Month: January 2021

It began as one man’s project, building his own musical machine he dubbed the Marble Machine. It was eye candy and mesmerizing, combining old world ideas with new world ingenuity.

Marble Machine-Source You Tube

Millions were captivated and the infectious melody he composed to showcase his invention was soon incorporated into thousands of other videos created by laypersons and musicians seeking to present their own interpretation of the tune. Regardless of the instrument that was played, all aspired to create a perfect imitation of the original source. It was a vivid confirmation of Oscar Wilde’s famous quotation, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…”

Marble Machine Covers-Source You Tube

When we are learning a new skill, whether for a personal hobby or our vocation, we often seek out mentors that we can model. We may incorporate their habits and style and may even imitate their actions and speech. I have been blessed to have trained with brilliant dermatopathologists and my diagnostic approach and the phraseology I utilize to describe different diseases is a complete imitation of these great experts. As much as possible, I try to adhere to the solid foundational teachings I received, always giving credit to the originators. 

For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:4 (NKJV)

Since the beginning of Christianity, a plethora of religions and cults have emerged, all extracting or distorting some aspects of true Christianity. However, unlike my situation and that of the Marble Machine, the imitations are not flattering. They are wrong. They all deny the foundational teachings of the absolute deity of Jesus Christ as God and limit Him as only a prophet or great teacher. The Trinity means that Jesus is not God but one of many gods. The Bible is filled with errors and contradictions. This is not imitation, it is a mockery. 

When we imitate, we seek to honor the original source. The closer the imitation, the more it should draw us to recognize the originator. When the imitation involves our spiritual lives, it is no surprise that Satan seeks to supplant the Truth with a tawdry substitute. He uses these faulty imitations to seduce us from seeking the Truth and substitute these heretical counterfeits.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Anything that does not encourage us to seek to learn more about the Source and imitate Jesus Christ is sin.

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

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During this COVID-19 pandemic, there have been innumerable acts of heroism and bravery by thousands of health care workers and first responders bravely placing their own lives at risk to save others who are afflicted with the deadly virus. Many do not even go home to their own families, fearful that they may be infected and risk transmitting it to them. Fittingly, they deserve to be honored as the people of the year in spite of what other mainstream media publications proclaim by selecting politicians or other celebrities. Respectfully, none of their achievements could ever compare to these heroes who face death every moment they are on their jobs. 

The desire to sacrifice oneself for another flies in the face of the atheist pundits who aver that evolution is the only explanation for man’s existence. Darwinian evolutionary theory states that competition for scarce resources leads to survival of the fittest. How then does one explain the desire to place oneself in the pathway of danger, willingly sacrificing oneself on behalf of another, often a complete stranger? Could it be that we are not simply the products of evolution, driven by instincts and behavioral algorithms to compete and survive? What if we were created by God for a greater purpose than to just survive? Are we ignoring God speaking to us through our great suffering?

Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom. Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, Because his answers are like those of wicked men! For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.

Job 34:35-37 (NKJV)

The Book of Job chronicles the plight of Job, a rich and prosperous man, who loses his wealth, health, and family, in a very short period of time. Job begins to question God’s purpose for allowing this to happen. One of Job’s friends, Elihu, boldly declares to him that he needs to be tried, literally put on trial before God for his arrogance. Job justified himself before God, asking God to explain Himself for His actions, stating that he lived a good and virtuous life, and did not deserve this suffering. Job was speaking without knowledge, assuming he understood God’s ways based upon his own presumptions and observations. God soon demonstrated to Job that his faith and understanding of Him was too small. Instead of accusing God, Job needed to defend God!

How do we explain someone sacrificing oneself for another? What about sacrificing oneself for all humanity? Man’s theory of evolution falls woefully short to explain this unselfish behavior. Only God can give us the true answer. 

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Romans 5:7-9 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ willingly gave His life and died on the Cross for our sins. He died for all humanity, even for people who spit in His face and rejected Him until His last moment of life. He did this because He is God and desired that all would confess and repent of their sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior. His resurrection proved that only He has the power to forgive sins and grant salvation and eternal life. 

God’s ways are not our ways. If we presume to know ourselves better than God, we deserve to be put on trial like Job. Whether it is using the theory of evolution to explain our existence or questioning God’s motives when we are undergoing pain and suffering, God is in control and always gives us an answer through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. We need to re-examine our attitude and defend the sovereignty of God rather than blame Him with our feeble explanations when our life and world is suffering. 

Amen!

