin to imagine the horror that He felt as He was separated from God, the Father, for the first time in His life and experienced the full weight of our sin upon Himself as He hung on the Cross.

I would be scared. But Jesus accepted the suffering so that He could conquer death for all of us.

Praise to Jesus Christ, the Living and Loving God!

Exercising Metaphors (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

“The only exercise some Christians get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, sidestepping responsibility, and pushing their luck.”

This anonymous quote bites hard, doesn’t it? As believing Christians, we are to live our lives as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Our lives should be a beacon of light in an otherwise dark world. But sometimes, our best intentions go awry. We may become judgmental, overly critical, and narrow-minded of other’s viewpoints and lifestyles. Instead of love and compassion, we may paint an ugly and dark picture of the exact opposite of what we are attempting to achieve. And how do we respond? We think that if we read the Bible more or try just a bit harder, God will change us. But it is not at all about our efforts.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus:not with uncertainty. Thus I fight:not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Spiritual exercise.

It is more than just reading the Bible, attending a Church fellowship, or participating in outreach activities. All of these are important. But it is the goal that is most important. Why do we do it? The Bible makes it very clear; the objective is to remain faithful to God until the very end of our lives on this earth. All of these exercises train us to completely yield ourselves to God’s will. It is difficult, yes, but we do not do it alone. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells within you and empowers you to become more Christ-like.

Exercise your privilege to walk like Jesus Christ.

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

Waiting for Advancement (Romans 8:15-17)

In martial arts, there is an interesting and practical rule. A Sensei (dojo master) can never promote one his students to a rank higher than he is.  For example, if the Sensei is a 3rd degree black belt, all other black belts must wait to advance and can never equal a 3rd degree until the Sensei is advanced to a 4th degree or higher grade. In this manner, every student, even if they are a black belt, will always be below the rank of their teacher in their respective dojos.

Jesus turns this system upside down.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:15-17

Do you only consider Jesus a great teacher? Certainly many of the people who followed him around and listened to Him thought that. But Jesus’ teaching challenged anyone who listened to Him to go far beyond a student-teacher relationship. Jesus promised that when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we would be in the same relationship with God, the Father, as He is. We would be adopted as a child of God. We would be able to receive the same blessings, equal to Him!

There is no waiting for advancement once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! Jesus brings everyone into an equal relationship with God. How awesome a God who does this for us!

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

The First Death (Genesis 2:15-17)

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:15-17

Did Adam truly understand what it meant to die?

If he didn’t, he soon learned of the horrible truth when his son, Abel, was killed by Cain. There are few things as tragic as seeing your child die. But for this to happen in the first family, where death was completely foreign, seems almost unimaginable.

Although we understand what it means to die and some of us have even seen loved ones or strangers die in front of us, none of us can truly understand what happens the moment we die. The Bible, however, is very explicit and clear about what happens and what to expect.

God extends His salvation, His saving Grace to all who call upon the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. And if you have accepted Jesus Christ, then the very instant you die, you will be transported into Heaven and into His presence. But if we refuse to accept Him, God allows us to chose our final resting place. And if it is not with Him, it is in eternal torment in hell, total separation from God’s love and mercy. God shows no partiality and He will have His will done, in spite of our worst efforts or lack of faith.

The first death may usher in an eternity of bliss and peace in God’s presence or it may lead to an eternity of suffering and torment. Adam may not have truly understood what it meant to die when God pronounced judgment upon him in the Garden of Eden.

Do you truly understand what it means to die?

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will your life.

Fighting An Uphill Battle (Acts 5:38-39)

Ever feel like you are fighting an uphill battle? Two steps forward, one step back. The harder you try, the “behinder” you get!

The early apostles were on fire for Jesus Christ! Largely uneducated and recruited from smaller cities outside Jerusalem, they were a diverse collection of men. But after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were all empowered and emboldened to preach and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Jewish authorities did not know what to do about this new threat! In fact none of them had ever seen the power of God working miracles as the Apostles now did. They commanded them to stop what they were doing. They imprisoned them. They beat them. But the the Word of God continued to spread!

