The Word is Good

The Old Testament writers were inspired to write what would become the Holy Bible, inspired, inerrant, and infallible. Many people call the Bible, the "Good Book". There is one writer who recorded that the Word is indeed good. Good to the taste!

Ezekiel, an Old Testament prophet from a priestly family, spent his early years in Jerusalem. He was taken along with other hostages by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon in 597 B.C. He prophesied for at least 22 years. Ezekiel's ministry was directed to the Jews, who were exiled in Babylon. He was instructed to remind the exiles of the sins that brought God's judgment on them in the first place, and to assure them of God's future blessings in keeping with His covenant.

The early chapters were written before the fall of Jerusalem to remind the Jews in captivity that God's judgment on the city and Temple were surely coming. Before the Babylonian empire assimilated Judah, the prophet Ezekiel was given some peculiar marching orders. In Ezekiel 3, God tells Ezekiel to eat a scroll containing Holy Writ, and then go speak to His people and tell them what the Lord says. The words on the scroll were words of lament, mourning, and woe. Although the scroll tasted sweet, the prophet's task was somewhat bitter. Like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel's ministry to a rebellious people would have discouraging results, but Ezekiel found it sweet to do God's will.

"How sweet are your words to my taste." Psalm 119:103

Crunch Time

Those familiar with college know that there are usually two tests a semester. At the middle of the semester, the teacher usually gives a mid-term exam, which usually accounts for 40-50% of your final grade. The second test is given at the end of the semester, known as the “final”. This test makes up the remainder of your grade. It’s important to attend class regularly and make notes from the teacher’s lectures and any examples covered from the textbook. Most college students display a disturbing habit. They wait until a few days before each test and try and cram into a short time what they could have been preparing for all along. It’s known on campus as “Crunch Time”.

Crunch Time; because it’s difficult to familiarize yourself with two months, or four months of material in the span of a few days and be prepared to prove it by taking an examination showing that you are familiar with the material and can show a certain level of mastery of its content. Throughout the entire semester, the student is given every opportunity to ask questions and clarify any uncertainty regarding the material covered. It’s dangerous and risky to wait until the last moment to show you know the material.

Would you be surprised to learn that when you die, God may prepare an exam for you to take? It may cover the material you’ve been exposed to all your life.

What if the exam asked you to?

(1.) Tell something about every book of the Bible.

(2.) Compare and contrast Law and Grace.

(3.) Pick 25 influential people from the Bible and tell about their lives.

(4.) What happened between the Old Testament and the New Testament? 

These questions would be 1% of your grade. A final question would be 99%. 

What if God asks—Why should I let you into heaven: what have you done with my only begotten Son; Jesus Christ? Wouldn’t it be better to avoid “Crunch Time” and be prepared in advance? 

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

Timothy 4:2

We are to remain ready and prepared to serve God in any situation, whether convenient or not. The imminent return of Christ should motivate us to live for him.

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

1 Peter 1:13

Are you ready to meet Christ? Are you prepared? Could you pass the exam?

On A Tightrope

Please hold up your hand if you’ve ever been in a tough spot and desperate. It’s not that you held your hand up that matters, everyone should’ve held their hand up, it’s how high you held it up. Everyone that’s more than half human should recognize we don’t need help getting into trouble; most of us can get in over our head without any professional help. Getting into trouble is no problem, getting out is where the mental acuity goes into overdrive causing multifaceted compound double-jointed stress.

In the New Testament people were constantly getting into trouble. Not the kind of trouble normally associated with breaking the law or offending the Romans who happened to be the occupying army de jour. The kind of trouble people were getting into was an esoteric belief in a traveling evangelist; thereby creating a maelstrom of anger by one man, one very religious man commonly known as Saul of Tarsus. Saul was persecuting the people who chose to follow this upstart evangelist named Jesus. Saul was a first rate Pharisee, a first rate Bible scholar, and a first rate hunter of newly minted Christians. Saul was intense and sincere. Saul genuinely believed that this new Christian movement was dangerous to Judaism. Saul took it upon himself to tip the scales and persecuted Christians without mercy.

