Month: November 2023

“Put some Windex on it!”

This hilarious line was famously quoted in the romantic comedy, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” The patriarch of the family would spray Windex on everything, a panacea. 

Source: My Big Fat Greek Wedding- Belief Perseverance – YouTube

After the movie came out, numerous viewers chimed in and agreed with the efficacy of this cleaning agent to treat numerous health conditions. However, there were no controlled medical studies to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of this product. Some even adopted this technique leading to dangerous side effects. 

We use many things every day that could be adopted for other situations. However, with rare exceptions, we do not know if it is truly safe or efficacious. Most of it is based on hearsay or practical experience. Even for products like CBD, touted as a panacea for so many ailments, there are uncertainties. While there are well-controlled medical studies that verify CBD can be helpful in treating selected medical conditions, this ignores the fact that there are many products containing CBD that contain varying concentrations and purity. In other words, one cannot be certain if they are truly receiving the advertised proper dosage of CBD. It is a largely unregulated market and numerous safety concerns abound. 

The Bible has comforted millions of people, both believers and seekers alike. Verses from 1 Corinthians 13 and Psalm 23 have provided proven reassurance during stressful times. Can the Bible be used in other situations? I have read numerous self-help books, business strategy books, and financial management books to deal with perplexing issues that I face in life. While all contain valuable nuggets of truth, none of them ever provided a comprehensive answer to all of my questions. Only the Bible has satisfied all of my concerns. Why?

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

Unlike man-made products, the Bible is God-made. It is God’s imperishable Word and will never harm us or lead us into evil. It is tested and proven true by God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. He lived sinless, abiding by God’s Word with every action of His life. He proved the authenticity and Truth of God’s Word by dying on the Cross and being resurrected by God. Only by following God’s Word will we find sound advice in every aspect of our life, to equip us to do every good work, within any relationship we encounter with family, friends, or workplace. 

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

Counterfeit and fake designer goods have been around since the beginning of trade.

This headline caught my eye because of the sheer magnitude of the illegal goods seized, valued at over 1.1 billion dollars. 

Source: Fox News

If one buys a product from a reputable store or seller, the likelihood that it is a counterfeit product is being purchased is low. Nonetheless, I am certain that I have purchased fake products. It is a serious problem in every country and unless one has a very trained and discerning eye, it may be impossible to distinguish it from the genuine article. What hope is there for the layperson to have confidence that what they are buying is genuine? Not much.

What about our relationship with God? There are many religions and self-proclaimed prophets touting they are the true path to enlightenment, salvation, and eternal life. Some even use the name of Jesus Christ to prove their authenticity, liberally sprinkling their teachings with quotations from Jesus Christ and the Bible. It sounds like Christianity. How can we be sure? 

I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Jude 1:4 (NLT)

Pastor Bill Washer warns, “One of the greatest distinguishing marks of false prophet is that he will always tell you what you want to hear, he will never rain on your parade; he will get you clapping, he will get you jumping, he will make you dizzy, he will keep you entertained, and he will present a Christianity to you that will make your church look like a six flags over Jesus.”

What hope is there for a layperson to discern God’s Truth from counterfeit and false teachings? God’s grace never leads us in a direction to lead an immoral life. Test any teaching against the entire Truth of God’s Word. If we honestly submit ourselves to God’s leading, His Holy Spirit will always convict us and lead us to follow God instead of false teachings and counterfeit religions. 

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

When I started my own business, selecting a location was one of my most important decisions. There were many options and I knew I wanted to have it close to my home, without traveling on freeways. While deliberating on several locations, an unexpected offer came to me from one of my former partners. He offered me the option to sublease space within the building within which my former partners operated. In fact, it was on the floor below my current office. It was a very generous offer and since I agreed to service my former clients while building my new practice, it seemed ideal. When news of the potential deal quickly spread, one of my colleagues pulled me aside. “I hear you are thinking of subleasing the office space downstairs.”

I nodded. 

“Bad idea.”

I was puzzled. “Why? It would be ideal. I would not have to hire my own staff, I would be working with the same people.”

