Month: June 2023

“That’s when I was hiking in Kauai, a wild boar appeared, and I was lucky to save myself with this knife.” 

My friend held up the imposing blade, to the gasps and awe of all who were gathered. I was listening to a story from someone who has lived a full life. As a youth, he was an eagle scout in the Boy Scouts, a classical guitar major in college, and presently, a sought-after consultant physician. Besides wild boars, he was an expert fly and deep-water fisherman. Whenever we got together, he reveled us with the tales of his past adventures. 

What hasn’t he done?

Is there anyone who could even compare to this real-life Indiana Jones? Once again, the Bible gives us an even more amazing example, the Apostle Paul. 

Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 

2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NLT)

Like listening to my friend, Paul recounts, in great detail, a fraction of his past adventures. However, unlike my friend, these were not adventures in music or hunting. Paul described the suffering he endured in the service of Jesus Christ. Imprisonment. Whippings. Beatings. Shipwrecks.

What hasn’t he done?

By Paul’s own confession, not enough to serve his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT)

May we all be encouraged to follow Paul’s example and faithfully serve the Living God!

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

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This favorite from the classic Peanuts comic strip has resonated with me for most of my life. When I first read it, I was probably only seven years old. Aside from the humor, the message provoked me because it was the first time I ever considered this question. “Why are we put here on Earth?”

What is the true reason? Some people spend their life in a frantic pursuit of wealth and power. Others devote themselves to a life of service to others. Still others seek a middle ground. Through much of my life, my answers have ranged from Lucy’s cynical reply to Linus’ guilt-ridden confession. It was not until my sophomore year in college did God reveal the Truth to me. 

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

Mark 8:36-37 (NLT)

I had to first understand that I am lost, a fallen being that has rebelled against God. While some of us may choose a more noble path of service in life, it will not save us or reconcile our relationship with God, our Creator. I had to come to the stark realization that I am a sinner. Only by confessing my sins and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior would I be able to be right with God and live the life He created for me. I could gain the entire world through wealth or service but still lose my own soul. Is anything worth this?

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

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The young man barreled into the person seated next to me at the courtside. Obviously in pain, his teammates rushed to help him up and, after a few tense moments, he stood, waved to the crowd, and received a rousing ovation. I was attending the basketball competition for the Special Olympics. My son, who has Down Syndrome, has participated for the past two years. The passion of all the players was inspiring and the intensity was no different than a traditional Olympics competition.

In the world of amateur and professional sports, there are few honors that can equal the opportunity to represent one’s country in the Olympics. As is well known, the three top athletes in each sport are awarded medals, recognized as the best with their athletic abilities. What if there was a way we could honor the will to succeed? Certainly, all Olympic medalists deserve to be eligible to compete in this same category. I also have no doubt that all of the young men and women, participating in this Special Olympics, deserve to medal.

We all struggle with sin. All true believers in Jesus Christ want to successfully defeat our sinful natures and triumph. Yet, in spite of our best efforts, we often fail. The Apostle Paul lamented his continual struggle with his sinful nature. 

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 

Romans 7:18-19 (NLT)

We don’t want to do what is wrong, but we do it anyway. This sounds familiar. Paul’s plight is our plight. No matter our best effort, we still fail. What is the solution? Paul gives us the triumphant answer.

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. 

Romans 7:24-25 (NLT)

Satan hates God all who believe in Him and will use every nefarious means to convince us that we are still slaves to sin. It is not a competition that occurs every four years, or even every year. At every moment of the day, we are in a deadly competition with sin and Satan. It is an Olympics of effort, a competition with our very souls at stake. We strive to conquer sin, but we cannot do it alone. We can only do it through the power of the Resurrection through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. The winners will receive much more than a medal. They will receive the crown of righteousness bestowed upon us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

Praise God!

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

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“Hey Coach! Good turnout today!”

“Yeah, except one team couldn’t make it. Their coach had a heart attack yesterday.”