Saul received permission from the authorities to travel to Damascus to capture Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem for questioning and trial. God intervened! Saul met Jesus Christ on the Damascus road and his life changed forever. Saul was walking a tightrope persecuting Christians. He could have very easily been assassinated by someone had God not stopped him in his tracks on the Damascus road. When he met Jesus, no other person had to change so much so fast. God had great plans for Saul. Saul worked tirelessly to convince the Jews that Gentiles were loved by God. He spent just as much time convincing Gentiles that they were loved by God. This person walking a tightrope was to become the ultimate example of change and obedience and transformation.

No person, apart from Jesus himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul. Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus changed his entire life. God did not waste any part of Paul—his background, his training, his citizenship, his mind, or his fierce intensity to preach the gospel. Are you willing to let God do the same for you? You will never know all he can do with you until you allow him to have all that you are! 1 John 3:16 says it this way, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” In Philippians 1:21-24 Paul says confidently that dying would be better than living because in death he would be removed from worldly troubles, and he would see Christ face-to-face.

Bottom line

If you’re not ready to die, then perhaps you’re not ready to live.

Hunting Season Started Yesterday?

Ever been too busy and let something important slip by? Let’s face it, not everybody has a personal assistant to remind us about that contract that needed signing, about making that airline reservation before the flight booked up solid, about the option to buy the Brooklyn bridge before noon. When things slip through the cracks, the domino effect begins to be set in motion. Oh my, my, my—your life is soooo busy.

Even before that alarm clock rings, anxiety starts building. You’ve got a million things to do and only time to accomplish half of them, but you’re determined to finish them anyway. Let the emergency room personnel help anyone who gets in your way! The day belongs to you; everyone else who crosses your path is merely a player on Shakespeare’s stage in costume. There’s places to go, people to see, things to do, restaurants to visit, hair appointments, massage appointments, nail appointments, pedicure flashbacks, shopping to catch up on, grocery shopping, prescriptions to pick up, baby sitters to contact, dry cleaning to drop off, doctor appointments to keep, car maintenance updated, veterinary medicine to pick up, see cousin’ what’s-their name in the hospital, address that IRS letter concerning your tax filings, your son’s SAT scores from the university are way overdue or destroyed, read and return all those e-mails and Facebooking and all stuff that’s left on the barn floor! And surely that letter you picked up from the post office didn’t have the acronym FBI on it—surely not!

The world knows you’re busy, you know the world’s busy, but your ‘busy’ is far and away more important than all the other’s busy combined—squared! Your worries are far greater. So where is all this going you might ask? What are you supposed to glean from this brief McMinute lesson? Nothing much! I just wanted someone who reads this {and dies before me} to tell God that once upon a time, some guys wrote devotionals begging people to slow down; read the Bible, and meditate on its message before the clutter of life declared open season and killed them. Recriminations are a poor substitute for preparing for eternity.

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 “He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Not Everything's Sugar Coated

What if you had everything you ever wanted, but couldn’t give a thing back! 

Any husband or wife, being brutally honest, will tell you marriage isn’t easy. In fact, it’s complicated merging of two personalities into one, of facing a life full of challenges, and blending together in-laws from Mars and Venus. So why would a man want Seven Hundred wives?! Not just any man could handle this amazing feat. You can find this man in the Bible. He was a wealthy and powerful king—no surprise there huh? Believe it or not, he was known as the world’s wisest person! You know him as Israel’s third king—Solomon.

God told Solomon he could have anything he desired. Solomon chose wisdom to govern the nation. Almost immediately, Solomon’s wisdom was put to the test. It’s too bad he lost it somewhere along the way.

Early in his reign as king, Solomon married the princess of Egypt. It was a political marriage to form an alliance with Pharaoh. There were more women to come—several hundred—and more waiting in line! Solomon loved multitudes of foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter. There were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites to name a few. They were from nations which the Lord told the Israelites—“You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Solomon didn’t care; in the end he amassed seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. But not everything was sugar coated.

