Month: February 2022

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

This familiar aphorism is related to situations when situations of greed or warfare creates strange bedfellows. In fact, it casts confusion upon the term friend. In these scenarios, a friend is merely a relationship of convenience. Clearly, there are many definitions of friends. One of my colleagues shared with me how he categorized his friends. “I have friends who I get together to attend concerts and plays. I have other friends with whom I like to go out to dinner. And I have other friends with whom I like to travel. They are all dear to me but different friends for different activities.” I suspect many of us are similar to my colleague. How does the Bible define a friend?

I am a friend to anyone who fears you—anyone who obeys your commandments. 

Psalms 119:63 (NLT)

Jesus reinforced this when He spoke to His disciples. 

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. 

John 15:12-14 (NLT)

The difference between Christianity and other religions is the relationship that Christian believers have with their living God, Jesus Christ. The Creator of the universe is not an unreachable ethereal Being, out of touch with our everyday needs. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become His friend. It is not a relationship of convenience nor is it compartmentalized into a friendship, appropriate for some activities but not others. Jesus states that a friend is someone who would lay down their life for another. Jesus proved that He is our friend by laying down His life for us at the Cross. He died and was resurrected, conquering death that is the result of our sins. He took the initiative to reconcile the broken relationship that sin had ruptured between God and man.

There are many types of friends, but there is only one friend who is closer than a brother.

Jesus Christ. 

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

When we do a movement, certain neurons in our brain will activate. This is well known. What is less known is an interesting recent discovery that convincingly demonstrates that when we observe the same movement in another person, some of the same neurons may also activate, mirroring the observed activity. The term, mirror neuron, was coined. Some scientists have theorized that mirror neurons are essential for human development. It may explain complex behaviors such as how babies can mimic the actions and emotions of their parents. What about negative experiences? If we see someone else suffering, we may experience the same sensation and may explain our feelings of empathy. Is there a spiritual application?

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, did not merely empathize with our sufferings. He took them upon Himself and nailed them to the Cross as He bore the full weight of all sin that has ever or will be committed. Mirror neurons may be involved in our ability to empathize with others’ suffering. However, only the supernatural intervention of the power of the Resurrection through faith and belief in Jesus Christ could allow Jesus to share our suffering. Can we also share in His suffering and if so, why would we choose to do this?

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 

Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT)

Can suffering ever be good for us? It can be when we share in the sufferings of Jesus Christ and learn obedience to grow in faith. No one enjoys suffering but once the trial is over, we may sometimes be able to look back and realize that it was beneficial because of the lessons that we learned. God states that suffering is good for us if it teaches us to pay attention to His teachings. 

My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver. 

Psalms 119:71-72 (NLT)

Mirror neurons may help us to understand how we can empathize with others and share in their suffering. However, only faith and belief in Jesus Christ will enable one to share in His suffering to bring healing and salvation to a lost and hurting world. 

Amen!

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

This one has caffeine, twice the amount found in a usual cup of coffee. Another has CBD while still another contains ginseng and taurine. I was perusing the dizzying array of energy drinks that were offered by my local supermarket. If I didn’t think I needed all of these supplements, these companies are determined to change my mind and they are quite successful with their marketing. Energy drinks comprise the fastest-growing segment of the highly competitive beverage market. One may think that there is abundant research to bolster the medical claims but there is not. On the contrary, there are growing studies that warn of the potential health hazards of consuming too many of these supplements. Most people ignore the warnings, secure that they are exercising their personal freedom of choice. I respect their decision. But what about other health choices?

Some people exercise their freedom of choice to not get vaccinated. Some of their arguments focus on the fact that the vaccines do not prevent the disease even if they clearly mitigate the signs and symptoms or the long-term sequelae are still unknown. I also respect their decision and agree that some of their objections are valid, even if I do not completely agree with them. 