“Oh no! Is he all right?”

“Don’t know, just read the email.” The coach sighed and his voice dropped. “You know, the same thing happened to me two years ago. I thought I had no risk factors. I exercised regularly. I watched my diet. I didn’t smoke. But then one evening, I awoke with crushing chest pain. I was only 49 years old!”

I was attending my son’s basketball tournament and his coach was sharing his near-death experience. Thankfully he survived but he was bewildered over how his heart disease was so advanced. We may take all the precautions recommended by health care professionals and yet, we may still succumb to heart disease. The reasons can range from an obscure lipid abnormality, not detected by routine laboratory assays, to stress. All of our best efforts may be powerless to prevent the disease.

Sin in our lives is similar. We think we can master it, prevent it from happening, but ironically, this is how sin gains a foothold in our lives. We are in denial. Surely this could not happen to me? I will not fall victim to such obvious shenanigans! Yet, slowly and relentlessly, sin gains a foothold and erodes our soul. 

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 

1 John 1:8-10 (NLT)

As long as we live, we will sin. What is the solution? An ascetic lifestyle? Luxuries to occupy and distract our minds? Nothing we can ever do or purchase will free us from the tyranny of sin. No denial will ever rid us of our sins and nothing we can ever do will grant us forgiveness. Once we understand this reality, we can seek the only eternal cure and permanent treatment. Thanks be to God that He has given us the triumphant answer. If we confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will have the forgiveness of our sins that only a holy God can grant us. 

Place your faith in Jesus Christ, the Great Physician and Healer of our souls.

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

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I sent this letter to my father on Father’s Day 2015. 

My father passed away on October 5th, 2015.

Peace.

Dear Dad:

On this Father’s Day, I celebrate your life and what you mean to me. I remember, with great fondness, the conversations we had, the lunch trucks at Fisherman’s wharf, the baseball games with you cheering me on…but it was not the activities that made the deepest impression, it was being in your presence.

For several summers and Christmas vacations, you allowed me to work in your dental office and assist in the front office operations. During any spare moment I had, I would often tiptoe to the operatory next to where you were and listen to you speak to your patients. I marveled at the ease in how you directed the conversations, allaying the fears of the patients and allowing them to feel good about themselves by your self-deprecating humor and lively stories. I listened and learned from you, even though you were unaware. Being in your presence made me proud; I was proud of you and proud to be known as your son.

Perhaps this is why when I became a Christian, I immediately understood what it meant to be in awe and to find comfort and peace in the presence of God, the Father. When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I became an adopted son of God. I learned how to obey and trust God by emulating the example of His Son, Jesus Christ. Everything He did in His life was in obedience to God, the Father. I am eternally grateful to Him for my salvation, which I did not earn or deserve. I am proud to be known as an adopted son of God.

Dad, you have gifted me with so many valuable life lessons. Much of who I am is a reflection of you. But my very best qualities are a reflection of My Heavenly Father. May you allow me to thank you by offering you to come to our Heavenly Father through the invitation of His Son, Jesus Christ? Coming into His presence is only something you can do. In your rich and full life, you have witnessed God work through so many different people and situations. All of this was to lead you to a greater and deeper understanding of who He is.

On this Father’s Day, I pray that you will come to place your trust and faith in our Heavenly Father. He has been speaking to you during your entire life. Now is the time to come into His presence and accept the invitation to receive His eternal gift of salvation. The same pride and happiness I had when I spent time in your presence as my earthly father, will now be with you when you come into the presence of your Heavenly Father.

I love you Dad.

Aloha Malama Pono…

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

The sounds of chewing and slurping were interrupted by the occasional, “So good!” Our usually noisy dinner table banter was silenced as our family enjoyed the baby back pork ribs, smoked for six hours on our Kamado smoker. Held low and slow at 225F, the pork soaked up the sweet flavors of the apple and cherry wood. As we were eating, an unusual flash arose from the Kamado on the patio. The coals, although nearly extinguished, found renewed vigor when I left the lid on the Kamado open. Within minutes, the coals reignited, and a raging fire engulfed the smoker. I quickly closed the lid, suffocating the blaze. Lesson learned. It was a stark reminder of the ease in which anger can easily be stoked to flare into a raging inferno of sin, ready to consume me and others.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. 

