Month: May 2023

Aladdin. Smokey and the Bandit. Apocalypse Now.

Besides being an iconic part of American movie lore, these three movies had something else in common. Much of the dialogue was improvised by its main characters! Many movies and other productions have indelible moments when the action or dialogue was completely ad-libbed. However, in the three referenced movies, the main actors literally threw away the script and ad-libbed many of their lines, much to the initial consternation of the director and producers. Only after the scenes were filmed and reviewed, did everyone agree that the ad-libbed lines were better than the original script.

When the Apostle Paul entered a new city, he usually preached in the local synagogue. When he entered the city of Athens, this is what he initially did.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. 

Acts 17:16-17 (NLT)

However, as he walked through the city, the Holy Spirit moved him to speak extemporaneously. He observed all of the pagan idols and shrines and wove his observations into a magnificent sermon, one that led to the conversion of Dionysius, a member of the city council, and several other prominent citizens. 

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.”

Acts 17:22-23 (NLT)

When we serve God, we should always be ready to defend our faith and explain to others the reasons we are Christians. However, like the Apostle Paul, we should be willing to throw away any script and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, promised this to all believers.

And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.

Luke 12:11-12 (NLT)

Amen!

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

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What? Again?

My home Wi-Fi service dropped once again. I was in a part of our house that did not receive the Wi-Fi signal from our router efficiently. I needed a strong signal for a project I was undertaking that could only be completed in that location.

As I surveyed the available networks, I saw the strongest signal was named 21G. I surmised that this was probably my neighbor’s, whose street address was 21, next to mine, which was 19. It was enticing to want to use his Wi-fi, and, on a whim, I connected to it, and a request for a password immediately appeared. Of course, I did not know it, and I was unable to connect, however, the entire episode gave me pause. What if there were no password protections and I could connect? Would I have continued with it? Would I have covertly used his wifi and not told him? Perhaps I would convince myself that I just needed it for that one project, but if another opportunity arose in the future, would I succumb to the same temptation?

Of course, none of this happened, but I was dismayed that my thoughts even went down this slippery slope. Isn’t this how sin begins? We place ourselves in the pathway of temptation, which can lead to sin if we are not careful. The Bible warns of this. 

While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. 

Proverbs 7:6-8 (NLT)

This naive young man placed himself in the path of temptation. He knew what he was doing, lurking near the home of a woman who enticed him. He created the situation to be seduced by the immoral woman who eagerly responded and showered him with attention, leading him into an adulterous affair. 

I am no different than the naive young man, except that at my age, I should know better. Why should I look for ways to make it easier to sin when I should be looking for ways to follow God more closely? Unless I continue to yield to God’s will, I will always find excuses to place myself in the pathway of temptation. 

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

It was a difficult period in my life. In three years, I lost both of my parents, one to cancer and one to a heart attack. As I struggled to deal with these losses, I often wondered if these tragedies were because of sins that I had committed, either sins of commission or omission. The following passage from the Bible kept coming to my mind. 

There was a famine during David’s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the LORD about it. And the LORD said, “The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.” 

2 Samuel 21:1 (NLT)

Famine struck Israel because of Saul’s sin, which he committed over thirty years earlier. This passage from the Bible raises many troubling issues. Why did David wait for three years before inquiring of the Lord? How many events in my life are because of unrealized or unconfessed sins? These sins were committed nearly a generation earlier. Is there a statute of limitations for sin and its consequences?

As I reviewed my life and the events leading up to my parents’ passing, I could convince myself that the sins that I committed in my past may have led to these tragedies. What about when I disappointed my father when I told him I did not want to become a dentist and follow in his footsteps? What about the time when I broke my mother’s heart when I chose to live with my father after they were divorced? At the time of these decisions, it was easy to convince myself that I was making the right choice. Perhaps. These are only two things I did. How much more pain did I cause my parents, but was unaware because of my ignorance or selfish motives? Yes, these events occurred over thirty years earlier, but like the Israelites, God is not mocked, and He could enact His judgment whether it was thirty years or three hundred years earlier. 

