Month: May 2017

An interesting medical study was just published suggesting that exercise may be contagious! The contagion is not a virus or bacteria passed to others via sweat or dirty towels, but social media. People who exercise and share their results via social media may spread their behavior to others. The study examined running behaviors and found that when someone posts a comment indicating they ran an additional kilometer, it inspired others to run an additional 0.3 km. If one ran for an additional 10 minutes, it inspired others to run an additional 3 minutes longer!

 

I can definitely relate to the influence of social media. Presently, I use social media sites only for news feeds but in the past, I used to post a great deal. Most of my postings were about food-my latest barbeque or smoking creations, some restaurant I had visited, or an article about a celebrity chef. And not surprisingly, my postings motivated others to visit some of the same restaurants or chefs or attempt to recreate some of my recipes. I was influencing others regardless of my initial intentions. My eating habits were contagious!

 

Is my Christian faith contagious?

 

As often as I posted about food on social media, only rarely did I ever post something that dealt directly with my Christian faith. There are many reasons and for many years, I would convince myself of the validity and merit of my excuses. I did not want to offend anyone. I did not want to impose my faith upon others. My opinions on food were less offensive than my opinions on faith and Christianity. While well-intentioned, I could have posted less about food and more about Christian brothers and sisters helping others in this world. I could have posted positive comments about how God has worked in my life.

 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

 

My Christian faith is not contagious on social media. I have kept it in a sterile bubble, but no longer. These blogs have allowed me to reach beyond my immediate circle of friends and family. I pray that the light of Jesus Christ may be evident in my life and all believers so that all may glorify God.

 

Amen!

 

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

A few weeks ago, the president of one of our laboratory partners requested an urgent meeting with me. When we met, she dropped a bombshell. “We are closing our laboratory. Our last day will be two weeks from today.”

 

I was stunned. This laboratory serviced many of our dermatology clients and was known for their excellent technical work. Our company had maintained a close working relationship with them for nearly ten years.

 

“Why are you doing this?” I questioned.

 

Her countenance dropped. “We can’t make it work financially. Ever since the Medicare cuts, we thought we could hang on, but we have been running in the red for the past year. The cuts are continuing and we see no other solution.”

 

I nodded and searched for a way to ease her pain. “Can I do anything to help you or your lab?”

 

She smiled. “Don’t tell our staff! You are the first person, besides the other owners, to know this. I wanted to meet with you first since you are our biggest customer.”

 

“I won’t tell, promise. I will wait until you let me know.”

 

I quickly called a meeting with my staff and let them know of the situation. We had two weeks to find another laboratory to service our dermatology clients. I also emphasized that this was confidential and no one could share this news with any of our clients or their lab employees when we called their lab.

 

“Don’t forget the couriers!”

 

Right! One of my staff reminded us that their lab also sends their couriers to our office everyday. We needed to be careful and discreet when we saw them.

 

I shook my head. “Wow, that is a sad situation, knowing these people will all be losing their jobs in two weeks, and they don’t even know about it.”

 

Over the next few days, I reflected upon this situation. I prayed for their company, that their employees would be able to find jobs and their president would share the disappointing news with them soon. Every time I saw one of their couriers, my mind replayed the secret I was hiding from them. Their lives were about to change for the worse and they did not know it.

 

For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

Ecclesiastes 9:12 (ESV)

 

The loss of a job is devastating for anyone. As I wrestled with my promise to not reveal the truth, I reflected upon this situation and wondered, what if the information I was asked to keep confidential was even worse. What if I knew that their lives were ending in two weeks? What then? Would I break my promise to the president and tell them the truth? Of course I would. But as absurd as this hypothetical situation seemed, many people are facing the same fate. Everyone will die. Some are confident that when the moment of death approaches, they will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Until then, they are content to live a life spiritually separated from God, completely ignorant that they are on the road to hell and eternal torment. But as the Bible states, no one knows the moment of their death. At that critical moment, there may be no time for confession, no time to reflect upon one’s life, no time to ask Jesus to save you. In a moment, you will be eternally separated from God.

 

It does not have to be this way. Jesus is standing at the door of everyone’s heart and knocks. But you have to let Him into your life, He will never force His way in.

