Whose Report Do You Believe?

A police car (Seat) of the city of Granada local police, Spain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This past week I was involved in an accident on my way to work. Nothing major, but enough to warrant some repairs to the driver side of my car. My doors are dented and do not close properly. The lady who ran into me with her vehicle seemed a bit shaken and so was I. This was my first accident in all the years I've been driving. I initially said I was going to call the police, but then she mentioned that she was on her way to pick up a friend from the hospital. Being a hospital worker myself, I decided not to call the police as it may have taken a while for them to arrive. I took the woman's driver's license and insurance information and went on my way.

When I got to work I related the incident to one of my co-workers. A young man standing nearby shook his head. He said I should have called the police because the other driver could always say I caused the accident, or I hit her car. He went on to state other possible terrible consequences that may follow. By the time I got to my office I was berating myself for my stupidity. I called the police, but the officer told me they could not get involved once I'd left the scene. Okay. I called my insurance company. The lady I spoke to was very nice. She took what information I had, then when she asked for the lady's tag number I slapped my forehead. I had overlooked that one, but I had her phone number. The lady assured me she would try her best to locate the driver of the car, but without the tag number it might be difficult. By this time I'm praying. The woman had said she was a Christian after hearing the Christian program I had been listening to on my radio. I prayed that she would behave in a Christian manner and speak the truth when my insurance contacted her.

About an hour later, I received a call from my insurance company. The driver had given her insurance information willingly and a case number had been generated. From there I was referred to the driver's insurance who is now handling the matter. I wrote all this to show that when problems arise it can be very easy for us to listen to negative reports. This produces fear which ultimately leads to the thing feared coming to pass.

This is what happened to the Israelites when Moses sent out the spies to check out the land of Canaan.  

And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying , The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13: 32 - 33).

Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD (14: 37).

God became angry with them because they did not believe that He would do as He promised. Instead of believing Him they believed the spies. God promises to take care of us even when trouble strikes. He said, No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54 : 17).   Whose report will you believe?

Enjoy this song in the video below and reflect on the words. Remember, no matter what happens God will take care of you. 

Related articles

• Watch What Information You Share If You're In An Auto Accident
• When to report a car accident to an insurance company
• After an Accident: File Your Auto Claim the Right Way

Another Look At Freedom - The March on Washington

English: Dr. Martin Luther King giving his "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington in Washington, D.C., on 28 August 1963. Español: Dr. Martin Luther King dando su discurso "Yo tengo un sueño" durante la Marcha sobre Washington por el trabajo y la libertad en Washington, D.C., 28 de agosto de 1963. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I took a break from my weekly post to view the march commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's historic march on Washington. Just as happened then, this march that took place on Saturday was a peaceful one. Of the estimated quarter million people who participated in 1963, only four arrests were made. So far this year no incidents have been reported. This is a true testimony of the proper use of freedom and an honor to the man who fought so hard for freedom and equality.

A few years ago I wrote a post on a similar topic. You can read it here.

Related articles

• Throngs to mark 'Dream' anniversary
• 50th anniversary of March on Washington
• March to focus on continued fight for civil rights

Get Rid Of It Completely

About two weeks ago, I wrote about my computer being infected by a virus. I told you how devastating this was for me to experience my computer being sick, even for a short while. I told you that I called the computer's manufacturer and he got my computer up and running again. But not for long! I didn't use my PC for a couple days and when I went back to use it, the virus was still present.

I called up the manufacturer again and this time I got a different technician. After several hours on the phone, the virus was finally eradicated. What happened the first time? The technician failed to completely remove the virus before he restarted my computer, and I suffered the consequences.

A similar fate befell Saul, king of Israel, after God told him "totally destroy everything that belongs to them (the Amalekites). Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys" (1 Samuel 15 : 3). " But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs--everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed" (v 9). 
 
Saul did not totally destroy the Amalekites as God had commanded him to. So it is with us. We hold on to the sin that seems good to us. Even though it is destroying our relationship with God, we may relinquish a part of it, but are reluctant to get rid of it completely. Verse 22 says, "To obey is better than sacrifice." 

If  there is sin in your life, you need to confess your sin before God and ask Him to forgive you and help you lead a new life. Do not allow sin to come between you and God. The consequences can be dire.

The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1 : 9). 

Do You Know How Special You Are?

As an occupational therapist working in a behavioral health unit, one of the questions I sometimes ask my clients is, "What special qualities do you possess?" Or, "Say something positive about yourself." Many of them would lower their eyes and refuse to answer, and those who do would say something like, "I don't know."

