FAITH OR FANTASY?

FAITH OR FANTASY?

Popeye, a television cartoon character from my youth, was quite famous for eating spinach.  Whenever he opened a can of spinach and consumed it, he would gain enormous strength.  But there is a little known fact about this cartoon character.  Since meat was scarcer during World War II, the tale of Popeye was co-opted by the U.S. Government to promote the idea of eating spinach.  Spinach appeared to be an ideal substitute for meat.  Ironically, it was a scientist of our German enemy combatants that concluded during the 1890s that spinach contains the same amount of iron as meat.  Iron is an essential vitamin for building muscle mass and physical strength.

However, their scientific facts were fundamentally wrong.  German researchers did prove that spinach contains iron, but when they recorded their scientific results they recorded the decimal point in the wrong place.  Therefore, they grossly overestimated the amount of iron in spinach by a factor of ten.  Unfortunately, the correction for this error did not make it across the ocean until after World War II.

This series of events clearly demonstrates how easy it is for false ideas to be quickly accepted as truth. Lesson learned.  Even in our faith, it’s not uncommon for some to embrace concepts that are nonbiblical in origin.  To wit, we should never be hesitant to ask WHY we embrace a certain belief or a particular interpretation of the Bible.  Our investigation may prove that we got it right, or it may show that we are inaccurate in our understanding of what God is actually communicating to us.  Either way, our understanding and application of God’s word will only be improved.

Two practical examples of this kind of distortion of the Word are REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY (also known as SUPERSESSIONISM), which holds that the Jews are no longer chosen by God and that He has no particular future plans for the nation of Israel; and (2) PROSPERITY THEOLOGY, which reduces The Almighty to the level of some sort of cosmic genie whose primary purpose is endowing us with material possessions and wealth.  Although God truly desires to bless His people, if the abundant life that Christ espouses is reduced to the level of financial prosperity, we are only serving Satan’s cause instead of building God’s Kingdom.

Carefully consider.  Will you choose faith or fantasy?  My friends, let’s get our facts straight.  Let’s make sure that our faith is spiritually grounded, not in tradition, nor in fantasy, but firmly established in THE WORD.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

In Alexander Pope’s “Essay on Man” written in 1732, the English poet penned this timeless line of prose: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.”  His insight calls to mind three Jewish psychiatrists who lived in and around Vienna in the period leading up to World War II.

The first of these three psychiatrists, Sigmund Freud, spent years studying people, striving to understand what makes us tick.  He reached the conclusion that the fundamental drive in human beings is the search for PLEASURE.  According to Freud, it’s our basic need for pleasure that explains why we do what we do.

The second, Alfred Adler, also spent years studying human behavior.  His studies led him to disagree with Sigmund Freud.  Adler was convinced that the bottom line in understanding human behavior is POWER.  In his view, all of us grow up feeling somewhat inferior and powerless.  Thus, life becomes a drive to gain control, to feel more important and more powerful.

Viktor Frankl sought to follow in the footsteps of his mentors, Freud and Adler.  But before his career gained traction, World War II began.  The Nazi invasion brought danger and death to millions of Jews.  Freud and Adler were world renowned scholars, so they managed to escape.  Frankl wasn’t so fortunate.  He was arrested and detained in a Nazi concentration camp – four long years.

After the war ended, Frankl was released and resumed his career.  Carefully evaluating his experiences as a prisoner, he noted something strange and unexpected – that the people who survived were not always the ones that others would expect.  Many who were physically strong wasted away and died while others who were physically weak grew stronger and survived.  Why?  What was it that enabled them to hang on through the living hell of a Nazi concentration camp?

Frankl reflected on the theories of his mentors.  Freud’s pleasure principle could not explain it. During four desperate and terrible years, the men in his camp knew only pain, suffering and degradation.  Pleasure was not even a word in their vocabulary.  It certainly wasn’t pleasure that kept them going.

