I was searching for a new binge-able series to watch on streaming media. I stumbled upon a television series that was popular nearly twenty years earlier, successfully ran for nine seasons, and is still popular in syndication. I was familiar with several of the actors and had seen memes of the show, but this was the first time I had viewed it. Within the first minute, I was laughing and shaking my head. I was hooked! It was amusing since I have watched other series, equally as popular, that were incredibly boring for the first minute. If others had not warned me to be patient and continue watching, I would have bypassed the entire series.
When I first heard the Gospel, it was not like either scenario. I was unimpressed. It was another myth, on par with the Greek and Roman gods. Thanks be to God that He continued to reach out and draw me to Him. Despite attending a Christian school with weekly chapel services and mandatory religious classes, none of it made an impression.
I wonder if the Gospel was presented to me like the television series that captured my attention in the first minute, would I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior many years earlier? Thanks be to God, that His ways are not my ways. Through a series of divine interventions, God prepared my heart to accept Him by faith in His perfect timing.
For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)
How did God capture my attention? God did not make me laugh when He drew me to Him. Instead, He brought me to tears and my knees by showing me my sinful nature. For many years, I attempted to live a good life by my efforts. God showed me that it was impossible to erase my sins and find forgiveness on my own. Only by confessing and repenting of sins and accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior did I find forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
Praise God for His grace and mercy!
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
The walls of the rooms were adorned with splashes of color. Some were on canvas while others were on rice paper or the bare walls. It was a solo artist showing his latest works and his parents, who were good friends of mine, invited me. For nearly an hour, I was treated to an eclectic mix of a provocative style that blended traditional Chinese art themes and characters with modern abstract techniques. In his own words,
“My connection with my Chinese heritage is incredibly complicated. For a long time, I yearned for an appropriate means of connection between Chinese culture and my identity. I was unsure of how to embrace this side of myself, but I still adopted the medium of ink on paper on a whim. In acceptance of the medium, I experienced acknowledgment of my Chinese roots without feeling a need to conform to either Western or Eastern techniques. I began to feel an affinity towards the medium; ink’s appearance is immediately Chinese, though through closer examination, the line-work, color, and composition tell a story that is not of either nation. When I think of my work, I think of my interaction with the medium. Personal experimentation with the medium lead to innovation as I found opportunities in the paper material itself. Approaching the material, it appeared to welcome my experimenting as I felt a freedom in cutting up the paper, printing with it, gluing pieces together to create collage, and thinking of the paper as a sculptural object. The pursuit for innovation is the positive result of my painful experience of diaspora.”
His choice of the word, diaspora, intrigued me. I immediately thought of the opening verse of 1 Peter.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Peter 1:1-2 (ESV)
I approached the young artist and waited for an opportunity to speak to him. Introducing myself, he greeted me warmly. “Yes, my parents have told me so much about you. Thank you for coming!”
“The pleasure is mine.” I looked around the room and said, “I am enjoying your work. I have a few questions.”
“Of course!”
“Before I came, I visited your website and read your personal statement. I was intrigued by your use of the word, diaspora. I am curious. What does that word mean to you?”
He was surprised by my question. “Oh wow. Yeah. Kind of like the sum of my experiences, traveling to different countries and cultures.”
I nodded. “I see. When I saw that word, I thought of the Bible and the Apostle Peter’s letter addressing the dispersion of Jewish Christians because of persecution. Diaspora is the Greek word for dispersion.”
“Interesting. Yeah! I think my diaspora is intellectual. It was a lot of painful experiences as I pursued my path to gain a unique voice.”
“I get it. I had never thought of that way.” I shook his hand. “Thanks for enlightening me. Really neat to see your development as an artist through this collection of works.”
As I said my goodbyes, the parents, who invited me to his show, thanked me for coming. I turned it around. “Oh no. Thank you for inviting me. I rarely have an opportunity to discuss abstract ideas like this. It is so refreshing to speak to an artist.”