 

I kept my promise to the laboratory president and did not tell their staff. But I will never stop telling people about their need to confess and repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Such knowledge is too important and beautiful to hide from anyone. No one knows when they will die. Why delay? Make the decision now for your eternal salvation.

 

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

A wise man once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Most sane people would scoff at such a statement, averring they would never engage in such nonsensical behavior. Count me within this group. Nonetheless, for years, I was rummaged through the self-help section of bookstores, desperate to find solutions to deal with bitterness toward a colleague or to fix a broken relationship. On other visits, the sections on investing beckoned me to discover a new, sure-fire method for getting rich, better than what other pundits have suggested. This tongue in cheek statement exposed a disturbing and repetitive aspect of my behavior.

 

For many years, I sought to correct and improve my life with the world’s solutions. But this is a fallen world and we are fallen people.  I was using imperfect solutions to attempt to correct an imperfect person. All this accomplished was to increase my frustration and disappointment. But I kept doing this, over and over again, hoping that it was only a matter of time before I found the solution, the panacea to all my woes. Truly, this was insanity.

 

My sins continued to lead me down a slippery path to destruction. Why would I continue to place my trust in a failed system? I was unwilling to acknowledge this lie and turn to the Truth.

 

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)

 

When I confessed and repented of my sins to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, the insanity ended. For the first time, I saw myself as a fallen person, blinded by sin, and utterly helpless to rescue myself by my own efforts. Only Jesus could do this because He lived a perfect, sinless life, in complete submission to God, His Father. He took the penalty of my sins and broke down the barrier of sin that separated me from God. By placing my faith in trust in Him, the futile cycle of imperfect solutions attempting to correct an imperfect person ended.

 

Thanks be to God who has rescued me from this insanity and brought sanity to my existence.

 

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

There are two major vacation periods for our family-spring break and Christmas. Each year, our family eagerly anticipates and plans these vacations. My wife is the expert in planning and she spends hours searching destinations, hotels, travel packages, and points of interest. The centerpiece of every vacation is food and most of our destinations are renowned as culinary centers of the world. Our children are eager participants since they are as enamored of food as my wife and I. I am happy and pleased to take my children with me!

 

Recently, I heard an interview on Christian talk radio of a woman who beamed how thankful she was that her two children attended a Christian school. She was blessed that her children were being firmly grounded in the Bible and learning how to live as a Christian in this world. “I want to take my children to Heaven with me!” she gushed.

 

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

 

There are many destinations to which our family may travel, but the most important one is set in eternity. I, too, want to take my children to Heaven with me! Everyone is accountable to God and must come to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But before that moment, I, as a parent, must seek God’s guidance to raise my children in a godly home. Even if they do not feel like praying, we must continue to pray as a family. Our conversations must be directed to God, searching the Bible for the answers to deal with the complex problems of this world. And they must be encouraged to read the Bible, seeking daily nourishment from the Truth of God’s Word.

 

I love taking our children on our family vacations. We are creating a lifetime of memories. By God’s grace and mercy, my children have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I am comforted by His promises that they will be in Heaven with me someday.

 

And this is the best final destination for everyone, an eternal rest for our souls in the presence of Jesus Christ!

 

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

Many of us have felt the sting of betrayal. The sting is worsened when inflicted by the hands of someone you helped. The Bible instructs me in every situation of life that I may encounter, and the painful topic of betrayal is prominently discussed. In this Bible passage, I am encouraged that David did not grumble about his betrayal. Instead, he took matters directly to God. 

 

And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

1 Samuel 23:5 (NKJV)

 

In this passage, David rescued the livestock of the people of Keilah after the Philistines had plundered them. Would they be grateful for David’s actions? Indeed, so grateful that they decided to deliver David into the hands of Saul, who is seeking to kill him! It is only by God speaking directly to David and warning him of the imminent betrayal that David manages to escape.

 

Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

1 Samuel 23:12 (NKJV) 

 

If I were in David’s place, I would be fuming over the ungratefulness of Keilah. How dare they betray me after I helped them! Instead of bitterness, David prayed to God, and God answered him and guided him out of a painful situation. 

