Have you seen this Animal?

If you have seen this animal, please report it to your local zoo authorities. On the other hand, it might be a million-to-one shot. The animal in the picture is a striped meat-eating Tasmanian tiger. Most experts agree the last one died in a zoo in 1936, yet there are still some who hold out hope. Hope what? Hope that there are no more meat-eating tigers on the loose? Hope that there might be a large bounty for its capture. Hope to hang it on a trophy wall? Throughout history, man has imprisoned and killed animals, mostly the human kind. Does it matter to you one way or the other? It should. Why? Because hope is one of the most powerful things “in the Bible” and “out of the Bible”.

Scripture says:

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer”. Romans 12:12 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace…” Romans 15:13“ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Colossians 1:27

Some people hold out hope for wayward children. For an alcoholic mate, a drug addicted coworker, a parent with Alzheimer’s, a broken marriage, a better job, a positive test result from the doctor. Anything that touches our daily lives is a cause for concern and a window of hope. Hope is a positive expectation for the future. Is there anybody out there who has the future all planned out? Anyone who doesn’t need even the glimmer of hope?

Is hoping that an “extinct” animal may still exist asking for too much? The Tasmanian tiger may still be around. He may be hiding deep in the bush just out of camera range, just out of shooting range. Impossible you say after 80 years of nothing. Really? Are you familiar with the Coelacanth? It’s a large, plump, lobe-finned fish about one and a half meters long. It was thought extinct until one was found off the coast of South Africa in 1938. And another one was spotted in an Indonesian fish market in 1997. They were thought extinct for 65 million years! Anything’s possible. Things have a way of bringing about their antitheses, of surprising us radically!

There are questions we ask ourselves. Am I dying? Am I in decline? Am I broken? Am I unfit? Is my soul lost? Is there still time? Is there any hope? Do people listen to me? Do I have any influence? Almost nothing but hope speaks against such questions. Hope is always the first thing that takes some sort of action. When you feel all hope is gone read Genesis 48:11 “Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” God’s plan not only allowed Jacob to regain his son but his grandchildren as well. Circumstances are never so bad that they are beyond God’s help. Job got a new family (Job 42:10-17). Mary regained her brother Lazarus (John 11:1-44). We need never despair; we have a loving God who will bring out good in hopelessness.

The Old Testament character Job summed up his feelings about hope. “Though he (God) slay me, yet will I hope in him?” Job 13:15 Can you lucidly express your feelings about hope? Let’s hear ‘em.

Harmonic Convergence

Harmonic Convergence was the name given to the world’s first globally synchronized meditation. That’s right – Global Groupthink Groupies. This was supposed to happen in August 1987. It was supposed to coincide with the alignment of the planets (or most of them). Some adherents believed that these signs indicated that the earth was about to undergo an “energy-shift”. The followers of this convergence believed the earth was about to experience a change in global perspective. From one of conflict to rainbows and happy thoughts. Earth’s collective karma, dharma, and freckles would then begin skipping happily down the yellow brick road. World peace was just ahead.

Wishful thinking or Wooden thinking?

Religion has the same problem. There are so many different “organized religions” that people don’t know what or who to believe. Confused about which belief is correct? Look at all the religions to choose from. There’s good ol’ Atheism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Paganism, Sikhism, and Taoism to name a few of the big hitters. Some of these have over a billion followers! That’s a world of people searching! Surely a billion people can’t be wrong can they? You’d be surprised at how many of them will be when death comes a’knockin.

Maybe you’re thinking, I’ll just follow the religion my parents taught me, they were good people. Sorry to interrupt your train of thought, but being a good person has nothing to do with going to heaven. There will be millions of “good” people in heaven, but there will be a lot in hell too. It’s not about being good! It’s about that old fashioned word from the Bible – Faith.

What is this faith that the Bible takes so seriously? It’s a personal belief in who Jesus Christ was and is. It is; believing what Jesus taught in the Bible. Hebrews chapter eleven is affectionately known as the Bible’s “Faith’s Hall of Fame”. Read it. Give it the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval test.

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“Fire Water” Anybody?

Ever been in hot water? We all have. What a divine gift is fire, when used correctly and safely. What a friendly and companionable thing is a campfire. Like cloud formations humans see different things in a fire. To glaze into a raging fire is like a gaze into a crystal ball. What do you see in a fire, intense heat, third degree burns, danger, death or an eternity of fire?

What if your house was on fire and you called the fire department, and they drove up to your property with alarms ringing and red lights flashing ready for action. But the only fire hydrant they could use looked like the picture above. What if the fire chief looks at the hydrant and calmly informs you that the water in the hydrant was hotter than the fire rapidly consuming your house? Help is there—but they can’t help! Whadda do? Make smores?

When you find yourself in a desperate situation needing help, do you really expect the cure to be worse than the disease? Ten of the Apostles found themselves in just such a situation once upon a time. The “Church” hadn’t got its feet wet yet. The “Christian” was the newest endangered species. The “Bible” was still being written. And worst of all, this person who called himself the Messiah had been crucified and dead for three days. Chaos and fear were the headlines of the day. Ten of the Apostles were holed up in room fearing the same angry mob that had crucified Jesus just days earlier.