There are others who choose not to get the accepted medical treatment for their diseases, claiming their faith in God will save them. Should a known diabetic refuse their insulin treatment, confident that God will heal them? While only God knows whom He will save, I question this pathway. What if a demonstration of our faith is trusting in the medications that have been proven to treat and even cure?

LORD, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. 

Psalms 119:156 (NLT)

Faith in God is not always a black and white decision. Not all situations are addressed by the Bible. Holistic health remedies. Novel vaccines. Proven medical treatments. This is when believers and followers in Jesus Christ must earnestly search the Bible and take all decisions to God in prayer. Jesus is the Great Physician and since He created us, He knows the best way to revive and sustain us. God has mercifully given us the ability to learn and treat many diseases. We demonstrate our faith in Him when we use this knowledge to make informed decisions based upon His Word.

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

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When I was a resident, I worked with a fellow resident who loved to cook. He often invited me to his home and one evening, he shared an exceptionally amazing dish with me. I raved about it and encouraged him to share it with some of the other residents. He agreed and the next day he allotted a portion in a plastic container to another resident, Jake. Jake was grateful and the next day, he returned the unwashed container to my colleague. My colleague was stunned and publicly shamed him in front of the other residents. 

“Jake! What are you doing?”

Jake was confused and silently stood there. 

“You don’t just return a used container after someone has prepared a meal for you. At the least, you should wash it, then return it.”

Jake stared at the floor, humiliated.

“What’s wrong with you?”

There was nothing illegal about what Jake did, but was it proper? He had the freedom to return the container in any condition he chose, and he chose the least palatable option. There are rules of etiquette, enforced by social norms. If we do not obey these rules, we may face shaming and ridicule, but it is not a crime. There are many totalitarian regimes, bent on subjugating their people to their will and eliminating any form of organized religion. There is no freedom to choose. The government is the final authority. Obedience means no freedom. In stark contrast to this is the message of God.

I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. 

Psalms 119:44-45 (NLT)

How can obedience lead to freedom? It seems paradoxical, even an oxymoron. This is the beauty and wonder of God! He freely offers His instructions and commands. He also gives us the freedom to follow or reject them. If we reject them, we willingly choose an eternity of separation from God and His blessings. If we choose to follow them, we gain salvation, eternal life, and receive His unlimited grace, mercy, and love. We walk in freedom when we choose to obey God.

God’s free gift came at the cost of the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. He reconciled the relationship that sin ruptured between God and man. Jesus chose to do this so that we could be free to choose to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. 

Obedience and freedom. It is not a paradox. It is God’s gift to the world.

Praise God!

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

When I was young, my father and his friends would often wax on about the greatness of the American singer, Frank Sinatra. Driving to school with my father, the recordings of Sinatra were broadcast on the radio, predictably boring to my pre-teen ears. My father, on the other hand, would point out how he broke the mold with his innovative approach of interpreting songs. I politely listened and hoped he would change the radio station.

Years later as an adult, I relistened to Sinatra and heard him in an entirely new light. Instead of being boring and predictable, I discovered a newly found respect for him. I realized that I was listening to the original artist, the master who created this style of singing and music. Generations of artists have emulated him and his techniques for obvious reasons. He was the maverick, the trendsetter who created a new genre of music. If he sounded unoriginal and staid to me, it was merely because all of the contemporary singers I admired had absorbed and emulated his style. When I heard the original, I thought he was nothing special. I was praising imitators instead of acknowledging the original!

Some pundits will cynically state that nothing that Jesus Christ taught was original or innovative. They aver that many religious leaders from other religions taught similar themes. Brotherly love. Kindness. Compassion. There is no difference! This is too simplistic and overlooks a greater message and lesson. 

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. 