God’s warning proved true. Solomon’s wives “led him astray”. Long story made short; Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Solomon had all the wisdom of God at his disposal, but failed to use it. God raised up enemies to punish the nation for “his” sin. It was a depressing end to a kingship that started with such great promise and unlimited possibilities. Many believe Solomon regained his Godly wisdom then wrote Ecclesiastes.

Solomon uses 200+ verses to tell us what is useless and meaningless! Yet only 2 verses 13 and 14 to clarify everything:

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this are the whole, duty, of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Fulfillment comes when we live, serve, love and obey God, when we live by God’s standards, when we live with the right focus.

Looking For Something To Devour?

Warning to all insects; tread lightly and keep all your eyes open at all times. Even then an ambush lurks behind every leaf, or every leaf look-alike. What’s a simple bug to do given this precarious situation? Danger is an ever-present concern, whether you are an insect or you are a homo-sapien! The Bible talks about predators stalking prey in the Book of First Peter.

“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

You may notice minute differences in a predator disguised as a leaf and a predator in plain sight. One predator is waiting passively for something to causally stroll by humming a tune and get tasted, while another predator is ‘prowling around’ and actively ‘looking for’…”you”! Satan is methodically crisscrossing territory, looking for ambush sites, looking for positions of advantage, looking for those unaware, looking for the weakest,looking for someone to put on the grill and; d e v o u r!

“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”

Proverbs 22:3

Did you ever really think that you had an honest-to-goodness top-drawer predator for an enemy?! Not just any paper tiger, but an intelligent, devious, cunning, erudite, relentless, smooth-talking, personable, appetite-driven, carnivore who wants you for the main dish today and whenever he can grab you with his wiles and feed on you! Uneasy, are you looking ahead yet? Have you realized the devil wants your family too? He wants your church, your community, your city, your country and anything else of value.

Satan is the great discomforter of reality. You can remove yourself away from danger and put limits on evil. Scripture urges “binding evil”. James 4:7 puts if best, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Even the devil had a wish to “be like the Most High”.

What’s a person to do? Peter reminds us in chapter five that we are to be self-controlled and alert. We are to resist him and stand firm in our faith in Christ, knowing that others are undergoing the same trials. God will help make you strong, firm, and steadfast. You do battle with the tools available. “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.”Philippians 4:13

Aren't Some Things Impossible

Hypodermic needle melts in the emergency room while treating burn victim! Angioplasty enlarges left ventricle heart valve 1200 times its normal size! Shot brings man back from the dead where he took tour of heaven with angels! When things don’t follow the laws of gravity or reason what are we to do? Questioning the laws of nature, as we know them, keeps us grounded right? Miracles are meant to be talked about, not witnessed in person, right? Thousands of years ago a man walked the earth that preformed miracles! Education teaches us to think and reason, but aren’t some things impossible?

Jesus led a very public life and was known for his many traits. Jesus showed compassion, kindness, humor, wit, tears, forgiveness and intensity. Jesus also displayed a very public ministry of performing miracles. The gospels record thirty-five separate miracles preformed by Christ. The gospel writers selected various miracles according to their purpose. Apostles Matthew and John noted that Jesus did far and away more miracles than recorded.

Just exactly what kinds of miracles did Jesus perform? Healing a lame man (John 5), delivering a synagogue demoniac (Luke 4), cleansing a leper (Matthew 8), healing a paralytic (Mark 2), healing a man with shriveled hand (Mark 3), healing a blind and mute demoniac (Luke 11), healing two blind men (Matthew 9), healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath (Luke 13), healing a man with dropsy (Luke 14), and restoring Malchus’s ear (John 18), there were many more healings including the times he raised the dead.

You know what’s coming next don’t you? You have a question to answer. Were these things impossible or not? Healing people was only a part of Jesus’ ministry; these were merely additional credentials to convince the hard hearted. Healing people is certainly contrary to natural laws, having witnesses is added amazement, having a reputable witness record the events for history is God’s way of saying “what more do you need”?

“All things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

Many people have said, “If I could just see a real miracle, then I could really believe in God.” But in Matthew 38 Jesus’ response to the Pharisees applies to us. We already have plenty of evidence, Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, and centuries of his work in believers around the world. Instead of looking for additional evidence or miracles, accept what God has already given you and move forward.

