From All of the Nations

One of the important lessons that Jesus taught us before Easter is to be humble and practice humility. The occasion of the Last Supper was the time that Jesus took a towel and a basin of water, and washed the feet of the disciples. My thoughts in this post are not about humility, because I plan to deal with this important issue at a later date. We need to remember to constantly practice humility because our Lord and Savior showed us a good example of humility.

How many times do you see born again Christians act as if they are superior to others. A good example was the Pharisee who went to the temple to pray and began to tell God that he was better than others, because he prays, fasts, and tithes his possessions. But the Publican’s prayer was “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus said that the prayer of the publican was more effective and nearer to the heart of God.

I was privileged to visit foreign nations and see how others live. It’s always tempting to go around the world and tell everybody that their lives and customs are not as good as ours in the good old USA. It is true that our beloved country is more advanced and more powerful than any other nation in history. People of other lands did not have the opportunities that our country affords us in education, technology, and scientific research, but we must be gracious about our advancements. Remember the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was born in a humble manger full of animals and no central heating system.

In chapter nine of the Book of the Revelation we are told by John that he saw in heaven people of all the nations of the earth, of all the tribes, of all the languages and of all the races. This is one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned as a Christian; all people are precious in the sight of God. With God there are no favorites, no one person is better than another and no one group is better than the rest. This Biblical truth has to be the finest of its kind; no other religious teachings come close to that eye opener. I get goose bumps when I think that the prophet Elijah, the Apostle Paul and I are equal in the eyes and care of God. The fact that God wants the very best for any one of his creations is dynamic and beyond measure. We sometimes forget that God said He would make Abraham a father of many nations. This is why the visionary Apostle saw in heaven believers from every nation, etc. I urge you next time you meet someone from a different background to not look down upon him or her because they look or act different, they just may be one of those fortunate ones who will end up in heaven with the Lord Jesus forever. Remember, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, black and yellow, red or white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the children of the world.” I want to thank Jesus for loving me!!!

Putting On Christ!

The Bible says that those who are baptized in Christ have put on Christ. What does that really mean? I have asked many Bible teachers and pastors this question and none were able to give me a simple or satisfactory answer. Needles to say, they all attempted to explain and gave plenty of theological analysis, but none was clear or simple enough for anyone to comprehend. This statement had bothered me for a long time because I could not understand it enough to explain it to someone else. Finally I saw the light in one of the Bible classes I conducted and, in which, I had a Biblical scholar named George. Here is how he explained it.

We are to live in a way that others see God in us; they can see God in our activities, in our speech and in our behavior. We do not notice that people pay attention to these things the moment we say we are believers. We do not realize that God is watching us and over us continuously. Here is what he said: a blind young man woke up one day and said to his mother that he is meeting very important friends and would like to look his best. So his mother helped put on a white set of clothes. He could not see the clothes that his mother gave him. But his mother told him that he was wearing a very bright and clean set of white clothes, and she asked him to take good care of the clothes. She said “watch were you sit and where you go and how you act.” Now if he believed his mother that he was wearing a clean and very white set of clothes, and he cared about her instruction because he loved her, then he would be very careful all day. He would move around slowly and carefully. He would ask others that he trusts to help him avoid bumping into and hitting walls or avoid stepping into a mud puddle. In other words, this blind young man would do everything within his power to do what his mother instructed him. He would be repeating all day “my mother said to stay clean.” When he returned home in the evening his mother was immediately able to tell if he believed her. She would be able to tell if the tarnish on his clothes was accidental or deliberate. If she found a little bit of dust or maybe a spot or two she would know that it could happen to anybody, and that her son did his best to care for his clothing. But if she saw the clothes all muddy and black spots every where, then she would know her son neither loved her nor believed her when she had told him that he was very clean. This would break her heart.

The Lord tells us in His Word that when we are baptized, we are covered by His presence and we are confessing to the whole world that Christ covers our lives. Although we do not see Him, we are to believe Him and consequently live with extra care to bring Glory to His name.

When a King hosts a dinner he provides a robe like covering to every one of his guests; a royal robe so that everyone who is at the dinner would look the same. The king elevates all the guests to his level; no one can dress to show he is better than anyone else. That is what God does for us when we accept Christ as our Savior; to Him we are all the same. I want to thank Christ for his covering in my life and I want to live so others can see that I believe him like the blind man believes his mother.