Why is it so difficult for us to see the good in ourselves? We may admire and look up to others while looking down on ourselves. Psychiatrist patients are not the only ones who think this way. I've heard self-deprecatory comments from beautiful celebrities. Gorgeous women who receive the adulation of people everywhere would say things like, I hate my nose; my lips are too small, too large; my hair is too this or too that.

Do you realize that you are created in the image and likeness of God Himself? You are His most prized creation. He created you after Himself.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1 : 27

Of all the billions of people in the world, there is no one like you. No one has your fingerprint, or your shadow or your uniqueness. Granted, there will always be someone more beautiful, smarter or slimmer than you. But that does not make you any less special. You are important to God and you ought to be important to yourself.

Enjoy the video below, then look yourself in the mirror and say, "I'm special."

Beware Of The Worm

I almost didn't get this week's post in because a worm infected my computer. I remember the first time I heard the term 'computer virus' I thought, would it make my computer sneeze? And I was serious. Because if I sneeze, it doesn't bother me that much. I actually enjoy sneezing sometimes, as a matter of fact. It seems to clear my nasal passages and relieves me of any stuffiness. So I thought if my computer sneezed, then it would be no big deal.

During my journey in cyberspace, I have experienced a few sneezes. Nothing major. But yesterday I foolishly opened an email and received a worm. I pictured it just as the dictionary described it: any of numerous small creeping animals with more or less slender, elongated bodies, and without limbs or with very short ones ... creeping, crawling or advancing slowly or stealthily. Sounds pretty yucky, doesn't it? I could not access anything, and the worm kept urging me to purchase a certain software and warning me of the dire consequences that would follow if I didn't. No matter what I tried, it kept attacking my computer. 

No legs ... advancing slowly, stealthily, when you least expect it.

The Bible speaks of one other creature who fits this picture. He belongs to the same family, only bigger. He is called a serpent, Satan, the devil, Lucifer. One day you are functioning as a happy Christian, the next, the serpent has infiltrated himself into your system and crashed it. You become a pawn in his hands as he urges you to do this and do that, go here and go there, say this or say that. You want to get out from under his influence, but you are powerless to do so.

What can you do? Like me, you may have unwittingly invited the serpent into your system. But you can do what I did. I wasted no time calling the maker of my computer. We have a Maker too and His name is God. He made you. 

 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1 : 27.

He has the software to clean out all of your infected files and restore you to your proper working condition. He can make you whole again. You do not have to be under the influence of the worm anymore. The representative who cleaned up my computer recommended that I purchase a warranty so if I ever have similar problems in the future, all I have to do is call for help. God purchased our warranty through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for us. When we have a problem, all we have to do is call. Call on your Maker right now.

Are You A Christian?

This question was asked on my recent visit to Turkey as we boarded the bus headed for Ephesus. The one asking the question was our Turkish guide. My friend and I quickly put our hands up, but some people appeared to hesitate, which prompted the man to ask, "Well, are you, or aren't you?"

I looked around and there were no more hands.

How do you answer this question? If you ever took a vow of Christianity, you would answer 'yes', but what does it really mean to be a Christian? A Christian, quite simply, is a follower of Jesus Christ. Therefore if you are following Him, you would do the things He did.

This morning when I awoke, the first thought that popped into my head was the division that exists in the Christian church here in America. Someone said, "The most segregated time in America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." Sad, but true. But we are not just divided on Sunday mornings, we are also divided in our thoughts and attitude toward certain issues. The recent Trayvon Martin debacle is a case in point.

As Christians we can no longer see people and issues through a black lens or a white lens, relegated to this corner or that corner. We must see ourselves as belonging to the elite family of God and therefore what affects one member affects us all. When Jesus walked this earth, He went out of His way to show that racial division is wrong. Read the stories of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10 : 30 - 35) and the woman at the well (John 4 : 4 - 27).

Jesus is coming soon for His church, all the signs point to that, and we need to get ready. What the church needs to be ready is not more buildings or even more money, but for "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost" (Romans 5 : 5) to so permeate our beings that we cannot help but love everyone the way He loves us. Are you a Christian?

Are You A Thief?

Are you a thief? Heavens, no! I can almost hear the shocked replies resounding through cyberspace. I ask this question because twice last week I happened to hear sermons/lectures on stealing, and I thought, is the Holy Spirit trying to say something to me? Well, I join with you in saying, "Heavens, no!"

