Month: June 2019

In the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption”, the main character, Andy Dufrense, played by Tony Robbins, makes a startling revelation to his friend Red, played by Morgan Freeman. Andy, a former banker, was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He was recounting all of the steps he had taken to launder the money the warden of the prison had illegally made through bribes and kickbacks from various contractors. “The funny thing is, on the outside, I was an honest man. Straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook.”

 

Funny thing, isn’t it? Our sensibilities inform us that a prison is a place of rehabilitation, yet in this environment, Dufrense was coerced to learn illegal activities. This isn’t the first time an environment has introduced one to shady and clandestine activities.

 

Medicine is sometimes referred to as a noble profession and it is certainly one of the reasons I chose to become a physician. When I began, I was not naive to potential abuses, but through the years I witnessed many examples of questionable and egregiously bad behavior. Colleagues have been imprisoned for sexual harassment, substance abuse, workplace bullying, billing fraud, and even weaponizing patient care by holding another vendor or physician hostage until their selfish demands were met. Even in medicine, this noblest of professions, a putrid stench may be emitted from its hallowed ivory towers.

 

But every profession, not only medicine, emits its own unique rotting scents. The media is replete with stories of corruption and crimes convincingly documenting that every occupation contains a minefield of opportunities to bend or skirt the law. What can be done to remedy this situation?

 

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV)

 

We may enter into any activity or occupation with the best of intentions, committed to a high moral standard, but the company we keep has a very powerful influence upon our behavior. There are numerous examples in my life. I have more frequently used profanity when those around me were doing the same. I joined the gossip about a colleague because it was a frequent topic of conversation. The examples are as numerous as the relationships I have. With time, I even convinced myself that my bad morals were actually good and acceptable since everyone else was doing it. Instead of following others, I became the instigator.

 

“I had to come to prison to be a crook.”

 

I had to come to Jesus to realize I am a sinner and I desperately needed a Savior. Thanks be to God that He saved me when I was completely undeserving of His grace and mercy.

 

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

 

“Dad? I’m going to need something for school.”

 

My daughter and I were driving in the car, headed for a school event. “Sure sweetheart. What do you need?”

 

“Ummm…it’s a new laptop computer.” As if she were anticipating my objection, she added, “I didn’t want to ask you because I know it is expensive.”

 

I nodded. “It is expensive but it’s for school, right?”

 

“Yes.” My daughter was the editor-in-chief of her school yearbook and her laptop was an indispensable tool. I knew her laptop was breaking down since it was now over five years old.

 

“When we come home tonight, let’s go online and select a laptop that will make you happy.”

 

“Thanks, Dad!” I smiled as I remembered my own father’s words.

 

“You know, sweetheart. Your Grandpa always told me that if I needed something for school, he would never hesitate to get it for me. It wasn’t always easy for him to do this. He was a single father raising me and supporting both your Grandma and my sister, but he did it and sacrificed to make sure we received a good education.” My daughter politely listened as I continued.

 

“Yes, sweetheart. Grandpa kept his promise to me and my sister, just as he told me. I promise to do the same for you and your brother. I hope someday you will be able to do the same for your children.”

 

But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Mark 16:7 (ESV)

 

“Just as He told you.”

 

Jesus promised His disciples that He would be resurrected and return to them after He died on the Cross. It was a promise that, at that moment, seemed utterly impossible to keep. It was a promise made by their teacher whom they followed for the past three years. Their faith was expanded by His unique teachings. They witnessed miraculous healings. But this promise? How could someone return from the dead? How indeed!

 

My father kept his promise to me and I seek to keep this same promise for my own children. Although I may fail, Jesus never fails to keep His promise of salvation and eternal life for all those who place their trust in Him through faith and belief in His name. Jesus kept His promise with His own life, just as He told us.

 

A promise kept.

 

Thank you Lord Jesus, for your eternal sacrifice of love and mercy.

 

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

 

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Why is this happening again?

