Finding Laughter In Difficult Times

So, you’ve hugged until someone had to pry you apart.  You shed your last tears of joy or sadness, and now it’s time to let go.  There’s a time to say, “Now that I’ve held you, let me step back and look at you.”

That’s what God does: He’s looked at us from before creating us and has thought of how much joy we bring Him.  We can’t figure out why because we don’t see ourselves as He sees us. If we’re honest with ourselves, we know there’s nothing good in us.  Yet, He sees us outside of our sinful nature and as the perfect beings that He originally created us.

Having embraced us at the cross, having bled for us, and having been scourged, He took the nails before refraining from that embrace. In fact, it was His love for us that held Him on the cross. From a human perspective we can blame the Roman soldiers or the religious leaders for His death.  But both groups, and neither, was really responsible.  They were pawns in Satan’s hands as well as in the Father’s plans.  It was pure love that led Him there.

 With everything completed, He died in our place. But that was not the end!  Thinking on that great and marvelous heavenly reunion where He’ll embrace us anew throughout all eternity, He took back His life, and rose from the grave; never to return there, ever!  

So, like me, you may not be a hugger.  I’m sure you have your reasons, as I have mine.  So, why don’t I like embraces or hugs? At least here, in PR, at our church, when we were new there, back in 2001, when the pastor would tell us to go around and greet others, people went around hugging each other every week.  And every week, I was invisible to them.  They’d hug the person on one side of me and then go right around me to the next one.  They’d say, “Excuse me,” and go to people behind me or in front, but always ignored me.  Didn’t even say, “Hello.” 

Now, I know, some of you will think, “And that’s at church?!” The answer is “YES!!” But though I didn’t like it, I learned not to bother with it. I accepted the fact that I was not accepted.  I’m not a social person anyway, and if people don’t want to hug me, then don’t.  I don’t want hypocrisy.

Whether we naturally avoid hugs, or whether there’s a reason there, I’m sure there’s coming a day when all will be different. One thing’s for sure: Jesus’ embrace will be completely different.  It’ll be genuine and we’ll feel His strength, His overwhelming love, and the Father’s hands as well!  When there for all eternity, the Godhead’s embrace will melt every heart.  For now step away!  Refrain from embracing! Time to move on and let go!

God Bless,

Sam

Recommended video/song: Reason by LaRue

This one’s a tough one for me since I don’t like being embraced or embracing others.  Aside from my wife and three kids, I really don’t care to embrace or get embraced by others.  If I meet someone new and I sense we’re going to actually greet, I put out my hand to shake theirs. I cringe when someone lunges at me with a hug. I feel like, P-O-W! I think that’s where Batman & Robin got it from!  They fought crime and hugs!

A few days ago, my wife gave me a great big hug.  It felt good! I’ve hugged my oldest daughter a few times, (she also happens to dislike hugs), and the last time I did, it was like, one second long!  We both recoiled, like, that’s long enough!  If you’ve ever watched Mr. Monk on TV, there’s an episode where he reconnects with his brother, Ambrose.  When they hug, it’s more like each gives the other an invisible pat!  Very short-lived.

I do know there are benefits to embracing.  The warmth from another can be reassuring.  People in pain or experiencing loneliness, need to be held.  Being embraced, even for a few seconds conveys caring or sympathizing.  Something we can do is give others a hug from God.  We let them know He’s there to comfort them.  I’d like to think that when God was reconciling the world to Himself, He was embracing us, or drawing us near to Himself.

If you’re seeing someone you haven’t seen in a while, or  sending off someone you love, an embrace will do the job. Of course, there need not be a reason for embracing as in this (Puerto Rican) culture!  People hug and kiss every time they meet; day-after-day, with everyone they encounter.  I keep away! 

So, after embracing, now what? After counting your blessings, you’re on to the next special time.

God Bless!

Sam

Sometimes, people drift apart; even families separate. Growing up in the early 60s I felt a closeness to my family.  We lived in apartment 9 and my aunt lived in apartment 7.  She and her husband

My five older brothers dropped by often had 10 kids!  You read that right! Ten older kids.  The youngest was probably 8-12 years older than me.  Some, had kids of their own, which played with me.  A few years after the father died, they moved away, and a cousin moved in. I always had someone to play with., creating a close-knit atmosphere.  When my parents moved to Puerto Rico in 1984, they received lots of visits there from other relatives.  After my father passed, a few years later, the families ties were gone.  Although we visited our relatives, practically none visited us.  Been that way for about 30 years.