Expect A Surprise

A Mega-Disaster is just what you would expect, a catastrophe of epic proportions. The evening news secretly loves them, the ratings go up, and revenues increase. Newspapers, factories, doctors, lawyers, the stock market, CEO’s—it seems that everybody profits off someone else’s misery. The people affected however are left to pick up their broken lives, suffer the consequences, and push ahead.

What if the mega-disaster is…self-inflicted?

David, King of Israel, for forty years, was a man who ran a nation that was a world power. Whenever we think of David, we think: shepherd, poet, giant killer, king, and ancestor of Jesus— in short, one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. But alongside that list stands another: betrayer, liar, murderer, and an adulterer. The first list gives qualities we all would like to have, the second, qualities that might be true of any one of us. The Bible makes no effort to hide David’s failures. He was a consummate politician and a military savant. The people loved him, and God loved him. Unfortunately, David had a lapse in spiritual judgment. David ordered his top general, Joab, to take a national census and count everyone, especially the men eligible for military duty. Soon after the census, David realized his mistake, but it was too late, the consequences were approaching like high tide. God was quite upset!

The nation itself wasn’t to blame, the king was, however it was the nation that was to suffer. God made King David choose the punishment. God provided David three options—all bad.

Option 1—Three years of famine in the land

Option 2 –Three months of the nation being chased by the enemy

Option 3—Three days of plague in the land

David agonized then chose option number three.

The result…Seventy Thousand people died!

What was behind the calamity? An angry God or David’s sin?

David did not surprise God again.

Bottom line

God never held back from David either his forgiveness or the consequences of his actions. David experienced the joy of God’s forgiveness even when he had had to suffer the consequences of his sins. Often we don’t seem to learn from our mistakes or the consequences that result from those mistakes. What changes would it take for God to find this kind of obedience in you?

Fanning The Flames

Royalty doesn't cotton to the notion of being challenged. After all, they’re “special” and everyone else is ‘common’. Royalty likes to rule and reign with absolute authority. Oddly enough, there is nothing wrong with that scenario if they are following the precepts and leading of God. If the powers that be are not following God’s direction, their anger rises quickly and some unfortunates will reap the whirlwind—in royal fashion of course!

Why would anyone deliberately provoke someone who could deliberately have them drawn and quartered and hung out to drip-dry? What if the provoker had good reason to provoke the provokee? Would that justify things? The provoker was literally trying to save someone’s destiny. Why would they put such a story like that in the Bible to begin with? Like most things—so that others may learn the intended lesson and “have” a destiny!

The story involves famous people (then and now) who were doing the precursor to a Shakespearean tango. The story, overflowing with intrigue, desperation, and fraught with anxiety took place in Acts chapters 24-26. The main characters caught up in the drama are: Paul the apostle, Ananias, the high priest, a lawyer named Terullus, Felix the governor of Judea and the successor to Felix, Porcius Festus, King Agrippa and Bernice, and probably hundreds more. The story—Paul is accused of being a trouble maker and an enemy of Rome. In return, Paul challenges his accusers to show proof of their accusations while defending his actions and explains how and why he is a follower of Jesus Christ. You may be wondering who is actually fanning the flames of Paul on trial. God is of course, who else!

Paul’s story takes place over a period of Two Years! At the end of this particular story, Festus, a Roman couldn’t understand Paul’s position; Agrippa, a Jew, didn’t have any semantic problems. During those two years, thousands were exposed to Paul’s story. Sometime between American Idol and Kops & Robbers, read the story, it will fan your flames of knowledge and desire to know Jesus Christ.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...” 1 Peter 3:15

After Death- Do Things End Well?

How many people go to a tavern to drink like a fish or spruce up their drinks at home or go out for a friendly drink secretly hoping they will be arrested for public intoxication, auto theft, drunk driving, property damage, resisting arrest, public brawling, accidental deaths and unprecedented redneck stupidity? Many might not hope for it, but get caught up in it nonetheless; Hollywood stars, politicians, professional athletes, doctors, lawyers—the list is endless. Want to keep your Facebook page buzzing into the next decade? All the talk shows and late night comics would be begging you – not to get psychiatric help – but for a spectacular encore! Foolishness is rewarded with fame, but being cautious is old fashioned and dull as yesterday’s dish water. Or is it?

