Hello friends! Thank you for praying for my son Ryan as he fights brain cancer. On May 22, I published a blog about waiting through the surgery. I got quite a response to that blog. Many people shared their concern for Ryan and our family. I wanted to write an update.

He is going through chemo and radiation. He is tired but seems to be feeling pretty good. He has healed up from the surgery, and all is going well. His doctors are positive and believe this treatment will stop the cancer. There is hope for a great future and positive outcome for Ryan. It seems that he will be able to live a full life with his wife and little girl. Praise God.

So with this hope in his heart, he is persevering through the difficulties that weeks of radiation and months of chemotherapy bring. He has a hope that gives him strength through the difficulties of the near term. In spite of the physical discomfort, he continues to keep a positive mental attitude. He will overcome.

As I reflected on this situation, the Lord used it to remind me that I can persevere. I can overcome near-term difficulties because there is a great hope set before me. Paul reminded Timothy that he should persevere because we have a future hope. “train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:7–10, ESV)

Our hope is God, the All-Powerful Creator, who will one day free us from all sin and the pain that it brings. So we strive for godliness, knowing that we are not healthy yet, but one day we will be free from the sickness of sin. We have a future hope.

Peter writes to the believers dispersed around the world who are suffering persecution and anti-Christian sentiment. He acknowledges difficulties and trials. He also reminds them of the hope they have in Jesus. The encouragement to continue on is based in that fact that there is a future hope in Jesus. “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13, ESV)

I can be optimistic in the face of today’s suffering because there is hope for a bright future. I will persevere and do the difficult things today because there is healing in the process. I will refrain from discouragement because God promises a bright outcome.

Thanks for the example Ryan.

I was sitting in the break room enjoying a few quiet moments when Jeff came in. He said that Ramon had suggested that he talk with me because I was religious. I wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but it intrigued me. Ramon knew I was a Christian, but I didn’t think he held any set of religious beliefs. It seemed odd that he would suggest that Jeff talk with me.

Well, Jeff wanted to know how come the Bible is a book full of a bunch of rules that are impossible to follow. After some discussion, it became clear that he viewed the Bible as a rule book and only a rule book. In an angry diatribe Jeff let me know how upset he was with God, his parents, his church, and with the Bible.

I almost started to cry. Jeff had learned about religion, but he had not learned about the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He hadn’t heard the gospel, the good news. Somebody had taught Jeff that he had to live by God’s rules and standards to be accepted by God, but he found the task impossible.

He asked me how I could believe in a God that had all those rules. He wanted to know how I could believe in a God who had such high expectations that we could never make him happy. He wanted to know why I was a Christian.
I felt so sad for him, and I was not sure how to answer him. He had obviously been hurt by the spiritual oppression he had lived under. I wanted Jeff to know the God that I know. I wanted him know that the Bible was so much more than a book of rules.

So that day, in that break room, I told Jeff that I didn’t think the Bible was a rule book. I told him that the Bible was the greatest love story ever told. I shared John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” I told Him that Jesus loved us so much that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).

Jeff seemed unfazed by my enthusiasm for the good news of Jesus love for us. He asked if I followed rules. I shared that I did follow Biblical guidelines and commands because I knew that a Loving Father instituted them for my health, safety, and protection. I didn’t obey out of fear of further condemnation.

I told Jeff that God wants us to know His great love for us, a love that is so deep it is beyond our knowledge or comprehension (Eph 3:17-19). He didn’t say too much, but he didn’t argue either. I sat there praying that some of this would sink in and Jeff would come to know Jesus as his own personal Savior. He spoke to me often during the time we worked together. I kept encouraging him to read the Bible and see how often God’s love takes center stage. I don’t know if he ever did.