All sin is rebellion against God, but not all sins are equally judged by Him. There are different consequences. This event that occurred thousands of years ago was unique to this period. God dealt with this sin with an appropriate judgment that may seem confusing to us. What about current events? Only God knows the perfect way to mete out judgment for our previous sins. While God forgives our sins when we confess and repent of them, there are always consequences that must be addressed, and there is no statute of limitations. God spoke to me and reassured me with this verse. 

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 

Romans 8:1-3 (NLT)

We do live in a different world than when the Israelites were held accountable for the sins of their first king, Saul. We are in a period of grace under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection. While consequences may occur, I do not need to wallow in the guilt of my past sins. He freed me from returning to my past transgressions and allowed me to focus on conforming my life to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Praise God for His grace and mercy!

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

Sir Elton John is a legendary musician. He is an EGOT, one of the elite class of artists who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. This is just a small sample of his numerous awards and accolades, all well deserved. I have always been fascinated that all of his songs are written with a lyricist. His most well-known collaborator is Bernie Taupin. Together, they have produced iconic songs such as, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Rocket Man.” The process usually begins with Bernie Taupin writing the lyrics and giving it to Elton John, who then composes the music. Their interaction is surprisingly minimal. 

In an earlier generation, the collaboration of the Gershwin brothers, George and Ira, and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II have produced classic American songs, now considered a part of the essential great American songbook. With each pair, one was the lyricist and the other the composer. This type of collaboration is in contrast to artists who compose their own music and write their own lyrics. There are numerous examples such as Carole King, Paul McCartney and Billy Joel. 

A great song needs powerful lyrics and a memorable melody. Individually, each skill requires an extraordinary degree of talent and doing both is exceptional as their respective collections of music can attest. There are other skill sets that parallel this example. Some people are great speakers but are not great speech writers. The converse is also true. Like singer/songwriters, it is rare to have one individual able to master both skills. 

For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away.  

2 Corinthians 10:10-11 (NLT)

I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.
2 Corinthians 11:6 (NLT)

In his second letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul shared that he is not a gifted speaker. It was a surprising revelation, especially coming from Paul, one of the greatest missionaries for Jesus Christ. His confession was revealing. Few of us have all of the skill sets to be successful. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with his oratorical skills. How reassuring it is to know that when God calls us to do His work, He will equip us with the perfect combination of skills that will bring glory to Him. Whatever weaknesses Paul perceived he had with speaking, God more than compensated him with the powerful message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Amen!

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

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“Hey, Buddy! I can’t believe what a small world this is! At a track meet, I was chatting with my son’s best friend’s grandpa, Jake. He is connected to our family on a social media site, and he asked me about some guy he keeps seeing in photos with us, YOU! He knew you when you were a resident at the hospital. Wow!”

The text from one of my closest friends intrigued me. The name seemed vaguely familiar, and I quickly searched the social media site and found our mutual connection. Yes, we were definitely at the same hospital over thirty years ago. I perused his photos and was chagrined that I did not remember him. Upon further investigation, I learned that he usually worked the graveyard shift in the hospital laboratory. Thus, if I did interact with him, it would have only been in the evenings when I was on call. I followed up with my friend, who was surprised I didn’t remember him since he said that Jake remembered me very well. 

Regrettably, such exchanges are becoming more frequent. Over the past few years, I have met people who attended the same high school but were a year or two older or younger than I. While I vaguely remembered their names, I could not recall their faces or my interactions with them. However, they remembered me, hopefully fondly. 

Someday in Heaven, I will meet many of the great saints of the Bible. Abraham. Moses. King David. The Apostle Paul. Although I will not recognize their faces, I will certainly know them from what I have read about them in the Bible. I will also meet Chenaniah. Who? Do I know him? He knows me!

Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful.

