Month: March 2024

 The holiest week of the year will soon be upon us. This is a good time to clear up some misunderstood things. During Moses’ time with Israel, God instructed him to have the people sanctify themselves before Him. That’s a word that scares people. Gives them the “Willie-Nillies.” God sought His people to separate themselves for His service and presence. It’s similar to an athlete about to make a jump, or run a race, or take a shot. They will focus on what they’re about to do.  Ridding ourselves of distractions before Him, is to be dedicated to His voice and His presence in our lives.

In the midst of a wilderness, a barren land, in a desert area, Israel initially learned to pursue God, but then left Him by the wayside. In our often-barren lives; broken through relationships and dried-out experiences, we can pursue God.  When dry winds blow, when winter chills run through our bones, and snow clouds our thinking, His ear is always attentive.

Many of us will be focusing on God next week as we recall Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, known as Palm Sunday.  One can go from “Holy Moly” and “Holy Cow,” to pure holiness before God’s throne room. His presence is void of sin and uncleanliness. Nothing but myriads of angelic beings worshipping Him voicing “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Revelations 4:8) back and forth amongst them permeates the ambience. God’s holiness descends upon His people when we enter into His presence individually or corporately.  Want a teeny taste of His holiness? Tag along this week as we visit Jesus’ last days on earth with His loved ones.  Confess your sins before Him, and receive Him into your heart today through repentance, and experience His holiness.  He hears repentant sinners!                                                            “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear you” (Isaiah 59:1,2).  

God Bless,

Sam

Been to a concert lately? Not what you expected? Music too loud? Vocals off? Too rock-ish? Not enough? Boring? Yawning? Too far back and you couldn’t see? Sat right in front of the mammoth speakers?
Visited a museum and it was a big disappointment? No huge dinos…?
Checked out an art gallery and walked away feeling, ehhh…? My 3-yr. old can do better.
Dated that “hot” person and thought you’d melt, but instead, they were cold? They were snobbish?
Your “Dream job” not as thrilling as it sounded? More of a nightmare?
Lots of us have been there.
Some people think of heaven with the same thoughts of disappointment they’ve grown to expect. Maybe you picture yourself filing your nails after biting them off and spitting out pieces, thinking, “Oh God! will this ever change?” Maybe Went to a concert, but it wasn’t what you expected? Music too you’re all right. Heaven will not be what you expected. It’ll be thousands of times better!
We can’t even imagine it. From dazzling light shows to breath-taking views, every area visited will be spectacular.
With no death, no sorrow, no sickness, no lies, no deceit, no crime, no evildoers, but a lifetime of God’s presence wherever we go, heaven will be the place to be at!
Definitely, heaven will not be what you expected.
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev.21:25-27).
“Outside the city are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves falsehood” (Rev 22:15).
But unlike museums, concerts, or shows, tickets will not be available for purchase at the door. They must be acquired in advance-NOW! Jesus purchased billions in advance at a hefty cost: leaving His glory, taking upon Himself your sins, suffering for them even though he was innocent, and dying in your place on a cross to guard you from having to lay your life at the altar of sacrifice to appease God’s demand for sin.
Claim your ticket NOW. “Today is the day of salvation” (2Corinthians 6:2b). Limited Time Offer! You can die at any moment and be lost forever.
NOTE* Only One ticket Per Person
God Bless,
Sam

Growing up, we always carried patches on our bike trips because now and then, we’d get a flat tire. Over time, people used all-rubber tires, or sew-ups. But, overall, we had patches throughout our tubes, which sometimes, looked like Puerto Rico’s roads! Some roads have 47 patches in a span of 200 yards! It’s patches after patches!  In fact, I think the island should be called, “Patcho Rico” in Spanish, or “Patches Rico” in English!  Nevertheless, patches are well-known for other things, as on clothing, such as pants, shirts, on elbows on jackets. Reminds me of the 70’s song, “Patches” by Clarence Carter.

In life, we can transition from one event to another, or connect things such as floorings or counter tops in a seamless fashion; practically, continuous.  No patchwork!

In scripture, we’re told of at least two coats that were seamless: Joseph’s, and Jesus.’ Being seamless meant they were whole; woven through.  In other words, one couldn’t patch them up.

In life, we can get tangled up with all types of issues from pre-marital unions, to drugs, extra-marital affairs, and so much more.  When life catches up with us, we sometimes try to fix the problems with little patches.  Just as in Westerns (movies) when someone got shot, a torniquet was applied.  It helped stop the blood issue, but didn’t solve the real problem-a bullet buried deep within skin, needing to be removed.

Are you trying to patch up your life? Trying to patch up mistakes?  People want to try to get to heaven by patching up their lives.

Here’s a CLUE: You’ll NEVER ask Jesus into your life as long as you’re waiting to get your life ready on YOUR OWN.  If you could, you wouldn’t need Him!  If we could straighten out our lives before asking Him into it, why need Him?