As far as I know, Jeff still doesn’t know Jesus. But I had a chance that day to share the Good News, the gospel. The good news is that Jesus loves us so much that he died for us. He died even though we were in disobedience and didn’t follow any rules. He didn’t expect us to follow the rules to earn love or forgiveness. He gave love and forgiveness because He is God and “God is Love.” “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16, ESV)

Dear friends may I challenge you this week to share the Good News with someone around you? Many people are confused like Jeff. They can’t understand why we want to be Christians, because they believe it is a religion of rules. Share with them that being a Christian isn’t about rules, it is about God’s love for us. God proposes to enter a covenant relationship with us for eternity. An intimate, loving relationship is waiting for all who respond to the loving offer and accept the free gift of salvation from our gracious and loving God.

Seriously, if might makes right, then some of the most notorious characters in history must be deemed moral, ethical and correct. Ok, so most of us know better than to believe the person in power is always right. We have been under dictatorial leadership and have suffered for their wrongs. But how prevalent is this view in practice.

Let’s start at the top of the earthly chain of command. The president seems to be above the law. He is powerful so what he does is right. We as a people do not hold him accountable for moral, ethical or correct decisions. Like the recent prisoner exchange. Most Americans believe the president was wrong and have questioned the morality of the decision. But in this case, the presidents might and power was the final say. His words were, “I make no apologies for it. It was a unanimous decision among my principals in my government…”

How about the IRS? The leadership can “lose” month’s worth of emails that would shed light on the scandal they are facing. No conscious, no concern, no remorse, but you better believe you will be expected to save all of your papers, documents and files or face severe penalties and fines at their whim.

Then we can look at church leaders. Many throughout history have harmed people because they had the power to do so. They believed might makes right. Jim Jones, the Spanish Inquisition, extorting parishioners by selling forgiveness, the horrors of pedophilia by church leaders, and the list goes on. Too often people in authority use their might to justify their behavior. I have the power so I can do what I want.

I started this blog, because I have a supervisor that believes this. She declares it loudly be her commands, behavior, and attitudes daily. I do not think she would admit to it if you asked her. But neither do I believe that most people on this list would have agreed that they are right because they have the power. They would have other defenses and arguments. But whether it is stated or not, without God and his moral standards, power leads to might makes right.

I realized that most people, once they get a little might, they lord it over the ones lacking power. This is even true close to home, in fact in the home. Many parents dictate rules and behaviors based on the principle that might makes right. The children need to obey at the whim of the parents because the parents are the parents, not because the parents are right. When the children grow up, and they have the power, they conquer and force others into subservience. It is their turn to dominate.

This kind of leadership and dominance really aggravates me. In fact, it aggravates everyone being dominated. That’s because it is sin. Dictatorial leadership is against the nature of God, and our conscious reveals the immorality of it. We all rebel against this kind of authority, and yet when we get power it is easy to succumb to the temptation to lord it over.

Jesus teaches a different way. He teaches a better way. He teaches a moral and ethical way. Jesus taught and exemplified servant leadership. “And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” (Mark 10:42–45, ESV)

Today, I want to lead differently. I want to serve and exemplify moral and ethical behavior, morals and ethics that are founded in the truth of God and not on my whims. I also want to view those in leadership differently. If they are living a habitual might makes right lifestyle, they probably don’t know Jesus. Oh, the pity and compassion I must have and show, for they are without hope, without true joy, they lack peace and contentment: they are eternally lost. Lord I pray that today they might be saved!

““For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” (Matthew 25:14–15, ESV)

I was reading the parable of the talents. I know in the Bible times; this was talking about currency or money. But as I read it, I thought about the word talent in the modern sense. It made me think about many talented people that I know and have known.

Many people have done great things by using their talents for the Kingdom of God. They have invested wisely, and the investment paid off in eternal dividends. But sadly, some have not used their talents faithfully for the Lord. I sometimes wonder if I am as faithful as I should be. This passage got me to thinking about that. I decided to look closer to see how I could improve my investments for the Kingdom.

The first thing I noticed was that the man in charge was entrusting his servants with his possession. He was entrusting them as he saw fit. It is also evident that he knew their abilities. He went away, but they knew he would return.

Each servant was allowed to choose what he would do with the gifts left in his charge. He did not have to give an accounting day by day. After a time, the master returned and then the day of reckoning was at hand. Each gave an account for how he used his gift.