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

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Sifting through my daily mail, one windowed yellow envelope stood out from the rest. Marked urgent, I opened it and reviewed a letter sent to me from a state agency. The letter referenced my home and stated I still needed to register my property in order to be compliant with state tax laws. I was unfamiliar with the agency and was about to comply and write a check when I spied something. In very small print, in a font size less than half of the rest of the copy, was this disclaimer.

“This is not a government agency.”

Sure enough, a quick internet search with the Better Business Bureau revealed a fraudulent scam designed to bilk home and property owners to pay an unnecessary fee to register their properties. 

Reading the small print. 

What is important in life and business transactions, is even more important for our spiritual relationships. When I first began investigating the bold claims of Jesus Christ, I thought there must be a catch. Where’s the small print? Why would God offer the gift of eternal life and salvation to me simply by believing in Him? What about doing good works? What about going to Church? I soon learned the beautiful and amazing Truth about salvation through Jesus Christ. 

…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9 (NKJV)

What is the small print? There is none! Only this very bold print!

…whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

No small print. No hidden messages. No false promises. No bait and switch. 

In this life, we are often confronted with false promises and charlatans seeking to swindle us. We should rightfully be on guard and investigate all claims that seem too good to be true. We should do the same with the claims of Jesus Christ. Nearly thirty years ago, I did. No matter how hard I tried to find some loophole or false claim, I found none. I was faced with a decision-either everything I read and heard about Jesus Christ is a lie or He is the Truth. The answer was before me. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! It seemed too good to be true and for once in my life, it was true! I trusted God’s promises and confessed and repented of my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. 

There is no small print when we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 

YOU WILL BE SAVED!

Amen!

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

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“You need to repent of your sins! The Lord Jesus Christ is returning to this earth. Are you ready?”

Every Saturday morning, this street preacher positioned himself near the entrance of the local farmer’s market. He held aloft a large placard with the words, “Jesus Christ Died For Your Sins!” The majority of shoppers at the market ignored him or shifted their path away from him. A few would give a thumbs up while others would yell, “Shut up, you’re a nuisance!” Undaunted, he continued to preach, freely giving away pamphlets and small Bibles to anyone who would stop and listen. 

On more than one occasion, I stopped and listened to him. His message was sound and firmly rooted in the Bible. While I could not imagine myself doing what he did, I respected and admired his actions. This was this Christian believer’s way of serving Jesus Christ. He was worshipping his Lord and Savior. 

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. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

John 12:3-8 (NKJV)

Although Jesus praised Mary’s sacrifice, even some of Jesus’ disciples criticized her devotional act. While they made a practical point, they were missing the larger picture. Mary did not concern herself with how others felt or viewed her actions. This was her way of serving Jesus Christ. She was worshipping her Lord and Savior and Jesus blessed her and recognized her sacrifice. 

In this life, we may encounter many forms of worship and methods of serving Jesus Christ. As long as the worship is based upon God’s teachings in the Bible, all Christian believers should embrace one another. Simply because one’s method of serving God is not congruent with another’s should not lead to dismissing their sincerity and faith. 

I praise God for this street preacher. We worship and serve God in different ways but we serve the same great God. 

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

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“If we were judged by our worst day, where would any of us be?”

Leslie Odom, Jr.

Original Cast Member who played Aaron Burr in the musical, “Hamilton”

The above quotation was taken during an interview with the actor Leslie Odom who was reflecting upon his character Aaron Burr. The familiar story of the fatal duel between two great American statesmen, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, ending the life of Hamilton, forever branded Burr with this ugly stain on his brilliant career. Although he was later acquitted of murder, the episode continued to haunt him and he eventually died a pauper.

While I do not condone Burr’s actions, Odom’s statement is sadly very true. One poor act of judgment, one ill-spoken word to the wrong person-I have made these errors and I have witnessed it in others. It is difficult if not impossible to recover from such tragedies. 

Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.

2 Samuel 11:2-4 (NKJV)

David was the greatest King of Israel. He was the man after God’s own heart. He was chosen by God to be an ancestor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In a terrible act, he seduced the wife of one of his army commanders, and committed adultery. When she became pregnant, he attempted to cover it up by having her husband killed on the battlefield. Once that happened, he married her. He thought he had hidden all of his sordid deeds but God knew. He confronted David through the prophet Nathan.

Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.'”

2 Samuel 12:10-12 (NKJV)

In one day, his entire legacy of David’s faith to God crumbled. He would never again know peace and prosperity in his kingdom. His favorite son, Absalom, soon turned against him and orchestrated a coup. If we were to judge David by his worst day, we would conclude that he was a horrible man, a murderer and adulterer. He was, but he also repented of his sins. God forgave him but David still reaped the penalty of his actions.