Some of the wisest leaders recognized that there was a possibility that the Apostles were truly representing God and cautioned the others to leave the Apostles alone.

And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it— lest you even be found to fight against God.
Acts 5:38-39

The Jewish leaders were fighting an uphill battle, one they would never win or even come close to winning. Over two thousand years later, their prescient words still ring true!

Are you fighting an uphill battle? If you are living your life in disobedience to God, you will continue to flail and fail. Why do it the hard way? Do you really want to fight God?

Return to God with a humble heart. Confess your sins to Him and repent. He loves you with an all-consuming love!

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

Take Time and Be Amazed What God Has Done (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Of late, the sunsets have been particularly spectacular. We have not missed many opportunities to see the brilliant and dazzling spectrum of colors reflected off the clouds. And as we gaze, we cannot help but think that only God, who loves us so much, would design a world that can captivate us with a few moments before day becomes night.

But it is not only sunsets that turn our thoughts to God. Each moment of the day holds a special beauty. Take time to stop and rejoice in the simple and delicate beauty that God has created for us to share with Him and with each other.

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

How Much is Enough for You? (Matthew 15:22-28)

A buffet creates excitement within some of us, especially those who want to gorge themselves on food. There is something irresistible to be presented with a spread of food, all for your taking, with no restrictions.

But what would happen if you saw all of your friends invited to a banquet buffet and all you could do was observe? Instead of partaking of this buffet, all you were allowed were the remnants? Instead of the succulent cut of prime rib, you would be given a bone that had most, if not all, of the meat sliced and torn away. A luscious pie would be reduced to crumbled crust. Would you be satisfied with that?

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon- possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”  But He answered and said, “ I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “ It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “ O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:22-28

This Canaanite woman was more than happy to accept the crumbs if it meant that Jesus would heal her daughter. The Canaanites were outsiders, separate from the Jews. She knew that Jesus was sent first to the Jews, as their King and Messiah. But she also knew that the entire world would be blessed by God’s Kingdom. Hence she persisted in asking Jesus for healing, willing to take any little bit of His blessing, even if meant the “crumbs”.

Our values have been turned upside down by the world. We think bigger is better. We need new and different activities to continue to stimulate our insatiable appetites. And once we partake, it only temporarily satisfies us, egging us on toward the next big or new thing. How much of God’s goodness, provision, and mercy is enough for you? Will you be grateful for any part of God’s mercy or will you be arrogant demanding that God give you everything you ask for? Do you demand the entire banquet buffet from God? Or can you accept any gift from God, no matter how seemingly small it seems?

God grants His mercy to those who follow Him, to those who call upon the name of His Son, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God has already given us more than enough by giving us His Son to die on the Cross so that He may be resurrected and bring us into right fellowship with God. How much is enough for you? God has exceeding abundantly given all we could have ever asked for and more.

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

An Unlikely Hero (Joshua 2:11-13)

Sometimes, the most unlikely hero emerges to save the day. This harrowing video shows a tragic encounter between a child and a dog, averted before any serious harm could be inflicted upon the child.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6GQR3Ym5M8

And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Joshua 2:11-13

God used unlikely heroes throughout the Bible. When Joshua sent two men to spy out Jericho and the surrounding lands, the prostitute Rahab assisted them, hiding them in her home. Rahab was a foreigner and a social outcast because of her profession. Yet she knew and feared God and protected the spies because she knew what was right.  And how was her faithfulness rewarded? She was included in the earthly line of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the great, great grandmother of King David.

Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
Matthew 1:5

What a wonderful reminder to know that God rescues and blesses His people, to those who are called His own. God does not look at the outward appearance but looks into our heart to see our true motives and intentions. Regardless of your past or current state, God will accept you as you are if you place your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And once you have accepted Him, He will use you in many circumstances, even to directly intervene within other people’s lives. In God’s eyes, we will not be an unlikely hero, but a blessed saint, serving God in His kingdom.

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

The Gift of a Meal (John 12:1-3)

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
John 12:1-3

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were a family that Jesus loved. The Holy Spirit records in the Bible how Jesus spent much time in their home in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. In the passage above, Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead. It was now 6 days before Passover, when Jesus would be crucified. And Jesus chose to take one of his last meals with all of them.

Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, we learn how Martha was upset as she (Luke 10:38-42) was busy preparing a meal for Jesus when He visited but her sister, Mary, did not lift a hand to help her but sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him speak.

Martha may get a bad rap because of this first mention of her. But Jesus was not criticizing her because she was busy preparing him a meal, He was reminding her that all of us have special gifts and her gift of preparing a meal and serving Him allowed others in the room, including her sister Mary, to listen to His teaching. Some time later, the Holy Spirit records for us in this passage from the Gospel of John, how Martha is again serving Jesus. This time, there is no complaining on Martha’s part. The Bible simply records that Martha served. This was Martha’s gift! She prepared meals and served. The Bible does not record what kind of meals she served, but they were undoubtedly delicious! She was probably a wonderful hostess as well. But most importantly, by serving, Martha allowed her sister Mary to anoint Jesus with perfume, in preparation for His death. And the Holy Spirit records both Martha’s and Mary’s actions for eternity.

If you have the gift of preparing and serving meals, God has truly blessed you! Your gift provides enjoyment of food and fellowship and may enable others to exercise their spiritual gifts.

Thank God for the gift of preparing and serving a meal. You serve in God’s Kingdom!

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

Let God Fight Your Battles (Joshua 10:12-14)

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:12-14

When you allow the Lord to fight your battles, you can be assured that the miraculous will occur! Too often, we rely upon our own knowledge, experience, or advice from well-meaning friends and associates. While all of these are important and God can speak through the wise counsel of others, to truly experience God's power, we must first let Him take over our problems. We must not think so hard about solutions but give the issues up to Him and allow Him to answer with the extraordinary, even if we are not seeking it.  God promises that His Word will prosper all who receive it by faith.

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

Does God Heal Everyone? (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

No, God does not heal everyone.

Even for the Apostle Paul, who had the gift of healing, God did not heal him and remove the thorn in his flesh.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “ My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

The miraculous acts of healing performed by servants of God in the Bible are recorded by the Holy Spirit for one reason, to cause us to turn to the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. When we experience a healing from God, praise Him! But if we do not, praise Him! God uses illness for many reasons. In some cases, it is to demonstrate the Glory of God in one’s life. In others, it may be because of sins. In still others, it is to teach us humility and for us to be more dependent upon God. Joni Eareckson Tada became a quadriplegic after a tragic swimming accident at the age of 17 years. The next years of her life were filled with bitterness and disappointment. But slowly, God reached her heart and showed her how this accident was for His glory and her eventual joy. Many years later, Joni could proclaim, “God permits what He hates to accomplish that which He loves.”

The ultimate answer for why God does not heal everyone will only be known when we are in His presence. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God is preparing your life to serve Him, in this life and for eternity. If you have an illness, seek God’s will first and ask Him how He is using this illness to transform your life to make it more like Jesus.

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

A Friend of Jesus (John 15:13-15)

What is your definition of a friend? Is it someone who sticks with you through life’s ups and downs? Perhaps it is someone who makes you laugh and makes you feel good to be around. Our friends are precious to us and the qualities that endear them to us are unique to each.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John 15:13-15

What is Jesus’ definition of a friend? He plainly explained it to His disciples.

1. Lays his life down for another

2. Obeys Jesus’ commands

3. Listens to the Word of God

This is a simple and profound definition. At the heart of the definition is love. There is no greater example of love than for one to lay their life down for another. Jesus did just that. Even if we have never heard of Him, Jesus went to the Cross and died a humiliating and painful death, taking the sins of the world upon Him. He did this so that we would not have to face God’s justifiable punishment for our sins. And now, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have peace with God and eternal salvation.

What is Jesus’ definition of a friend? He proved it for us. All He asks in return is for us to trust Him with our lives.

Won’t you take that first step?

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

Love and Respect (Hebrews 12:7)

Respect.

