Month: April 2019

Many years ago, I was invited to interview for a dermatopathology position in a state far removed from California. I was flown out to the city first class, greeted at the airport with a limousine, and put up in a very ritzy hotel in the heart of the city downtown. I was duly impressed and this was all before I even met the interviewers!

 

The dermatology clinic was owned by a couple; the wife was a dermatologist and dermatopathologist and the husband was the CFO. It was an impressive operation they owned,  with over a dozen dermatology offices scattered throughout several nearby states, all sending their biopsies to their central laboratory. They picked me up from the hotel in the morning and first drove me to their home. It was an opulent mansion in the city’s most exclusive neighborhood and featured in several interior decorating and architecture magazines.

 

After a tour of their home and meeting their two young children, I was whisked away to their laboratory. The wife spent her busy days shuttling back and forth between one dermatology office and the dermatopathology laboratory. She was signing out a very high volume of cases, a level that I was handling with my current job. However, I was not also seeing clinical dermatology patients, I was focused only upon dermatopathology. She was doing both, something I would not be able to handle. It was obvious she definitely needed help.

 

We broke for lunch and then was given a quick tour of the city. Unlike previous job interviews, I now had a family and was more concerned about living in a city that could adequately address their needs, particularly my son who has Down syndrome. I had already made a request to the couple that I would like to visit schools that specialized in children with special needs, which they previously agreed to do. After meeting for half an hour at one school, his wife suggested we visit one additional school. I was eager but he frowned and said, “We don’t have time for this.”  His dismissive tone was palpable.

 

Returning to the clinic office, the husband made a very generous job offer. I was thankful but was completely distracted by what I was observing. I was miffed by his seemingly callous attitude to my earlier request to visit the school. His wife was pleasant but clearly overworked; her face and speech betrayed her fatigue. I suspected that she was unwilling to say anything that would even hint at complaining, out of respect and love to her husband…or perhaps it was fear?  I could not escape the conclusion that if he treated his wife like this, what hope would there be for me?

 

When I returned home, I updated my wife and family of the interview. After praying, we were all in agreement to decline the job offer. While the terms of the contract were generous, it would not be enough for my wife to give up her job and to uproot my entire family. Yet, the overriding and gnawing truth was I thought the husband was cold around the heart and I did not want to work for such a man.

 

Over fifteen years later, I learned that both he and his wife were investigated by their state’s Attorney General for fraudulent billing to patients and insurance companies. Several dermatologists, who were contracted to work in their clinics, served as whistleblowers, disgruntled that they were not paid for months and appalled at the blatantly illegal practices they were witnessing. The couple was found guilty and fined a stiff penalty of several million dollars. They declared bankruptcy and the wife lost her medical license in the states where the clinics operated. Their once lucrative dermatology business, their mansion, and all of the excess of their extravagant lifestyle were now gone.

 

But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

Daniel 5:20 (ESV)

 

Cold around the heart.

 

It may be a symptom of more serious issues. This passage from the Book of Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of the Babylonian empire, the greatest empire of its day. Instead of acknowledging God as the source of his prosperity, he exalted himself. His heart was hardened and he turned cold to the blessings he had received. God swiftly took his kingdom away from him, reducing him to a life of madness, roaming the countryside like a wild animal.

 

There was a coldness around the heart of the dermatologist’s husband. His entire family paid a staggering cost, losing everything. God blesses all of us, some receiving more material possessions than others. Instead of using these blessings to justify a selfish and arrogant lifestyle, we should acknowledge that all blessings, material and spiritual, originate with God, and live a life in gratitude to Him and a willingness to share these blessings with others.

 

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

 

The dashboard on my car was flashing a familiar warning signal.

 

FRONT TIRE LOW PRESSURE!

 

Are you kidding me? Again? I was already running late that morning and I grumbled under my breath as I found my air compressor pump in my trunk. I experienced this ordeal so many times before that I purchased this pump to immunize myself against future calamities. Within a few minutes, the tire was sufficiently inflated to allow me time to take my car to my usual tire repair shop, across the street from my office.