Has six thousand years of recorded history taught us anything? Our thought processes are rather linear. Things start out simple enough, you think you’ll live life any way you want, then before you die you’ll make peace with your Maker and all will be alright in the end. Excuse me if I disturb your fantasy, but have you even entertained the thought that things could go horribly wrong?

There used to be a show on television fifty years ago that may help us. It was a crime drama. It starred actor Jack Webb in the crime sleuthing television drama “Dragnet”. After the police arrived on the scene of a crime, an officer would try and piece together what happened. The witnesses would yammer on and on, and the detective would politely ask them “just the facts please”.

Well, what are the facts? The Bible is the only authority that has stood the test of time. Scripture alone contains “the facts” that answers the question, what happens after death?

All men and women will be raised from the dead (John 5:28-29). The unredeemed will be resurrected to eternal existence in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15) and the redeemed to heaven. These are the facts.

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…” Hebrews 9:27

Never heard of anything like this in your whole life? Want to learn more? Be your own Sherlock Holmes. Visit any bookstore and ask where they keep the New Testament. You’re welcome.

What's A Good Tip Worth?

If you had invested $100 with billionaire Warren Buffet forty years ago, you would be boo-coo rich today. It’s the same thing with a dozen other prosperous companies. Doubling your money is one thing, tripling your money is another, but a hundred times your investment—a thousand times your investment! Do ordinary people really make that kind of an investment? Yes, but it’s rare. Very rare. You must assess the risk to reward ratio and know something about the people involved, the potential market capability, and grasp the growth potential. Many investors feel that real riches are in how one spends money verses making it.

Sometimes the most successful investments in history are a quick decision made on-the-spot merely because someone close to you says, “C’mon try it”. You are about to witness one of the greatest investments in all of history! Talk about a leap of faith! In less than a minute, one tip would change the course of a man’s life—the course of history—and maybe even your life!

Jesus had finished his carpentry business and was about to turn the whole world on its self-inflated bobble head. Starting his ministry, Jesus began crisscrossing the country teaching and healing. One day as Jesus was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law that came from all parts of the country to listen to him. After healing a paralytic man, they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” Luke 5 They spoke the truth, but something even more miraculous was about to transpire. Seeing a miracle is a privilege; being part of a miracle is awesome.

“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth, “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, And Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:27-28

This man Levi, you know as Matthew, one of the gospel writers. Writing from a Jewish perspective, Matthew was paramount in reaching the Jews who were seeking the truth about Jesus. The best tip ever—“Follow Me”!

Any Guess On Pharaoh's Answer

Jews worldwide still celebrate the Feast of Passover 4000 years after the fact. What fact? The simple fact that the second book of the Bible is named after the seminal event that brought mighty Pharaoh to his knees—but not his senses!

The Egyptians had several million Israelites living in their country—as slaves! It didn’t start out that way. Joseph, the son of Jacob, brought his extended family to live in Goshen to escape a world famine. About 430 years later Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery, out of Egypt, and into a land promised by God. In Exodus chapter six God lays out His plan; to Moses, to Pharaoh, and unfortunately to the Egyptian army.

“I am the Lord…I will free you from being slaves…I will redeem you…I will Be your God…And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to Give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

You may remember Moses politely asking Pharaoh to release the Israelites and you may remember Pharaoh’s answer—ten times over. After each refusal a terrible plague would visit the land and people of Egypt. Pharaoh repeatedly said “NO”, but God worked His plan despite the ‘Nattering Nabor of Negativity’. Ten No’s, Ten plagues, and a Tin Man with a defective heart! Can’t you just hear Pharaoh mumbling, “I want to see the Wizard”?

For all you Bible students and scholars who like icing on their cake, in six instances Pharaoh hardened his own heart, in four instances, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart! God often makes himself crystal clear. Psalm 95:7-9 , “…Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.”

Can You Measure Tenderness in the Animal Kingdom?