He nodded. “Yes, and they would still be working with you. Don’t you see? The partners are doing this to keep an eye on you. By having your cases flow through the existing staff, they will know exactly what you are doing. It is all about control. You think you are creating your own business but you would not be independent. By controlling your staff and logistics, they would be controlling you. You need to make a clean break.”

My colleague was correct. I needed to leave and make a clean break. In life, there may be times when we have to completely cut ties with our former work associates or colleagues, even if there may be possible benefits to continuing the association.

When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I led a lifestyle that did not honor God. Although I attempted to maintain my same activities and relationships, it soon became clear that these were not consistent with my new relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I needed to make a clean break.

You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 

1 Peter 4:2-3 (NLT)

Through my own efforts, a clean break would have been impossible. Thanks be to God that through the power of His Holy Spirit, who indwells within me, He enabled me to replace my carnal desires for the world and my selfish desires with the noble and righteous values of God and His Kingdom. Through God’s grace and mercy, He enabled me to make a clean break and refocus my life upon serving God, receiving His unlimited blessings and benefits that the world can never match.

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

Courage and Cowardice.

The world is replete with examples of both, far too numerous to mention. We recall the courageous actions of Mahatma Gandhi who led India to independence from Great Britain through his commitment to non-violence and civil disobedience. We recoil in horror over the cowardly actions of Benito Mussolini who led Italy into World War II and then abandoned his people when defeat was upon him. 

The Bible also gives us many examples. In nearly every example of courage in the Bible, the saint was facing overwhelming odds against success and certain death if they failed. We recall the thrilling stories of David defiantly standing before Goliath. There is Daniel who refused to obey the King’s command to not worship any god except the King. There are also many tragic stories of cowardice, involving both saints and their adversaries. We recall Jonah running away from God when he was commanded to preach repentance to Nineveh. There is Peter denying knowing the Lord Jesus Christ three times. 

He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he who loses courage loses all.

Miguel de Cervantes

Success is never final and failure is never fatal: It’s courage that counts.

Anonymous

These two quotations are a stern reminder that the history of the world abounds with stories of both courage and cowardice. The Bible also warns us of the importance of standing strong in courage and not collapsing in cowardice.

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NASB)

Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 

Revelation 21:6-8 (NASB)

God honors the courageous and despises the cowardly. God groups the cowardly with abject sinners like murderers, sorcerers, and liars. Why? By choosing this path, they have deliberately turned their back on God’s promises to strengthen and support them. They have forgotten His promise to never fail or forsake us, no matter the opposition we face.

The many stories of saints who remained steadfast in courage or collapsed in cowardice are a sobering reminder to all who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Stand firm in your faith!

Amen!

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

“The patient is a 60-year-old male, who appears younger than his stated age.”

I was presenting a patient to my attending physician. This was over thirty years ago and a different time. Today, it would be considered politically incorrect to make such a statement yet, at that time, and I believe, to this day, it is still a helpful, descriptor of a patient’s appearance. It may provide secondary clues to the overall health of the patient. For example, heavy smokers are known to exhibit signs of premature aging in the face, valuable insight into potential other health issues.

The Bible records a fascinating interaction between the patriarch Abram and his wife Sarai when they traveled to Egypt.

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 

Genesis 12:10-15 (NKJV)

At this time, Sarai was probably about 65 years of age. People of Abram’s time lived longer lives than we presently do and Sarai died at the age of 127 years. Even with this longer lifespan, the Bible states that Sarai was beyond the years of childbearing. Thus, she was physiologically older. Nonetheless, she surely appeared younger than her stated age!

Someday in Heaven, I will be able to see how beautiful Sarah appeared. I am sure it will be impressive but I suspect that my attention will be riveted by how beautiful my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is. He will appear younger than His stated age. He is eternal, older than the universe, and altogether lovely.

His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!

Song of Solomon 5:16 (NKJV)

Praise God for His everlasting beauty and glory!

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

Tesla.