All artists see the world through a different lens, a different perspective. This is what makes artists unique. My conversations with them always stretch my mind and force me to think outside the box.
My relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is very similar. There are concrete facts but what captivates and challenges me is the depth of His words and teachings. As a physician, my education was and continues to be heavily steeped in the sciences. I learned about how the body works and how it breaks down. I learned about how to correctly diagnose and treat many diseases. When I read the Bible, I learned about Jesus’ ministry. He was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth before departing and beginning His three-year ministry leading to His death and Resurrection. These are the facts but what challenges me is the why. Why did God, the Father, send His only Son to be born to a woman through a miraculous birth? Why did Jesus give up His exalted position seated at the right hand of God, the Father, and become a man, vulnerable to pain and suffering? Why did Jesus die for all humanity, even knowing that one of His own disciples would betray Him? The more I ponder these questions, the more my mind is stretched. Like my artist friend, I view Jesus Christ from a different perspective. He was a great teacher and prophet but He was much more. He is God incarnate.
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
Psalms 119:96 (ESV)
God’s Word is exceedingly broad and continues to stretch my mind.
Amen!
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
“So I have dual citizenship with Canada and Poland. Now that I live in the United States, I will apply for triple citizenship.”
My daughter was sharing a conversation with me and her new friend. Her friend grew up in Poland and then moved to Canada, where she obtained her second citizenship and was a law student. She transferred to an American law school and sought a third citizenship.
“I didn’t know one could do that!”
“Neither did I!” My daughter replied. Doing a quick internet search, I discovered there is no limit to the number of citizenships that one may hold in the United States. The advantage is the ability to travel between countries and freely vote in the respective elections. The drawbacks? Other countries may not allow for multiple citizenships. Furthermore, being a citizen of more than one country has legal and tax ramifications, which may be a financial burden.
Is there any citizenship that has all the benefits and no drawbacks?
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Philippians 3:20 (NLT)
When we confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we immediately become children of God and a citizen of Heaven. The benefits? Salvation and eternal life, living forever in Heaven in the presence of God. The drawbacks? None! Praise God! He sealed our citizenship with His own death and resurrection.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
When one hears this, suicide, murder, or some other nefarious scheme comes to mind. There is another definition, familiar in the business world. It is a defensive maneuver, designed to protect a publicly traded company from a hostile takeover. Like pharmaceutical poisons, there are a variety of poison pills that a company may avail. They range from issuing more shares to existing shareholders to prevent the hostile shareholder from gaining a majority share ownership or forcing a negotiation with the company’s board with a mutually agreeable buyout price. Despite this defense, it is a costly struggle for both sides and as the name suggests, it is painful.
The strategy is to avoid an unpleasant outcome. Even with such Draconian measures, a hostile takeover may yet succeed. What hope is there for a company or individual confronted by overwhelming odds?
Thousands of years ago, Jesus Christ led His disciples to the region of Caesarea Philippi. It was an intimidating location, located 120 miles from Jerusalem. Herod the Great had built a massive temple to worship the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. Worship of the Greek god Pan and Caananite God Baal was active with numerous temples. Wherever one turned, there was evidence of active opposition to God. Satan and his demons surrounded Jesus and His disciples. Outnumbered. No allies. What defense could they muster? Was there a spiritual poison pill they could take to protect themselves?
In this hostile environment, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13). Undoubtedly, the disciples of Jesus Christ may have been intimidated. Only Peter was bold enough to answer.
…“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16 (ESV)
Jesus blessed Peter and powerfully declared…
…and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18 (ESV)
Jesus did not utilize a poison pill but He did lay out His strategy. For the first time, Jesus declared that He would build His Church on this Earth. All His followers would be empowered to establish the Kingdom of God and nothing, not even the gates of hell, would ever prevail against it. Was it a costly struggle? Jesus gave His own life. Was it painful? Jesus was tortured and crucified and died on the Cross. Was it successful? Jesus was resurrected three days later and restored the relationship that sin had broken between God and man.