What then of Adler’s theory about power being the basic human need?  That wouldn’t explain it either.  Frankl and his fellow Jews were completely powerless during their years in the concentration camp.  Each day they stared down the barrels of loaded guns, they were treated like animals, they felt enemy boots on their faces and watched helplessly while fellow Jews were executed via a gas chamber genocide.  They neither had power, nor any prospects of power.

So Viktor Frankl came up with his own theory.  He concluded that the primary difference between those who survived and those who perished was HOPE.  Those who survived never gave up the belief that their lives had value and meaning.  Despite everything going on around them, they believed that their suffering would eventually end and they would again live meaningful, purposeful lives.  What is this basic human drive?  According to Frankl, it is the need to live with a sense of purpose.  Not pleasure.  Not power.  MEANING.

Consider your present life situation.  What’s really going on with you?  More importantly, what are you hoping and trusting GOD for in the long-term?  Whatever that is, it constitutes your LIFE-VISION, which must and shall be written in the indelible ink of HOPE.

Keep hope alive.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

The American writer, Marianne Wiggins, wrote the novel “Almost Heaven.”  One of her central characters is a middle-aged woman named Melanie John.  As the story begins, we meet Melanie in the psychiatric unit of the Medical College of Virginia, suffering from hysterical amnesia.  Shortly before that, she was a happily married mother of four children, living in the Richmond suburbs.

However, five weeks earlier, she and Jason, her husband and the love of her life, were headed down the highway with their four kids seated in the back.  Melanie had been writing during their drive, when a gust of wind carried her paper out the window.

Jason pulled the car over to the side of the road and Melanie got out and headed into a nearby field to recover her writing.  That’s when she heard a terrifying screech of tires skidding.  She turned just in time to witness another vehicle slamming into the rear of her family car.  The car exploded, and Jason and the children were killed instantaneously.

Melanie’s emotional system coped by shutting down completely – blocking out all memories of that day and, sadly, all memories of her family life as well.  The last 20 years had been completely erased from her conscious memory.  The very last memory Melanie could recall was her graduation from law school, two decades earlier.  But all her major life memories, of meeting Jason and falling in love, of her wedding day, of the births of her four children, of the building of their new home, were totally lost.

Although her amnesia acted as an emotional anesthetic, Melanie was robbed of herself and had no real sense of the most meaningful parts of her identity.  Powerful unanswered questions filled her room.  Inside this shell of a body, who is Melanie John?  What is her life?  Where does she fit?  What would now be her place and her purpose?  Without the stories of the last 20 years, she had no easy way of knowing.  Without the stories of her past, there was no meaningful present, and quite possibly no meaningful future.

This novel recounts Melanie’s painful journey to recover her memories and to regain her sense of self.  One of the things this story reminds us about is that OUR LIVES ARE MADE UP OF OUR STORIES.  Our sense of self, who we are, why we are here, where we fit, and where we are headed, are the emotional roadmaps by which we have sanity and a sense of our lives.

Indeed, our lives are fundamentally shaped by our family stories and our cultural stories, all those times of gain and loss, all those times of weeping and rejoicing, all those stories that tell us who we are, all those stories that reveal our priorities and our values. 

Nevertheless, FOR THE CHRISTIAN, THERE ISAN ALTERNATE STORY.  It is a faith saga that transcends culture, time, space and happenstance – providing us with meaning and direction.

My personal journey has a multiplicity of chapters, scenes, settings and life-events – some saturated with joy and fulfilment, some not so much.  But I do have ONE PRIMARY OVERARCHING STORY that colors all and affects all.  Do you want to know what it is?

Fanny J. Crosby, a blind Christian composer, captured it so well in the lyrics of her classic hymn, “Blessed Assurance.”

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

THIS IS MY STORY, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;

My friend, WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

BRIGHT LIGHTS NEEDED

BRIGHT LIGHTS NEEDED

One cold day in December, a Christian gentleman was walking down a Chicago street.  He noticed that someone had thrown a handful of bird seed on the ground to nourish the sparrows who were now experiencing the cruel cold of winter.  Dozens and dozens of sparrows had come (seemingly out of nowhere) to enjoy their unexpected feast.  