Aretha Franklin sang about it in her song..”R..E..S..P..E..C..T..Find out what that means to me!” We use it in everyday language and hardly a day passes when we do not exhibit some form of respect. It may be shown to a teacher, co-worker, parent, or friend. It may be shown to a member of the military or police. It may even be shown to an inanimate object such as a flag.

Like love, we know what respect is when we see it, but how does one define it? And most importantly what does it mean to respect God?

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
Hebrews 12:7

When the Bible uses the word respect, it means to revere or regard. How is respect shown? As the Holy Spirit reminds us in this passage from Hebrews, if we respect our earthly and human fathers, how much more should we respect our Father God, in Heaven? To better understand how this respect can be given, we need to examine some ways that we can show respect to a person. Respect is a state or condition but it is often used as a verb. It implies a willful action or response as illustrated by the following examples:

1. Have confidence in the person, that what he says he will do, he will perform; it is a person who keeps their promises.

2. Esteem and admire the attributes and qualities of the person.

3. Honor and show deference to the person

Each of these ways that respect can be shown to another can be applied to God. Only He is worthy of our total respect.

1. Having confidence in God

...and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Romans 4:21

2. Esteem and admire the attributes of God

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14

3. Honor and show deference to God

From the rising of the sun to its going down, The Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high..
Psalms 113:3-5

It is possible to respect a person but not necessarily love them. However, it is not possible to love a person and not respect them. But if we allow ourselves to be totally surrendered to God, anyone can be loved and respected with the agape love that God loves us. With God, love and respect cannot ever be separated. His promises to us, as revealed through the Bible, are explicit and demand a response. And if we accept His offer of salvation, it means we both love and respect Him. Jesus Christ is worthy of our love and respect because He is both Lord and Savior. He is our Lord who demands our respect and obedience and He is our Savior who, through the greatest act of love that this universe has ever seen, gave His life for us so that we may be reconciled to God because of our sins.

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

Who is Your Master? (Ephesians 6:20)

Who is your master?

We love our freedom. We chafe under any suggestion that someone rules over us. Even in a democracy like the United States, the idea of big government looking over our shoulder gives most of us an uncomfortable paranoia. We love our free will and some will defiantly shake their fist at God saying that He cannot break their will, even at their last moment of life.

The Apostle Paul was imprisoned several times during his missionary travels. Some of his greatest letters were written while he was in prison. In one of these letters to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul described himself with a number of phrases:

...the prisoner of Christ Jesus...
Ephesians 3:1

...the prisoner of the Lord...
Ephesians 4:1

...I am an ambassador in chains...
Ephesians 6:20

Although a prisoner in Roman prison, Paul did not acknowledge the Romans as his jail keeper or prison master. He turned the focus upon His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He willingly and gladly acknowledged that his imprisonment and chains were for the glory of Jesus. These apparent setbacks in his travels turned out for the greater advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is all that mattered to Paul.

Who is your master?

Submitting to the Lordship and rule of Jesus Christ in your life is true freedom. When you do this, you will experience the life that God wants for you, not the life that you think you want to live.

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

The Man in the Moon (Matthew 16:13-17)

Source-Wikipedia

“Don’t you see it, Dad?”

I stared at the full moon, desperately trying to identify the “man in the moon”. Even with my daughter painstakingly pointing out the features, I just could not see it. Even after looking at the illustration above, it didn’t emerge! What was wrong with me? Am I the only person who cannot see this “man”?

Turns out, I am not alone, thank goodness! Various cultures have visualized a wide variety of images ranging from a boy gathering sticks, rabbits, and a mouse. It seems that people will choose to see what they want to see.

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar- Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-17

The people who gathered around and heard Jesus speaking and witnessed His miracles were blessed indeed! The living God in their presence! But even in His presence, the multitudes still had their varying opinions about who He really was. But there was no reason to assign other identities to Jesus. He may have appeared to have been a great prophet, a teacher, even a priest. Yes, He was all this, but so much more!

The man in the moon will always be open to interpretation, viewed by some people as obvious and others as obscure. But Jesus Christ did not leave that option for us. He is God Incarnate! He is our Lord and Savior! To assign any other lesser interpretation or description of Him is wrong.

