Month: February 2025

“We are doing it for God! In God’s name!”

Throughout history, this has been a rallying cry for many religious fanatics of all faiths to justify their actions. The Bible records such an event. Thousands of years ago, Jewish fanatics attempted to shut down a new religion. It was viewed as heretical and dangerous. Ironically, the leader was also a Jew. 

Jesus Christ told His disciples they would be persecuted and hunted down for their faith in Him. His prescient words were aimed at the Jewish leaders. His own people would conspire to deliver Him to the Roman leaders of Jerusalem. After the Crucifixion and Resurrection, His disciples were emboldened to preach the Good News of the forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith in His name. The Jews again persecuted the nascent Christians, imprisoning and killing many. They were convinced they were doing a holy service for God. 

For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 

John 16:2 (NLT)

Jesus Christ gave us a sobering warning that persecution will come to all His followers. The most viscous attacks will come from others who believe they are acting in God’s name. Wars have been fought and millions have suffered, all because each side believed they were doing a holy service for God. The history of the Church is littered with similar examples of divisions. 

We are doing it in God’s name. 

These are powerful words. If you say it, make sure you truly serving God and not yourself. 

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

Pepsi began as a company to sell its soft drinks.

Amazon began as an online book retailer.

TikTok began as a dance platform.

From simple origins, these companies have grown and diversified their product offerings. Pepsi purchased numerous snack companies and restaurant chains. Amazon sells nearly everything, including real estate, automobiles, and prescription drugs. TikTok has become a significant retail and marketing channel for many small businesses and influencers. Throughout history, successful companies have adapted, changed, and innovated. They answered the calling of their leadership. They may become very different from their original mission and vision. 

The Bible is replete with examples of its great saints who were very different when they were originally called to serve God. Moses was a murderer and fugitive. David was a shepherd. The Prophet Amos was a farmer. All are amazing stories. But the most amazing is that the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, was born to a poor carpenter’s family. As the firstborn male in his family, he would be expected to continue his earthly father’s occupation. God, His heavenly Father, had a divine mission and vision for Him. Jesus obeyed God, the Father, and preached the Kingdom of God on this earth for three years. He taught that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life. 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

We are given the choice to accept God’s invitation to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do, whatever our position in life, we will have a changed mission and vision. We no longer live for ourselves; we are separated to obey God. We are called to proclaim the Good News of faith and belief in Jesus Christ to receive the promise of the forgiveness of our sins, salvation, and eternal life. 

If God is calling you to follow Him, today can be the day it begins. 

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

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“Immediately after smoking, rinse your mouth with water. By doing so, one can minimize the cancer causing agents of the cigar smoke.”

Many years ago, I was reading an article offering suggestions to minimize the risk of oral cancer after smoking a cigar. It was amusing and misleading. The smoke contains known carcinogens and while rinsing one’s mouth after smoking, may mitigate exposure, it does not prevent exposure to the nasal passages, esophagus, and trachea. The article only served to mollify the concerns of cigar smokers so they could continue their favorite pastime. It is telling you what you want to hear.

Some people believe in God only when He tells them what they want to hear. God is love. God is peace. He is. These are wonderful and comforting to know. Who wouldn’t want to follow God? It is exactly what we want to hear. God also disciplines us when our sins lead us to turn away from Him. God may say no to our prayers when we earnestly desire something. Do we still want to follow God when He doesn’t tell us what we want to hear?

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT)

Do you believe God only when it is convenient and aligns with your expectations? If so, you are putting yourself in God’s place. Only God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. God will always give us what we need, not always what we desire.

Amen!

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

“Good question. I don’t know. Why don’t you Google it?”

This statement and similar permutations are repeated billions of times a day. Google is the de facto search engine when people have questions. It has replaced the stodgy encyclopedias and other reference books of the past. Google is a verb and institution, a part of our lexicon.