This man edged closer to enjoy the satisfying sight of God’s creatures being fed.  But as he approached, the birds became anxious.  Another step forward, and they prepared to flee.  Two more steps, and they all flew away, leaving their winter banquet behind.

The man stopped and considered what had happened.  Why had the sparrows scattered when he had no evil intentions toward them?  Then it dawned on him.  It was not his intentions, but his bodily presence that had so frightened them.  He was so big in comparison to the tiny sparrows, and the only way he could have walked among those birds without scaring them would be to somehow assume their own characteristics. 

If only he could become a sparrow for a while, the man thought.  He could be close and he could communicate.

My friends, isn’t this a clear picture of THE INCARNATION?  God’s righteousness loomed so large and humankind’s sins and shortcomings caused us to seem so very small.  Nevertheless, “God SO loved the world” that He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, i.e. to become “Emmanuel,’” God with us, and ultimately to endure our shame, our sin, our pain and our judgment. (John 3:16 – Matthew 1:23 – Romans 5:19)

We existed in absolute darkness until “the light of the world” drew nigh to us and forever redeemed us from the curse of sin and death. (John 8:12) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) 

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Now, it is our turn.  It is our indispensable mandate to BECOME THE LIGHT and to shine brightly in the darkness of this world system, especially into the lives of those persons whom God has positioned in close proximity. (Philippians 2:15 – Matthew 5:16) 

SHINE.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

AVOIDING HERD MENTALITY

AVOIDING HERD MENTALITY

The message in this devotional is so strategic and mission critical that I feel strongly impressed to reprise it, for the third time I believe.  Please prayerfully ponder.

In an age that is given to political correctness, it is rather tempting to follow the pack.  That is, many of us tend to buy into the opinions or dictates of the MAJORITY, as if GOD has not imparted any unique wisdom or capabilities within our own hearts and minds.

Nevertheless, it has been proven over time that the majority is not always right.  What if Joshua and Caleb seriously ‘read’ and considered THE MAJORITY REPORT?  The Israelites would have been deprived of sufficient vision and courage to forever possess their PROMISED LAND. (Numbers 13:1-3;17-33) While we do not advocate a spirit of stubbornness or rebellion, it is advantageous and wise to take a serious look at what Robert Frost called, “The Road Less Traveled,” and to thereby avoid blindly adopting ‘pack mentality.’ 

Consider the lack of wisdom in the following viewpoints, that were once confidently embraced by corporations and individuals who, in hindsight, we think would have (or should have) known better:

“I think there is a worldwide market for maybe five computers.”

– Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”

– Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.

“The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.  This device is inherently of no value to us.”

– An internal memo of Western Union, 1876.

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.”

– A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service.  Smith ignored this criticism and went on to found Federal Express.

“Who in the world wants to hear actors talk?”

– H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927 (in the age of silent movies).

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.”

– Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in the classic movie, “Gone with the Wind.”

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”

– Decca Recording Company rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.”

– Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

“So, we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us?  Or we’ll give it to you.  We just want to do it.  Pay our salary, we’ll come and work for you.’  They said, ‘No.’  So, then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you.  You haven’t even gotten through college yet.'”

– Steve Jobs, Apple Computer founder, on the attempts to get Atari and H.P. interested in his computer.

“Drill for oil?  You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil?  You’re crazy!”

– People who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil (the first to do so) in 1859.

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.”

– Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

“Everything that can be invented has already been invented.”

– Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

“X-rays will prove to be a hoax.”

– Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1893.

“It’s unworthy of the attention of practical and scientific men.”

– British Parliamentary Committee’s report on Thomas Edison’s electric light bulb invention.

Totally fascinating, isn’t it?  According to King Solomon, GOD is the giver of “witty inventions.” (Proverbs 8:12) Therefore, my friends, we resolve to never get stuck in stinkin’ thinkin’ or to become discouraged about any of our ideas, plans, attempts, or failures in either our present or our past.  We are and forever shall be WINNER-BELIEVERS.  We are and forever shall be doers.  We are and forever shall be world-changers. 

never give up.   