 

I took precautions since this misfortune had happened before, but do I take the same precautions in my spiritual walk with God? Do I prophylactically plan ahead for mishaps or do I agonizingly repeat the same mistakes? How often do I fall victim to my pride and lash out at others to justify my ego?

 

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

Proverbs 26:11 (ESV)

 

The Apostle Peter quotes this proverb in his second letter and it is wisdom that bears repeating.

 

What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

2 Peter 2:22 (ESV)

 

If I have known the love of Jesus Christ and experienced His sweet fellowship, why would I ever desire to return to the life that I led before? The answer is painfully simple. I am a sinner, saved only by the grace and mercy of God. God saved me through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Although my salvation is eternal and imperishable, I still exist with two natures. God, the Holy Spirit, indwells within me, transforming and conforming me into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet, my earthly self, clinging to the desires of the world, still exists within me. It is a continual spiritual battle, one that reminds me that I have to surrender all to the will of Jesus Christ and not my carnal desires. I need to stop returning to my own vomit, wallowing in the filth of my former life. Like preparing for the simple problems of life, I need to arm myself with the power of the Holy Spirit to prepare for the struggles between my old self and the sanctified life that Jesus Christ give me.

 

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

 

My younger sister and I had been conversing on the phone for about half an hour. It had been a few weeks since I last spoke or emailed her and it seemed as though we had an endless number of topics on which to catch up. Finally, during a lull, she remarked, “Well, nice talking with you.”

 

“Wait!” I protested. “Do you have something to do?”

 

“Why, do you have to tell me something?”

 

“No…just want to talk story.”

 

“Wait! You sure you don’t have anything to tell me?”

 

“No!” I was laughing. “Just want to catch up!”

 

“You know what this means, right?”

 

“Uh…no I don’t.”

 

“The mere fact that I am suspicious that you’re not telling me something tells me we don’t talk enough!”

 

I laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just never thought so deeply about this!”

 

Laughing, she said, “Ok…love you!”

 

It is ironic that simply desiring to spend more time in conversation with someone close to me would elicit suspicion of an ulterior motive. It was humorous but an underlying truth was present. I didn’t spend enough time talking with my sister. As I reflected upon her insight, I realized that she is not the only one. Relatives, godparents, even my own immediate family-all should receive more of my prayers and attention. I should spend more time in deep quality conversations, rather than a cursory and perfunctory, “How was your day?”

 

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalms 90:12 (ESV)

 

Our sojourn on this earth is brief. At any moment, our lives may change. Health issues, financial problems, trouble at work-the list and permutations are endless. Knowing this should motivate each of us to make each moment count. Every relationship should never be taken for granted and every conversation savored as if it were our last one. It should also remind all of us that our souls are eternal and life does not end with our earthly existence. When we die, we can spend eternity with God in Heaven or we can suffer unimaginable horrors in hell. God loves us but respects our free will to choose. He offers us the choice of salvation and eternal life if we confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. For all who accept this offer of salvation, we will spend eternity in continual fellowship with each other and with God our Creator…and we will have more than enough time to catch up with each other!

 

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

 

“You’re late!”

 

I glanced at my watch. It was precisely 10 AM, the time we agreed to meet. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Yes, I did say 10 AM but you should always try to arrive at an appointment a bit early. You have to prepare for the unexpected-traffic, no parking spaces, an accident.” I listened intently to my chief resident. “You think it is all about you but someday, other people will be depending upon you to be on time, and if you are late, it may not be your job on the line, it may be your entire team that is fired. Never forget! If you are on time, you are late!”

 

Whether the event is a casual get-together with friends, a formal interview, or attending a church service, punctuality is important. It communicates respect to the other party or the institution they represent. It also speaks of planning. On my nightstand, I have two alarm clocks, both battery operated, set to awaken me in the morning. I keep two separate internet browser-based calendars open on my desktop and smartphone to remind me of immediate and upcoming appointments. Perhaps it is a bit obsessive-compulsive but when other people are depending upon me to keep my appointments, it is no longer about myself. As my chief resident cautioned me so many years ago, the jobs and reputations of others may be affected.

 

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

 

Josh McDowell, author, and evangelist, once shared an interesting story. “When I was a crusade director in British Columbia, all of our meetings were at 9:03. Somebody said ‘That’s ridiculous. Why did you do that?’ It’s because you remember it. You’ve never been to another 9:03 meeting.”