Joseph, Son of Jacob! Part II

Yes, man will forget us but God will never forget us (Matthew 28:20). Now Pharaoh had a disturbing dream and no one in Egypt could help him interpret it. The wine server remembered that Joseph was able to correctly interpret dreams. So Pharaoh called Joseph from prison, and he was able to tell Pharaoh the dream and the interpretation. Joseph said that seven years of plenty are coming to the land before seven years of famine. So Pharaoh appointed Joseph to take charge of everything in Egypt except the seat on the throne. Two observations here, the first is that the dream was from God in order for Joseph to get out of prison and begin heading to the top. The second is Pharaoh’s observation that Joseph was most suited to take charge because the Spirit of God was in him!

The famine hit the entire Fertile Crescent, North Africa and Canaan. So Jacob asked his sons to go to Egypt and buy food lest they die. When the brothers of Joseph arrived he recognized them but they did not recognize him. Fourteen years had passed since Joseph was sold into slavery. He must have grown a beard and all of the royal clothing must have disguised him well. He, being human, had a field day with tricks to play on them with two purpose in mind. The first purpose was to have them tell the truth about his father and his brother Benjamin. The second was to make sure that they would come back and bring their brother Benjamin. So, he first accused them of being spies, in order to keep them longer. He then held one of them until they brought Benjamin to show that they were telling the truth.

Joseph ordered the servants to give them more than they asked for and to put their money back in their bags. When Jacob heard that another son was kept in Egypt and that Joseph wanted to see Benjamin, he began to wail thinking that he might lose the only other son of Rachael, and at his age it would have been impossible for him to bear. But the brothers insisted and promised to bring all the sons back from Egypt.

When Joseph saw them with his brother Benjamin it was his brightest hour in fourteen years. He could not help himself from crying in the other room. He then washed his face and came out to them. Now Joseph ordered the servants to prepare the biggest feast and had invited his brother to dine with him. Fear had come upon them when they knew what was going to happen, they were going to dine with the Emperor.

I must have read this story a hundred times in forty five years and I still get emotional about the scene when Joseph tells his brothers who he is. So at this point he could not hold it any further, he sent all the Egyptians out of the palace and said to his brothers I am Joseph you brother. Do not be angry with yourselves, it was God who brought me here. He began crying so loud from joy that all of Egypt heard him. They all fell at his feet and could not believe what they were hearing. He asked how his father was and that he wanted to see him. They would now have to face their father and tell him the truth that Joseph was alive!

When Jesus hung on the cross, He asked the Father to forgive His executioners, and He said it out loud. But Joseph’s actions clearly showed his forgiveness to his brothers who sold him into slavery. The next post will continue the drama with their father and all the rest. I thank Christ for creating the family unit and the special love that belongs within it.

Joseph, Son of Jacob! Part I

The life of Joseph is one of the most prolific events in the Old Testament. One can easily identify with many parts of the story, seeing as there are a multitude of lessons to learn from, especially if it is read several times.

Before Joseph was born, his father Jacob had gone to uncle Laban to get married. While there, Jacob liked the cousin Rachael; the uncle said the dowry would be seven years of service on the farm. So Jacob worked for his uncle for seven years and was ready to get married. Laban had an older daughter named Leah and Jacob did not know that the prevailing custom is the older must marry before the younger sister. So Jacob married Leah and had to work seven more years to marry Rachael. After seven more years Jacob married the girl he initially liked (Rachael), and she bore him two sons, Joseph and Benjamin (she sadly died giving birth to Benjamin).

I believe Jacob seemed to favor the two brothers Joseph and Benjamin for a couple of reasons; they were orphans, he loved their mother and worked so hard to marry her, and she had passed away. Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph was very obvious, and it triggered jealousy and hatred by his other ten brothers toward him. I have to say that Joseph loved God, and God began revealing to Joseph through his dreams that he was going to be used for God’s Kingdom. This angered the brothers even more and they began to instigate his elimination. One day, as Joseph was sent by the father to take food to the brothers, the brothers sold him as a slave to a caravan of merchants heading to Egypt. In Egypt Joseph was sold to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard (which was a very important position). In all of these events God’s hand was over Joseph.

Potiphar saw the goodness in Joseph and gave him charge of his house and all that he possessed. The Bible says that God blessed Potiphar because of Joseph. The Devil is never happy when he sees certain victories and successes in the lives of believers. In this story, the Devil started his evil work by having Potiphar’s wife chase Joseph, and as expected, Joseph fled the scene; eventually the wife lied and she had Joseph thrown into prison. The Bible says that God was with Joseph in prison. If nothing else, this story confirms the fact that God never leaves or forsakes us.