PERSEVERE.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

WAIT!

WAIT!

Our devotional for today is a simple Rhema from Heaven to every believer who is struggling with personal challenges: WAIT ON THE LORD.

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 40:1

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

In my spirit, I hear the Lord saying, “Be still…and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) My friends, this Kingdom stategy is our sure path to victory.  

Wait on the Lord.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

HOW TO GATHER HONEY INSTEAD OF BEE STINGS (Part II)

HOW TO GATHER HONEY INSTEAD OF BEE STINGS (Part II)

Moises P. Reconalla blesses us with a tremendous article that speaks so eloquently about the power of our words.  I reprinted half of it yesterday.  Following is the second half; please read and prayerfully ponder.

When we understand the importance and power of our words, we will use them for greater good.  The Word of God plainly declares, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21, NIV)

James, the disciple of Jesus Christ, adds this: “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider that a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a word of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and itself is set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6, NIV)

The foregoing scripture texts mean that our lives are controlled by words.

I repeat, life is controlled by words.  Words release authority.  Words determine the course of events.  Words matter.

So what should we do about this?

In her book, “Ministry of Healing,” Ellen G. White offers a practical answer to this question.  “Cultivate the habit of speaking well of others.  Dwell upon the good qualities of those with whom you associate, and see as little as possible of their errors and failings.”

She further encourages us, “When tempted to complain of what someone has said or done, praise something in that person’s life or character.  Cultivate thankfulness.  Praise God for His wonderful love in giving Christ to die for us.”

And for those who actually enjoy criticism, she warns, “Evil speaking is a twofold curse, falling more heavily upon the speaker than upon the hearer.  He who scatters the seeds of dissension and strife reaps in his own soul the deadly fruits.  The very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look.  By dwelling upon the faults of others, we are changed into the self-same image.”

She continues, “Instead of criticizing and condemning others, say, ‘I must work out my own salvation.’  If I cooperate with Him who desires to save my soul, I must watch myself diligently.  I must become a new creature in Christ.  Then, instead of weakening those who are struggling and striving against evil, I am enabled to strengthen with encouraging words.”

She adds, “We are too indifferent in regard to one another.  Too often we forget that our fellow laborers are in need of strength and sympathy.  Help them by your prayers, and let them know that you are ready and willing to do it.”

James concludes in his writings that, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26, NIV)

We must remember that no one knows when life is over.  Our life is like a vapor that appears for a moment and then disappears!  So I encourage you, don’t let your life pass away without doing something good for yourself – by doing right by your fellowman.

Rebecca Barlow Jordan agrees: “It’s not how much you accomplish in life that really counts, but how much you give to others.  It’s not how many goals you reach, but how many lives you touch.  Believe in the impossible, hold tight to the incredible, and live each day to its fullest potential.  You can make a difference in your world if you are generous with your affirmations and love.”

Before I conclude with my article, I would like to share with you a short story from the “Song of the Bird.”

Sufi Bayazi says this about himself: “I was a revolutionary when I was young, and all my prayer to God was ‘Lord, give me the energy to change the world.’’

As I approached middle-age and realized that half my life was gone without changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to “Lord, give me the grace to change all those who come into contact with me.  If it is just my family and friends, I shall be content.”

Now that I am an old man and my days are numbered, my one prayer is “Lord, give me the grace to change MYSELF.  Had I prayed for this right from the start, I should not have wasted my life.”

In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, NIV)

Thank you, Moises P. Reconalla, for sharing such simple yet profound wisdom with us.  If we can discipline ourselves to live in this manner, we will always manage to gather honey, instead of gathering bee stings.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

HOW TO GATHER HONEY INSTEAD OF BEE STINGS (Part I)

HOW TO GATHER HONEY INSTEAD OF BEE STINGS (Part I)

Recently, I was blessed to read a thought-provoking article by Moises P. Reconalla.  It speaks quite eloquently and cogently about the sheer power of words.  It’s rather long, so I’ll reprint half today and half tomorrow.  Please read carefully and prayerfully ponder.