Families and friends can move away leaving us feeling empty. In fact, on more than one occasion, we received the “Good-bye Calls” from friends/family telling us the good news they were in our neighborhood and would love to have seen us, but were leaving tomorrow or were at the airport heading home.  Yeah, right. Those were courtesy calls in case someone who knew both parties would tell us, “Hey, you’ll never guess who I just saw…”

I’m pretty sure you’ve had your share of ghost family and friends. Maybe everyone’s walked out on you.  Or, maybe you can’t wait for others to leave you alone.  Life can be very tough.  Yet, there’s “A friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).  Jesus is the Friend that will never abandon us.  Through thick and thin, He’s always faithful.  Others will move away, die, betray us, deny us, blame us, treat us like trash, thrash us, even leave us to die; but Christ will sweep us up into His arms and tend our hurt and pain.

“Though my mother and my father forsake me, the LORD will take me in” (Psalm 27:10).

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

In general, people may have distanced themselves from us; likewise, we also may have moved away from God, yet, with open arms He awaits our return.

“Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 1:3b).

“For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return unto him” (2 Chronicles 30:9b).

Come on, return to Him NOW!

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1).

Close the gap!

Sam

How’s your week going? I can say I think we’ve had about two full weeks of running water since July 28.  Every 2-3 days, there’s a “reason” for not having water.  If it’s not because there’s no power where the water pumps are located, then it’s due to broken down parts or it’s due to heavy rains, or cleaning out the system, etc.  We’re glad no hurricanes came this year.  However, we’ve been getting storming weather.  We recently relocated our 1600-gal tank from the bottom of our road, to the top. It went from completely empty, to full-to-the-top after three rainfalls.  Honestly, we can depend more on the rain, than on the city for water.  And last night, it rained even harder than all the previous nights!

God has promised to send us rain and latter rain (Joel 2:23).  In my understanding for our times, the early rain meets our needs while the latter rain speaks of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit blessing us with God’s favor.  The emptier we are, and the dryer our spirits, the more God can pour in.  Sometimes, we’re running on empty and really thirst for His filling us.  Jesus satisfies our thirst for all things spiritual.  He’s the only fountain; the only water-source that quenches our thirsts.

Maybe you’re religious.  Maybe you observe the law and fulfill all the requirements, yet, still feel dry within.  You KNOW there’s got to be more, but you don’t know where to find it.  Scripture contains promises and mysteries that only Messiah could fulfill.  Jesus met them all!  According to Biblical scholars, He fulfilled between 300 and 570 Old Testament prophesies, including some 48 specific Messianic prophesies (https://firmisrael.org).

If only the Messiah could fulfill certain prophesies, how could a charlatan come through with accuracy?  How could a poor, unlearned, everyday young man, be so knowledgeable in the Word? Truth is, He came, the world missed Him.  Good news: He can still be found.  “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

God’s hidden scriptural messages revealed the hidden Messiah.  Unravel His mysteries now.  They’re embedded in the Old Testament; particularly, the book of Isaiah (Chapter 7:13,14 and Chapter 9:6,7; chapter 53).  He’s the Savior of the world, and waiting for you to open the Book of His life and receive Him into your life.  The Man of Living Water (John 7:37, 38) will pour Himself into you, and will satisfy your thirst for all time.  That’s a lot more than 1600 gallons!  He’ll fill you to overflowing.  Wait for the latter rain-the gift of the Holy Spirit in your life.

God Bless!
 Sam

We’re midway through To Everything There Is a Time and A Season (Ecclesiastes 3).  God has established seasons of life for us all; periods of adjustments and trials to prepare us for His Kingdom. Everyone pays a price for following Him. Going through the trials with Him by our sides, and with our focus on Him, will get us to His presence where we’ll live in heaven eternally in peace without pain or tears.  Out earthly trials will seem trivial compared to the joys and splendor of heaven.  We’ll forever be in His presence in the midst of His angels and all His glory never to get sick again or be bothered by evil.

Review the first 14 “Times” and think of how precious our times with Him can be as we soon delve into the remaining 14.

“My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me” (Psalm 31:15).

For now, I’ll share regular posts.

God Bless!

Sam  

Decades ago, watching a log cabin being built on a TV show, Home Time, the lady, Joanne Liebler was gathering stones for the fireplace hearth when she said something like, “How ironic that decades ago, these stones were discarded off the property, and now we’re collecting them for a fireplace.”  The stones that had once been cast away, were now being gathered.

Look at it as acquiring new clothing; just a bit heavier!  And, since it’s stones, now is the time to gather them. As I previously wrote, there are stones of remembrance; markers of new events in our lives, as in new beginnings. They’re like a height chart for kids to see if they’ve grown. It’s time to gather stones of good memories.  It’s time to forge ahead.  God’s always at work.  He’s not stagnant.  He’s always on the move.

In 1 Samuel 7:12, it is recorded that on one occasion as Samuel was offering a burnt offering to God, the Philistines sought to attack Israel, but the LORD intervened. Samuel then gathered a stone and “set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Up to here, the LORD has helped us.”