A poison pill is a strategic action to ward off a hostile takeover and it may still fail. Jesus faced the greatest hostile force, the power of Satan and sin. His strategy cost Him His life but it forever crushed Satan and death and gave all of mankind the path to salvation and eternal life by placing our trust and faith in Jesus Christ.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
“Don’t blame me for the problems of this country, I didn’t vote for him. He’s not my President.”
One may assume that it is typical of the current political climate but this type of rhetoric has been spewed for most of American history. American citizens are fortunate and blessed to live in a country that allows freedom of speech. We are allowed to disagree with our leaders and voice our disapproval. The most powerful action we can take is to vote.
Through the years, I have witnessed vitriolic statements issued by citizens of all political leanings. Conservative, moderate, or liberal-there is no distinction. It may be as benign as the statement above or escalate to hate speech. Regardless, the sentiment is the same. If one did not vote for a politician currently in office, they do not represent one’s interests. It is incorrect but matters little to the citizen.
What about God? Politics and religion are the most polarizing subjects for everyone. One could easily substitute God for the above statement.
“Don’t blame me for the problems in this world, I don’t believe in Him. He’s not my God.”
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:9-10 (NLT)
Unlike a politician, God is not voted into His position. He is eternal, existing outside of time, space, and matter. He must because He created everything. Whether one agrees with His judgments and rules, He is everyone’s God. Like the President, the choice is whether one accepts His authority in one’s life. The only difference? If one chooses not to receive the President, an opportunity to change occurs every four years. If one chooses not to receive God, the time to change one’s mind will extend throughout one’s life. However, when we take our last breath, there is no other chance. When we reject God’s free offer to confess and repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we reject salvation and eternal life. We chose another god, ourselves, and are condemned to be separated from God’s love, grace, and mercy.
Not my President? No worries.
Not my God? No hope.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
I glanced at the clock. 5 PM. It was time to start my prep for dinner. I honed my knife and prepared to slice the onion. My first strokes quickly sliced through. Turning it, I made several more cuts in preparation for dicing. I was pleased that my knife was sharp, so sharp that it quickly cut into my left index finger. It happened so quickly. It was only the burst of blood on the cutting board followed by the sting of the onion juice in the wound that alerted me to my plight. I quickly grabbed a paper towel and applied pressure. However, unlike previous knife cuts, this one did not stop after a few seconds. I lifted the paper towel, now crimson, and was dismayed to see the blood still flowing, unabated by my efforts. Not good. I switched out the paper towel and applied pressure for thirty minutes. I slowly lifted the towel and could still see the oozing but the flow had diminished. It was then I noticed that blood had dripped over my pants, feet, and over the kitchen counter and floor. It looked like a scene from an attack. It was. I attacked myself!
For the next few days, I cautiously did my usual activities, handicapped by avoiding any stress on the wound. It should have been a simple task, but either I would unconsciously use my left hand for a task or bump my finger against an object. More than once, it reopened the wound. After a few days, I was dumbfounded at how losing one finger could so dramatically alter my lifestyle. I took it for granted until its loss made me understand its importance.
It was a sobering metaphor for my life. There are so many necessities that I take for granted. Only when missing or damaged, do I realize my ignorance. God created our universe and so finely tuned it that if the forces that hold atoms together were off by only a little, it would not exist. From the sun’s life-giving sustenance to the diversity of the plant and animal kingdom, God created all to exist in perfect harmony. Yet, how often do I give thanks for His Creation that allows me to exist? What about the Church? Every believer in the Body of Jesus Christ is important. Like my cut finger, how often do I take for granted the work of my brothers and sisters? My Pastor prepares his weekly sermon to nourish and feed our local church. Numerous people work behind the scenes to set up the sanctuary and meet and greet members and visitors upon arrival. And then, there are the teachers, musicians, audiovisual team, and others who work together to serve God and make each service a blessing for others. How many other dear Saints serve God in ways of which I am completely ignorant?