Few people realize the importance of the words they speak.  There is almost no way to overemphasize the importance of what we say, yet most people give it almost no thought, usually speaking without thinking.

The inspirational and classical author, Og Mandino, once asked, “Why is it then that so many of us go out of our own way to offend others with criticism and offensive judgments that so often come back to haunt us?  Why do we allow our big mouths to dig ruts in our path so deep that our forward progress is finally nil?”

He continued and commented, “If your tongue has been busy accumulating enemies for you, enemies you do not need who can harm you, now is as good a time as any to cease and desist.  How sad it would be for such a petty habit to destroy your great potential.”

Another very well-known author described the worst effects of criticism to the receivers.  In Dale Carnegie’s book entitled “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” he declares “Criticism is futile because it puts a man on the defensive, and usually makes him strive to justify himself.  Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a man’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses his resentment.”

Dale Carnegie advises us, “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic.  We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.”  He warns that “criticism is a dangerous spark – a spark that is liable to cause an explosion in the powder magazine of pride – an explosion that sometimes hastens death.”

Carnegie gave concrete examples to clarify his statements.  “General Leonard Wood was criticized and not allowed to go with the army to France.  That blow to his pride probably shortened his life.  Bitter criticism drove Thomas Chatterton, the English poet, to suicide.”  [Editor’s Note: I did my U.S. Army basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, named after the aforementioned General Wood].

The famed Greek mathematician and philosopher, Pythagoras, once said, “A wound from a tongue is worse than a wound from a sword for the latter affects only the body, the former affects the spirit.”

In the Bible, James the brother and disciple of Jesus Christ, issues a warning about the evil poison that can emerge from the tongue.  He describes people who use their tongue in praising and blessing God, then turn around and use their tongue in speaking evil of one another.  “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:9-10)

We cannot use our tongues to curse and bad-mouth our brethren, then continue ‘business as usual’ with our relationships with God.

The Bible clearly says that such tongue behavior is characteristic of unbelieving hypocrites.  “The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor.” (Proverbs 11:9)

The greatest teacher of all times, our Lord Jesus Christ, reveals that our words are extremely important.  In Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus exclaims, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.”

Question: Is your mouth the harbinger of blessing or cursing, to others and to yourself?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

JUGGLING CHAINSAWS

JUGGLING CHAINSAWS

I read an intriguing essay by Marlene Buffa.  Rather creatively, her article addresses the complexities of modern-day life.  Ms. Buffa employs the metaphor of “juggling chainsaws” as an apt description of how so many handle the major stress and varied stuff of life.  Read, reflect and enjoy.

Years ago, “Saturday Night Live” included a skit where Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest played blue collar workers discussing their masochistic habits. *  Describing painful physical events that were absurdly orchestrated, they grimaced and replied, “Ooh, I hate when that happens.”  The audience laughed heartily, not only because of the performers’ comedic talents, but because they recognized the irony of their own self-destructive behaviors.  

(*) Editor’s Note: “MASOCHISM” is gratification gained from pain imposed on oneself (or) the act of turning one’s destructive tendencies inward or upon oneself. [Source: Dictionary.com]

We, too, have our own life-chainsaws that we desperately try to juggle, and, likely more than we care to admit, we wind up unwittingly grinding away at the solid trunk of our life-foundation.  All too often, our peace and productivity are felled at our own hands, which have wielded the perilous tools of our self-destruction.

For many people, life has three major aspects which comprise daily existence: our work, our play and our relationships.  We opt to savor them one at a time, or we grab each precious experience by the handful, anxiously wondering how to navigate or make sense of it all.  One by one, we examine each component, and given the luxury of time and patience, we learn to fully appreciate the role of each aspect in our lives.

But what happens when we neglect two parts to actualize only one portion of life?  Sitting on the sidelines, waiting for engagement, the other two neglected orbs of life somehow try to operate on their own.  In truth, when we cannot handle each portion of life in equal balance, the neglected parts will profoundly suffer.