God is here to help you all the days of your life as long as you give Him your life and your heart.  In fact, one stone you don’t want to gather, is a heart of stone.  We’ve all had one at some point.  “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

God is near as you gather stones together.

God Bless,

Sam

Recommended Song: No Stone to Throw-Sierra

Sometimes in life, we need to rid ourselves of unwanted/unneeded things.  We need to cast away stones from our lives or from our properties.  It’s good to dispel things such as foolishness and gossip; things that bind us and restrict our growth.  We need to purge ourselves. If we’re moving or building, there’s a time to cast away unnecessary junk, and only use the essentials.

Jesus once told the religious leaders that the stone the builders cast away (rejected), was now become the corner stone (Mark 12: 10,11).  In other words, the way I once heard it, sometimes a corner stone for a building foundation is found but pushed aside because it doesn’t seem like it’ll work; yet, in the end, its’ the one that works after all.  The people had rejected Jesus because He didn’t fit their vibe; He didn’t follow the patterns they followed and He didn’t walk in their footsteps.  He stirred the crowds with new teachings.  But they weren’t new at all.  He was bringing His Word to life.  He wasn’t wrong at all because, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us…” (John 1:1,2,3,14a).

Meaning, Jesus is the actual Word of God materialized in the flesh!  If there was a written law and that law became flesh, then everything that person would say, would actually be the law itself. Although, He was the stone the people cast away, He was the True Foundation to everything in their lives; their beliefs as God’s Chosen Deliverer and the Messiah whom they awaited; and still is!  He’s always been the stone they needed.

As today’s idiom goes, “Throw out the baby with the bathwater.”  The hope of their salvation was cast out due to the hardness of their hearts.  Scripture was alive and being fulfilled before their very eyes, yet they failed to see it, thus casting Him too.

There are stones of remembrance, sometimes, evil, that we can do without.  Those stones of bad memories may be like giants in your life choking you of joy, stability, etc. needing to be cast away. Today, we can cast all our cares and worries before Him. Cast them out right now, in Jesus’ name!

Until next time when we gather…

Sam

Recommended Song: Cast Down Your Cares-John Michael Talbot

“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent” (Psalm 30:11,12 ESV).

When one stands before the presence of Almighty God, we can prostrate ourselves before Him, stand in awe, jump and leap  with exuberant joy, or dance out of excitement.  For some, Jehovah, is a straight-faced, extremely serious God who never shows His teeth. He doesn’t laugh, wears a frown, isn’t moved by our antics, and drinks lemon juice all day long (a sourpuss). He is viewed as one to be revered in utter silence.  And if we sing, it’s monk-style chants.  If we rejoice, we dare not smile.  As I shared a few years ago, the praise and worship leader of our NY-based church, had a special dance for him and his wife.  His father, a pastor at another church, grabbed his wife’s hand, and told his group something like, let’s go to be with real Christians, as they exited the event.

 NEWS-FLASH!! God’s alive!!  Always has been!  “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:19). 

There are millions of reasons for desiring to dance and leap before His presence!! He’s not a dead God.  Now, we’re not talking about sensual dances, here.  We’re talking about adoration, gratitude, worship, thanksgiving, etc… A grateful heart cannot contain the joy that comes from knowing you’re saved.  Additionally, knowing your name is written in heaven is doggone good enough for dancing before Him!  

Look at it this way, every year near Christmastime, some well-off man heads out to some Walmart and pays off up to $20,000 in dept for unsuspecting customers.  Some owe a little, others owe a lot.  Almost everyone has a story to tell; one may have lost a job, another doesn’t know how to pay their rent; another might be unable to get their kids gifts, etc…But when they hear their debt has been paid off, they’re exuberant! Imagine!!  Your debt of sin has been paid off by Jesus!!!  That’s a whole lot more than any outstanding debt!  It’s a debt no man can pay off on their merits.  You should be having the greatest Christmas boogie of all time!

King David’s wife, Michal, probably viewed God as described above-boring and unmoved, which caused her to judge and criticize the King.  For that, she remained barren all her life.  It’s better to dance!

So, go before Him now.  Thank Him for all His wonderous gifts, including forgiveness of sins and His love for you. Receive His acceptance by faith. In confidence, dance before Him!  If you’re in a rush, dance the Hustle!  Otherwise, slow-dance before Him as you enjoy His presence!

“Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry.  I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:13).

God Bless!
“let them praise his name in the dance:” (Psalm 149:3a).