 

I need to continue to seek God’s guidance during difficult times of betrayal. It is not easy, and my natural inclination is to wallow in self-pity. But God does not dwell on the raw emotions or whether I perceive a situation as difficult. When hurt and confusion arise, God directs me back to my relationship with Him. He wants me to learn from the situation and present it to Him in prayer. God is sovereign above all situations, all hurts, and all betrayals. 

 

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, was betrayed by His people and one of His disciples. Jesus did not complain about the situation but submerged Himself into the depths of His relationship with God, the Father. He obeyed Him, and God delivered Him!

 

May God bless all who experience the pain of betrayal and grant His peace that surpasses all understanding. 

 

Amen!

 

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

 

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon delighted in taking visitors to his church basement, where groups of faithful were on their knees praying. He would proclaim, “Here is the powerhouse of the church!” Spurgeon knew his church’s success was due to his congregation’s continued prayers.

 

When I lived in Denver, Colorado, I joined a Baptist church. It was founded a year earlier, and there was tremendous excitement with the young pastors and growing congregation. I joined in the excitement, attending prayer meetings with the men and pastors of the church before every Sunday morning service. We also met for prayer on Wednesday evenings before our mid-week service. Our Sunday morning and evening services had a time for prayer and a call for anyone to come forward and kneel at the altar, bringing their prayers to God. After church, elders and deacons were ready to pray with anyone who desired this. This was a praying church, and God mightily blessed it! Prayer is the powerhouse of the church!

 

I have seen the power of prayer work in my and other believers’ lives. I believe in the power of prayer. Prayer is a privilege; regrettably, I often take it for granted. If things are going well in my life and for others, I may not pray as fervently as I should. When things are going awry, I may pray, but with a resignation that nothing can be done about it.

 

Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

1 Samuel 12:23 (NKJV)

 

The Prophet Samuel addressed the Israelites when Saul was coronated as the first king of Israel. His words still resonate today. Prayer is a privilege that allows us to commune with God.  But it is more than that. If we do not pray for others, we disobey God’s commands. We fail to love our neighbor as ourselves, and this is a sin. After Job prayed for his friends, his fortunes were restored by God (Job 42:10). My prayers need to go beyond my needs and seek God’s blessings for everyone whose lives touch mine. 

 

I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to fill every believer with the desire and fervor to seek God in prayer.

 

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

It is almost with embarrassment that I admit to my residents and professional colleagues that I hated my first year of medical school. Most medical students are eager to learn gross anatomy, explore the mysteries of the cell as viewed through a microscope, and learn the basic principles of the physical examination. While I did find the material challenging, none of these classes captured my interest, except one. Neuroanatomy.

 

On the first day, I was greeted by a  large three dimensional display of the major central nervous system tracts, positioned at the front of the room. The tracts were labeled with different colors and the maze began in the brain. With each lecture, we learned the function of each tract. It was a great deal of memorization but unlike the other classes, it captured my interest.

 

If an injury or disease affected the nerve at a certain level, everything after that level would be affected. The algorithm grew more complex as one ascended the spinal cord to the brain but it was still traceable. Some tracts crossed in the brain stem and thus an injury in the right side of the brain led to loss of function on the left side of the body. There were numerous variables that affected the severity of the injury and it was easy to be distracted by these, but if I simply kept the nerve tract model in my mind, I could reduce everything to this simple equation.

 

It made sense!

 

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)

 

My relationship with God is no different. I can erroneously view the Christian life as a series of do’s and dont’s, about memorizing rules and acting in a certain way.  I can live my life cluttering my thoughts with small details instead of focusing upon the overriding principle that God outlines for me. What I sow, I will reap.

 

In the very next verse, this truth is made even more obvious.

 

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Galatians 6:8 (NKJV)

 

I may convince myself that some sins are small and insignificant, that the consequences are meaningless. But God sternly corrects my twisted and warped thinking. If I have given my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I must remain vigilant to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction in my life. He dwells within me and I should yield my life to His control.

 

Like the assuredness of identifying the level of the damaged nerve tracts, when I commit a sin, there will be consequences. My sins will always result in hurt and pain.

 

It makes sense!

 

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

I was watching a movie the other evening and was intrigued by the director’s use of lighting and special effects. The main character, a detective, was seeking to solve a complicated unsolved murder, attempting to discern any possible connections between seemingly disparate clues. As he gazed upon the collection of newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, and receipts, a light illuminated random bits of data and a ray of light began to connect the different items. As the detective pondered the connections, the answer literally flashed before him, and the murder was solved.