Perhaps the key to juggling the various and sundry parts of life is learning how to focus.  Because, more often than not, the loudest chainsaw in our lives gets the most attention, in the same manner that the squeakiest wheel invariably gets the grease.  When we find ourselves crying out loudly for healing of one aspect over another, we must recognize the imbalance and seek to correct it.  As in juggling, coordinating all areas of life requires skill, timing and constant attention.  Struggling to keep all parts of ourselves active and alive requires tireless effort which might eventually lead to fatigue, but focusing on one portion over another ultimately produces the failure of the whole.

Here’s the problem.  Juggling itself produces no results.  Look at your life.  In what ways is your life enriched by your constant attention to making everything always turn out neat and even?  Life just doesn’t work that way.  It’s not all neat…not all that even…and sometimes, not all that beautiful.  We must learn to take the good with the bad, and not get so lost in the process of juggling that we forget to enjoy every day afforded to us.

When things are good, they don’t require much juggling.  Only perceived difficulties require shifting to avoid our feeling too bad too long with one thing or another.  We do not hear too much about juggling and struggling when we are experiencing perfect health, happiness and abundance.  Even so, as humans, we tend to interject ‘drama’ and find a reason to experience “I hate when that happens” moments at our own expense.  It’s the human condition.

Take a close look to see what you are actually juggling in life; you might discover an absurd struggle!  You see, even misery requires focus, energy and perpetual motion to exist.  Never be afraid to evaluate your success in the following three aspects of life:  WHY are you juggling, what are you focusing on, (hence creating more of the same), and WHAT are you juggling, i.e. how does that particular thing show up in your life?  Someday you may realize that the one thing in your life that you’ve desperately tried to keep in motion is not anything you ever really wanted or needed.  If it doesn’t empower you and others, move forward, drop it, and be happy for the loss.  You just might have been juggling chainsaws – and that’s quite a dangerous proposition.

Many thanks are extended to Ms. Buffa for sharing so eloquently with us.  Moreover, I would add an additional and all-important life ingredient for our consideration, which is THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF LIFE.  While we are attending to our relationships, our work and our play, WE MUST NEVER NEGLECT OUR SPIRITS, which will significantly impact those three key areas, in the most profound, personal and permanent way.  What do you think?

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

PURPOSE IN THE PRESSURE

PURPOSE IN THE PRESSURE

A compassionate man carefully observed a butterfly cocoon that was attached to his window sill.  One day a small opening appeared in the cocoon, and he watched for several hours as a butterfly-in-process struggled to force its body through that tiny hole.  Eventually it seemed to stop making progress, appearing as if it had traveled as far as it could possibly go.

Seriously intent on helping the emerging butterfly, that compassionate man retrieved his scissors and snipped away the remaining cocoon.  The butterfly then emerged rather easily.

However, it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings.  He continued watching the butterfly, expecting that at any moment the wings would grow much larger and the body swelling would subside.

Neither happened.  In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.  It would never ever discover its potential – to be free and fly.

That well-intentioned man had acted in kindness, but also in haste because he simply did not understand the process.  Although the restrictive cocoon requires a major struggle for the butterfly to work its way through a very tiny opening, there is divine purpose in that pressure!

The tiny opening in the cocoon is God’s way of forcing fluids trapped inside the body of the butterfly to move into its wings so they will become big enough and strong enough for flight.  Wow!

Similarly, life’s struggles are precisely what we need to equip us to ‘fly’ and soar to heights unknown.  If God allowed us to go through life with total ease and no challenges, it would only cripple us and rob us of our ultimate purpose and destiny.  Just ask the modest lump of coal that was transformed (under pressure) into a magnificent diamond.  Apparent tragedy can be divinely reconfigured into sheer triumph and testimony.  It's God’s process for us, and the results can be beyond our imagination.