Television has gotten one thing right; they have shown us some unexplained miracles involving the wonderful world of the animal kingdom. Nature is simply utterly amazing. When hunting food, defending their territory, or faced with danger, most animals show ferocity unequaled with determination and persistence. With claws, teeth, antlers, and other mechanisms, they challenge anything that invades “their” space, no matter the size or difference. Combat can be fierce.

We’ve seen the savage side, but we’ve also been exposed to the tender side. Whether it’s an elephant or a mouse, the level of tenderness shown by most animals towards their young is beyond incredible. From lions, to horses, to monkeys, they all share many similarities from big carnivores to baby chicks, parenting instincts are strong and run deep. Maybe the most protective in the animal kingdom, is the species least watched, a mother hen and her chicks. Jesus understood this relationship, and tried to paint us a brief picture of a chicks love for her young.

Days before Jesus was crucified he talked about the city of Jerusalem and how the people who lived there would suffer in the ‘last days’. He told the Jews that many troubles would come their way. As Messiah and Savior, He wanted them to trust him and listen to him. Corporately, they refused his care and warnings. That didn’t stop him from telling them how he felt about them and the troubles they would face.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,

how often I have longed to gather your children together,

as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

Matthew 23:37.

Here we see the depth of Jesus’ feelings for lost people and for his beloved city, which would soon be destroyed. Jesus wanted to gather his people together as a hen protects her chicks, but they wouldn’t let him. Jesus also wants to protect us if we will just let him. Who knows our needs better than our creator? Those who turn to Christ will find that He helps and comforts us like no one else can.

The Big Heat

All over the planet the climate is changing daily, its called weather. Many scientists and experts preview what a warmer world will be like, and we should consider what to do to avert an earthly and human disaster. Rest assured, the big heat is coming.

There is one story recorded in the Bible that is simply i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e. Luke chapter 16 records the details, you know the story. Two men die; one man is carried to paradise by angels, and one man opens his eyes and finds himself in Hell! Shocking, isn’t it? Angel’s running a taxi service on earth! If the story wasn’t told by Jesus himself, people would simply dismiss it. Almost impossible to believe, but it happened, and we’re privy to an inside look—‘beyond the grave.’ One man was in comfort—and one man was in torments. Torments—plural! He was miserable, and he was in agony, in the fire! Did you pick up on that little detail? In the fire! He begged for someone to bring him just one drop of water, to cool his tongue. His position was dire and unfortunately, unchangeable. He asked if someone would please warn his family to avoid his circumstances. He was informed that they had the very same warnings he had while he was alive. Knowing his situation was fixed, he resigned himself to silence and eternal misery.

Bottom line

If you think this story can’t teach you anything: we leave you one consolation:

“There are rumors that the man in torments was suffering from a dry heat.”

What if Picasso Painted Your Life?

Picasso’s paintings are interesting, unusual, collectable and expensive. It wouldn’t be straying from the truth to say his paintings are different. To be politically correct, they imbue the viewer to examine their youthful connections to LSD! One pauses to consider if any of his paintings are representative of their life! His bold use of form and color evoke a visceral effect on those who don’t drink. Artists say his works are vibrant, provocative, intense, on-the-edge, subdues and a hundred other adjectives. He was that diverse! Most of us believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Much like the country fella who said, “I know what I don’t like!”

Suppose the famous artist and you sat down for a talk. You told him about your life in detail, and he in turn, would express your life experiences in his unique artistic style. Let’s pretend his professional artistic impression of your life looks like a cat got into a basket of knitting yarn and had a ball! Would you be amazed and congratulate him on his insightful depiction of your fascinating life, or would you look for a double-edged sword? What if it looked foolish and confusing like the tangled string mess pictured here, all strung out? Romans addresses this in chapter 1:21, “…they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.”