Matthew 7:28-29 (NLT)

Put yourself in the place of the people who were listening to the teachings of Jesus for the first time. Jesus taught with authority, a word that can be translated as power, ability, or privilege. I believe all three definitions are appropriate. The broad themes of love, compassion, and obedience to God are found in all religions. What Jesus Christ did was teach with authority, in an original manner, unlike all previous teachers before Him. He taught that true religion is not about following rules and regulations. It is a relationship with a loving God who seeks to bless us because we choose to willingly obey and follow Him. This distinguishes the teachings of Jesus Christ from all other religions. We chose to obey God, not because we are forced to, but from gratitude and love for what He has done for us. 

Listen and learn from Jesus Christ. He is the original because He is God!

Amen!

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

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My staff was anxious. “The roof is leaking!” I scurried over to the room and stepped onto a soggy carpet. The dropped ceiling was dripping. It was the Monday after a long three-day holiday weekend, a weekend that brought torrential rains. It was inevitable that our roof would have a leak. I called and emailed the building management and informed them of the emergency and told them to send a roofer. An hour later, the repairmen arrived and assessed the damage. “Please repair the leak in our roof. We had a leak a few years ago so it is happening again.” A few minutes later, the supervisor came to my office. “Ok, we found the problem.”

“How bad is the roof?” I asked.

“It’s not the roof. A water pipe in the ceiling broke and it has been leaking. The roof is fine. We patched the pipe and we will be sending a plumber to make a permanent repair.”

I was so convinced that the ceiling was leaking, that I did not entertain other possibilities. It was not the first time this happened in my life.

Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. 

Psalms 119:29 (NLT)

For many years, I convinced myself that Christianity and all religions were an excuse for the weak. There was no other explanation that I was willing to consider. The reality was that I was lying to myself. I was the one who was weak and desperately needed help and direction. Only when confronted with the breadth and depth of my sins and the question, “What do I do with my guilt?” was I able to finally consider the possibility that I was wrong and God may be correct. 

Lying to myself prevented me from seeing the Truth of God’s grace and mercy. He showed me that I no longer had to feel guilty when I truly confessed and repented of my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. 

Lying to myself denied me the privilege of knowing God and His forgiveness. Don’t make the same mistake that I did for far too long. 

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

Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart
I’m in a world apart
A world where roses bloom

And when you speak Angels sing from above
Everyday words seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose

Songwriters: David Mack / Guglielmi Luis Guglielmo / Gassion Edith Giovanna

“La Vie en Rose” is a classic song originally recorded in french in 1947. It has been recorded by numerous artists and has recently regained popularity through the popular social media series, “Emily in Paris”. La Vie en Rose song in Emily in Paris – YouTube

It has been said that one cannot travel in Paris without hearing this song. I agree and not surprised. It evokes beautiful memories of romance and fulfilled love. La vie en rose can be translated as life in pink or as a metaphor for seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. It depicts the transformation of our senses that one undergoes when in love. 

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned. 

Song of Songs 8:6-7 (NLT)

The Song of Solomon is also known as The Song of Songs. Translated from Hebrew, it means the best or finest of all. It describes a dialogue between a bride and bridegroom and the love they share. It is also a metaphor for the love that Jesus Christ has for His bride, the Church. It is the all consuming love that God has for mankind and His creation.

We should always celebrate love and embrace the wondrous elation and emotions that accompany it. God honors love between a man and woman under the sacred bond of marriage. This is His plan and He has blessed it from the beginning with the first marriage of Adam and Eve. A noble love will transform and enable us to see the world and our spouse the way He intended. 

La vie en dieu…life in God.

Amen!

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

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I was observing my dog panting. As most of us know, dogs pant to cool themselves since, unlike humans, dogs have no sweat glands. They pant to evaporate moisture in their noses and lungs, cooling them in a manner similar to how we would stand in front of a fan to evaporate our sweat. What about when we pant, will it cool us off like a dog? Not quite. While it can help to cool us, we are physiologically different and, if prolonged, it can also lead to hyperventilation. Yet numerous cartoons and humorous sketches depict humans panting, desperately seeking something. It is usually in the context of lusting after a sexy man or woman, heating up, not cooling oneself! As comical as this depiction is, there is a more profound and beautiful reason why we should pant. Once again, God gives us the answer. 