 I heard this joke a long time ago. A man wrote to the IRS that he was sending them a check for money owed. The letter ended, "And if I still cannot sleep tonight, I'll send you the rest." You may have never cheated on your taxes, but have you ever taken anything home from your job? Pens, paper clips, paper, what-have-you? You might say, "Those things were given to me." Yes, but were they given to you personally, or were they given to be used on your job? There's a difference.

In one of the sermons, the preacher mentioned tools he had borrowed from friends and were still sitting in his garage months later. If the owner has to come to retrieve them, that's as good as stealing.

What about time? Do you steal your employer's time? Talking on the phone during working hours, surfing the internet or facebook, gossiping with co-workers. This is not to say that every minute of your eight hours will be spent with your nose to the grindstone, but when you do four hours' work everyday for eight hours' pay, your boss may not see it immediately, but God does.  

The Bible says, "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:" (Colossians 3: 22)

Finally, do you steal from God? If you plead guilty to any of the above, you already steal from God because everything belongs to Him. He put you in that job to be a light for Him, but there is a more spiritual way, if you will, that we steal from God. And that is with our tithes and offering.

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say , Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.  (Malachi 3 : 8).

Many people say they cannot afford to tithe. My take on this is, you cannot afford not to tithe. God has proved this to me more than once.

We all have things in our life of which we are not proud. Stealing, in the ways mentioned above, may not get you into prison, but it can prevent God's blessings from flowing to you the way they should. If you feel the Holy Spirit convicting you of this, or any other sin, ask Him to deliver you and to make you pure and holy as He wants you to be.

What Does Freedom Mean To You - And the Trayvon Martin Verdict

Like most of the nation, I too am reacting to the verdict in the slaying of Trayvon Martin. As I write this, many protests are taking place in various cities and social media commentary on this matter has just about reached explosive limits. As I tried to piece my thoughts together to write this post, I suddenly remembered two things:

1. Last week's post .  What does freedom mean to you written in commemoration of our nation's independence celebration. And as I think about the way this young man lost his life, I ask myself again, what does freedom mean to us all? Does it mean we are free to go wherever we want, wear whatever we want, do whatever we want? Trayvon Martin's parents and others (including myself) are asking themselves that question tonight.

2. The sermon on the mount. You may be wondering  what this has to do with Trayvon Martin or with freedom. Yesterday I happened to read this masterpiece sermon by our Lord Jesus Christ, famously known as The Sermon on The Mount.  Jesus delivered this over two thousand years ago, and it is still relevant today.  Let's look at some of His words:

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell" (Matthew 5 : 21 - 22).

 

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'  But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" ( 38 - 39).

 

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (43 - 45). 

 

And Trayvon Martin's father speaking to the Huffington Post said, "God forbid, if acquittal is handed down, we still put our faith in God, you know, it's out of our hands," he said. "There's nothing we can do and we'll continue to pray. And we'll continue to be the voice of Trayvon whether there's an acquittal (or) whether it's a guilty verdict." Trayvon Martin Hoodie Sunday

 

So right now, that's the attitude we ought to have. The best we can do as a nation is pray for the Martin family, the Zimmerman family, the judge, the jury, our legislators and everyone associated with this case. God, our Comforter, our Righteous Judge, our Jehovah Sharma sees everything and He is still in control. God bless.

 

 

What Does Freedom Mean To You

This past week America celebrated its two hundred and thirty seventh birthday as a nation. America, like other countries that have declared themselves independent, prides itself on being a free nation. But what does it really mean to be free? Are we, its citizens, free to do whatever we like? We know the answer to that question, don't we?

Yes, we do enjoy certain freedoms more than some other countries, but these freedoms come with constraints. For example, we enjoy the freedom to assemble, but if this assembly is considered disorderly, we will be stopped. As Christians, we enjoy being free from the law as laid out by Moses in the Old Testament, however, does that mean we are free to sin? This is the question that gets a lot of Christians confused, or gives them excuses to do whatever they like.

Just as we do not have the freedom to break the law as citizens of an earthly kingdom, we do not have the freedom to break the law as citizens of a heavenly kingdom. And in the same way if we break the law of the earthly kingdom we must appear before the judge, the same applies to God's laws. When we appear before the earthly judge, we should have an attorney to speak in our defense, otherwise we may be in big trouble. When we appear before God - the Heavenly Judge - we also need an attorney. His name is Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2 : 1). Then he goes on to say, "No  one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God" (3 : 9). 