 

All Christian believers should do whatever it takes to remember and be on time for our appointments. It is our practical witness to the world that we genuinely respect the interests of others.

 

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

 

 

 

The snow flurries were hindering my vision as I descended the freeway onramp. It was 20F and it was the first time I was driving a freeway when it was snowing. I safely made it down the ramp and nimbly merged with the traffic. For a young man from Hawaii, learning to drive on an icy freeway in one of the coldest winters in Denver, Colorado was not an ideal training environment. I soon discovered the foolhardiness of my judgment.

 

Ahead of me by two car lengths, the red tail lights signaled a slowing of the traffic. Slowly I braked, confident I was giving myself adequate spacing before the next car. Yet, instead of slowing, traction was lost and my car began to swerve and spin. I was terrified as the animated car took control. Thankfully the car came to a stop but I was now facing the oncoming traffic. The headlights slowly approached and I managed to turn the car around before they reached me and irreparable damage was done.

 

…But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

1 Samuel 20:3 (ESV)

 

If it had been a different time of day when more cars were on the road, I could have easily been killed, or worse, injured or killed another driver. Life can be fleeting, a step away from death more often than I would like to acknowledge. I am not unique. In this passage from the Bible, the future King David knew that his life was in danger from King Saul. At any moment, death was only a step away. David acknowledged the gravity of the situation but he did not fear. He was confident that whatever befell him, he was safe in God’s hands. If his life were snuffed out in the next instant, he could confidently declare that he would safely be in the presence of God.

 

Nothing brings life into immediate focus than the threat of death. We all need to know what will happen to our souls when we die. Will our souls disintegrate into oblivion, joining the dust to which our bodies eventually return? Are our souls immortal and enter an afterlife? If so, is there a judgment or do all souls go to Heaven or hell? These questions must be answered by everyone in their lifetime. The Bible is very clear that our souls live forever and there is an afterlife with a judgment. Only by confessing and repenting of one’s sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will we be assured of salvation and eternal life with God. If we chose not to, God has no choice but to respect our decision and our souls will forever be separated from God, eternally tormented in hell.

 

We are all a step away from death. Take a step in the right direction and chose life through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

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

 

Several years ago, our local church embarked upon a study examining the origins and relevance of the Sabbath. Most Christians attend Church on Sundays, in remembrance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Sundays have become our Sabbath day. As much as possible, without being legalistic, our family does try to make Sunday a day of rest and reflection upon God. On one Sunday, during our Sabbath study, I let my anger get the better of me over a silly issue. I was in a bad mood for a few minutes and it permeated the house and infected all who interacted with me. My daughter asked my wife, “Is Daddy angry with me?” My wife shook her head, “No, but just leave Daddy alone.” My daughter quickly replied, “No, we should pray for Daddy. We shouldn’t be like this on the Sabbath.”

 

My wife called me to the room and asked my daughter to share with me what she just said. It was a very humbling and convicting moment for me. After praying, I hugged both of them and proceeded to accompany my daughter to her room. As we walked together, hand in hand, she said, “Dad, this is Satan’s world, not God’s. We have to continue to pray for strength.”

 

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:9-11 (ESV)

 

My continual lapses into sinful behavior vividly demonstrate how desperately I need a Savior.

As believers in Jesus Christ, our Sabbath rest is now in Him. It is not just one day that we set aside, it is our entire life, every moment, that we allow God to sanctify us for His purpose.

 

I thank God that through His Holy Spirit, He continues to convict me of my ever-present sins and that His forgiveness is limitless. I thank God that, in spite of my many faults and weaknesses, He is helping me and my wife to raise our daughter as a godly woman. I pray that God will continue to place a hedge of protection around our family.

 

Amen!

 

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

 

Ahh..the physics library…no one is studying here! I had my pick up of numerous desks and tables and planted myself next to a window. The only other person in the library was another student, one whom I met in my Japanese class. Should be a quiet and productive evening.

 

When I was in college, each evening I rotated the libraries where I chose to study. Most evenings passed with nary a conversation with other students, but this evening was an exception.

