Month: August 2024

“I have to tell you about how we met!”

Many years ago, my sister was gushing about a man she met on a dating app, one that she had been using, several years since her husband passed away from cancer. 

“I was already uptight because he owns an auto repair shop. I can’t stand it when people have dirty fingernails.”

I nodded. “Yeah, takes a lot to clean the grease and grime from under those fingernails, especially for mechanics.”

“Yup! But you know what, when we first met, his fingernails and hands were spotless! He told me that he always makes sure his hands are clean when he leaves work because he feels the same way!”

“Wow!”

“He passed the first test!”

We both laughed. The clean fingernails were only the beginning. Within a few months, they were engaged! Many were surprised by the rapidity of events but they both knew they were right for each other. Over a decade later, they have successfully raised four lovely children, two from his former marriage and two from my sister’s.

First impressions are important. However, it should not be the sole criterion of how we form our opinions about another person. The Prophet Samuel learned this lesson from God when He was sent to anoint the next King of Israel. Samuel went to the house of Jesse. Samuel was certain one of the seven sons who came before him was to be anointed. All were handsome and of impressive bearing, but God rejected each of them and solemnly charged Samuel.

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

1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

When Samuel inquired if there were any other sons, Jesse replied that his youngest son, David, was still in the fields, tending the sheep so Samuel asked that David be brought before him.

And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. 

1 Samuel 16:12-13 (ESV)

Clean fingernails were the first sign that my sister and her future husband were off to a good start. Ultimately, like God’s choice of David, it was the nature of their hearts that was most important. 

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

The unification of China, Japan, Italy, and Germany. 

The establishment of every country and nation has always come at the cost of much bloodshed. We should always seek peace between nations and peoples, but establishing and preserving that peace sometimes requires bloodshed. It is not only nations. Many lives have been sacrificed for greater causes. The sacrifice to protect a stranger or loved one from an assailant—the sacrifice to rescue another from imminent danger or death. The history of the world is replete with countless bloody examples. How does one reconcile this history and determine whether a cause is noble or simply a result of mankind’s selfish ambition?

The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.

Deuteronomy 7:7-10 (NLT)

In the history of the world, there is one nation that differs from others. Israel. This is the clearest statement of why God established the nation of Israel. It was not because of man’s selfish ambitions. It was not to overthrow a tyrannical warlord. It was not because of the inherent nobility of the Israelites. It was because God chose them. God loved the Israelites and chose them to bless the world through their example. However, Israel sinned and rebelled and was unfaithful to God. Their punishment was the destruction of their Kingdom and being led away to captivity. God demonstrated His love and mercy to Israel by preserving the Jewish people for thousands of years and in 1948, God’s sovereign Hand guided the world’s leaders to recreate the nation of Israel. It was unprecedented. No one believed it could ever happen. God did and He directed His prophets to write about and record it in the Bible. 

The shedding of blood is sometimes necessary to establish a nation or kingdom. God sacrificed His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross and be resurrected three days later so that all who believe in Him may gain salvation and eternal life. God’s Kingdom is established on Earth. Someday, Jesus Christ will return and be acknowledged by all as King of Kings and Lord and Lords.

Amen!

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

“C’mon! We got the tent set up in the front yard!”

“Cool! See you tonight!’

When I was a child, my father purchased a small two-man tent for camping in our front yard. My friend and I often camped together. It was roughing it in the most sheltered manner. It was not what we now call glamping, but it was plush. We went inside the house to use the bathroom. The meals were cooked by my mother which we ate near the tent. I enjoyed camping in this controlled setting but never enjoyed camping on beaches, or in the mountains. It was because of the dirt. I hate getting dirty. This aversion carries over to smoking or barbequing, my two favorite activities. Unless I shower and clean myself of the smoke and dirt, I am unwilling to serve my food to my guests. I need to first be clean.

My aversion to dirt borders on obsessive-compulsive. What about my relationship with God? I am a child of God. Shouldn’t I hate sin with as much passion as I hate getting dirty? What does God say my attitude should be about sin?

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalms 51:7 (NLT)

Pastor and Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe wrote, “What dirt is the outside, sin is to inside.” If I am so concerned about dirt, I should be even more obsessive-compulsive about the need to cleanse myself of my sins. Thanks be to God that He answers my desperate need by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. By His death and resurrection, Jesus reconciled my relationship with God which sin had ruptured. Whenever I confess and repent of my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive me and makes me whiter than snow.