I pant with expectation, longing for your commands. 

Psalms 119:131 (NLT)

Dogs pant to comfort and cool themselves. If we pant, it should be to comfort ourselves by asking God for His instruction and guidance. This is what we were created to do. Yet, we find many substitutes, ones that may give us temporary pleasure but ultimately lead to disappointment. The late evangelist, Ravi Zacharias, succinctly observed, “The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced that which you thought would deliver the ultimate and it has just let you down.”

We may pant after the ephemeral pleasures in life but as many tragically learn, it will ultimately let us down. Educational degrees, business success, a big house-all of these will pass. Only panting after God’s commands and instructions will lead us to true fulfillment and happiness. Why? Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the sobering answer. 

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 

Matthew 16:26 (NLT)

Nothing is worth more than our soul. No degree of personal or professional success will ever save our soul from eternal separation from God. Only by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will we be able to receive the true fulfillment of life that God created us to enjoy.

We are created to pant after our Living God, Jesus Christ!

Amen!

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

During the 1970’s, a phrase swept through the media.

Born again.

Even the presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter, used the term to describe himself. The phrase gained popularity, particularly amongst evangelical Christians. It is partly based on this Bible verse when Jesus Christ was meeting with Nicodemus, a leader of the Pharisees. Although learned in the Scriptures, Nicodemus failed to understand that to enter the Kingdom of God was not about following rules and traditions, but about being reborn from within through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. 

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 

John 3:3 (NLT)

The phrase is still used, but not with its past frequency. Even the mainstream media has forgotten this phrase, which is a shame since it very accurately depicts the transformation and spiritual rebirth that we undergo when we confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Perhaps it is time we revisit this.

I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. 

Psalms 119:176 (NLT)

If you are a Christian believer, we should boldly proclaim our new life in Jesus Christ. We are born again, not doomed to perish in our wasteland of sin. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, searched for us and redeemed us from this lost fate with His own death and resurrection. We are born again to live the fulfilled life that God created us to experience. 

Praise God for His love, grace, and mercy!

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

The Scoville scale is a measurement of heat in spices and food. It has gained a degree of notoriety with social media darlings who endeavor to boast of their prowess, besting others by seeing who can eat the hottest chili peppers. On the Scoville scale, the familiar poblano pepper clocks in at 1250 Scoville units. The hottest known chili pepper is the Carolina Reaper, rated at 1.5 million Scoville units. What about other tastes? Surprisingly, there is no similar scale for sweetness, and most measurements compare the sweetness to solutions of sucrose, which is popularly known as table sugar, made from a combination of glucose and fructose. For a practical reference, honey is objectively and subjectively sweeter than table sugar since it contains a greater amount of fructose, a sweeter sugar than glucose alone. There are other known sweeter substances. Lugduname is estimated at three hundred thousand times sweeter than sucrose. However, it is a synthetic creation and not readily available. Thus, honey is still one of the sweetest naturally occurring substances. 

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. 

Psalms 119:103 (NLT)

The Bible uses many examples of honey as benchmarks for sweetness. The above Bible verse extols the sweetness of God’s Word, comparing it to honey. For these ancient worshipers of God, this must have made a deep impression! Sweeter than honey? Give me some of that! But how can God’s Words be tasted? God is asking believers to use all of their senses when we worship Him. Utilizing our eyes and ears is easy to understand but we can utilize senses like taste and smell when we experience the beauty and splendor of God’s creation. When we enjoy a good meal or experience the crispness in the air after a rain, we can worship and thank God for this. Let your imagination run wild and you will see God in His creation. 

Sweeter than honey.

Sweetness is not just a taste, it is also a spiritual quality. Only God is at the top of the sweetness scale!

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