In fact, some parts of the body that seem the 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.
1 Corinthians 12:22-25 (NLT)
The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, wrote this beautiful description of the members of the Church, the Body of Jesus Christ. Like my finger, members who seem least important are the most necessary. As fellow believers in Jesus Christ, we should take extra care to protect and honor these members. It is not only the unseen workers in a church, it is the sick, the poor, the elderly, the imprisoned, and those with special needs. All who seem less honorable or forgotten, God asks all of us to care for. When we do, we are caring for Jesus Christ.
And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.”
Matthew 25:45 (NLT)
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
I scampered over to the kitchen table where my wife prepared the salad. The dead brown roach vividly contrasted with the green spinach leaves. “And this is pre-washed!”
I shook my head. “Yup!”
What can one do besides returning the spinach to the grocer? We trusted the producer to ensure the spinach was pre-washed and clean. Indeed, it was. This roach was very clean and safe to eat. We should be happy!
In this life, there are many instances in which we are told something and asked to accept it on faith. Unless one is in the food preparation or inspection business, it would be difficult to verify that every spinach container had been thoroughly washed, and, if it was, the roach could have found its way into the container after the wash. Numerous steps along the way have to be checked and rechecked.
If even a seemingly simple task of washing spinach cannot be guaranteed to keep it free from pests, is there anything or anyone that we can trust that what they say or write is the Truth? What about financial security? Do we trust our banks when we read the disclosure that our assets are insured to $100,000? What about our spiritual lives? Many religions state that if one believes in their teachings and joins their groups, they will gain eternal life and go to heaven. Sounds good, but like the pre-washed spinach, can it be trusted? How can one prove it?
So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain…
Hebrews 6:17-19 (ESV)
Jesus Christ said and did many things when He lived with us. He healed numerous people, performed countless miracles, taught God’s Word, and shed new light on the Scriptures. He still had many skeptics and doubters. Jesus even claimed to be God but His words and actions were insufficient proof for many to believe that He was the Messiah and the Son of God. So what did He do?
Jesus Christ is God. He cannot lie. He sealed His promise through His death and resurrection. His resurrection destroyed the sentence of death that, we as sinners, face. When we place our trust and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, salvation and eternal life are ours.
Prewashed may not always be the truth. When we are washed by the regenerating power of God, the Holy Spirit, we are forever sealed as children of God.
Amen!
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
I was watching a classic slapstick comedy from the 1940s. Birdbrain. Knucklehead. Wiseguy. Some of these derogatory terms remain to this day. Birdbrain implies someone is stupid. The reasoning is that birds must be simple and stupid because they have small brains. I reflected on this as I looked out the window and saw a bird effortlessly glide through the air, traversing a deep canyon in my backyard. Deftly maneuvering through telephone wires, trees, and other homes, it went from dizzying heights to ground level in seconds. Only an intelligent brain could accomplish this. Not human, only a bird.
Albert Einstein is alleged to have said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Instead of focusing on what a bird cannot do, we should rejoice that God created them with superior abilities to live the life they were created to live. We should be no different. God created all of us with unique gifts and abilities. We should live our lives in gratitude and embrace the differences God has bestowed upon us. They were given so we may use them to serve Him through His Church, the Body of Christ.
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
The Apostle Peter eloquently summarized the reason God gives us these spiritual gifts.
Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
1 Peter 4:11(NLT)
Birdbrain.
It is meant as an insult. Instead, it is a compliment, acknowledging that God has created such a great variety of life imbuing each creature with different gifts and abilities.
Amen!
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
The framed black and white photo was perched on my dresser. A young bride and groom, surrounded by their wedding party were posing. It was the wedding photo of my father and mother, taken over sixty years ago in Honolulu, Hawaii. I smiled as I thought about the life that lay ahead of them. Within a few weeks, my father and mother would leave for a three-year deployment with the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Fukuoka, Japan. My father had graduated from dental school and availed of the Air Force’s plan to pay for his tuition, in return for his service. Commissioned as a Captain in the Air Force, he would soon be living on a military base with his young bride.