1 Chronicles 15:22 (NASB)

Chenaniah was in charge of the singers of the Temple, appointed by King David. Many of the psalms that David wrote were put to song, and Chenaniah led the choir during times of worship. Like many former acquaintances, I know Chenaniah by name from reading about him in the Bible. It is pure conjecture, but perhaps in Heaven, he will approach me and say, “I know you. You used to lead worship at your local church. You played many songs that I used to lead worship for King David. All these years, I’ve been watching you and millions of others who have worshiped our Lord with these same songs. So glad we can finally meet in person!”

It would be wonderful if this could happen. In Heaven, we will all know each other through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if we cannot remember or have never met them, we will all be united as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, adopted sons and daughters of God, the Father.

He knows you! 

Indeed, He does!

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

I was speaking to my sister on the phone when our conversation was interrupted by her doorbell. “Ok thanks, just leave them by the door.” She laughed at the delivery person. “Yeah, I know! Again!”

She returned to our conversation. “Sorry, it was the delivery man bringing us some more dog food.”

“Why? I thought you bought your dog food at the local membership warehouse?”

“Yeah right! No more! There is a national shortage of dog food!”

“I didn’t know!”

First, it was baby food, then eggs, now it’s dog food! What’s next? The supply chain shortages have affected everyone. While the reasons are complex, the solutions are even more challenging. Many of us are left scrambling to compensate for the shortages. The Bible describes many examples of shortages and famines. Like the current shortages, the reasons are complex. Some are due to man’s inhumanity to man such as war. Others are due to natural disasters. However, ultimately, God is enacting His judgment upon our sins. This is not the world God planned for us to live in. We rebelled against Him and chose sin to paradise. It affected everyone. What is the solution? Unlike many of the supply chain problems we currently face, God gives us a definitive answer. 

If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

2 Chronicles 7:13-15 (NASB)

There are many problems in this world, but there is only one solution. God, through His grace and mercy, is patient with us when we sin and turn away from Him. If we humble ourselves and confess and repent of our sins, He will forgive us and bring healing through faith and belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Amen!

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

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The young boy was engrossed in a conversation with his grandmother. She was reading the “Wizard of Oz”, a favorite story of his. It was an endearing moment made even more special since his grandmother passed away a few months earlier. His grandmother was a computer montage created with artificial intelligence (AI) by utilizing earlier videos of her. 

AI is rapidly transforming our lives; it can even enable people to seemingly talk to the dead. There was a recent science fiction series that had an episode based upon this future possibility but it is now a reality for many. 

Source: AI helping users talk to dead loved ones – YouTube

Some may object to this technology, fearful that it may be preying on one’s emotions. There is some truth to this. There are times that I dearly wish I could communicate with loved ones who have passed on-my parents, former business partners, and friends. Like many of us, they live on in our photographs, videos, and memories. How special would it be to interact with them, as if they were still alive? And yet there would always be some regret since I know this is not the real person. Is there a way that we will ever be truly able to talk to the dead? Can we ever bring the dead back to life?

…Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I  was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 

Revelation 1:17-18 (NASB)

Thanks be to God that He has given us the glorious answer! I chose to devote my energies to speaking to someone who did die but now lives forever in Heaven, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is available to everyone, not through AI but by the grace and mercy of God! If we have been saved by Jesus Christ we will all be able to live on in heaven after we die. We will no longer need to attempt to talk to the dead. We will be alive through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. 

This is not artificial. This is the only true reality!

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

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This diagram depicts the protein laminin. As a physician and dermatopathologist, I am very familiar with laminin. It is an essential protein found in nearly every cell of the human body. Its function is to provide structural support and assist in cellular interactions. Without laminin, we could not exist. 
Source: Wikipedia.

Several years ago, I was intrigued when I encountered references of laminin to Christianity. As one can see, this model of laminin resembles the Cross. Some Christians reference the indispensable nature of this molecule that holds all cells together and aver that it is a representation of God in nature.