Everyone’s life is like a painting on display for the world to see. Abraham was seen for his strong faith. Moses is remembered for standing up to Pharaoh and saying; let my people go. Joshua was a military and civic leader. David was a giant slayer and after God’s own heart. Solomon was considered the world’s wisest and richest man. Daniel was a man of courage and faith. Isaiah was an evangelical prophet who focused on the redemptive work of the Messiah. Paul is called the apostle to the Gentiles. And the list is endless. It doesn’t matter what your life looks like, as long as God approves, it’s beautiful. “You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (1 Peter 3:4)

Previews of Coming Attractions

How would you feel about going to the movies to see, “This Was Your Life”!? Imagine your whole life shown on an eighty foot wide screen in Technicolor! Those in the audience would see every day of your life from the moment you were born. They would see you from the first day of life, on to kindergarten and elementary school through middle and high school plus those crazy ‘daze’ of college, with everything shown in Panavision, with different camera angles as an extra. The director’s cut edition, with absolutely nothing cut out! A Reel tragedy?

From school to your first job, your teenage years, your time in the military, your loves, your marriage, your career, your kids, your in-laws…everything is your life is on review! Let’s not forget about your first lie, your first curse words, your first dirty joke, you first indiscretions, your chance to do something good that you passed up, your attempt at church, the veneer that others witness—instead of the Reel you! There are years and years of antics, bloopers, miscues, and much more. Everybody get your popcorn and soda ready, the show starts as soon as you die!

Wait…things could turn out differently. How, you ask—you plead.

For one thing, when the “Book of Life” is opened, your name better be there! “And whoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. If you insist on your life being played to an audience, keep ignoring God and His pleas. If you want eternal peace start making changes Reel soon! It’s Reel important! Reely!

“What is your life anyway? You are a mist (a vapor) that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14

Ockham's Razor

Why were Roman soldiers gambling for the cloak of Jesus at his crucifixion? Opportunity, chance, luck, circumstances? Many have speculated about the reasons, but maybe there is an obvious reason. Crucifixion was a brutal and hideous form of death. The Romans were expert at administering this brand of execution. They were not only experts at it, but, they loved it. People had gotten used to seeing a crucifixion; it was a daily reminder to fear Roman authority. The Roman soldiers were to be respected and feared because they were a powerful and brutal army occupying Palestine. Ockham’s razor, named after William of Ockham (1285-1349), is a rule stating that entities should not be multiplied needlessly. Simply put, the simplest of two or more competing theories is preferable or that an explanation for unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is already known. Which bring us back to the question, why were they gambling for His clothes? Two options are available: by chance or design. The simple answer is: the victim’s clothes were spoils for his executioner. The Roman soldiers were doing what they had done hundreds of times before, just as Jesus’ clothes were gambled for, by casting lots. It was prophesized centuries ago; 

“They divide my garments among them

And cast lots for my clothing.”

Psalms 22:18

It’s a great insult to human dignity to rob a person (and Christ was human) of everything, even his clothing, leaving him naked and destitute. Jesus the Messiah would suffer this humiliating experience on the cross (Matthew 27:35). Bottom line and first line of defense: 

Every detail of your salvation was planned in advance, it wasn’t a gamble.

Loaded Words

Growing up you heard the little rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. You may also remember how nice kids can be to each other. Well, now that you have a few years under your belt, which heals faster—a broken arm or a pointed barb shot willy-nilly from an underdeveloped imbecilic juvenile mind? Broken bones heal, but a few misplaced idiotic words can leave an open sore for years. Maybe the wound never heals.

You’re stupid, you’re ugly, you’re dumb, you’re a fatty, you’re a loser, and you’re a cry-baby. Sticks and stones can indeed break bones, but words can scar, cripple and wound for a lifetime. Some very successful people have clawed their way to the top just to prove something personal. Harmful words are an adult version of bullying. Lawyers file lawsuits for slander and libel all the time. Grade school may be decades past, but who still remembers that cruel remark made by someone slinging and idiotic insult? You’ve got cooties. You’ve got four eyes. You’re clothes look terrible. There are therapists who work tirelessly to restore self-esteem and self-worth to counter verbal abuse. Those old wounds open easily. Overcoming those barriers with dogged persistence and determination is the stuff life is made of.

The Bible mentions several individuals who spoke in haste with regrettable consequences. We read of their lives and say, “I’d never be that proud”. Maybe not, but maybe you’ve taken matters into your own hands and ignored the urging of God and His Spirit? Harsh words stir up anger (Proverbs 15), but love is patient, love is kind (1 Corinthians 13).