Do you want to be free? Do you want to know that if you do sin, you have someone - Jesus Christ - to speak in your defense because He already paid the price for your sin? Then come to Him; ask Him to take complete control of your life and then you will be truly free. God bless.

The Three-Wheeled Cart Part II

Following on last week's post, I have to admit that three-wheeled carts can come in either gender. Ladies, we too may project an image to the world that is way different from who we really are. When we find ourselves in a relationship, we should not pretend that all our wheels are intact only to tip over once we're sure we have snagged that man. No, we ought to be faithful and dependable just as we expect our men to be.

Whenever I think of faithfulness in a woman, my mind turns to the book of Ruth. For those of you who don't know, this is a story of  a young widow named Ruth who sticks with her mother-in-law Naomi after her two sons had been killed in battle. Naomi advised her daughters-in-law Ruth and Orpah to go back to their own families where they may be able to find a husband and make a new life for themselves.

Orpah cried, kissed her mother-in-law good-bye and was on her way. Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God" (Ruth 1 : 16).

And she was true to her word. Ruth proved not only to be faithful, but hard-working and obedient to her mother-in-law. The end result was God rewarded her with a good husband, a man named Boaz. They had a son whom they named Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David, from whom Jesus is descended.

God can and will do great things in and through us if we will have all our wheels in place. As women, the world is looking at us. We are the vehicles God uses to bring the next generation into this world. That's a heavy responsibility. You may not have all your wheels in place because of things that happened to you in your childhood, or even in your adult years. But God can fix those wheels. He can make you whole again. He said, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65 : 24). Call on Him now, and He'll equip you to carry your share of the load. God bless. 

The Three-Wheeled Cart Part 1

The management of my condo building has placed a few shopping carts in the ground floor stairwell to make it easy for us to take our parcels up to our apartment when we come home from shopping. I usually carry my own folding cart in my car so I don't have to make use of that convenience, but this Friday I realized I had left my cart upstairs. I went to the stairwell, bypassed the cart that was nearest to me and reached for a smaller one which seemed to be just right for the number of parcels I had. 

I placed my bags in the cart and parked my car. Then I returned and began wheeling the cart toward the elevator. As I turned a corner, the cart almost tipped over. I righted it and continued on my way. When I turned it to get into the elevator, the cart almost tipped again. It was only then I realized the cart had only three wheels. I laughed at myself for not having checked it before putting my parcels in it.

But who would expect the cart to be missing a wheel? It stood upright just as the others did and ran well as long as I was going in a straight line. I thought there must be a lesson in that. How many times have we looked at someone or something and thought he/she/it would be perfect for us, only to find out later how mistaken we were? A man may look good, have money and say all the right things, but unless he fears the Lord, one of his wheels is missing.

Psalm 128 says, Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.  Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.  May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,  and may you live to see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel. NIV

I needed a cart that would not only run straight but could turn the corner without tipping over. Ladies, can your man navigate the corners of life without tipping over? Can he be relied on to perform his role as head of the home during challenging times? Will he bail out on you when the going gets rough? Does he look to God for wisdom and strength to fulfill His God-given role? Examine the cart well before you place your 

What Does The Ideal Father Look Like?

I once heard a man say that people make far more fuss over Mother's Day than they do Father's Day. Well, according to statistics, Father's Day spending seems to be on the heels of Mother's Day figures by around five billion dollars. And Dad is not just getting neckties and socks anymore. He is getting high end products like ipads, cell phones and golf clubs.

That is all very good, but what do we want from Dad? When I listen to a lot of men speak, they don't seem to have had much of a relationship with their fathers. And that's a shame, because fathers are, or ought to be, the backbone of the home - the one who keeps it from falling apart. It is no secret that children from homes where the father is absent, physically or emotionally, are more likely to drop out of school and/or end up in jail or on the streets. Sadly, a disproportionate number of African American homes fall into this category.

So what does the ideal father do to keep his home strong and stable? As always, the answers are in the Bible. The ideal father:

1. Builds his house upon the rock. Jesus said, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7: 24 - 25).

What was Jesus referring to? He was referring to the storms of life that we all inevitably experience. The father who builds his house on the foundation of God's word does not have to fear the storms. His house will remain strong, no matter how much the storms rage.

2. Demonstrates love. Not just to his kids, but to those around him. He treats his wife like a queen; he does not abuse her or speak harshly to her, but loves her "as Christ loves the church." When his sons see that, they will follow his example. The ideal father demonstrates love to his children by the way he disciplines them - with love. The Bible says, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath : but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6 : 4).