We can’t patch up our mistakes and we can’t sew them up either.  The fact that their coats were seamless tells us God was in charge.  Only He can make us whole. Only Jesus can transition our lives from what it is/where it’s at, to where He wants to take us.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse” (Matthew 9:16).

 Only through Him, can others see us and remark at how “all-together” our lives seem.  See, it’s better to forego the patchwork and start afresh.  Besides, we tend to easily tear our garments (lives), but Jesus gives us new ones (new life) that resists Satan’s punctures.  Allow Jesus to dress you with His righteousness!

“I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with his garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61: 10,11).

No patches, no sew-ups, no flats, not my will, not my ways, but His!

God Bless!
Sam

In recent years, the lure of riches and extravagant living has made its way from athletes, movie stars, and pop stars, to pastors and church-goers.  Throughout church history one thing remains the same: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Today, some of Jesus’ followers, have missed one of God’s most important messages: “He has shown thee, oh man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8).

Jesus has always been our example on how to live. Notice that when the young, rich ruler came to Him asking what he needed to do for eternal life, Jesus didn’t put His arm around him and say, “Oggie, my son, today’s your lucky day; you’re going to save both of us by sharing your wealth with Me.” That’s something some of today’s “men of God” would probably do. Jesus told him to sell everything & share his wealth with the poor (Matthew 19:16).

We have leaders walking around with half-a-mil dollars in jewelry.  Others, can’t function without dishing out millions for personal planes.  Jesus’ message to all has been clear: be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5).  Our purpose on earth is to glorify Him by what we do-& how we do it. We’re to bring people into His kingdom by showing them Jesus, not our extravaganza.

Our church group once went on a short mission’s trip from New York to New Jersey to help out a church.  In visiting a neighborhood, a black woman told a Puerto Rican lady from our group that she was happy in God because she had good & fancy sneakers. Our group lady told her, “These, these old sneakers? You want them? Let’s trade right now.” And the lady said, “Sure!” And they traded.

That was a great testimony.  Would that lady then serve God, since she now had “good, fancy” sneakers?

Here’s the issue: Our riches await us in heaven where rust does not corrupt and where thieves do not break in to steal them (Matthew 6:19-21), while we live modestly here (Hebrews 13:5).  However, greedy, selfish, and prideful people don’t want to wait for heaven.  Unfortunately for them, they will lose out when they get to heaven- if they do.

Oh, the riches that await us there!  People here will kick themselves when they see/hear the abundance of riches in God’s house and think of how they lost out through greed/deception, misappropriation of petty riches and fool’s gold on earth.

Words of wisdom: Don’t Do It! Wait on God for a lifetime opportunity of living with Him. For kicks, He’ll toss in heavenly riches like the sand on our beaches.

God Bless,

Sam

Growing up, guys on our block that couldn’t play, bike, run, or throw a Frisbee, were called scrubs.  We had one or two. These were the ones that couldn’t catch a ball, hit a ball, throw one, or even run to save their grannies.  They were wimps.  Now, I know that today those are considered “harsh” words maybe even “hate” words, and may cause some guys to shed tears.  I had a fifth grader tell me, “Mister, she looked at me.” Wow, big deal!  But we didn’t grow up like that. Heck, there were girls that could shame guys. They could shoot (baskets) better, run faster, hit “killers” in handball, even pick up a guy and do bench-presses with him!  So, if a guy didn’t want to be beaten by a runny-nose, skinny-legged, freckle-faced girl, he had to man-up, for fear of being called a scrub.   

I mean, when we played, guys said, things like: “My Momma can play better than that.” Others would respond with “My grandma can hit better than you” A typical response might be, “Bring her out here!” and a response to that would be, “I don’t want to shame you publicly.” Someone would say, “Your grandma wears combat boots! “ …and…“That’s how tough she is!”

But, that’s not the kind of scrub I want to focus on!  Too late! Shortly after my dad retired and my mom continued working, he took over the kitchen. Having been a cook in the military, he cooked (deliciously) and washed dishes, etc. One time he decided to scrub clean all the pots and pans.  With a wire-brush, dishwashing solution, and a Brillo pad, he turned those pot bottoms into spanking, new-looking cookware!

When mom arrived and saw one particular pot, she couldn’t believe it.  She said, “NO!” I ran to see the problem.  It was a copper-clad-bottom pot! Not anymore!

Sometimes, we can look at our lives and think, “I don’t want to be a scrub, or a nobody.  I want to be able to accomplish things.” And sometimes, we can accept the conditions our lives are in.  We might have problems here and there.  On the other hand, all may be dandy, yet an emptiness lingers in the back of our heads; we hear it in the silence of the night. Deep in our hearts we know there’s got to be more to this life than what we see or have.

If our sins are holding us back, or pulling us down, we might want to scrub ourselves clean to be right in God’s eyes.  But it doesn’t work. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse us.