Praise God for His grace and mercy in my life!

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

It must have been a special time to be alive during the first years of the Church. New believers were added at an exponential rate. The Apostles continued to perform miracles. There was a sense of wonder and awe as the Holy Spirit grew the Church. This passage from the Book of Acts beautifully illustrates the actions.

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

Acts 4:32-35 (NLT)

A casual reading of this passage from the Book of Acts, may persuade some that the nascent Church was communism. Some have even dubbed this Christian communism. What is the definition of communism and socialism? Communism emerged from the socialist ideas first espoused by Thomas More and developed by others such as Karl Marx. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably. There are many definitions and the following captures the key similarities and differences.

Under communism, there is no such thing as private property. All property is communally owned, and each person receives a portion based on what they need. A strong central government—the state—controls all aspects of economic production, and provides citizens with their basic necessities, including food, housing, medical care and education. By contrast, under socialism, individuals can still own property. But industrial production, or the chief means of generating wealth, is communally owned and managed by a democratically elected government.

Source: History.com

There is also another critical difference.

Another key difference in socialism versus communism is the means of achieving them. In communism, a violent revolution in which the workers rise up against the middle and upper classes is seen as an inevitable part of achieving a pure communist state. Socialism is a less rigid, more flexible ideology. Its adherents seek change and reform, but often insist on making these changes through democratic processes within the existing social and political structure, not overthrowing that structure.

Source: History.com

The United States is a capitalist society. However, many elements of socialism have been integrated into our societal and governmental policies. The first major changes came during President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and later advanced through President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. Entities such as public water companies, public infrastructure projects such as freeways and public transit, public schools, fire departments, postal service, social security, and Medicare and Medicaid are just a few prominent examples. 

In the early Church, there was communal ownership of property. However, there was no central government forcing Christians to do this. Their actions were voluntary, motivated by love, not by coercion. It was a response to God’s grace and mercy for their own lives and others rather than an attempt to control others. It was also a very different time. The Christians lived under persecution by both the Jews and their Roman conquerors. There were unprecedented needs and Christians answered the call to care for their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

Today’s Church can still learn from the early Church. In the United States, there is freedom of religion, but dark forces are gathering and gaining strength. Woke critics declare that Christianity is racist, misogynistic, and discriminatory. This is to be expected. Satan continues to attack the Church, seeking to undermine it from without and within. Even though he knows he has already been defeated through the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, he will not stop sowing doubt and dissent, even among believers. 

All believers in Jesus Christ must bolster their faith by declaring the power of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen!

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

“He was radicalized. Another victim of social media.”

We increasingly hear this term. What does it mean? Here is one definition.

Radicalization (or radicalisation) is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly radical views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. 

Source: Wikipedia.com

While this term has been applied to individuals or groups that commit terrorist actions, there are much broader applications. Thousands of years ago, Jesus Christ upset the status quo of the Jewish leaders with His divine teachings. After His death and resurrection, thousands believed in Him and followed His teachings, espoused by His former disciples. Followers of the early Church were called the Way but detractors referred to them as a radical cult. They were being radicalized. 

But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. 

Acts 24:14-15 (NLT)

In this passage, the Apostle Paul defends his fervent belief in Jesus Christ before the Jewish elders and high priest. Modern and ancient critics may argue that Paul was radicalized by Jesus Christ’s teachings. Was this an insult? Paul proudly declared his answer. He was grateful to be labeled a radical for the Way of Jesus Christ. It did not lead him to commit acts of terrorism. It led him to risk his life to spread the Good News of salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. 

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

The Olympics.

It should be an event that unites the world in a healthy spirit of competition and camaraderie. There are innumerable stories of heroism, compassion, and good sportsmanship. However, every Olympics always has sinister political, religious, or cultural undertones. The 2024 Olympics is no exception. Russia was banned from participating because of its war against Ukraine. One Muslim judo competitor from Tajikistan refused to shake the hand of his Jewish-Israeli opponent after the completion of the match, protesting the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. An Algerian boxer, a biological male but competing as a woman, defeated a hapless Italian woman opponent, after she withdrew 46 seconds after the beginning of the match, fearful for her life, stating that she had never been struck so hard in her entire career. 