Several pastors and evangelists have used the example of laminin as evidence that “God is leaving His fingerprint as the Creator.” and “Great Designers always leave their marks.” These observations may be true but if later scientific discoveries disprove the structure or ubiquity of laminin, where does this leave the Christian who is convinced of this? All Christian believers must be careful when looking for signs in nature to prove a truth in the Bible. We all look for signs. I certainly do. At times, God does confirm His will with signs in nature. There is the rainbow that God placed in the sky as a promise to Noah and mankind that He will never again destroy the world with a flood. The Bible is replete with many examples.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He  is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 

Colossians 1:15-17 (NASB)

All of Creation is a witness to God’s creative power and omnipotence. We should never berry-pick occurrences in nature as proof of God’s existence. God does not need our help. He created everything for a purpose, to declare His glory and magnificence!

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

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“We’re at an impasse. We need help!” 

“You know what we have to do.” 

The three men glanced at each other and nodded in agreement. They trundled off to seek the old man, the sage. Numerous cartoons depict seekers of wisdom desperately scaling steep mountains to reach an old teacher, silently meditating at the summit. Whether in literature or the media, wisdom is often associated with age. There is a general truth with this, but while one usually accumulates more knowledge with age, it does not always equate with greater wisdom. 

The Bible includes a notable exception. When Job was at the height of his suffering, his three “friends” rubbed salt in his wounds by accusing Job of harboring hidden sins and impure motives. Only after days of debate did a younger man, Elihu, speak up and rebuke his three older colleagues and Job.

Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said, “I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think. I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.’ But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice.”

Job 32:6-9 (NLT)

Indeed! The younger Elihu chastised his three elder colleagues and convincingly demonstrated that age does not always equate with wisdom. The most beautiful example is provided by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When he was still a boy, Jesus was in the Temple, asking questions of the leading religious leaders and teachers of the day. Did they rebuke him? Did they chase him away? No! They listened and learned. 

Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 

Luke 2:46-47 (NLT)

As I enter my senior citizen years, I am keenly aware that my earthly years are numbered. Have I accumulated a great deal of knowledge? Yes. Have I acquired wisdom? Only by God’s grace and mercy will He allow me this blessing. I pray that I will finish well, using my wisdom and knowledge to show others the glory of God through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. 

Respect your elders and pray that their years of life have resulted in wisdom as well as knowledge.

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

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It was our first meeting with our new social worker. Our previous worker had been with our son for nearly 18 years. Our son, who has Down syndrome, was transitioning into programs designed to foster independent living and vocational training for young adults. 

“I have prepared this folder that describes some of the programs that both of you and your son may avail.” Looking at our bewildered expressions, she warmly smiled and said, “I know this is a lot of information but take your time to go through it. Some names have changed and are under different departments but the services they provide are still the same. Anytime you need to talk, I am always available.”

We surveyed a barrage of acronyms. AABA. HCBS. PHP. FCSN. We wanted to avail of her generous offer but the problem was we didn’t know what question to ask since we didn’t know what options were available. It was the unanswerable question, how does one know when one doesn’t know?

The quick answer is we don’t. There are many situations in life in which we do not have enough information to ask the proper question. One solution is to do a deep dive into the problem, hopefully with the assistance of a knowledgeable coach or mentor. With time, our new social worker helped us to navigate this alphabet soup of agencies and programs to find the best programs for our son. 

Some people who are seeking God think they need to have all of their questions answered about Him before they can place their faith in Him. I understand. I felt the same when I was searching for Him. I didn’t understand how to reconcile biology with Christianity. I didn’t understand why I needed God when I seemed to do fine by my own efforts. However, there was one nagging question that I needed to answer. “What happens when I die?” Do I simply cease to exist, returning to the dust from which I was formed? Do I roam the earth as a bodiless spirit? Do I go to heaven, hell or somewhere in between?

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

John 11:25-26 (NASB)

After nearly a year of doing a deep dive and searching and reading the Bible, God gave me the answer. Only by accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior will I have the assurance of salvation and eternal life. Jesus sealed this promise with His death and resurrection. I still struggle with many issues, searching for answers and not always knowing the right questions to ask. However, I now have the most important question answered. 

Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life!

Praise God!

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

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