 

“You’re Paul, right?” The lone student looked up from his desk as I attempted to pass by.

 

“Yes. You’re Jake?” He smiled and nodded. There was something about him that encouraged me to go beyond the usual pleasantries. “Are you a physics major?”

 

He shook his head. “No, econ. I’m on work-study so I’m the library monitor at this physics library.”

 

“Cool.” I surveyed the empty library. “Pretty easy job?”

 

He chuckled. “Yes. Hardly anyone comes in here at night! I get to study!”

 

“Me too!” I grinned. “Talk to you later!”

 

I found a nearby table and a few hours passed when I got up to stretch. As I passed Jake, I noticed he had completed his studying and was reading his Bible. Again, something inside prompted me to ask him a question.

 

“Reading the Bible?” stating the obvious.

 

Jake looked up. His expression indicated he was deep in thought, but he politely answered. “Yes. Are you a Christian?”

 

“No…I mean yes,” I stammered. “I believe all religions are paths to the same god.”

 

Nonplussed, he closed his Bible and said, “I see.” He again smiled. “Do you read the Bible?”

 

“Yes. But I read everything! The Bible. The Buddhist sutras. The Bhagavad Gita.” I smugly declared.

 

Choosing his words carefully he said, “That’s good, man. You should keep reading the Bible.”

 

“Yeah. Maybe I will.”

 

At that time in my life, I felt secure in my newly found religion. I was deeply involved in a group that believed all religions were paths to the same god. Thus, I readily accepted the religious scriptures and authoritative statements of all spiritual disciplines, willing to overlook the apparent contradictions. But I could not overlook my seemingly random encounter with Jake. Within a few weeks, we became close friends, taking our meals together. Within a few months, I was in his dorm room every Sunday evening, exploring and debating the claims of the Bible and Jesus Christ. Within a year, God changed my heart and I confessed and repented of my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

 

Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel:  “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”

1 Samuel 9:15-16 (ESV)

 

Just like my seemingly random encounter in a quiet university physics library with my brother in Jesus Christ whom God used to lead me to Him, God used a seemingly random search for missing donkeys to set into motion a series of events that led to the anointing of Israel’s first King. Saul was a handsome man from the tribe of Benjamin. One day, he was asked by his father to search for their missing donkeys. At the same time, God spoke to the prophet Samuel and revealed to him that he was sending Saul to him so that he could anoint him as the first king.

 

Random encounter? Coincidence?

 

Every event that occurs in our life has a purpose. If the reason or connection is not immediately evident, it does not mean there is no purpose. Sometimes God requires us to be patient, to grow and mature our faith in the process. In my life, within a year of a seemingly random encounter, God brought me into a loving relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

There are no coincidences with God. His Will is always done!

 

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

 

“I need to speak to someone in billing!”

 

The woman on the phone was obviously perturbed. My biller politely responded to her call. “How may I assist you?”

 

“I have a bill that I need to pay you but I want to explain why I am late on the payment. I placed the check in a US post office receptacle, you know, the ones on the corners of the street?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well, I just found out today that someone broke into the receptacle found my check and whited-out the amount I wrote in and your company name. II owed you $107.74 but when I viewed my online statement for the bank, it stated that I owed $600 to this thief! After I resolved the issue with the bank, I realized I still owed you the money so this is why I am calling you, because I don’t want you to think I am late and you will send me to collections.”

 

My biller was stunned by the revelation. “That is terrible what happened to you! Of course, we understand and we thank you for calling and informing us.”

 

When she shared this story with me, I simply shook my head. “I am surprised, but not surprised. People will go to great effort to lie and steal.”

 

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.

Genesis 4:7 (ESV)

 

In this passage from the Book of Genesis, God directly spoke to Cain and warned him that his angry thoughts were leading him down a slippery slope, one that may end in disaster. Did Cain listen? A brief time later, Cain killed his brother Abel-the first murder. Cain was resentful of his brother but God warned him that he did not have to act upon his thoughts. Cain willfully ignored God and began a bloody tradition that haunts all of humanity to this day.

 

Cain had a choice. He was angry but he chose to act out his resentment. We all face temptations in this life, this is no sin. If we act upon it, then we enter the point of no return. We must rule over it.