3. Gives. The ideal father gives to his family, his community and his church. He is not mean or stingy, but gives liberally of all that he has. He works hard to provide well for his family, but he also gives of his time. No amount of toys or gifts can replace the time a man spends with his family. The father who takes his sons fishing, his wife and/or daughters to the mall (yes, to the mall) or just hangs out with them on a weekend is more appreciated than the one who lavishes them with expensive gifts and then disappears until Sunday night. 

Being a father is no easy task, neither is it to be taken for granted. In order to be a good father a man needs to be equipped. There is only one training manual for that - the word of God. Fathers, read it daily. Feast on it day and night. Pray to God; He is the only ideal Father, but if you ask Him, He will give you the wisdom and strength to fulfill this exciting role. Call on Him today. Happy Father's Day! 

Are You Concerned About Your Appearance?

I would hazard a guess that most people would reply 'yes' to the question above. After all, it's the culture we live in. Every minute of the day we are bombarded with ads showing us how to be more beautiful. We spend a small fortune on everything from gym memberships, cosmetics and diet products. Even the women of the Bible must have looked like supermodels. Ruth caught Boaz's eye the first day she worked in his field; King Xerxes fell in love with Esther the moment he saw her; Rachel was "beautiful and well favoured". Even ninety-year-old Sarah was so beautiful, when she and her husband Abraham were traveling through Egypt, she was taken into the Pharaoh's house because of her beauty (Genesis 12 : 11 - 15).

Beautiful people seem to get the best breaks, regardless of the culture, but how much attention should you give to making and keeping yourself beautiful? Does God care whether you are beautiful or not? Well, He made you in His own image and likeness, therefore you will always be beautiful in His eyes, no matter what you or the world thinks.

Saul, king of Israel, was described as "a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9 : 2). However, when Saul disobeyed God, He sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse who had eight sons to anoint one of them king. Samuel looked at Eliab, the oldest, and thought he must be the chosen one. But God said to Samuel, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16 : 7). In the end God chose David, whom he later referred to as "a man after his own heart."

There is nothing wrong in being careful about your physical appearance. After all, if you are representing "the fairest of ten thousand", then you should try to look fair yourself. David was "ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to," ( v 12), but he did not count on his looks to get him what he wanted. When he went to fight Goliath he said, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts ..." (1 Samuel 17 : 45). Queen Esther fasted in order to find favor with the king; Ruth obeyed her mother-in-law's instructions and secured herself a wealthy husband. Looks alone will not get what you want.

If you find yourself spending unnecessary time and/or money on your looks, consider the examples above. Being beautiful may get you where you want to go in this world, but it won't get you where you ought to be with God. If Jesus Christ lives in you, His beauty will shine through you and others will see it. Remember, you are made in His image and likeness. You are beautiful.

 

Which Gods Do You Worship?

A week ago I returned from an exciting cruise to the Adriatic. Our ports included several places in Greece, Croatia, Ephesus and Venice, Italy. The tour did not disappoint. I joined throngs of people exploring the wonders of the ancient world which, in some cases, have been excavated and preserved for our benefit. It was wonderful to see my history books, and the Bible, come alive.

Part of Poseidon's temple, Athens, Greece

Many of us chuckled as our guides recounted some of the stories of the gods who have graced the pages of Greek mythology. There is the popular story of the contest between Poseidon and the goddess Athena after whom Athens is named. She defeated Poseidon in becoming the god of the city by creating an olive tree  as a symbol of peace and prosperity on the earth.  Poseidon's gift of water, which later turned salty, was rejected by the king. Poseidon was known to be moody and bad-tempered, often seeking revenge on those who crossed him. The ruins of his temple can be seen in Athens, Greece.

Here I am standing in front of one of the gates of the Acropolis

Then there was Zeus, the supreme god, ruler of mankind, worshiped by Greeks. Zeus, unlike Poseidon, was usually fair in his dealings, but even he had his moods. In a good mood he would bless the world with beautiful weather; in a bad mood he would send rain, lightning and thunder. He must have been in a bad mood when we visited the ruins of his temple in Olympia, for it was raining when we got there.

What did I tell you about the rain? Near the temple of Zeus

But why am I telling you all this? Because as I said before, the Bible also came alive for me on this trip. Our guides in Ephesus and in Athens each mentioned the apostle Paul's work in those cities and how he was able to convert many people from paganism to Christianity.

