Month: July 2023

It was morning rush hour at the Washington D.C. Metro station. Joining other musicians busking at the station was a solo violinist. Barely heard above the din of the trains and people, this man played for nearly 45 minutes. Over a thousand people witnessed it but only seven people stopped to watch. How much did he earn for his effort? An impressive $32!

The violinist was the maestro and multiple Grammy award winning artist, Joshua Bell. The violin he was using was a prized Stradivarius. Here is a capsule of the remarkable performance.

Source: Joshua Bell plays in the Washington DC Metro – YouTube

Many talented artists got their start by busking. Bell was participating in an experiment to show that unless the setting is appropriate, even one of the world’s greatest violinists may be ignored in a typical busking situation. We may ignore greatness and the truth even if it is presented before us. This sounds familiar.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus Christ describes a sobering view of the afterlife. The rich man ignored the plight of Lazarus, a poor man, who sat at the gates of the rich man’s house every day, longing to be fed even some crumbs from the rich man’s table. When both of them died, the rich man went to hell and Lazarus was carried by the angels to be comforted in the bosom of Abraham. In torment, the rich man looked up to Heaven and saw Lazarus being comforted. He pleaded with Abraham to warn his own brothers to repent of their sins so they would not suffer the same fate as him. 

Then the rich man said, “Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.” The rich man replied, “No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.” But Abraham said, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”

Luke 16:27-31 (NLT)

For thousands of years, God has spoken to us through His prophets and Scripture. Yet, some of us continue to ignore Him, determined to follow our own will, even if it will lead to separation from God and eternal torment.  What can God do to get our attention? If God sent His own Son to die for our sins and then rise from the dead, wouldn’t that persuade us?

…Yes, go, and say to this people, “Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing. Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” 

Isaiah 6:9-10 (NLT)

The busking experience of Joshua Bell vividly demonstrates how we can ignore the obvious greatness that is before us. God’s message to us is no different. God’s grace and mercy are always before us. He gave His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross for our sins. His triumphant resurrection proved that He conquered death. Yet, some still plug their ears and shut their eyes to this amazing Truth.

Do not ignore the greatness of God that is continuously offered to us through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. 

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

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He had an unusual combination of boredom and giddiness. No prodding or consultation could motivate him. Even the impending final examinations were insufficient to rouse him from his doldrums. He was suffering from the dreaded malady, senioritis.

Not all graduating seniors are afflicted with this. However, there is no consistent epidemiological or socio-economic profile. It randomly affects students with a wide range of signs and symptoms. What is the treatment? Graduation! Once the ceremony is over, the signs and symptoms miraculously disappear! It is truly remarkable. If only all diseases could so easily be treated.

I did not suffer from classic senioritis, it was the exact opposite. When I was a senior, I was terrified about the new environment and challenges I would face in my next phase of education. After high school was college. After college was medical school. After medical school was residency. After residency was fellowship. After fellowship was my first job as a physician. Instead of boredom, I frantically studied and prepared during my last year in each institution. I didn’t want to fail. I didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of my superiors and peers. What was the treatment? It was the same! Graduation. Once I entered the next phase of my life, I realized that all my anxiety was self-imposed. I was afraid of others and their expectations. I would have been better off with traditional senioritis and not worry about anything!

In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? 

Psalms 118:5-6 (NLT)

It took me many years of heartache and frustration before I was able to trust God with the direction of my life. I feared other people when I should have been looking to God. 

Senioritis. 

Whether one’s symptoms are boredom or anxiety, the only treatment is to come to God.

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

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The situation seemed hopeless. My mother was diagnosed with metastatic stomach cancer. She was at peace with the diagnosis and decided to forego any chemotherapy. When I asked her if she needed anything, she replied that she would like to spend some time with me. Without hesitating, I agreed. I was determined to see her as often as I could, however, this was challenging. I lived in Los Angeles and she lived in Honolulu. How could I possibly accomplish this? I prayed to God and He opened doors for me to return to Hawaii. I left for Honolulu on Friday evening and returned to Los Angeles late Sunday night. I did this thirteen times in eleven months. During this hectic year, God smoothed my trips, lightening my workloads for each weekend so I would not be overwhelmed with work when I returned on Monday. I was reminded of an anonymous quotation. “The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God cannot keep us and care for us.” Indeed! This is exactly how God intervened in my life.

Will and Grace.

No, not the popular television sitcom series. God’s will and grace.