There are many great people who live a life of great faith and accomplishment. Yet, like King David and Aaron Burr, they commit a grievous sin and are often judged by their worst day. While the world may proclaim judgement upon these individuals, we can take hope and comfort that no matter how egregious our sins, if we confess and repent of them and ask God for forgiveness, He will grant it through a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

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

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“My marriage is beyond help. I pray and pray for God to make me a better husband, to change my wife’s attitude. Nothing!”

I was attending a marriage seminar, listening to this husband share his struggles with his marriage. 

“I know God can do anything. I just want Him to give me more patience and make her see my side!”

His words gave me pause. If he truly believed God could do anything, why would he limit his requests to such a feeble request? Why not ask God to completely restore his marriage? Why not, indeed?

Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:21-26 (NKJV)

Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus were some of Jesus’ closest friends. Martha confesses an amazing truth, that whatever Jesus asks of God, He will give to Him. Does Martha believe this? In the next verse she confesses and states:

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

John 11:27 (NKJV)

If she truly believed this, why would she limit Jesus’ power to an event that will happen in the future? Why didn’t she ask Him to restore her brother’s life at that moment? Didn’t Martha believe this? Why did she limit God’s power? Why indeed?

I should look in the mirror. Do I believe this? Why do I continually limit God’s power in the same manner? How many times have I prayed for something and not asked for God to truly show His power in my life? Instead I limit my requests that demonstrate that my God is too small, just like my faith. I ask for forgiveness in a relationship when I should be asking for restoration. I ask for strength to endure a trial when I should be asking for God to use it to transform and strengthen my faith in Him.

Dear God, help me to have the faith to move mountains. Help me to claim the promise that you proclaimed to us.

If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.

Mark 9:23 (NKJV)

Amen!

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

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There is a blogger who has a penchant for adding the phrase, “Just saying!” to everything he writes. While I thought I understood what he was implying, I decided to further investigate what is the contemporary meaning of this commonly used phrase.

The Urban Dictionary defines this phrase as follows:

A phrase used to indicate that we refuse to defend a claim we’ve made—in other words, that we refuse to offer reasons that what we’ve said is true

There is an obvious implication of what I just said, but I formally disavow that implication, although I actually believe it.

Source: Urban Dictionary

This phrase is an attempt to soften the sting of the speaker or writer’s rhetoric and shield them from potential retribution. It would be as if someone told me to my face that I was an idiot and narrow minded for my religious views but then added the phrase, “But what do I know?” One cannot hide behind this trite phrase only to justify an inflammatory and accusatory statement. Say what you mean and mean what you say. It is cowardly and arrogant for anyone to use this phrase. Just saying. 

There are many depictions of Jesus Christ that are found in the Bible. He is the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd who carries our burdens. He is also the Lion of Judah and the King of Kings who will return to earth one day as the triumphant Messiah. When Jesus spoke to people, He was always honest. He neither sugar coated His words nor hid His emotions. He could comfort a sister for the loss of her brother and He could use a whip and overturn the tables of unscrupulous money changers in the courtyard of the great temple of Jerusalem.  How can God be so compassionate and so uncompromising at the same time? 

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:27-28 (NKJV)

His scathing judgment of the Pharisees is a sobering example. Jesus detested hypocrisy and did not mince His words with those who would flagrantly disobey God’s commands while condemning others of the same sins. Jesus never hid behind witty phrases seeking to camouflage His true intentions. 

The uncomfortable Truth is we are all sinners and condemned to spend an eternity in hell. But God so loved this world, that He gave us His only begotten Son. If we confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we will have eternal life and salvation and be saved from an eternity in hell and separation from the grace and mercy of God. 

It is not just me saying, it is the Word of God. 

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

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“God doesn’t care! If He did, He wouldn’t have allowed this pandemic to occur!”

It was a familiar rant that could be written on many social media sites. However, this one caught my eye since it was written on a Christian site. The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the faith of many in the Christian Church. Even for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they may question His divine providence and sovereign will when the events of our life go awry. Perhaps we can accept adversity in our life when we know it is the result of our own bad choices, but what about an earthquake? What about a worldwide pandemic? Is this why we sometimes erroneously label such catastrophes as acts of God? And if we do, does this imply that God does not care? Is He a capricious God who will indiscriminately rain down havoc and destruction upon His own creation?