However, there is a newcomer to search inquiries. ChatGPT. It is the most popular AI-powered search engine and can provide the information that Google provides and much more personalized searches and content. At the time of the writing of this blog, ChatGPT has catapulted to more than one billion searches a day, quickly catching up with the seemingly untouchable Google. 

Everyone craves information. The more it is tailored and personalized to the questioner, the more effective and popular it will be. A few years from now, a more powerful and personalized search app may emerge and a new migration will continue.  When will it ever end?

Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. 

Psalms 119:96 (NLT)

Man’s relentless search for answers and knowledge knows no end. He will continue to pursue it and will always be frustrated. Why? The answers to all life’s questions can only be found in the Word of God, the Bible. Read it. Meditate upon it. Let it instruct you. It will never be replaced by another book, a search engine, or an AI-driven app. 

Amen!

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

How many countries would one have to visit to find the following?

Tallest Building
Largest Mall
Largest Fountain and Water show
Largest Indoor Aquarium
Most Luxurious Hotel
World’s Largest Indoor Theme Park 
Largest Choreographed Fountain
Most Water Slides 
Highest Hotel Infinity Pool and 360-degree Infinity Pool
World’s Largest Picture Frame
Deepest Diving Pool 
World’s Longest Driverless Metro
World’s Largest Natural Flower Garden 
World’s Largest Glowing garden
World’s largest Indoor Skiing

Amazingly, all of these can be found in Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates. This list reads like a bucket list for a world traveler. Less than thirty years ago, Dubai was a small city, obtaining much of its wealth from fishing and trading. Once oil was discovered in 1966, the revenue fueled an explosive growth. Under the direction of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the city became a modern metropolis. One of his goals was to recreate and top the most stunning architectural wonders in the rest of the world, making Dubai a top tourist destination. They succeeded and the city is now the fourth most visited city in the world.

The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. 

Revelation 21:15-21 (NLT)

Whenever I read or visit an architectural wonder of the world, I am always reminded of this passage from the Book of Revelation. The grandeur and opulence of the New Jerusalem will dwarf any creation that man has ever built. Someday, in the presence of my Lord, I will see it and much more. All who have confessed and repented of their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will dwell there. 

Number one in the world. 

In God’s Kingdom, nothing will even come close to His creations. He is the Supreme Designer and Builder!

All Praise to the Living God, Jesus Christ. 

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

The crackle of the broiled salmon skin could be heard a table away as I bit into it. “Wow! Haven’t had broiled salmon belly this good since Japan.” My wife nodded and offered this suggestion, “Ask the server how the chefs prepared it.”

“Good idea.” I flagged our server down and pointed to our dish. “This is really wonderful. Can you tell us how the chef prepared it?”

Surprised by my question, the server fumbled his answer, “Oh, I don’t really know. Let me ask.”

A few minutes later, he returned. “You know, he tried to tell me but I don’t speak Japanese so I really don’t know what he was saying.”

“I understand. Well, how about the sushi? Where did they get the tuna from?”

The server glanced upward and said, “I don’t know. You know, I don’t like sushi!”

My wife and I looked at each other and then back at him, careful not to show our surprise. “I see. Ok, thanks!”

Rule #1 of working in a sushi restaurant. Don’t tell the customer you don’t like sushi. For that matter, whatever job one is working, don’t tell them you don’t like the product or service you represent. This should be common sense but it astounded me how ignorant this server was to what he divulged. It is putting one’s foot in one’s mouth but far worse. His entire credibility was destroyed and it was a poor reflection of the restaurant’s management to hire him. They should never settle for anything less.

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are His representatives, His ambassadors in this world. When others ask us about our Lord and Savior, what is our response? Do we shrug our shoulders and mumble, “I don’t really know Him.” When asked how Jesus has changed our lives, do we fumble with our answer and say, “Yeah, I guess I’m better.” If we have surrendered our life to Jesus Christ, shouldn’t we be bubbling with enthusiasm, eager to share the Good News of salvation and eternal life? Wouldn’t we want to know everything about our God?

God uses us as a witness to the world. We must be perfect because He is perfect. We should settle for nothing less.

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