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said , Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.  For as I passed by , and beheld your devotions , I found an altar with this inscription , TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship , him declare I unto you.  God that made the world and all things therein , seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; Acts 17: 22 - 26.

The Greeks, zealous as they were in their worship of many gods, were only too willing to hear about another god,  made an altar to the UNKNOWN GOD who, perhaps, might excel over their gods.  But Paul explained that the true God is not man-made.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.  And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now commandeth all men every where to repent : (v 29 - 30).

After Paul's teaching the Bible says,   "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked : and others said , We will hear thee again of this matter.  So Paul departed from among them.  Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed : among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them (v 32 - 34).

So, I ask you, which gods do you worship? Do you worship gods made by hands, as the ancient Greeks did, or do you worship the gods of this present world? Money, power, beauty, possessions? History has taught us that the gods of the ancient Greeks were just myths, invented by the minds of men who erected monuments to make them seem real. The God we worship requires no monument; in fact he forbids it. Exodus 20: 4. Neither is He moody. He is the same yesterday, and today and forever. Hebrews 13 : 8. He wants us to love Him and worship Him by faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Then one day we will see Him face to face. But until then, let's worship Him and only Him.

What's In Your Ziplock Bag?

In my last post I wrote about overcoming tiredness. I spoke about the busyness that has taken over our modern lifestyle, leaving us tired and irritable. If you did not read this post, you can read it here. Someone may argue that this cannot be helped, that our family, our work, our leisure pursuits all have to be taken care of, and that may be true, but when they begin to encroach on your relationship with God, then there is a problem.

When I first thought of writing this post, I visualized a ziplock bag full of little balls, representing the way we spend our time, each ball with a label, none of them having anything to do with God. There may even be a few ungodly balls.  Such is the life of a person who has allowed himself to be taken over by the things of the world. If you are a follower of Christ, your ziplock bag should contain more godly balls than secular ones.  

As a Christian, your first and utmost responsibility should be nurturing and strengthening your relationship with God. Everything else should take second place.

Jesus said, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10: 37).

On one occasion when He called a man to come and follow Him and the man asked to be allowed to first go and bury his father, Jesus replied, "Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead"( Matthew 8: 22).

Was Jesus being callous or uncaring? No. He was only trying to teach us how to prioritize our lives. He said, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat , or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on . Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" (Matthew 6 : 25).    

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (v 33).

In other words, put God first and everything else will fall into place.

 The danger in allowing ourselves to put other things first is that we don't realize when they begin to replace God in our lives. Like weeds in a garden, they can easily overgrow and choke out our godly lifestyle if we are not vigilant. Our family, our work, our interests are all important in themselves, but they should not be allowed to erode God's place in our lives. 

If you find yourself being too busy or too tired to pray, study the word or even go to church, then you are in trouble. Step back and take a critical look inside your ziplock bag today. If it's chock full of things that don't pertain to a godly lifestyle, toss them into the garbage and fill it with the things of God. 

How To Overcome Tiredness

When was the last time you took a break from your busy schedule to rest and spend some time with God? One of the complaints I hear very often is tiredness. In today's busy world with so many demands being made on our time, it's easy to become tired. And tiredness leads to irritability, frustration and eventually resentment at our way of life. God does not want His children to be tired all the time. In the book of Exodus, he commanded the children of Israel to rest.

Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest : that thine ox and thine ass may rest , and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed - Exodus 23: 12

Everyone, including the animals, had a time of rest. Later, God commanded that the land be allowed to rest.

And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat : and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat . In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. - v 10 - 11.

When He walked the face of this earth, He often called away His disciples for a time of rest and relaxation.

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going , and they had no leisure so much as to eat - Mark 6 : 31.

Jesus knew the benefits of rest to the human body. However, He also promised rest for the soul.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest . Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  Matthew 11 : 28 - 30.

Hebrews 4 : 3 states, For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said , As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 

If you find yourself being tired and irritable all the time, examine your lifestyle. Are you taking on too much? Are you reluctant to ask those around you for help? Do you find it difficult to say 'no' sometimes? Could you find an easier or simpler way of doing things? Are you a perfectionist?

Some or all of the above can contribute to a perpetual state of physical tiredness if we are not careful.  Mental or emotional tiredness is another matter. Sometimes we need a retreat from people and everyday situations. We need to get away from the crowds, as Jesus urged His disciples to do, so we can rest and refresh our souls.

As you meditate on the above scriptures, ask the Lord to show you how to deal with those areas of your life that are causing you tiredness, then do what He tells you to do.