Joseph found favor in the heart of the jailor and was given charge over the prisoners. Two of the former workers of Pharaoh were in prison; the baker, and the wine server. Both had dreams and Joseph’s interpretation of their dreams turned out to be correct. Joseph asked them to put a good word to Pharaoh about him, if they had a chance. The baker died and the wine server forgot about Joseph until Pharaoh had a dream, which no one could interpret.

I will continue this message in the next post. For now remember that man may forget us, but God never forgets us. Thanks be to God!

Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us?, Luke 24:32

Easter is here, the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus and the first day of a new week, and some see it as nothing spectacular. There are no earthquakes, no thunder in the skies, and no lightning, but in fact the most glorious thing has happened; Jesus has risen from the grave and He has defeated death (the last enemy of man). If I were there I would have started a major celebration in and around Jerusalem. I would have made sure that every musical instrument was being played in the streets, palm and olive branches waving in the sky as far as the eye could see, and continuously have clapping, singing, and dancing for at least seven days. How sad that there was no celebration and none of these activities took place, but the major event did happen and every human being now has a reason for joy and hope for everlasting life.

The first day of the week began in a silent chaos for the followers of Jesus, and especially the disciples. In the Gospel of Matthew, only Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the sepulcher to find out what was going on. The Gospel of Mark reports that the other Mary is the mother of James. It also adds Salome as a third woman who went to the tomb of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke, however, adds Joanna and other women that went to the tomb. The Gospel of John mentions only Mary Magdalene as the one who went to the tomb while it was dark. I am not trying to show a contradiction or inaccuracy in the story, in fact all four Gospels report that Mary Magdalene was the leader of the group. How more accurate can any story be. But what I am surprised at is the hushed activities that were taking place behind the scenes. Imagine the media coverage that would take place today…, or would it? How busy CNN and the other major news networks would be carrying the event. The truth of the matter is that we are experiencing a similar coverage in the media and probably for the same reasons. As a matter of fact, not much has changed since the first Easter. The religious leadership of the day bought the silence of the eyewitnesses and encouraged them to tell other stories. For the last weeks I have heard a lot about the Di Vinci code and the story of Judas, both imaginative and untrue. The reason I say this is from what God Almighty has revealed to me, personally, in the last forty-five years. We should be celebrating none stop. There is hope for mankind, and we have a born again president in the White House who is considered the most powerful man alive.

In spite of the deafening silence concerning the resurrection, there was something important taking place on the road to Emmaus. There were two men aimlessly walking with a lot of discouragement in their minds and hearts. They said they had hoped that this man Jesus would change their lives for the better, but three days before He was killed on the cross and nothing new had happened. Jesus joins them in their walk but they did not recognize him. So they shared with Him their frustrations and sadness, but Jesus begins to speak to them and reminds them of what they should have known about Him all along. They must have intently listened to every word He uttered, but still did not know that it was He who was occupying their minds. Jesus never brags about who He is and does not impose Himself on anyone. After they arrived and had a meal together they began to recognize Him. They said to each other; “did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the way.” He is no different today; my heart burns within me when I hear Him say He loves me, and that He has plans for my life. Easter is one of those times when we hear His voice of love, compassion and care for each of us. Thank You Christ for the joy that Easter brings.

He Is Risen, He Is Not Here!

The seven words uttered by the angel at tomb of Jesus have to be some of the most important words ever spoken; “He is not here he is risen.” The Bible speaks of death as the last enemy of man. Death is the symbol of defeat; the end of everything that God had planned for man. It is the act of separation between us and God, and between us and our loved ones. Death is really a horrific event no matter how you look at it. But with Easter Sunday, and the words of the Angel of God, this horror has come to an end. Death is no longer strong, and the grave has no victory. Prior to Jesus’ resurrection, there was no reason for man to hope. No one could say that this enemy will be defeated, or that the sting of death is coming to an end. But now every believer, young and old, can speak with assurance, authority, and plenty of hope that we shall all have our own Easter. Thanks be to Christ for His work on this earth, His suffering on the cross, and His resurrection that gave us the victory.