 

I have never received such a graphic illustration of God connecting the seemingly random dots in my life to provide an answer or direction. No ray of light or glowing arrow has ever appeared. And yet, if I took the time to reflect upon God’s direction in my life, it is clear that He is always leading me. The constant reminder is not a glow of light but the Cross before me.

 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Matthew 16:24 (NKJV)

 

Everywhere one looks, there is a physical reminder of the Cross. A computer screen, a book, a shelf, the facade of a building, windows, street signs-the image of the Cross within these objects can easily be illuminated and superimposed in one’s mind, just as if a movie director were using special effects. If I seek the Cross in God’s creation, it is there. And if I seek to take up His Cross, He is there. When I am seeking God’s direction, I need to only look to the Cross. It means I need to acknowledge what Jesus Christ did on the Cross for me. None of my  diplomas, certifications, or cleverness will ever substitute for this. If I want God to give me direction in my life, I need to be willing to sacrifice all of my desires and self interests and nail them to the Cross. Only then will the illumination of God’s guidance become evident in my life.

 

God’s Cross is always before me. I need to daily take His Cross and follow Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

 

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

“Dad, what did you do?”

 

My throbbing toe turned dark purple as the blood began to well up in the soft tissue.

 

“I stubbed my toe on a stool.”

 

“Dad! You have to be more careful!”

 

“I know, sweetheart!” nodding my head. “I am dangerous to myself!”

 

Indeed I am! Hardly a week goes by when I don’t end up scratching, cutting, or bruising myself. Most of the time, I am rushing, encouraging my careless and clumsy habits. It seems that it is very difficult to change this behavior. As I reflected upon my latest injury, a sad realization emerged, perhaps I didn’t want to break these bad habits? I like rushing. I like to accomplish in one hour what takes others an entire day to even attempt. So, in spite of my numerous injuries, why fix it, if ain’t broke?

 

Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:11 (ESV)

 

My life emulates the Patriarch Jacob, always manipulating situations for my benefit, living by my own rules.  When things go the way I envision, I convince myself that it is God’s blessing when, in reality, I am simply exerting my will. I am stubborn and prideful and keep returning to my own vomit, wallowing in my own follies. My physical injuries may be visible but the emotional scars are deeper and searing. God wants to show me a better way but do I obey?

 

I am dangerous to myself. What hope is there for me? Thanks be to God that by confessing and repenting of my sins to Jesus Christ, He is faithful and just to forgive me. He makes me aware of my many shortcomings and is transforming me into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Praise God that He rescues me from myself.

 

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

It was 1979 and I was sitting in my high school calculus class. My teacher was a formidable figure on campus, revered by generations of students who, because of his innovative teaching, excelled in their AP calculus exams. He was a strict disciplinarian and we always sat at attention in his class. On this afternoon, he was scribbling formulas on the chalkboard when he abruptly stopped and pointed to the complex patterns.

 

“I don’t want you to simply know this,” he began. “I want you to know epignosis this!”

 

He wrote on the chalkboard the Greek word gnosis.

 

γνωσις

 

“This means to know.” He then added a prefix, completing the word, epignosis.

 

Ἐπίγνωσις

 

“Epignosis means to have full knowledge or precise and correct knowledge. It means I want you to know this as part of your very soul!”

 

We all nodded, fearful that we would fail to learn this obviously important lesson. Little did I know that this was one of my earliest introductions to New Testament Greek! My teacher was a believer in Jesus Christ and studied the Bible as passionately as he taught calculus. Years later, after I became a Christian, this word re-appeared in my vocabulary. This word, epignosis, is used at least twenty times in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul and several other writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

 

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

Philippians 1:9 (NKJV)

 

Like my high school calculus teacher lessons, it was not enough to simply know about God. I had to consume, live, and breathe it. God’s Word was to become part of my very soul. I had to epignosis Him! And with this knowledge, I will be able to discern God’s will in my life. I wil be able to love God more completely and freely so that He may bring me to completion in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Epignosis.

 

Perfection and completion in life only comes with the precise and correct knowledge of God!

 

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