 

It began innocently enough. It was a casual dinner conversation with our friends. We were joking about some mutual acquaintance when I let my guard down and shared some things about the person that was private and should not have been mentioned. My wife kicked my leg under the table but I knew it was too late. I attempted to mitigate the damage but the uneasy looks on my friend’s faces were convicting. Why didn’t I take a few seconds, stop, and think about what I was about to say? I was completely dejected and humiliated. The next morning, I slumped in my chair in my office and prayed to God for forgiveness asking on behalf of our mutual acquaintance whom I carelessly gossiped about, to my friends who heard it, and to my family. I also called my friends and apologized to them for my remarks. Then, in the solitude of my office, I asked God to take away this sinful desire to gossip along with so many other sins that continue to plague my life.

 

As I prayed, God’s Holy Spirit spoke to me. Instead of always praying for God to take away my sinful desires, should I also be thanking Him for these weaknesses? I do not wish to be misunderstood; I am not thankful for my sinful behaviors. I am ashamed and mortified by the depths of my depravity. God was directing me in another direction, challenging me to acknowledge my despair and seek another path.

 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)

 

When I am confronted with the magnitude of my sins, it should compel me to rely solely upon His grace and mercy rather than attempt to change my faults by my own power. God’s grace is sufficient for me. I cannot add to it by my own efforts. As I have learned far too many times than I would like to recount, such attempts are futile and only lead to more frustration. God can and has taken away many sins in my life. Yet many remain and should lead me to be thankful to God that He is transforming and conforming me to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Don’t despair! Thank God!

 

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

 

For the past few months, I have been charting the efficacy of my exercise program with an electronic scale that sends a low electrical impulse through my body when I stand barefoot upon the scale. Within a few seconds, my weight, body mass index, percentage of body fat, water, muscle mass, and bone mass are displayed. An additional category is my metabolic age. Intrigued, I clicked on the icon and I was pleased to learn that my metabolic age is five years younger than my actual chronological age. Not bad, I thought. My regimen and lifestyle changes are producing positive results. How simple a task it was to measure these objective criteria. Of course, the metabolic age was extrapolated from data culled from thousands of other patients. At best, it was an estimation. To this point, on a day when I gained a pound, my metabolic age increased by a year. The next day, I lost the pound and I miraculously shed a year!

 

As I thought about this number, I wondered about my spiritual age and maturity? Could it be extrapolated from objective parameters? What about church attendance or participating in Bible studies and small groups? In many Sunday school classrooms, students are encouraged and rewarded for perfect attendance. What about tithing? In some churches, documents and even posters documenting the amounts some of its members have given are proudly displayed. All of these actions are commendable but of questionable relevance to answering the question to what truly makes us spiritually mature? If I missed one Sunday school session or gave a bit less the previous month, do I now regress and become spiritually immature?

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

Only by God’s grace are we saved through faith by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. No good works, no Sunday school attendance, no tithing-nothing except faith can save us. Yet, faith is completed by our works. It is an outward sign of our internal transformation. The great Protestant reformer, John Calvin, eloquently stated, “Faith alone saves but the faith that saves is not alone.”

 

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead….You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works…

James 2:17 and 22 (ESV)

 

Our true spiritual age begins when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our growth and maturity continue as our faith motivates us to respond to the needs of others, sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

 

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

1 John 3:6-7 (ESV)

 

Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate example of His faith working with His actions. He gave His life to us on our behalf so that all who confess and repent of our sins will have salvation and eternal life. His actions should motivate every believer to sacrifice for others in need. This is the true measure of spiritual age and maturity.

 

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

 

For this entire school year, our family has been treated to our son’s creations in his high school ceramics class. At least once a week, we eagerly anticipated our son proudly displaying a new piece of glazed pottery upon our dining table. Our shelves and hallways are now adorned with his creations ranging from coffee mugs, flower vases, and even a sushi platter. This week we were greeted with something a bit different.

 

Its form resembled a vase that had been sat upon, leaning in one direction, with coils of clay asymmetrically wound and positioned like an injured snake. Somehow, it still balanced upon its base but appeared ready to tip over at the slightest push or by even placing anything into its interior. Perched in front of the vase was this handwritten description:

 

Ugly Form Vase

 

Indeed!

 

After spending months learning how to create and perfect symmetric ceramic pieces, my son was tasked with creating something that may not fit into our preconceived notion of beauty. As I studied this vase, twisted and contorted, in stark contrast with his other pieces, it became my favorite. Its beauty and strength hid behind a seemingly ugly form.