Is anybody out there ready to fly?  No doubt, there is something deep inside of you that needs to be released.  But before you head down that runway, be aware that your wings must become fully developed by the occasional struggles that show up in the form of pain and pressure.  Indeed, divine purpose is present in every occasion of human pressure, especially for winner-believers.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VI)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VI)

In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have carefully highlighted The Passion of Jesus Christ, detailing His betrayal, isolation, rejection, judgment, humiliation, chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion.  In this, the final installment of our devotional series, we examine the Resurrection and Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ.

During the forty-day period immediately following the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, there were numerous occasions when He appeared dramatically to His disciples, manifesting a very tangible confirmation that He was indeed alive and had totally triumphed over Satan, sin, death, hell and the grave.

On Resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James), Joanna, “and other women that were with them.”  (Mark 16:9 – Matthew 28:9 – Luke 24:10) They were commissioned by Christ to share the good news with the eleven surviving original disciples.

Hearing this news, Peter raced to the sepulcher.  On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared and conversed with two of His followers, Peter and Cleopas, although they did not immediately recognize Him.  Jesus expounded the scriptures to them, explaining how the Son of God had suffered and entered into His glory.  Dr. Luke outlined their encounter with Christ.  Here is how it ended:

Luke 24:28-35 (NKJV)

²⁸ Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. ²⁹ But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  32 And they said one to another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”   35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

That same Sunday evening, Jesus appeared to ten of His disciples.  Judas was deceased; Thomas was absent.

John 20:19-20 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Eight days later, Jesus appeared again to His disciples, Thomas being present.

John 20:26-28 (NKJV)

²⁶ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

While seven of the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus appeared again and performed a miracle of abundance.  Obeying the directives of Jesus, they caught 153 huge fish and dined sumptuously with The Master.  “This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.” (John 21:14) On various occasions, by eating food with His disciples and by appearing/vanishing before their eyes, Jesus displayed specific characteristics of His post-resurrection body, similar to that which we believers will possess after the Rapture. (I Corinthians 15:50-55)

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul recorded an occasion when Jesus was seen by “five hundred brethren at once,” indicating that His appearances were not limited to the inner circle of disciples, but occurred publicly and broadly. (I Corinthians 15:6) Paul also records Christ’s private appearances to James and to himself (on the road to Damascus) “as one born out of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:7-8 – Acts 9:1-5)

Jesus also appeared to His eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee.  “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17)  There they received the apostolic authority to evangelize the entire world, known to us today as The Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

In the prologue to The Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke records the final appearance, impartation and instruction of Jesus Christ:

Acts 1:1-9 (NKJV)

¹ The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ² until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, ³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. ⁴ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ⁶ Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ⁹ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Hallelujah, what a Savior! 

Whenever I reflect upon the life and legacy of our Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST, I stand in absolute awe of Him.  It is my hope that this series has offered some degree of insight and inspiration to every believing reader.  It is my prayer that we will walk daily in the love, grace, mercy, humility, power and authority of the Risen Savior.  And may we ever live in His righteousness and with earnest expectation of His imminent return. (Titus 2:11-13)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part V)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part V)

In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we highlight the concluding events of Holy Week, in which The Passion of Jesus Christ was dramatically unveiled via His rejection, betrayal, isolation, judgment, humiliation, derision, chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion.  On today, we celebrate Good Friday, which constitutes the capstone ministry event of The Suffering Servant.

I know of no clearer Biblical revelation of the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ, than that which is revealed by the Holy Spirit to the Prophet Isaiah.  Prayerfully read and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of “the Lamb of God,” who gave Himself so lovingly and graciously to “take away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Isaiah 53:3-9 (NKJV)

³ He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation?  For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people was He stricken.

⁹ And they made His grave with the wicked--but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Jesus Christ endured a myriad of horrifying and treacherous experiences on the day that all Christendom recognizes as Good Friday.  Let’s briefly recall the events of that momentous day: 

-Jesus Christ appears before the high priest, Caiaphas.

(Matthew 26:57 – Mark 14:53 – Luke 22:54 – John 18:13-14)

-Jesus Christ is denied by one of His closest disciples, Peter.