Take the time to read the Bible and see for yourself that the claims of Jesus Christ are the truth. If you are truly seeking the truth, ask God to reveal it to you. The Bible reassures us that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!

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

What is Truth? (John 18:38)

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
John 18:38

Was Pilate truly seeking an answer to his question?

Pilate was an opportunist. He tried to play both sides. He tried to pacify one segment of the Jews by writing the title JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. Yet, he feared the crowd who would accuse him of treason if he did claim that Jesus, and not Caesar, was their king.

There are many situations in life where the solution is clear, black and white, a yes or a no. But what happens when we are confronted with a situation where there is no clear answer or a situation that conflicts with our sensibilities?  We may straddle the difficult issues of life by compromising our positions or even sacrificing our values and morals. We may convince ourselves that such a compromise is necessary, even essential. It may be illegal but it would never be noticed and if it was, no harm done since everyone else is doing it. No one would demand an explanation for our actions. But there is only person to whom we need to answer for our decisions.

What is truth? The answer was staring at Pilate. Jesus Christ is the only truth and the only person to whom we need to answer for our decisions. All our decisions must be held up to the light and scrutiny of His teachings and what is written in the Bible.  And the most important decision that will ever confront us is whether we will accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

What is truth? Are you truly seeking an answer to this question? Turn to Jesus Christ for the answer.

Amen!

Inside Every Large Problem (Acts 11:19-21)

Inside every large problem is a small problem struggling to get out.
Hoare’s Law

This was my high school yearbook quotation. A pessimist may view this statement that conflict is endless. The optimist may aver that all problems are not as big as they initially appear. What do I think? Truthfully, I was searching for a pithy quote and thought the apparent contradiction sounded cool. Actually, for many years, I would quote this backwards, stating that inside every small problem, is a large problem struggling to get out!

One possible interpretation is that every problem we face is not always what is seems to be. When we view our problems through the lens of past experiences and how it resolved in the past, it will definitely color our present expectations.  

Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian church and after his death, widespread persecution resulted.  This persecution led to a dispersion of the believers throughout the known world.  A pessimist may view this dispersion as a deathblow to the nascent Christians, preventing them from organizing and consolidating their power. But God was working through these dark days and using these events to move His people and Church to reach the unbelieving world.

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21

The dispersion led to the rapid spread of the Gospel throughout much of the known world. What may have seemed like a large problem was, instead, a blessing! Ask God to give you His peace and perspective to see you through whatever problems you may face. Our problems, large or small, are in His hands and in His control.

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

I'll Never Be A Pathologist! (Acts 9:18)

I still remember my first day of histology as a first year medical student. It was 2 hours of dizzying work, peering through a microscope, staring at brightly stained microscope slides, depicting varying organs of the body. Not only was this not interesting, I was getting a massive headache. At the end of the day, I let out an exasperated yell, “I’ll never be a pathologist!”

If I listened to my own rantings, I would probably be leading a far different life, probably a pediatrician rather than a pathologist. It was a series of fortunate encounters with well-meaning mentors that slowly revealed to me, over several years, my chosen specialty.

Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Acts 9:18

I am thankful this revelation for my life’s direction was not as traumatic as the Apostle Paul’s. Blinded by light, confronted by our Lord Jesus Christ, and led away blind for 3 days without food or drink. Whew!

Something like scales! The balance of Paul’s life was dramatically shifted and reoriented. When God wants your attention, He will act! If God is asking you to act, don’t hesitate to respond.

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

Mermaids-Why the Fascination? (Genesis 1:26-27)

A recent television show depicted an earnest scientific investigation into the authenticity of mermaids. The show recounts the historical record of mermaid sightings throughout history leading up to an actual analysis of a dead mermaid.

Watching this show, one cannot help but be bewildered by the incredulous claims of the producers, even presenting ex-NOAA government workers who gave eye-witness accounts. Even a cell phone video is presented from a boy who allegedly captured the sequence of a wounded mermaid reaching out to grab him. All of this makes for an entertaining show but the question that lurks behind everyone’s mind is, is this real?