He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Mark 4:38 (NKJV)

The disciples of Jesus were experiencing this same doubt when they found themselves in the middle of a fierce storm on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. The power of the storm frightened them, even though several were experienced fishermen. In spite of their best efforts, they found the boat sinking, yet where was their leader? He was asleep in the stern! Desperate, they awakened Jesus and accused Him of not caring that they were perishing! 

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Mark 4:39-40 (NKJV)

Jesus’ actions were immediate and His question to the disciples is the same question He asks of all of us going through trials. Where is our faith?

Jesus, do you not care that we are perishing?

Yes, Jesus does care. Whether it is a world-wide pandemic, a divorce, a bankruptcy, or the loss of a loved one, Jesus Christ is asking His children to stop looking downward and inward for solutions and turn our eyes upward and outward to seek Him. During these trials of life, Jesus walks with us to grow our faith and deepen our understanding that He will never leave or forsake us.

Amen!

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

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The church had something for everyone. There was an interactive nursery with the latest devices designed to stimulate young minds. The youth groups had weekly outings to the local beaches and amusement parks. For every stage of life, there was an activity geared for their specific needs. The music ministry was composed of popular professionals who even released their own album. It was wonderful and seemingly lacked nothing, nothing except the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not preached. 

What message was preached?

All messages revolved around the theme that financial wealth and blessings were always part of Gods’ plans for all believers. It emphasized personal success as a sign that God was blessing the believer. There is no question that God can and does bless some believers with financial prosperity and success. However, this result is never the spiritual proof that God is blessing a believer. 

“Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the LORD is saying!’ So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it! But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”

Ezekiel 33:30-33 (NLT)

Faith is entertainment. The prophet Ezekiel issued a solemn warning about this, thousands of years before some of our modern churches have promulgated this erroneous theology. After doing an internet search, I was shocked and discouraged that there are many churches and preachers who no longer desire to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of teaching the path to salvation by the confession and repentance of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they substitute entertainment and the false assurance that the evidence that God is blessing them is through financial prosperity and personal success. 

There is nothing wrong with integrating the elements of modern culture and entertainment into our churches. The danger emerges when we place the entertainment and rewards as the source of our faith, rather than the Giver. When we believe and accept the blessings of salvation through Jesus Christ, He promises us a peace that surpasses all understanding. While that may include financial blessings and personal success, that is never a guarantee nor should it be a goal when we seek a relationship with God. 

Faith is not entertainment. Faith is sacrificing all for our Savior, Jesus Christ. Regardless of the outcome, we follow Jesus Christ out of gratitude for saving our souls, not for what He will give us in material wealth and possessions. 

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

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“And the secret ingredient is….”

Reality food shows emerged in the 1990’s and are now commonplace on many networks. The scenarios vary but a common theme revolves around a group of contestants who are tasked with preparing several dishes using ingredients that are unknown to them until the unveiling on competition day. With strict time constraints, the chefs need to utilize their prodigious culinary skills to produce a final dish that will impress the panel of judges. Tantalizing, provocative and always hunger inducing, these shows have influenced a generation of new chefs seeking to emulate their heroes with the hopes of achieving similar celebrity status. 

After viewing numerous episodes, invariably the producers of the show were telegraphing who was to be the winner when key covert dialogue between the judges was disclosed or ominous background music played when the eventual loser was being showcased.

Thus, it came as no surprise when I learned from several articles written by insiders and contestants on these shows that much of the drama is staged and contrived. Sometimes, the contestants were even given a list of potential secret ingredients and by the day of the filming of the show, it was obvious what the ingredient would be based upon the culinary tools and equipment that was provided. Not only were the producers telegraphing to the audience who would be the likely victor, they were also telegraphing to the contestants, the likely ingredients. 

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:25-27 (NKJV)

When we read the Bible, it is important to recognize God telegraphing His message of redemption and salvation to all who will call upon the Name of Jesus Christ and be delivered from their sins. Every book of the Bible points to Jesus Christ as the Author of our salvation. This passage from the Gospel of Luke, chronicles an encounter that Jesus Christ had with two strangers who were walking on the road to the town of Emmaus. The two were despondent over the recent Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, whom they had believed was the Messiah. They did not realize that Jesus was resurrected and they were speaking to the glorified Christ. Jesus then opened their minds to understand how the entire Scriptures pointed to God’s redemptive plan of salvation for all who confess and repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

Like the reality cooking shows, God is deliberately telegraphing the message of the entire Bible to His Son, Jesus Christ. We know from the very beginning that all things are made by Him and through Him and someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen!

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

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