I have many photos of my parents, but I have none of their years in Japan, where I was born. My mother sometimes spoke of the years there as generally happy. My father enjoyed eating sushi every evening and gained weight. They purchased beautiful furniture, dishes, and artwork, many of which I now own after their passing. However, I never learned of their hopes and aspirations during these early years of their marriage. Why did they decide to return to Hawaii after his deployment with the Air Force was complete? When did they choose to have me, their first child? So many unanswered questions.
Like many children, I have many fond memories of my parents. However, it has always been a mystery to me why I know nearly nothing of these critical and formative years of their marriage. Rarely, did my parents let out a clue that all was not a blissful honeymoon. I suspect that something traumatic may have happened because 13 years after returning to Hawaii after I was born, they were divorced. It is conjecture since there were other significant stressors in their marriage. Most of my parent’s siblings have passed away. I may never know the answer.
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Luke 2:40 (ESV)
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, lived on this Earth for thirty-three years. His public ministry in the last three years of His life is well documented in the Gospels. However, very little is known of his childhood and early adulthood. Dr. Luke provides one important insight. Jesus was filled with wisdom, given to Him by God, the Father. During these years, Jesus sought God’s wisdom. As a son who learned carpentry from his earthly father, Joseph, to a dutiful Jew who studied God’s Word, Jesus always allowed Himself to be led by God, His heavenly Father.
I was very close to my parents but some events occurred early in their marriage, before I was born, of which I will probably never know. I can only guess, piecing together clues from their later years. With Jesus Christ, the Bible gives us an important insight into His early years. He was filled with God’s wisdom. His final years of public ministry, well-documented, are a beautiful example of life lived in perfect submission to God. It all began with His childhood and continued through His young adulthood.
God gives us enough information to learn to be like His Son, Jesus Christ. Won’t you accept His invitation to be a child of God by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
It was a great day. My cases arrived early and I had time to go to the market and return home to spend time with my friend leaving the country in two days for a vacation. I pulled out of the market parking lot, and a yellow warning light flashed on my dashboard. Oh no! I had a flat. It was a serious one because, with every passing minute, I lost a pound of air pressure in this tire. I was too far from my usual tire repair shop so I stopped in at another. It was 230 PM and I hoped I could do a walk-in repair. No good. All were booked until closing at 6 PM. I called two others, the same answer. In desperation, I called another tire shop I had never been to, knowing it had a good reputation for quick service. Thankfully, they said they could take me but it would be completed by closing at 6 PM. I pulled off the road and pumped the tire with an air compressor pump I carry in my car. Dropping off the car, I called my friend I was scheduled to see that afternoon and informed him of my plight. He graciously came to the tire repair shop, picked me up, and enjoyed nearly three hours together before he took me back to the tire repair shop. As promised, the flat was fixed. When I received the keys, I asked the associate, “How much do I owe you?” He shot me a quizzical look and said, “I gave you your receipt when you came here.”
I pulled out the paper which identified the intended repair. “Yes, but there was no charge. I presumed you would charge me once you fixed the flat.”
The associate smiled, “No. It’s free!”
“Wow! Thanks!”
I was incredulous. I knew other shops would have charged me at least $25 to repair a simple flat. It was my first visit to this repair shop and would certainly not be the last. This was an excellent way to gain a new customer! I was delighted by the unexpected gift. Isn’t this how God cares for me?
He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)
How many times has God delighted me with an unexpected blessing? Whether it is a flat tire fixed for free or a successful surgery for a dear friend, God desires to delight me with gladness. Why? He cares for all of His children in the same manner a loving father will give good gifts to their own. First He calms my fears and then comforts me with the melodies of His Creation.
Won’t you accept His invitation to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior?
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