Newly resurrected, Jesus went looking for his disciples. Jesus found them barricaded in a room. “Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” John 20:19-20

How exactly did Jesus get past the locked door they were hiding behind? Scripture says, Jesus simply materialized in the presence of his friends. Like the stone that was rolled to seal his tomb, a locked door posed no obstacle to Jesus. Teleportation? An enthralling idea for a television series maybe, but no wrinkle for Jesus. A little molecular disassembly here, some reassembly there and the time/space continuum is thrown on its ear again. The idea is mesmerizing, but it’s also two thousand years late. God thought of it first. When all hope seems lost—it might behoove us to remember Jesus’ words. “Peace be with you.” Not ‘on’ you, not ‘around’ you, not ‘near’ you. With! WITH!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Grasshoppers

Alright you caught me. Unless you’re an entomologist and run an insectary, you know these aren’t grasshoppers, they’re really katydids. What’s the difference? Not much really, a few years of Darwinian evolution and a box of highlighters for starters. These aren’t the walking, talking, jumping, hopping ninja turtles we’ve come to know and love from Saturday morning cartoons; they are actually Teenage Mutant Ninja Katydids. Sans cartoons.

Most katydids are green, but there are some (through mutation) that have been found sporting bright colors, including yellow, orange, lime, and hot pink. You may be thinking: that is cool. Actually being green (environmentally and genetically) is a good thing. Being green gives them an added measure of camouflage that helps them survive longer. However, being a fluorescent mutant makes you stand out and elevates you to the top of the food chain. Yummy! Discovered in the 1770’s the oblong-winged species may have undergone a genetic change. Perhaps it was due to chemicals, dust, pollution, who knows? Geneticists aren’t sure what caused the mutations. Entomologists have long thought the colors are symptoms of erythrism, an anomaly similar to albinism. Although their ancestors were generally dark green, these critters have the eye-appeal of a neon crayola crayon color.

Most people are run-of-the-mill who blend in with the crowd. Mediocre to average mostly, they don’t draw attention they just bob along with the usual jetsam and flotsam. Then one day the spotlight is focused on them and it’s ‘Showtime’. There was one guy in the Bible spotlight who was...a mutant!

His name was Cain. He was the first son of Adam and Eve. He had a brother named Abel. Both men brought a sacrifice to the Lord one day. God was pleased with one but not the other. Cain became dejected.

God had a little talk with Cain. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7

Cain couldn’t (wouldn’t) control himself, in anger he killed Abel! Why?

“Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.” 1 John 3:12

One tiny mutant gene turned him bright red with anger.

The Only Way To Heaven?

 Ever been lost? When exactly was the moment you knew it to be a certainty? Did you try and bluff yourself into believing you were almost lost, or did you admit you really needed directions? We know when something’s wrong, but don’t always have the good sense to admit it and seek corrective action. This behavior is not only dangerous, its borderline foolish, and can prove fatal if not corrected in time.

Everyone has been “geographically” lost at some point in time. Some people are “spiritually” lost at this point in time. Finding your way in both situations is important but one happens to be a tiny matter of life-and-death! The main difference is that one direction has ‘unchangeable’ consequences.

You have heard people talk about how you get to heaven. If you’ve heard ten people discuss the issue, you’ve heard at least eleven different points of view. Is there really one way to heaven? For a question this serious, the only way to resolve it absolutely is to go straight to the source. Jesus was asked about the kingdom of heaven and how to obtain it. This is his answer:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Does that settle the matter? Are the words of Jesus enough? No? Try this. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Why won’t you believe someone who came back from the dead on his own? If you don’t believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, who would you pick? What does the future hold for you? Well, that’s simple enough. Here are some Biblical scriptures that will answer your questions.

• “But we know that when he appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. 1 John 3:2
• “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
• “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. Ephesians 2:6
• “I tell you the truth; whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life”. John 5:24

I would like to think that heaven with its streets of gold, gates of pearl, foundation of chalcedony and sardonyx, might be absolutely happy, and our eyes will experience complete darkness (for a bit), to protect us from the blazing brilliance, omnipresence, omnipotence and gloriousness of God. After you get up from being on your knees…well, you can fill in the rest for yourself.

Heeere kitty, kitty, kitty…

Lions have always been a favorite of the circus, the zoo, even entertainment acts in Las Vegas. Lions have been featured in movies such as: Tarzan, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion King, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and many others. Lions have been used as a mascot for introducing MGM movies with their ferocious roaring. Lions are referred to as the original king of the jungle. They are fiercely competitive, nurturing, and majestic in stature, exceptional hunters, and territorial, are trained as pets, but, make no mistake about it; they are a wild animal by nature with killer instinct.

Lions have always been a favorite of kings. The Egyptians kept lions and carved images of them in stone. The Assyrian kings liked to hunt lions. The Persian king kept some lions in captivity. The Romans kept lions to fight each other, bears, even gladiators. Some emperors even threw Christians to the lions! Three times in the Bible people were attacked and killed by lions. In each case it was a form of punishment! Need a chilling read? Read 1 Kings 13:1, 1 Kings 20 and 2 Kings 24.

One time the lions didn’t attack and kill. What happened? When Daniel refused to stop praying toward Jerusalem, he was thrown into the lion’s den. The Bible says that God sent an angel that shut the mouths of the lions! Those poor cats couldn’t even drink water through a straw. The Persian king Darius liked Daniel, a lot! When he saw that Daniel’s God rescued him he was astonished. The angry king ordered those who falsely accused Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den—along with their wives and children! What happened next you ask? “And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.” Daniel 6:24

In accordance with Persian custom, this cruel punishment was transferred to those who had conspired against the king by provoking him into an unjust action. Look at Ester 7:9-10. The king’s great anger resulted in the execution of the evil officials and their families. Evil deeds often backfire on those who plan cruelty. Although Daniel was captive in a strange land, his devotion to God was a testimony to powerful rulers. Day in and day out Daniel prayed and built up a faithful consistency of what to do in times of trouble and prosperity. Daniel was faced with faith in God and death. Daniel never saw obstacles, he saw opportunities. If you find yourself in new surroundings, take the opportunity to testify about God’s power in your life. Be faithful to God so he can use you to make an impact on others.