Psalms 37:8 (NASB)

The Hebrew word for fret literally means to glow or grow warm, to burn or kindle. It was frightening to see how quickly the dying coals were brought back to life. If I had not caught it in time, it may have started a fire with its surroundings. Anger is not a sin but given the right circumstances, like oxygen feeding the coals, one can easily lose control, igniting and resulting in a terrible sin. The near miss in traffic can escalate into road rage. The public humiliation by a business associate can lead to revenge. God knows this and wisely instructs us to not fret about anger, giving it an opportunity to lead to evil and sin. He even gives the very practical advice of not to go to bed angry!

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NASB)

God created us as emotional beings and anger is a part of us, just like sadness and happiness. It is rare to find a person who can control their anger and not sin. We must be wise to recognize the circumstances that give rise to anger and master it before we fret, and it masters us. 

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

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“When the villain enters, it is usually from the left. When the villain moves, it is often from right to left.”

I was listening to a discussion of film techniques. Many of these techniques began in the early theater and were later adapted to the big screen and television. I decided to put the above observation to the test. Surprisingly, it was true most of the time. Why did it work this way? Some psychologists have suggested that in western societies, that usually read from left to right, it creates a negative interference with our brain when we see something move from right to left. In fact, studies have supported this hypothesis. 

Left is not cursed and there is certainly no negative connotations implied to those who are left-handed. The important lesson is regardless of the direction, good and evil are separated. Jesus Christ reinforced this many times during His ministry on this earth. 

But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 

Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB)

When Jesus Christ returns to earth, He will pronounce judgment upon everyone who has ever lived. The sheep, those who have believed in Him, will be placed on the right and the goats, those who have rejected Him, will be placed on the left. 

Right or left? Whichever direction evil comes from or is going, we all need to be assured of our final direction. Only by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will we be assured that our final resting place will be in Heaven, in the presence of God.

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

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Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were acknowledged as two of the greatest singers of their respective generations. While I have seen both of them perform individually, I recently discovered these two great artists once sang together for their first and only encounter. Thankfully, this memorable performance has been preserved.

Source: YouTube

I am always thrilled when the best performers or personalities from two different generations meet. It makes me wonder what could have happened if they both lived at the same time. I was thankful for the producers of the event that managed to bring these two great singers together, giving me a glimpse of what might have been. Thousands of years ago, a similar meeting of two of the best occurred. This time, it was in the presence of God!

Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 

Matthew 17:1-3 (NASB)

Moses and Elijah are revered in the history of the Jewish people. Moses was the prophet who led his people out of captivity from Egypt. God used him to deliver the law and commandments to the people. Elijah was the prophet who prophesied to the Northern kingdom of Israel. His prophecies were the most detailed of the coming Messiah. Now, for the first time on this earth, Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest prophets of their respective generations, were together for the first time. Who brought them together? God incarnate, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

For this epic encounter, I never have to wonder what would have happened if these two great saints met at the same time on this earth. God brought together two of His greatest prophets to glorify His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Two of the best, honoring THE best!

Praise God!

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

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It began innocently enough. Over ten years ago, a local school district began replacing textbooks that had been successfully used for decades by generations of students, with new textbooks, designed to foster inclusivity and acceptance. Instead of the stated intentions, it fomented division and strife between the school administrators, teachers, and parents. It was the beginning of the woke mentality that now dominates so much of our public school education. The debate continues to rage in many cities and school districts. Is there a solution to this current conflict? Does God’s Word give us any insight?