If I say nothing more, this message is enough to cause joy in our Christian life. The number of believers that forget the honor bestowed upon them to be called the children of God is unreal. What a privilege it is that born again men and women walk with the Lord. When I was young I would find every excuse to go into town with my father. To this day I remember the honorable feeling I had walking with my earthly father in the town center, but it is nothing compared to the everlasting happiness I have walking with the Lord. I say this, even though my father was very well known, respected in the community, and people would greet him from every direction.

Knowing and loving Jesus has to be the ultimate accomplishment in man’s life. People often wonder what it would be like to win the lottery, and the good feelings they associate with wealth, yet we know that all the riches in the world are temporary. After Aristotle Onasis died (the Greek tycoon who married Jackie Kennedy), I remember reading some accounts about his life and his death. What an interesting person he was. He had everything money can buy. When the news came to him about the tragic death of his son, he was quoted saying that he wished he lost all of his wealth and had his son. On his death bed he was quoted saying that he would give all his wealth just to extend his life for one more month. After Ted Turner wrote a check for one billion dollars to the poor children of the world, I saw his interview on CNN. I remember him saying that if he lost all of his money, he could build it again, but the constant pain he had in his body could not be erased with money. I wish he would read my post on taking God’s Word at face value, and read the account of the resurrection of Jesus daily. It works! I was privileged to know Roy and Dale Rogers very well for a long time, until they went to heaven. They were rich and famous, but their happiness came from their love for Jesus. They told me this themselves. In future posts I will write what I knew and saw to their Christian life.

What a difference it makes to know that Jesus was raised from the grave, and that He Lives today. By the way, one of the many church hymns I miss is entitled “He Lives.” The first says “I serve a risen savior He’s in the world today, I know that He is living whatever men may say, I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him, He is always near…He lives within my heart. Happy Easter to all of you. The Lord is Risen; Risen Indeed!

The Name Above Every Name!

In Biblical times names were given to children and to adults for a reason. The name usually conveyed a certain characteristic about the person, and sometimes it even influenced the person to live up to the name’s meaning. This custom, or tradition, is still practiced in Latin America and in other third world countries. For instance, the name Blanca is given to Latin girls who have a fair complexion, because it is taken from the word Blanco; meaning white. Also in countries where royalty still exists, children and adults have to behave in a way that is befitting to the family’s name. Most recently in England, the royal boys married two common girls; we all remember the queen’s furious criticism of the new brides due to their behavior, which was not befitting to the royal name. I know some very funny stories of names and how they do not apply to, or fit the individual named. I knew an Aramaic man whose name was Sadik (meaning truthful) but he lied all the time. I knew an Arabic guy named Jamil (meaning handsome), but he was very homely looking. Do you remember honest Abe?

Let us check some names from the Biblical times, starting with Adam (Adama in Hebrew means earth), and Eve (Hhawa means mother of living things). Eve was the mother of all humans. God gave the name Abraham to Abram (Abraham means a friend) because God considered him His friend. When Sarah was told that she would conceive at age ninety, she laughed. That is why her son was named laughter, or in Hebrew, Isaac. Jacob grabbed his brother’s heel at birth, so he was named Heely or Jacob (Yacob). Remember when Jesus met Simon, He changed his name to Peter so that he would toughen up like a rock (in Greek Petro). Last but not least is Soul of Tarsus. He was very tough, heartless, proud, and of the upper echelon of his day. When Jesus met him, He changed his name to Paul, which means little or least in the Semitic language (Bulous). Paul even said he was the least!

The name Jesus, on the other hand, is simply Superior to any other name in every way! Let us start by the annunciation of the Angel Gabriel, who told Mary that she would call His Name Jesus (Yashua, or deliverer) because He shall save his people from their sins(Luke 1:31,32). Now, notice every name given to Jesus was appropriate and befitting in every single way. The angel also said He will be called the Son of the Almighty and He was. Remember when Jesus commanded the wind and the Sea to obey Him, and they did. Jesus said “Whatever you ask in my Name and doubt not, I will do it”(John 14:13). Here is probably the summation of the names given to Jesus found in Isaiah 9:6: “…and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” All I can say is WOW, what wonderful names!

In Philippians chapter two, verses nine, ten, and eleven, it states “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Now this is the Jesus we love, adore and worship. This is the Jesus that conquered death and who’s Easter we are commemorating. I could have easily elaborated on the last seven words of Jesus on the cross as every other minister does every single Easter, but I chose to celebrate His greatness starting with His powerful name. From now on, use the name of Jesus to overcome, and you will! Also, remember to Thank Him all the time.