Any fool can spew out hurtful words like bullets, but it takes a wise person to offer kindly words like a bouquet of flowers. Perhaps, we should listen to what language God is speaking to us instead of listening to what others spew out. God speaks all languages—including yours, ours, theirs and any others. What language does God speak to you?

Bottom Line:

Our words come from our mouths not somewhere outside as if we were using a ventriloquist’s voice or a dummy. The Scriptures tell us to treat our words carefully: “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19). The Bible also tells us in Matthew 12 that every man will have to give account on the judgment day for every careless word they have spoken.

Tools of the Trade

coolIt’s a brave new world. In the past a doctor would make house calls to tend to the sick and needy. Jesus didn’t carry a little black medical bag with instruments and bandages, but he did make house calls and sometimes healed the sick—long distance! One day early in His ministry, He was traveling through Nazareth and stopped at the Synagogue. He read a passage from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1-2 and then sat down. He only read 80% of the passage, because the other 20% dealt with His second coming and wasn’t relative to the moment. The Bible says, the eyes of everyone in the Synagogue were on Him, and they all spoke well of Him.

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: Physician, heal yourself!” Luke 4:23 

Jesus was a traveling evangelist. He was known by all as that prophet who put those uppity Pharisees and Sadducees in their place, healed the sick and infirmed, raised the dead, and gave the people hope and comfort. Jesus loved the people of his country deeply. He once made the comment:

“No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Luke 4:24

The day Jesus was crucified there was a crowd gathered at the foot of the cross. The people present couldn’t understand how such a promising life could end so horribly. How could such a good man suffer such injustice! Luke records at the cross that day the comments some people made:

The people and the rulers said: “He saved others, let him save himself.” The soldiers said: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” The criminal said: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Does this remind you of anything?!  

Tired of Others Speaking for You?

I am a rebel. I admit it. I love writing, letters, words, calligraphy, drawing and getting right to the point (the leaded point that is). And if all doesn’t go perfect, I have a little pinkish, rubbery thingy on my head that’ll correct my mistakes. Indeed, I’m different.

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I’m an ordinary, number #2, yellow pencil. Everyone likes to put me to the test! I’m currently running for the office of President of the United States of America. I was actually made in the U.S. A. I’m not too hard or too soft. My opponents have labeled me as HB and as H6, but as you can plainly see, I’m a number two #2 through and through. Some of my opponents have called me a Zealot! Imagine that. Not a Ticonderoga, Franklin or a China knock-off; but a Zealot. I guess it goes to show that the so-called experts don’t recognize a standard. An All-American mainstay!

Being called a Zealot reminds some people of that guy in the Bible. You know the one; he was one of the twelve apostles. Simon the Zealot. A Zealot in the purest sense was a nationalistic sect, the direct opposite of the Publicans. Speaking of Publicans, another of the twelve apostles was Matthew the Publican. Imagine that, Jesus choosing a Zealot and a Publican, from bitterly rival factions! Jesus didn’t condone the sins of the Zealot or the Publicans. But, Jesus did reserve some of his most bitter words for the hypocrisy of the Publicans. Any reasonable person would be asking why. Why choose people from two rival factions to be apostles? Why indeed!

Did Jesus make a mistake? Hardly! If you have studied the life of Jesus at any length you realize that Jesus didn’t make mistakes, errors in judgment, or boo boos. Not one! Every move was calculated, every decision was historic, and every gesture had both obvious and subtle implications. Nothing done in those short, thirty-three (33) years was wasted or squandered. In short, Jesus maximized his time.

Isn’t that what we ask of our politicians? Not to be perfect, but to act responsibly in their official capacity? An elected official is a representative of the people they are governing. A Zealot, a Publican, or a Pharisee, a Democrat, a Republican, or Independent; it’s not a tag hanging around your neck that’s important. What’s important is not the authority given, but the administration of it. Remember what Christ said: “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Matthew 28:18 It’s where you get your authority that counts. Elected officials should insist that every day their lives be lived for all to see. Jesus lived his life publicly—shouldn’t that be the example?