How many times have I wondered, “How did I end up in this situation?” At times, the answer was obvious. It was my sinful choices that brought me into a predicament. However, on other times, like my mother’s struggle with her cancer, it was God opening the doors. God dramatically answered the request of my mother and my prayers and allowed us to spend precious time together in that last year of her life, sharing things only a mother and son can share. At the end of the year, she peacefully passed into the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 

Romans 8:15-17 (NLT)

When we are led by the will of God, we will always receive His grace through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. We can do this because we are adopted sons and daughters of God. 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 

Romans 8:14 (NLT)

Amen.

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

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Before he became President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower was already famous as a world leader. During World War II, he was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. Achieving the rank of a 5-star general in the army, he was the highest ranking officer in the United States armed forces. In spite of his exalted status, Eisenhower knew he answered to a higher authority, writing, “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic, expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.”

Thousands of years earlier, the Bible described another supreme commander. He was God’s anointed. He was King David, the most successful military commander in Israel’s history. Like Eisenhower, David always knew he was second in command. 

So David asked the LORD, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The LORD replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.” 

2 Samuel 5:19 (NLT)

No matter how successful he was in his military and political campaigns, David always sought God’s will before he made any decision. David always was subservient to God. He gladly took the position of second in command, deferring to Almighty God as the supreme commander.

…For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 

Romans 13:1 (NLT)

Great leaders recognize they are only second in command. Whatever battles you may face, always remember that God is in command and we lead only by His grace and mercy. 

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

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“​Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever…” 

Thomas Jefferson wrote those words in 1781, but they are just as applicable today. America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles but it has strayed far from these standards. America is at the crossroads of an ideological struggle. Moral relativism has infiltrated every aspect of our society: education, our armed forces, the legal system, our government. All Christians should tremble at the prospect of God executing His judgment on our country. 

What does it mean to tremble? It literally means to quake with fear. All of us have experienced this physical state. A strange noise in our home in the middle of the night may be one trigger. Giving a talk in front of thousands of people may be another. But how often do we tremble when we think about God and our nation? How often do we tremble when we think about our faith in God?

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling…

Philippians 2:12 (NASB)

If you have been saved by grace through faith and belief in Jesus Christ, you should never take it for granted. Salvation is eternal. Once we have been saved, we will never lose it. Working out our salvation means to continue to work toward its completion, something that will happen once when we are in Heaven with Jesus Christ. This is the process of sanctification. As we work toward this completion, we should always tremble at the prospect of offending God by disobeying Him. Jesus Christ died on the Cross so that we may gain salvation and eternal life through the power of His Name. He sacrificed everything so that we could become like Him, an adopted child of God, the Father. 

We must first become right with God if our nation is to once again return to His principles. We need to tremble in God’s presence.

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

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This is a broken bowl. It has been repaired with gold and lacquer. This is kintsugi.

Source: Etsy.com

Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that embraces the flawed and imperfect. It treats any damage as an integral part of the history of the object and should be displayed rather than hidden or disguised. It is a beautiful reminder of how God cares for all of us. 

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 

1 Corinthians 12:22-26 (NLT)

God’s love knows no limitations. He takes the seemingly flawed and imperfect; He takes the weak and rejected; He takes the disenfranchised and excluded; He cares for all of us to experience the glory of His Body, the Living Church. 

We are all broken vessels, marred by sin. Kintsugi is a reminder that God desires to use us regardless of where we are in life’s journey. No matter how damaged we are, we are never beyond God’s grace and mercy. 

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

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Part of my training as a pathology resident was to learn to perform an autopsy. During my first year of training, I completed nearly 100 autopsies. Since these were performed at a university tertiary care hospital, the cases were complex and once completed, every medical and surgical specialist that was involved with the patient’s care attended our weekly autopsy conference, requiring a great deal of preparation on my part. Although I had other service duties during that first year of residency, everything was centered upon the autopsy service. There was no respite when I left the hospital because my cases were always on my mind.

One evening at home, after finishing my dinner, I was exhausted and dozing. Suddenly, I was startled to see my body below me. An unknown hand held a scalpel that sliced into the skin of my chest wall. My ribs and sternum were opened with a saw and my lungs and heart were exposed. I wasn’t dead. I was still breathing. As I viewed this macabre scene I exclaimed, “This can’t be real. My lungs would collapse if my chest cavity was opened!” I immediately came to my senses. I was having an out of body experience. 

Out of body experiences have fascinated researchers for years. Drugs or chemicals, stressful states, and deep trances or meditations are just a few of the possible triggers. Some aver that these experiences are not merely psychological and represent instances when the soul or spirit can actually detach from the body. Is this a foreshadowing of death? What does God say about these interpretations?