 

The thief who defrauded our patient was confronted with several choices, whether to break into the postal box or walk away. Even after breaking in, the thief did not have to fraudulently alter the check. There were many opportunities to avoid sinning or compound the sin. All were squandered.

 

We do not become a sinner because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. We desperately need a Savior, one who can rescue us from this deplorable state. Only by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior can we break the vicious cycle of sin and deceit. Only then will be able to rule over sin.

 

Thanks be to God for his grace and mercy in giving His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer.

 

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

 

My wife and I were enjoying a new series on an internet channel and as we watched the first few minutes, a familiar face flashed on the screen.

 

“Hey!” I exclaimed. “Didn’t we see him in that movie we saw last weekend?”

 

My wife nodded. “Yes, he played that crusading district attorney!”

 

“Yeah! So cool, now he’s playing a villain, a completely different character.”

 

It is always intriguing to recognize an actor or actress, performing in a role, unfamiliar or opposite to which we are accustomed. It allows us to appreciate the talent of the artist, engaging our senses and riveting our attention to the character that we may not have otherwise considered.

 

The Bible gives us many examples of people who appear in multiple roles. Moses was a prince of Egypt, a murderer and a Prophet who later led the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt. David was a shepherd, a mighty warrior, and one of the greatest kings of Israel. Gideon was a timid farmer who led the vastly outnumbered Israelites to a miraculous victory over their Midianite oppressors. But for a complete reversal of roles, there is no greater example in the Bible than the Apostle Paul.

 

The Apostle Paul was Saul, a Pharisee and one of the most educated men of his day. He zealously hunted down all Christians as blasphemers and heretics of God and the Jewish traditions. His actions spread great fear amongst the nascent Christians who scattered from his intrusions. It was a dark and foreboding time but God was setting the stage for one of the most dramatic character reversals. Traveling on the road to Damascus, Jesus Christ blinded him with a light from Heaven and spoke directly to him.

 

And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Acts 9:4-6 (ESV)

 

For three days, Saul was blind. His sight was restored when a disciple of Jesus, Ananias, lay hands upon him and by the power of the Holy Spirit, restored his sight and transformed his seething hate he had for Jesus and His followers into the most powerful and persuasive witness that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah for whom the Jews were expecting. Paul now declared that Jesus was God Incarnate! The result was disbelief by both Christians and Jews alike.

 

And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”

Acts 9:21 (ESV)

 

Is not this the man? Didn’t we see him….?

 

Yes, and so did God who transformed him from Saul the persecutor to Paul the greatest missionary of the Good News of Jesus Christ!

 

All praise to the Living God!

 

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

 

​

 

On January 6th of this year, I was introduced to the Mexican Christmas tradition of Dia de los Reyes. One of my staff brought a circular cake known as a Rosca de Reyes or King’s cake. Embedded within the cake were four small figurines representing the Baby Jesus, depicting the hiding of the baby Jesus from King Herod’s troops. Anyone who slices into the cake and finds one of the figurines must bear the cost of a meal for all the participants in the following month, known as the Dia de la Candelaria.

 

It is wonderful to learn and participate in another cultural tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to commemorate the giving of gifts by the wise men. Curious about the tradition, I researched it before we cut the cake. Although there is nothing in the Bible that describes such a tradition, it is based upon the Bible stories of the birth of Jesus Christ.

 

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1-2 (ESV)

 

When I shared the Bible passages with my staff, upon which this tradition was based upon, none realized that the Bible never mentions there were only three kings nor did they know the origins of the hidden baby figurine.

 

There are many traditions which we celebrate at Christmas which are never mentioned in the Bible: the visit of three kings, a Christmas tree, stockings hung over a fireplace, mistletoe-just to name a few. While there is nothing wrong to celebrate Christmas with these traditions, we must always remember that all of these traditions should direct our attention to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yes, He is the reason for the season and we should never let anything divert our attention away from worshipping and honoring Him. My staff understands this and we all rejoiced in the birth of Jesus Christ.

 

Dia de los Reyes is a great tradition! And by the way…I am getting a free lunch!

 

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