 

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53:2 (ESV)

 

I spent the first twenty years of my life learning how to be the best. I had to be the best student to get into the best schools and eventually get the best job. I had to project the image of success. I had to be perfect. My life turned upside down when I met Jesus Christ. My relationship with Jesus taught me the foolishness of seeking a life based upon appearances. I was focused upon perfection when I should have been focused upon the Author of Perfection, Jesus Christ.

 

I was the ugly form.

 

The only beauty that I could ever posses would be through sanctification in a relationship with Jesus Christ. For all who have confessed and repented of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, the face of Jesus Christ will greet them in Heaven the moment they take their last breath on this earth. On earth, He was tortured and beaten until His appearance was beyond recognition. In Heaven, His glorified Body will be beautiful beyond anything we can ever imagine. His ugly form at the end of his life on earth concealed a hidden beauty and is forever present for all to see if they are willing to accept His invitation to salvation and eternal life.

 

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

 

It was the first month since my daughter was born. I was alone for the first time with her while my wife was working that Saturday morning. I had finished her bottle feeding and she was now sleeping in my lap. As I rested in the solitude of the moment, an epiphany struck as my thoughts drifted toward my mother. I immediately picked up the phone and called her.

 

“Hi Mom. Just sitting here with my daughter and I thought of you.”

 

“Oh? That’s sweet. How is my new granddaughter?”

 

“She’s fine.” I paused for a moment as I pictured my mother on the other end of the phone. “I understand, Mom!”

 

The hesitation on the phone was palpable. “Understand…what?”

 

“I understand the bond that a parent has for their own child…and I just wanted to say, ‘Thank you!’ “

 

“You are welcome, son!” My mother chuckled as she sensed that I was truly humbled by the gravity of my new relationship. “I love you, too!” She understood as well.

 

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Psalms 103:13 (ESV)

 

Why did God create us? Did He need us? Surely He wasn’t lonely? Sometimes, I err on the misguided notion that my emotions and needs must be similar to God, after all, am I not made in His image? All humans possess some of the attributes of God such as a soul and a free will, but God does not embody the weaknesses that I possess. He is not lonely nor is he bored. He is without sin. God is love, and love is incomplete unless it is shared with another.

 

God created us because He chose to share the Creation He loves with another being who could freely choose to love Him. Love is a choice and just as my parents chose to have me and my wife and I chose to have our children, God chose to share His love with His children.

 

I understand and someday, in Heaven, I will completely understand the unfathomable depth and breadth of His love for me and all who confess and repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The love we learn from our relationships on this earth will continue throughout eternity.

 

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

 

Ever notice how the best musical artists keep getting better? They attract the best musicians to support them, the best songwriters to create memorable tunes, and the best producers to bring it all together. Perhaps there is no greater contemporary example than the collaboration between the late pop singer Michael Jackson and legendary music producer Quincy Jones. When their collaboration began in 1979, both were well-known artists, famous in their own right. Their collective creativity led to three of the most popular pop albums of all time, “Off the Wall”, “Thriller”, and “Bad”. By 1987, Michael Jackson was declared the King of Pop, and Quincy Jones was the most powerful and influential record producer. 

The good keep getting better!

In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 

2 Chronicles 1:7-10 (ESV)

Solomon was the King of Israel, reigning over the nation’s most prosperous period. He desired to faithfully serve God and be a great king for his people. Thus, he asked God for wisdom and knowledge to rule his kingdom. God was pleased with Solomon’s request. 

God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 

2 Chronicles 1:11-12 (ESV)

God gave Solomon the wisdom and knowledge he asked for and blessed him with even more than he already had! By the end of Solomon’s reign, he was the wealthiest ruler in the entire world. God honored Solomon because he placed the needs of God’s people before his own. 

We can only be good if God sanctifies us through faith and believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. God’s plan is when you align your life with His good plans. 

The good keep getting better!

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

Nearly every day, the Western world is horrified to learn of new atrocities committed by extremist Islamic groups, operating on the fringes of their religion. It is not just Christians and Jews who have suffered, other Muslims have been attacked, creating great strife within their own religious group. It is a hideous affront to all of humanity, regardless of one’s religious persuasion. All of this violence is instigated by Satan. He loves to pit religions against one another, hoping to persuade everyone that God does not exist or worse, He does not care. Yet, there is one unexpected consequence. Many Muslims have rebelled against these atrocities, some even accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In spite of Satan’s best efforts, God is prevailing.