The internet is certainly a buzz with supporters and doubters. The supporters cite a massive government conspiracy that is covering up the truth of these enigmatic creatures, known and described throughout history by many cultures. The doubters dub the show as docufiction or mockumentary stating that all of this was faked by the producers to gain viewership and ratings. The doubters cite other sensationalist shows like the Roswell Park Alien autopsy, aired in the 1990’s, and later proven to be a hoax.

One theme that the producers of the show kept hammering was the alleged intelligence of these mermaids, how they were an example of evolution creating another intelligent species, another human species that has gone into hiding and co-existed with other sea creatures like the whale.  Why do people find such fascination that another human species could or does exist? And why do people attribute such wondrous traits of intelligence and self-awareness to a possible imaginary animal or evolution?

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:26-27

God has created everything in this earth and universe. But He reserved a very special status for man, making him in God’s own image. He imbued man with His moral nature and gave man a spirit and soul with an innate desire to seek communion and fellowship with his Maker. And God made man to have dominion over all the animals. Some animals are better able to serve man’s needs and we have domesticated many species such as cows, pigs, horses, and dogs. Other species, such as sharks, are less trainable. But when God returns to reign on this earth, all animals will once again be subject to man’s rule.

Finding another animal species that is intelligent does not disprove God, nor does it give support to evolution. And no other human species will ever be found. The diversity of animal species with varying degrees of intelligence is a reflection of the magnificence of our Creator, who gave different qualities to all creatures to give glory to His creation. Only man is made in God’s image but we are all fallen because sin has separated us from God. Only by believing in Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation are we able to be in right fellowship with God. We have two natures, our old sinful nature and the new nature given to us by God and living within us through God’s Holy Spirit. We may look at one another and be disappointed if that person does not live up to our expectations, but that does not mean that God is wrong or is not working in our lives. It means that God, through His Holy Spirit, is working within each of us on His timetable and not directed by the expectations or timetables of ourselves or others. We are a representation of God’s magnificence. And because of this, we should spend our time seeking to support each member of God’s church, His family, and not looking for an alternative human species as a way to explain the failings of mankind.

Mermaids may be a fanciful creation of an overactive imagination or they may be a yet undiscovered sea creature. Regardless, they are not man and they do not represent God’s image. Only man is made in God’s image. And only man can accept the gift of God’s salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

AMEN!

Love and respect the Lord; seek His will in your life

 

A Sweet Aroma (Philippians 4:18)

Advertisers spend millions of dollars a year promoting the latest perfume or cologne. The science of perfume making is quite intricate and researchers are always looking for the next great scent. The goal, of course, is to make one attractive to the opposite sex. Fair or not, how others perceive us is very important how they will interact with us. Attractiveness encompasses all aspects of a person, from the way they smell, their attire, and their personal hygiene. To a certain extent, we are able to control these latter attributes. We may pursue cleanliness, making sure we are presentable with clean clothes. However, it is the internal attributes that are far more difficult to hide or cover-up. What about our attitudes, our demeanor, the way we speak to one another? Even when our intentions are seemingly noble and done with a good heart, our actions may go awry. We can do acts of kindness for our friends and strangers. We may think we are caring for them when perhaps the actions we are doing are interpreted otherwise by the recipient. How can this be? Even if we provide some clothes or food to a family that we perceive to be in need, they may feel insulted and patronized, thinking they are able to provide on their own and don’t need a handout. We may even share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone who is a seeker and not a believer but the hearer may feel insulted that you are judging them and not truly interested in being their friend.

Of course, these are exceptions but we must always guard against being overly zealous to do what we perceive is God’s will when in reality we are not applying God’s will in a loving manner and are being insensitive to the recipient's feelings.

Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet- smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
Philippians 4:18

When you enter and leave a room, is the reaction from others around you one of pleasure and thankfulness that you came or relief that you have left? Are you welcomed like a sweet-smelling aroma or a loathsome and putrid odor?

Take time to reflect upon how you treat others. Are you treating them with the same compassion that God has bestowed upon you or are you taking an attitude that they are not living up to your standards, rather than God’s?

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