False Prophets, Part II

You may ask why I am discussing this topic at this time. I know this is not the Christmas and the popular joyful season, nevertheless it is Easter, a holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. For me as a Christian, Easter is probably the most joyful event, but we must always be on our guard especially when we are so engulfed by the celebration of the season. We should listen to the teaching and the preaching and to the rest of the Christian Media. The information released by the teachers and the preachers should at all times be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This reminder is good for the simple hearted Christians, mostly during the Holiday season when most of us are vulnerable to be extra charitable (Romans 16:18).

In part one of this topic I did not explain what Jesus meant when He said many false prophets will come and will lead many astray. In the Hebrew and Aramaic languages, the word prophet can refer to a teacher, a messenger, and it can refer to a predictor of events. I know that most of us think of the third meaning when the word prophet is mentioned. So Jesus is warning His followers of any of the three that will come into the world after Him. And I can say there are plenty of them around today. These men and women are preaching and teaching everywhere and they have plenty of followers (Matthew 7:15).

My desire is for every believer to enjoy every day God gives us in this life. I am simply reminding those who love the Lord to be on alert at all times, not to accept everything they hear as gospel only because a person they enjoy listening to said it. Remember, Jesus gave the warning for a reason; He does not want to lose any of the believers to false teachers. Christians should study and read the word continuously so that they can discern the truth from falsehood. Remember my brother the banker who could identify the counterfeit dollar bills. The same needs to take place with counterfeit teachings we may hear. I have been walking with the Lord for over forty-five years and I am a very diligent Bible teacher. I can identify plenty of bad sources, even “churches” from first hand experience. If you know someone on drugs, or an alcoholic, and desperately need the Church’s help, I would challenge you to call the five largest churches in the area and see how many of them are ready to help. I have tried it and I was saddened by the response, and the person I called on behalf of nearly killed himself, and the others with him. I am telling you this for the same reason the Good Samaritan story (from the Bible) has been given to us, so that we would all be good Samaritans to each other. The Book of Acts chapter four, verse thirty-four states that no members from the Church of Jerusalem had any needs. The alcoholic that I mentioned earlier was a member of a very large church, yet no one would help him get through his tough times.

May we never be at the mercy of any man. As Christians it is our solemn duty to remember that we are God’s hands, feet, voice, and above all, we are His Ambassadors.

This is a good time to rededicate our lives to Christ’s service and to do thank Him for counting you worthy to belong to His Royal Family!

False Prophets, Part I

When I was young I used to think of Matthew 24:12 as an observation from Jesus to his followers, not so much as a stern warning. I listen to Christian speakers on the radio and television as much as I possibly can. I also encourage the people I know to do the same. You would think it is more useful to support these programs compared to anything else the media has to offer.

Often times, however, I shudder when I hear certain interpretations of the scripture that do not agree with the Bible. These are the times I feel guilty for encouraging others to listen with their innocence to some of the speakers whose information is tragically misleading. Only knowledgeable Bible students can detect the counterfeit details. Years ago I had a retail business that handled a large sums of cash on a daily basis. One day my brother who was an executive at the bank came to visit, and I had him recount the cash for me. In the process he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and informed me that it was counterfeit. In anger I protested and tried to challenge him, but he simply told me that he knew what to look for and that I did not know. He showed me that the simplest variation in the design nullified the value of the bill, although everything else looked the same. That is exactly what is happening in the evangelical media, much of what is being preached and promoted matches what is in the Bible except for the slightest variation that nullifies everything they are teaching.

There are entire denominations that read the Bible and talk about Jesus as I do, but the challenge begins when I speak of his Jesus’ Deity. They tell me yes Jesus is a god but with lower-case lettering. Others proclaim that Jesus is the savior but we need to read a certain other book to help us reach heaven. Others say that everything in the New Testament is accurate and fine; but we need to perform certain duties in the Law of God for salvation. I must say that these teachings are sending many to hell along with the teachers because the truth is not in them (2 Timothy 3:7). These are not the only teachings which are counterfeit, because there are dozens of examples that I will be presenting in future posts which will not be popular, but will be Biblical. I know the trend today is to be politically correct at any cost, but my teachings will remain loyal to the Word of God, and I pray that others will be supportive to the end (2 Timothy 4:2-4 and 1Timothy 4:16).