The Olympics mirrors our world. We view amazing feats of athleticism and courage and appalling actions of hate and cowardice. What should the Christian’s response be to this? Applause? Scorn? Indifference? Once again, God gives us His answer through His Word.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

We live in a fallen world. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are commanded to be the light and salt to everyone. We bring hope, not by attacking or denigrating others, but by learning from the world and seeing it through the perfect lens of God’s Word. When we do this, God will transform and renew our minds so that we may serve Him in His Kingdom.

The Olympics mirror our world. It does not have to be our mirror. Thanks be to God He gives us a perfect reflection of who we should be. We are children of the living God, Jesus Christ.

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

The news headlines were blazing, “Stolen Valor!” Vocal critics from all sides of the political spectrum filled the airwaves and social media. What is it? The AFBA (Armed Forces Benefit Association) defines it as follows:

Stolen valor is essentially a lie. It involves falsely claiming military service, rank, recognition or even someone else’s identity.
Source: AFBA.com

The laws have evolved since 2005 but it is still a serious accusation. Whether it is an error of omission or commission, there are serious consequences. First, it has to be proved which may be difficult because obtaining evidence from the military records is restricted. When one digs deeper into the meaning of valor, a clearer sense of the gravity of the crime emerges.

Valor is defined as boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially in battle; heroic courage; bravery.

Source: Dictionary.com

Valor is a virtuous and noble trait. The Bible mentions it several times. It can be defined as courage, strength, or might. In nearly every instance, it is applied to an individual or army. There is one important distinction that God declares.

…Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 

Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)

In this passage, God reminded the prophet Zechariah that it was not his valor, might, or financial resources that would enable him to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. It was only by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Zechariah did not intentionally steal or supplant God’s valor. It was an error of commission and God reminded him that he needed to realign his priorities. 

Stolen valor is a serious accusation and crime and needs solid evidence to uphold it. However, any valor a person may exhibit begins with God. He is the source. 

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

“How many showings did you have today?”

“It was a very good day. Three showings and one potential offer. Will know by tomorrow.”

“That’s great! Any negative feedback about the house?”

“Only one. She said she didn’t like that the neighboring street was perpendicular to the front door.”

I nodded. “Feng shui?”

“Yup.”

“Could you please reassure her that our family lived here for 25 years, raised a family, and were very blessed during this time?”

“I did, but you know how some are. They cannot let go of old traditions.”

After 25 years, we put our home for sale after downsizing and moving to a new home a few months earlier. We remodeled the kitchen, repainted the house, and put new carpet. With professional staging, we almost did not recognize the home when we viewed it before the listing. We even brought our close friend, a retired real estate agent, who gushed, “I approve!” However, as noted by one potential buyer, some ancient cultural and religious superstitions are difficult to drop. Many have grown up with these ideas. Even modern architects and interior designers may utilize the principles of Feng shui in their designs, lending further credibility. How does one compete with superstitions and folk tales? We don’t. What does God tell us to do?

Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? Tell them, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the LORD, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.”
Ezekiel 14:3-5 (NLT)

What is an idol? It is anything that replaces God as the object of worship. Throughout the history of the world, humans have sought to replace God with idols and other gods. Whether sorcery, astrology, or Feng shui, humans seek guidance from their manmade creations rather than turning to the true Creator of the universe. God is patient and merciful and continues to gently knock on the door of our hearts, offering His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. However, if one continues to reject God, He will allow that person to follow their idols and gods, condemning themselves to an eternity separated from God’s love, grace, and mercy. He will give them the answer their idolatry deserves.

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

“Father God, we thank you for the blessings you give us: a roof over our heads and food in our tummies.”

I was praying with my wife. I am grateful for my wife’s deep faith and love for God. Her prayers are direct, succinct, and nearly always contain this prayer of thankfulness, quoted above. Whenever she prays, it always brings to mind the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Give us this day our daily bread…

Matthew 6:11(ESV)

This verse, taken from the section of Scripture, popularly known as the Lord’s Prayer, is a passage where Jesus is answering a question from His disciples on how to pray. Direct and succinct. When we pray to God, it is an intimate conversation. We may bring our concerns and needs before Him. He is always listening and will always answer our prayers, according to His sovereign will and perfect timing. At the heart of every prayer is the desire to delight in being a child of God.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Psalms 37:4 (ESV)

When our goal is to delight ourselves in the Lord, the desires of our hearts become His desires. Whether it is food in our tummies, a roof over our heads, or interceding for another, God will always be honored when we delight in Him. 

In the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “God’s will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Amen.

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