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NASB)

When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit entered into me and lives within me. All believers in Jesus Christ are part of the Body of Jesus Christ. When I die, my physical body will perish but my soul will be united with Jesus Christ in Heaven and I will be given an imperishable spiritual body. 

I may someday have another temporary out of body experience. It was certainly frightening the first time I encountered this. When I die, I will never have to fear the possibility of my body and soul separating, never to be reunited. I will be made whole and complete through faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

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

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It was 1999 and the cable network was venturing into its own programming, unwilling to rely upon re-running movies that had already premiered in movie theaters. The cable network was Home Box Office or as it is more popularly known as HBO. With “The Sopranos”, HBO found a mega hit. During this heady time, several of my friends told me that if I didn’t subscribe to HBO, I should do so simply to watch “The Sopranos”. Since that epic breakthrough hit, HBO has created many popular series but this was the first, the one that put them on the road to their current success with original programming. 

Many successful companies can trace their current success to one breakthrough hit product. Coca Cola. Dove Soap. Many families are the same. The actions of one person may also begin the success for successive generations. The Bible cites the example of Phinehas who took a bold stand for God. It was a dangerous time in the early history of Israel. Led by Moses and wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites were seduced to worship the false gods of the Midianites. God sent a plague to punish them, killing 24,000. At the height of the plaque, an Israelite brazenly brought a Midianite woman into his tent to have sexual relations with her, all in plain view of Moses and the leaders of Israel. The sheer audacity and outrageousness of this Israelite’s actions ignited a righteous anger in Phinehas. He grabbed a spear, entered the tent, and killed both of them. His action stopped the plague. God recognized the courageous action of Phinehas.

Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.

Numbers 25:11-13 (NLT)

This single act of faith led to a special blessing from God for Phinehas and his descendants for generations. It is recorded in the Bible so thousands of years later, we may still be inspired by the action of Phinehas. The breakthrough hits of the world may lead to success for a few years or decades. When the actions of one person leads to a breakthrough of faith, God recognizes and blesses their actions ensuring their success will be recognized for eternity!

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

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Many high schools, colleges, and graduate schools require a final project to graduate. Often called a capstone project, a student or group of students will undertake an independent project, utilizing the skills they have learned in their respective major. It is the culmination of their work and an excellent transition to the real world, outside of schooling. 

In architecture, the capstone is a rock or stone placed on the top of a structure and helps to hold it together. A cornerstone is placed in the base of the structure and essential for a good foundation. It is interesting that in the Bible, the Greek word for cornerstone may also be translated as capstone. In this following verse, Jesus is referred to as the cornerstone. 

Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:11-12 (NIV)

In this next verse, Jesus Christ symbolizes the capstone.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

Colossians 1:17 (NIV)

A capstone project can only exist if a student has successfully completed the requirements for graduation. Unless there is a good foundation, a capstone project may fail. The two are separate and distinct. The capstone cannot exist unless a good cornerstone is in place. With God, only Jesus Christ is our capstone and cornerstone! He is the foundation and pinnacle!

Praise God!

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

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“The Lord is my Shepherd…”

For thousands of years, the Book of Psalms has been a source of comfort and wisdom for many. Nearly everyone, Christian and layperson alike, can quote a portion of a psalm, such as the opening verse of the beloved Psalms 23, quoted above.

There is a category of Psalms known as imprecatory psalms. This mouthful of a word describes psalms that call down a curse upon another. In comparison to the majority of Psalms that speak of God’s blessings and reassurance, these speak of God’s wrath and judgment upon sinners and it is always jarring to read these psalms. 

Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O LORD! May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands. May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun. 

Psalms 58:6-8 (NLT)

This is a powerful statement. The psalmist is asking God to punish the wicked who spread violence throughout the land. How can we reconcile this with the loving image of God as a kind and caring Shepherd? God is love. It is a perfect love, unhindered by sinful motives or selfish pleasures. He freely gives this love to us, if we choose to accept it through faith and belief in His Son, Jesus Christ. If we do, He promises to care for us as the Good Shepherd. God is also a holy Judge and because of this, He must be righteous and condemn sin. God reserves His wrath for those who reject His Son’s grace and mercy to follow their own sinful desires. 

God is Almighty. His power created us and preserved us to live a full relationship with Him through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. He wants to be our Shepherd. Imprecatory psalms are a warning to us. If we choose to reject Him, we will disappear like water into thirsty ground, eternally condemned to be separated from Him. 

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

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