(Matthew 26:58 – Mark 14:54 – Luke 22:54-62 – John 18:15-18)

-Jesus Christ appears before the Sanhedrin Council where He is ridiculed, spat upon and beaten.

(Matthew 26:59-68 – Mark 14:55-65 – Luke 22:66-71 – John 18:19-24)

-Jesus Christ appears the first time before Governor Pilate at the behest of Jewish leaders.

(Matthew 27:1-2 – Mark 15:1-5 – Luke 23:1-5 – John 18:28-38)

-Jesus Christ appears before King Herod at the behest of Governor Pilate.

(Luke 23:6-12)

-Jesus Christ appears the second time before Governor Pilate, where He is brutally scourged and issued a sentence of death by crucifixion.

(Matthew 27:15-30 – Mark 15:6-15 – Luke 23:13-24 – John 18:39-40 – John 19:1-16 – Isaiah 53:5)

-Jesus Christ is mocked, dressed in a purple robe and a crown of thorns pierces His brow.

(Matthew 27:30 – Mark 15:16-20 – John 19:1-3)

-Jesus Christ suffers the suicide of His betrayer and one of the original twelve disciples, Judas Iscariot.

(Matthew 27:3-10 – Acts 1:18-19)

-Jesus Christ carries His cross through the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, a.k.a. Calvary.

(Matthew 27:31-33 – Mark 15:2-22 – Luke 23:26 – John 19:16-17)

-Jesus Christ is crucified, i.e. nailed to a wooden cross through His hands and feet.

(Matthew 27:35 – Mark 15:24-25 – Luke 23:33 – John 19:18)

-Jesus Christ endures the mockery of Roman soldiers who gamble for His clothing.

(John 19:23-24)

-Jesus Christ thirsts and is given sour wine with gall, but refuses to drink.

(Matthew 27:34 – John 19:28-29)

-Jesus Christ endures the mockery of Jewish leaders.

(Matthew 27:39-43 – Mark 15:29-32 – Luke 23:35)

-Jesus Christ absolves the sins of a dying sinner, one of two thieves who are crucified with Him.

(Luke 23:39-43)

-Jesus Christ commends His mother, Mary, to the care of John, a beloved disciple.

(John 19:25-27)

-Jesus Christ forgives His detractors, His judges and His executors while suffering agony.

(Luke 23:34)

-Jesus Christ cries out to His Father from the cross, “Why have you forsaken me?”

(Matthew 27:46 – Mark 15:34 – Psalm 22:1)

-Jesus Christ declares that the plan of salvation is complete and commends His spirit to God, the Father.

(Luke 23:46 – John 19:30)

-Jesus Christ dies as darkness covers the land.

(Matthew 27:45 – Mark 15:33 – Luke 23:44)

-Jesus Christ dies and the veil of the second temple is rent in two and graves open.

(Matthew 27:51-53 – Mark 15:38 – Luke 23:45)

-Jesus Christ dies, a great earthquake opens graves, saints rise up, and a Roman centurion publicly confesses that Jesus is the Son of God.

(Matthew 27:51-54 – Mark 15:39 – Luke 23:47)

-Jesus Christ is removed from the cross, buried in a borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and Roman soldiers are ordered to guard His burial site.

(Matthew 27:57-66 – Mark 15:42-47 – Luke 23:50-53 – John 19:31-42 – I Corinthians 15:4)

-Jesus Christ ministers to lost souls in hell after His death and prior to His Resurrection.

(Ephesians 4:7-9)

As “the author and finisher of our faith,” and because of “the joy that was set before Him,” Jesus Christ willingly “endured the cross, despising the shame.”  As a result of His vicarious sacrifice and consummate victory, Jesus Christ “sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)  And since believers are “in Christ,” HE has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (II Corinthians 5:17 – Ephesians 2:6)

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Since this is Holy Week, I will compose an additional devotional tomorrow (Saturday) in celebration of the upcoming RESURRECTION DAY, which represents JESUS CHRIST’S ultimate victory over death, hell and the grave.  Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!