The servants who had a return on their master’s investment over the long haul were rewarded. The one who hid his gift and did nothing with it lost his gift. Not only did he lose the talent, he was reprimanded for being slothful. In other words, he was in trouble for being lazy.

So applying this to my life, I realized that anything that I have and all that I am belong to the Master. They are not my possessions. He has entrusted His gifts to me for a time period. He knew my abilities and what gifts would be most appropriate for me, and those are the talents I possess.

There was a lot of freedom in how to use the talents. The only wrong option it seemed was to do nothing. We are allowed to use our gifts in a variety of ways as long as we are ready to give an account to the Master when he comes. We must do something.

It is also implied that a return can be made, maybe not each and every day, but over the long term. The investments need to be made consistently and regularly. If an opportunity is missed, it is not the end of the world. Each day brings new opportunity and a chance to devote our talents to God. We are not micromanaged moment by moment. God wants us to be consistent over the long term. But be careful, days can easily slip away and become years of inactivity.

There is a reward for this. I will be rewarded when the Master comes. Those that continue faithfully and make a profit for Jesus will receive a bonus. What a great incentive to get busy and use my talents for the Lord. He has given me time; He has given me a gift; He has purposed a plan; And He plans to reward me.

So what can I do better today? I can continue faithfully, seeking to advance the Kingdom of my Master. I can invest the gifts that have been given to me and see over time the interest will build. I can look forward to the day that I present the profit to the Master and enjoy the rewards He bestows on me.

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:23, ESV)

This weekend while I was playing “Words With Friends,” I was trying to use up my last few letters. I found a place I could fit a few remaining tiles in and spell “rot.” Then I realized I could substitute the “r” for a “j” and get a lot more points, solidifying a win! That one small substitution changed the game. It went for being a nail bitter, to me handily winning. Substituting that one point tile for a ten point tile on a triple point space made all the difference.

Some friends and family came over on Friday night. I cooked some food. I didn’t know how many people were going to eat, so I decided to cook a lot of potatoes. My thought was they are filling, and I had plenty. I also knew they would be easy to use for other meals if I had leftovers.

I decided I wanted fried potatoes. I began chopping the onion and pulled out some oil to fry it in. I started to cut up the potatoes. Then I remembered that I had a can of bacon grease in the fridge. I put the oil away and fried everything in bacon grease. Bacon grease was not the healthiest substitution, but it was a delicious one. I received many compliments on the potatoes, and I had very few leftovers.

So what have I learned from this? A good substitution can be the difference between winning and losing. It can also be the difference between good and great. And thinking about it, the right substitution can be the difference between life and death.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23–26, ESV)

At one point many years ago, I learned that Jesus had died on the cross. I learned that He did this because I had sinned and owed a debt to God that I could not repay. The sin I had committed against a Holy God required the death penalty. Tis penalty was an eternal death, separated from all the goodness that is embodied in the character of God.

I also learned of Jesus substitutionary atonement. Simply stated, that means that Jesus had died in my place. This substitution paid the debt I owed. I found that although it is hard to believe, it truly is that simple. God loved me so much that He Himself, came to become the sacrifice, the substitute for me. All I am required to do is believe. It is easy. It is as easy as switching a “j” for an “r”, or using bacon grease instead of oil.

The substitution of Jesus for me proves that God is just, but also that God is love. What does that mean for me? It means that I am a winner. That one change, trusting Jesus, changed the game. I am an eternal winner.

The substitution of Jesus also means that my life has added flavor. He came so I could have eternal life, but he also came so I could enjoy this life abundantly (John 10:10). People may look at my life and think it looks similar to everyone else’s, but this simple substation adds something special. Until it is tasted, people can’t understand. Once it is tasted, you will never again be content with the blandness of the old way.

Just wanted you to know that this free substitution is available to you too! For more information about Jesus free gift of salvation, you can contact me. I would also recommend a wonderful video by Pastor Rick Warren. You can find it at http://rickwarren.org/know-god