Sam

Though not mentioned in scripture, I’m very sure Adam and Eve mourned their severance from the beautiful Garden of Eden and their separation from God.  I’m sure they probably kicked themselves for their actions.  Although it wasn’t completely their fault as far as having pre-conceived knowledge of the consequences is concerned; their job was simply to obey God’s command: “Thou shalt not eat of the tree of good and Evil, for in the day you do, you shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

They didn’t know what sin was.  They didn’t know what separation from God meant.  And they had never seen death. Not only did they regret their choice, they also mourned the death of one of their little ones.  See, however many years transpired before the fall, Adam & Eve enjoyed the company of God’s creatures.  After the fall, God sacrificed a lamb to clothe their shame (Genesis 3:21).  Their sin, disobedience, produced “spiritual” death: separation from God.  There was now discord between them.  That’s where humanity stands today: dead spiritually.  The naysayers claim contradictions in scripture because our first parents didn’t experience physical death.  But they died spiritually, and were as dead as those writing those things, are.

From having it all, they went to being homeless with a broken relationship with God.  The pure, unrivaled fellowship they had, was gone.  His angels and creatures, were in a different realm now.  They now experienced hunger, fear, sadness, loneliness, and remorse. The very animals they petted, would soon attack them. And farming would never be the same (Romans 8:22; Genesis 3:17-21).  Sin seeped into every facet of life.

Today, thousands of people have broken fellowship with God.  In that sense, their homeless.  They don’t tabernacle with Him anymore.  What things were blessings, are now curses. Many mourn the death of that relationship as well as that of dearly departed ones.  Mourning is real.  It hurts deeply.  God wants us to have periods of mourning, but life must go on. I’ve known people who have mourned for more than a decade or two. After its season, it’s time to move on with God’s help.

Life’s changing seasons help us adjust and go on living. We can’t take back our sins, but fortunately, Jesus took them all to the cross for us!  Where man disobeyed God in the garden, Jesus, in a garden nailed them there on a tree and redeemed us to Himself. 

What’s that? If you were Adam or Eve, Jesus is saying, “Yo, come back! I’ve made it all right with the Father.” “I’m the perfect Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, and I love you so much, I’ve laid down my life for you.”  “Yeah, yeah, I’ve reestablished the broken lines of communication.”  “Come on, let’s fellowship with a clean conscience, as if nothing ever happened between us.”  That’s the Good News!

It’s time to change that mourning into…

Sam

AHHH, it’s here, it’s finally here!  It’s a time to laugh, though not everyone likes to laugh.  When teaching in New York, I had a supervisor who’d tell me different things needing to be done.  She would also point out negative things she’d seen around the room.  I’d laugh.  She’d get upset and say, “Why do you laugh?”  “What’s so funny?” I told her a few times, “It’s either laugh or cry, so I rather laugh.  The expectancies were ridiculous. 

My wife often says, “Ha, ha. Very funny.” She doesn’t always laugh.  Same thing with our oldest daughter (arms in casts) but, they do have their moments, and when they laugh, they laugh hard. I guess it’s accumulated laughter.

“Laughter is like taking a good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). We don’t always want to have a prune-face, or be a sour-pus.  Laughter offsets the sad and hurtful things going on in our lives.  It reminds us of better times; both from the past, and those to look forward to.  Laughter says, this ordeal is over!  People in scripture laughed.

“Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear” (Genesis 17:17)?

When 90-year-old Sarah was told she’d have a baby, she laughed (Genesis 18:12)! What woman wouldn’t?

“And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6).

Imagine the Hebrews, who after 430 years of slavery, were now set free!  Their expressions are quoted below:

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them” (Psalm 126:2).

Are you still doubting you should have anything to laugh about?

 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.  Blessed are ye that weep, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21).

My wife and I recently laughed at something our youngest daughter shared. As a family of bookworms, it was only natural that during the passing of hurricane Helene, our two daughters along with two kids and a husband of one of them, shelter-in-place in the laundry room to read.  The youngest picked out a book for her sister.  It was one she gifted her when she married-13 years ago!  Having never read it she didn’t remember she had it.  She enjoyed it so much, she wished there were more. Ta-da, her sister had 7 more for her to enjoy!  She was hooked!

That’s life; we’re sometimes so busy, we don’t find time to enjoy good times or the gift of laughter.  Now, I’m not in any way promoting the silliness of just laughing like you’re nuts, and claiming it’s the Holy Spirit. Laugh at funny things.  Laugh at things you do, or mistakes you make.  Laugh at life.

One of my brother’s funny verses is, Song of Solomon 6:11: “I went down to the garden of nuts…”  He always said crazy people lived there!

We’ve had a ton of trials.  Most, not funny at all.  But we’ve learned to laugh at some of them.  Here’s a pic. from late night, June 5^th, 1981, hours before we tied the knot!  We don’t recall the joke, but know it had to do with chicken, since we bought a box of 26 whole chickens for $28! That would be our wedding meal with all the other goodies cooked by our church friends.  Evidently, we were having a blast!

Laugh while you can!

Sam