I want Easter to be a new start for many of you in your spiritual walk. We know that Jesus died on the cross once, and was risen from the grave. The celebration of Easter needs to be a reminder that each one of the believers will have his/her own Easter. We can thank Christ for His love, mercy and grace displayed on Calvary’s cross.

Faith!

From the moment we are born again to the moment we arrive heaven everything hinges on faith. The Bible says that if one has faith as little as a mustard seed he can move mountains. Abraham’s righteousness was a result of his faith in God. The Bible clearly states that it is impossible to please God without faith. There is really nothing of value that can happen without faith. After He had healed the woman who was bleeding to death, Jesus told her that her faith had made her whole. I recommend that you take a few minutes now and read the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews. It is often referred to as the faith chapter. It starts with the best definition of the word faith. It says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” This is the clearest definition of faith in the Bible. Understand the definition and memorize it because it will often be useful in your Christian walk.

First, it is important to elaborate on the word “substance” as seen in the quote above. An example is as follows. A 16 year old boy has hopes of purchasing his dream car. He religiously saves as much as possible from his meager income. Eventually, he had accumulated enough to purchase that dream car. Here, the money he has saved is considered the “substance” for buying the car. Consistent with the quote from Hebrews, the car is the item “hoped for.”

The story of Noah is a classic example for the idea that Faith is the evidence of things not seen. By faith, Noah spent a hundred and twenty years building the Arc in the middle of the desert while neither he, nor anyone else, could see the rain coming. His faith was why he and his family were saved while everyone else perished. As a teenager, David battled Goliath the giant. His faith gave him the assurance that he could defeat the power of Goliath, while no other man could. While on his last journey to Rome, The Apostle Paul’s ship was lost at sea. With no sunlight for three days, and no food left on board, the sea continued to rage. With no hope in sight, Paul told the crew and the passengers that God had assured him that no soul would perish on this journey. These are all examples of the verse found in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 4. It states, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Since I am writing about faith, the saddest verse in the Bible to me states “when the Son of man comes back, He will find only a handful of people on earth with faith” (Luke 18:8).

You may ask, “How can I have this faith?” The answer is simple; regularly study, memorize, and utilize God’s Word daily. This is the easiest way to obtain faith, yet most Christians today do not utilize God’s Word as a means of obtaining such faith. Rather, many people attempt to match the comfort in faith by accumulating material things, relying on scientific fact unknown to man, and attempting to rely on their own wisdom. These things, among others, will not result in a greater faith because the Bible states, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by reading the Word of God.”

I focus more on this subject in the future. Faith is so important in your Christian walk, and your faith will grow by immersing yourself in the Word. Remember to walk by faith and not by sight. In closing, God Bless you as you thank Christ for faith.

The Holy Bible!

I want to give a brief summary about the book I refer to every single day of my life. As you read my daily posts, you will understand the fact that I love and believe in the Scripture, as it is conveyed in the sixty-six books of the Bible. The label one may give me is a fundamentalist and evangelical, which is fine with me. I do know myself to be a firm believer in The Lord Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.

My understanding of the Scripture is original, although I have read and do read other books by good Christian thinkers, such as Dr. Elton Trueblood, Dr. C. S. Lewis and others. Their writings are very helpful and supportive to my understanding, but God’s Holy Spirit is important to me and to my understanding of His Word. I fully believe that He had inspired the thirty-nine writers to pen down the messages of the Bible.

The Old Testament is composed of thirty-nine books, and the New Testament is composed of twenty-seven books. The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed and the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed. The Lord Jesus, God the Son, is the prime figure in every single one of the books, although He is described and named differently. For example, in Genesis we see Him as the creator, in Exodus as the deliverer, in Leviticus as the high priest, in Proverbs Jesus is the wisdom that we need, in Matthew He is the Messiah, in the Gospel of John He is the Savior, and in the book of Revelations He is the Lamb of God, the bridegroom of the Church, and the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I cannot help it, but when I read the Word I see Jesus and His special personality!

In future posts I will devote some time to summaries of these books of the Bible individually, so that you can learn and be able to speak about biblical topics, personalities and books. I believe God wants each one of us to learn all that He has in His Word. Just remember that it was written for a good reason; “All scripture is inspired by God (The Holy Spirit) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16,16).

Of all the important educational books I studied in the post secondary schools I attended, The Bible is the only book I still study everyday. That is how important it is to me. Remember to thank Christ today for everything; He alone is worthy of our thanks (Rev 7:12).