Many are familiar with the popular electric car company. However, only a few are familiar with the man, Nikola Tesla, by whom the company is named. Tesla was a genius who had a life-long fascination with electricity. His father was an Eastern Orthodox Priest and hoped his son would enter the priesthood. Tesla had other plans. A mathematical and engineering prodigy, he is best known for inventing the alternating current electrical supply as well as providing the theoretical foundations for radio. He had a photographic memory and would memorize entire volumes of Serbian poems and other great works of literature. He did a deep dive into Hindu and Eastern religions, memorizing their writings. When he was introduced to the writings of the French philosopher, Voltaire, he read and memorized all of his written works, calling them inspiring. 

Inspiring, but not inspired.

I wonder what else Tesla would have done had he devoted his prodigious skills to seeking after God and reading the Bible? He had a voracious thirst for knowledge but his search led him further away from God and the Truth. 

Theologian and author R.C. Sproul wrote, “I think the greatest weakness in the Church today is that almost no one believes that God invests his power in the Bible. Everyone is looking for power in a program, in a technique, in anything and everything except where God has placed it: His Word.”

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB)

Are you searching for the Truth? There are many great works of literature that may inspire us, but they are the work of men and women. If we read them but ignore the Truth that God has given us in His Bible, we miss out on the greatest source of inspiration ever given to mankind. In this book is all the knowledge we need to survive and thrive in this life. 

Only the Bible is the Living Word of God. It is inspiring and inspired!

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

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare accurately captured the disappointment we may feel towards another when they do not live up to our expectations. We have all experienced it in every relationship. What can be done? What about expectancy? Although the words are similar, the meaning is subtly different. Expectancy is accepting there will be an outcome, regardless of whether it will disappoint us or not. Author Laurie Coombs elegantly summarizes the differences. 

“Expectation expects things. It expects a certain outcome. Or that the outcome will be derived a certain way. Expectancy does not expect things. Expectancy hopes. It has faith that good will come but releases the expectation of what or how it will come about. Expectations lead to disappointments and frustration and disillusion. Expectancy leads to faith and joy and thankfulness…Expectation says, ‘God, I expect you will do X.’ It says, ‘God, I expect you do X in a certain way.’ Expectancy says, ‘Lord, I don’t know how or what you will do, but I know you will do something, and I know it will be good.’ God always does something good. He is continually working in and through our lives. We can eagerly wait with expectancy for what He will do, but we cannot place self-centered expectations on Him. He is God. We are not.”

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

Expectancy, not expectations.

For many years, I lived with the philosophy, “Hope for the best but expect the worst.” Although this seemed realistic and practical, it was still imposing my expectations upon every situation, setting me up for more anxiety. The only solution is to place one’s hope in God. If Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, we have the supreme confidence that the Holy Spirit indwells within us, to work His will within us and allow us to accomplish what is pleasing to God. When we please God, we no longer need to be concerned about expectations. Our expectancy is God will always do something good.

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

There are many politicians who base their decisions on public polling. Look where the wind blows and that is where their opinion will land. In general, this is a good strategy. After all, what better way to do the bidding of their constituents than to follow their desires? A conflict arises when a politician’s personal values or affiliated political party’s values conflict with their constituents. Unless the politician is adept at explaining the reasons for his decisions that are contrary to their constituents, it is likely that they will be voted out of office in the next election. The list of political casualties is endless and as the 2024 election season approaches, we are, once again, witnessing shifting political viewpoints. Previously conservative and liberal politicians now lean toward the moderate center to capture most of the voting public’s viewpoints and values. 

The same shift is happening within the Church. In an effort to reach the masses, some churches are compromising their principles. There is increasing acceptance of gender-fluid partnerships and marriages. There is downplaying of the absolute authority of the Bible as God’s Word. There is a question of whether Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation and eternal life. This is what the world wants the Church to accept. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Today the world has taken so many things out of the church, and the church has taken so many things out of the world, that it is difficult to know where you are”

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 

1 John 4:4-5 (NASB)

All Christian believers need to remember who they follow. We do not follow the world’s values that shift as often as the direction of the wind, we follow God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

Fellow believers in Jesus Christ, stay the course and follow the Rock of our Salvation. 

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