 

Satan always goes too far.

 

…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44 (ESV)

 

Christians know this life is a continual spiritual war. Satan will do everything possible to convince us that faith in God is futile. God does not answer our prayers. How can He possibly listen to and answer every prayer of every single being in the universe? If God is good, why would He allow so much pain and suffering in the world? For some, these questions are enough to cause one to reject God, but for others, God can use these doubts, the same pain and suffering in the world, to open their eyes to the Truth. This is not the world that God created for mankind to enjoy. All pain and suffering are the results of sin, man’s willful disobedience to follow God’s commands. Yet, God in His grace and mercy, provided a solution, a way to reconcile the spiritual separation from Him. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live as a man.

 

Take the time to examine the claims of Jesus Christ. He was tempted by Satan in every way imaginable but did not sin. He lived a perfect sinless life. By dying and being resurrected, Jesus showed us the way to salvation and eternal life by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In the time remaining before the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, Satan will wage a continual war for the possession of our souls. We do not have to listen or believe his lies.

 

Satan always goes too far because he knows he has lost. Jesus Christ has already paid the ultimate price and secured the victory of salvation and eternal life for all who place their faith and trust in Him.

 

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

 

And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Revelation 18:9-10 (ESV)

 

Babylon.

 

For centuries, Bible scholars and other pundits have debated the identity of Babylon depicted in such cataclysmic detail during the Tribulation period in the Book of Revelation. It was once the most powerful kingdom in the ancient world. The Babylon which is mentioned in this Bible prophecy is describing the destruction of a city during the time of the Tribulation, a city or even a group of nations that may not have existed at the time the prophecy was written.  Whatever the answer, it is clear this city will be of great financial importance and there are many locations that would fit this description. London, Hong Kong and Singapore are major financial centers and then there are places off the radar, like Cyprus, home to one of the largest money laundering operations in the world, controlling massive amounts of undocumented wealth.

 

Although cities like New York and San Francisco would certainly qualify, the United States is not mentioned or even directly alluded to in the Bible. Thus, pundits and theologians have asked the question, why not? Some say that a catastrophic event will eliminate America as a world power during the time of the tribulation. Others have suggested an even darker possibility and aver that the United States is Babylon and the Bible is prophesying its horrific destruction in one hour.

 

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

Revelation 16:9 (ESV)

When we read of a terrible judgment upon a city or group of people, we may be reluctant to recognize our own judgment is being declared. I, like many others, may be consumed by an ethnocentric worldview. How could America, the shining beacon of freedom for billions in the world, be despicable and reviled Babylon? I sincerely pray that any city in America or the world is not Babylon for God’s judgment will be swift and complete. Yet, God’s Word cannot be broken and destruction will someday arrive. Will I or my loved ones be living in that city?

 

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…

Romans 3:23-24 (ESV)

 

Why is it so difficult for me and other Americans to realize that we may be living in a Babylon? It is difficult to be honest with ourselves because we are all sinners and unwilling and incapable to see ourselves as we truly are, hopelessly lost in our sins and depraved in our behavior. In America, we cloak and justify our actions behind the noble terms of democracy and freedom, yet our lives and actions belie this truth. America is one of the greatest countries on this earth founded upon Judeo-Christian values. Yet relative moralism and liberalism have eroded this once great country. Poverty has not been eliminated; racism still exists; religious intolerance against Christians and Jews exponentially grows under the banner of diversity and inclusiveness. No political party or leader can save us. No socialist or capitalist economic theory can redeem us. We need a supernatural intervention. We need someone not beholden to political or economic ideologies.

 

If we confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will have salvation and eternal life. Before the start of the Great Tribulation, all believers in Jesus Christ will be raptured, their physical bodies are taken up to Heaven to meet Jesus Christ. When this occurs, the seven years of the Tribulation will begin on earth and the identity and meaning of 666 will be revealed. It will be a period of unimaginable horror and suffering. If we truly love our neighbor, we, who are believers in Jesus Christ, should do everything possible to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, so that they may rest in eternal peace and comfort with the God of all Creation.

 

Wherever Babylon may be, only Jesus Christ can save us from the certain destruction of our lives and our souls.

 

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