The Exciting Christian Life!

There is no better way to describe the daily life of a Christian than to say that there is nothing monotonous about it. It is, and it should be, a life full of newness and excitement on a daily basis, regardless of the worldly distractions! The other extreme is to view the Christian life as a drag, a routine and boring life, which it is not. I am going to explain some of the situations we encounter as Christians and how we should handle them. This sounds simple and easy, but I will try not to over simplify and minimize what people go through some of the time.

To start a Christian life the person has to be “born anew” (1Peter 1:3, 23). Also we read “if any is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2Cor.5:17). So does this mean that we have new physical organs and members in our bodies? The answer is no, although that can happen when someone’s heart is failing and we pray for God to install a new heart. That is not what is conveyed here. It is the opportunity, with God’s help, to start fresh; to give ourselves a chance to think, act, and speak in a new and different way. This is not forced upon us; we do it willingly and voluntarily. When we start the Christian life, we do not lose our will, but make choices at every turn. What is new is our attitude. It becomes good, healthy and pleasant, and dedicated to God’s service and glory. Our lives will have a higher purpose. In the future I will add to this analysis and discuss it more in depth. But for now I want to deal with a slightly different explanation for our daily living.

We are to start acknowledging that everyday is a new day, and new opportunities are ahead of us. We are told to sing a new (different) song to the Lord. Not the same song we sang yesterday, so as to remind us that today is not a continuation of the day that just past. We are to want today to be better and more fruitful than yesterday.

When Jesus was instructing his disciples, He said “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Although there was love between them before, it was described as a duty and a sign of the Christian. Coupled with that is our effort to make new relationships with others, through work, church, or our home. Christians are to be looking for, expecting, and doing new things. Our spirits will be lifted high, our attitude will be positive and others will see it and react differently towards us. This is the exciting part of the Christian life; we can do well and have a purpose doing it. And the God of Peace will keep us in His love and in His care. This is exciting! Glory to God!

Was Samson Foolish?

If Samson was around today and we asked him if he was foolish for repeating his mistakes, I am almost certain that his reply would be NO! He would say that he was human and none of us are perfect. He may also recommend asking God to help us when temptations come our way. I am not convinced that this is a good answer (Judges 14,15 & 16).

The sad truth is that human beings are weak and are not wise enough to learn from the mistakes of others. Most of us think we are better and smarter than those who have lived before us. In the case of young people, they think are much wiser than their antiquated parents. That is exactly what happened with Samson. His Godly parents advised him on two occasions to get married to a godly girl; but he did not adhere to their counsel and chose to stay with the heathen girls, “because they made him feel good”(Jud 14:3).

Before it sounds sexist, I know there are at least two-dozen women in the Bible that God has used in His service and for His Glory. No one can doubt that Ruth, Sarah, Rachael, Deborah, the Samaritan woman, Mary the mother of Jesus, Pricilla, and Rehab were all used in God’s service. But beginning with Adam we learn that the devil has used women to bring a man down, when everything else seemed to fail. It was no different in the case of Samson; in his case it took three women to get him destroyed. Also, David and Solomon were no exception to this devilish temptation. Remember how Job’s wife gave him the advice of cursing God and die. Thank God he did not listen to her. I am grateful to God for his design and for his plan in creating women, and for the strong desire He has so wisely placed in each gender for the other. We would have no children if there were no physical attraction between the two genders. That is not the problem.

I know the Bible says to honor our father and our mother (when they are godly) and Samson’s life would have been without limits for success if he listened to his parents. Samson was a Nazerite, chosen for God’s work. He was full of the Holy Spirit, and able to defeat a whole nation by himself; but he fell in love with the wrong person. This has to be the best example for young people to learn from and not repeat Samson’s mistakes.

It is almost ludicrous when a man marries a woman as a seventh husband and thinks that his marriage is going to last forever; but it is happening with movie stars. When I heard of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Elizabeth Taylor, and others like them that were getting married for the seventh time, I knew the union would not last longer than the previous ones. It does not take a major scientist to figure out that if two marriages don’t work out, it is time to just go steady, and spare the children further agonies and complications.

I never quit counseling men to marry Godly women, women who love the Lord and live by the Bible. I tell them there is no way to have a happy life together without God being the center of their lives. The man leads, and the woman follows. This is the Scripture’s instruction. I will continue to discuss this in the future posts, Lord willing. Thank Christ for designing life as it is.