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility — young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Daniel 1:3-5 (NIV)

Daniel and his three friends were born to noble Judean families and had received an education in Judea and in their homes. When he and others were carried off to Babylon, he received three years of additional training in Babylon’s best schools. Babylon was quite advanced in many areas of science and literature and undoubtedly, Daniel benefited from this new knowledge. However, he was also exposed to the worship of pagan gods and customs that defiled him. Did Daniel accept these false teachings? No, he resolutely stood his ground.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 

Daniel 1:8 (NIV)

Much of the food the Babylonians offered was forbidden for a Jew to eat. After ten days of consuming nothing but vegetables and water, the officials concluded that Daniel and his friends were healthier than the others who did consume the Babylonian food. God honored Daniel’s steadfast faith. 

The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. 

Daniel 1:19-20 (NIV)

This is an important lesson for all believers. The world will attempt to inculcate our children with its relative values and morals through the educational system. Not all of the information is against God’s teaching. Like Daniel and his friends, we must first train our children at home with God’s Word. Like Daniel being selective in what he ate, we need to be proactive in reviewing what our children are being exposed to, being quick to point out the difference between the Truth of God’s Word and the false teachings of the world. 

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

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“Where is the pathology department?”

I was picking up my hospital ID badge in the medical staff office. It was the first time I visited the hospital where I was credentialed as a member of the pathology department. I was eager to meet the laboratory manager and my fellow pathologists. The medical staff administrator gave me a blank stare and then called out to her colleague. “Sally, where is the pathology department?” There was a pause and Sally replied, “You mean the laboratory? It’s in the basement.”

I chuckled. “Of course, it is!”

There are many professions that are associated with a particular personality stereotype. While this is presently frowned upon since it labels a person with a sweeping judgment, perpetuating stereotypes created by the media and literature, it still persists. Medical specialties are no exception. When one thinks of a psychiatrist, perhaps an image of Freud comes to mind. However, I know many psychiatrists who are the antithesis of this ancient portrayal. The same is true with pathologists, my medical specialty. The stereotype of pathologists are introverted physicians, content to remain behind their microscopes, tucked away in their department, usually located in the basement of a hospital, next to the morgue. They are relegated to supportive roles to surgeons and medical specialists. They labor in the black box of the laboratory where specimens are received, placed in a complex machine, and within a short time, a diagnosis is rendered.  

When I began my career, I joined a very large and successful pathology group. The founding partners were excellent diagnostic pathologists with superb leadership skills. They were also extroverts. They broke the prevailing stereotype of pathologists that was held by other physicians and even hospital administrators. Their bold style enabled them to capture many hospital contracts and create an independent reference laboratory. I was greatly influenced by their style and was inspired to emulate them, also determined to break the stereotype of pathologists.

What about Christians? The popular media and woke crowd have deliberately latched on to negative stereotypes, publicly shaming Christians as bigots, misogynists, and narrow minded. This same crowd also promotes inclusiveness and diversity. Ironically, their attitude toward Christains embodies the very characteristics with which they label, stereotype and vilify Christians. They would be chagrined if they took the time to understand how God views stereotypes.

Thousands of years ago, God dismissed stereotypes and established the true standard by which we should view and treat others. God was directing the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel was led to the household of Jesse. As Jesse paraded his sons before Samuel, Samuel was duly impressed by the physical appearances of many of them, thinking one of them must surely be someone suitable to be the king. However, God corrected Samuel. 

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB)

After seven of Jesse’s sons were presented before Samuel, God still did not give his approval. Samuel inquired whether there was another son. Jesse replied that there was one more, his youngest, who was tending the sheep and the goats. Samuel asked for him and when this last son appeared, God confirmed that this son, David, was the man who was to be anointed king.  David was not the tallest nor the eldest; he had an even more special quality. David was a man after God’s own heart. 

We should not be swayed by the outward appearance of others or listen to the media or the woke crowd. It leads us to judge by stereotypes and preconceived notions. We need to look at others with the eyes of God, looking beyond appearances, and only at the heart and character of all people.

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

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