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.  With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You” (Psalms 119:9-11).

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:7,8,9).

So, whether you’re a scrub in sports, are scrubbing your knees or your wife’s pots and pans (be careful!), you can’t scrub your dirty sins away.  Heed God’s word.  Only His blood sacrifice (already done), is accepted by God.  Accept it in your life and you’ll be spanking-clean!

God Bless!
Sam

Do you know any rejects?  Growing up, way before school uniforms were required, or in vogue, we wore what we wanted to school. The show-offs would have genuine brands or items. Guys wore “Knits”-knitted shirts that looked like a Polo shirt but came in colors and varying designs.  They also wore silk, or mohair pants with leather Playboy shoes or Hush-Puppies. Most of us, however, wore what those guys referred to as “rejects.” They were knockoffs. They cost less but looked identical.

In sports, if you couldn’t hit the ball, catch, or throw, you were a reject, a scrub, or a fish; someone no one wanted on their team. There was no social media, yet everyone knew where they stood.  But, with each new game, one had the chance at redemption; you could get out of being a reject and become a “homeboy,” someone who “had it.”

In Jesus’ day, the world was bursting at the seams with rejects.  It had nothing to do with sports or clothing.  For one, the religious officials tended to look down upon those who were not as prestigious as they.  For another, God had stipulations in His law outlining who was allowed into His temple and who wasn’t.  His stipulations included types of sacrifices to be offered by those who were lame, blind, crippled, leprous, etc.  There was no way of escaping one’s identity or social status.

God saw that man used his ability of “keeping the law” as a tool to keep others down. He didn’t like it.  He rebuked the religious leaders and grew closer to the rejects.  And, he had other plans!  He made a way for everyone!  He leveled the playing field!

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God allowed sinless Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and died willingly in our place.  Did so, so that we’d all become like Him.

NO MORE A REJECT! You’re now the real thing-once you accept His sacrifice for you on the cross! No one can push you away, not even God!

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

THE REAL THING,

God Bless,

Sam

If you’ve ever listened to the song, My True Story (1961) by the Jive Five, you know it says,

“Now they must cry, cry, cry, whoa

Their blues away (cry, cry, cry their blues away).”

People say, “Color me green, or color me purple,” because of how they feel.  But everyone can be colored blue at some point in their lives.  We’ve all been through the blues.  We’ve all experienced heartbreak, hurt, loneliness, etc.  Most of us have shed our share of tears. We can relate to The Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, 1967) or The Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles-1968), though I prefer Linda Ronstadt’s version, (1975).

Our lives are filled with tears; some of joy, but most of, probably, hurt and pain.  Picture unexpectedly running into a best friend or beloved person you haven’t seen in years or decades.  Once your eyes meet, or some type of recognition takes place, you run towards the other in warm embrace.  You just can’t believe it’s actually true! You’ve got so much to tell and more to listen to.  You invite each other over, or set up a meeting time to catch up on long, lost time. Your tears, overall, are of happiness.  You’ll want to never lose connecting again!

Now imagine that just as you’re hugging each other, another lost friend/relative shows up.  You cannot contain your emotions and your excitement.  You can’t seem to stop crying!  You’re overcome with joy and thrill!  It’s beyond anything you could have imagined!  What are the odds?!  So many tears!!!                           

Are you ready for what God has in store for you? If you’re saved, if you’re part of His family, tune in to the big picture!

You arrive in heaven.  Grab a hanky!                                  

You’re immediately surrounded by millions upon millions of people who’ll know you and whom you will also know (1Corinthians 13:12). You’ll be rejoicing nonstop as you think of what being there means!  You’ll know there will be no more fighting, no more wars, no stealing, no lying, no sickness, no death-ever! You’ll know all suffering and unfairness is gone for good! No more back pain, leg cramps, near sightedness, far sightedness, heck, no blindness!  There’ll be no nothing! Only rejoicing in praise and worship to the ONE who has made all things possible -all things new.  You’ll realize you’ll live in harmony with others for all eternity!  You’ll shed tears of joy and jubilation-until it happens…one of the greatest things of all time…

Jesus will go over to you, maybe embrace you and, whether with His hand, or just with His Word, He’ll wipe away every tear from your eyes!  He might show you all the tears you’ve shed in your lifetime-which he has stored in His bottle (Psalm 56:8), and then…all your tears of suffering will be gone forevermore!  Perhaps at that moment you’ll know you are HOME for good! You’ll be there to stay.  Jesus and the saints will be your neighbors. His angelic host will accompany you throughout eternity. 

The tracks of your tears shall be erased! You’ll now be laughing, laughing, laughing!!  It’ll be your true story!  You’ll give your nose it’s last, l-o-n-g T-O-O-T!!!   And…Toss your hanky!
God Bless, Sam

P.S. But, are you ready to take that step of faith NOW? Pray, “God, I’m a sinner and I repent of my sins.  Come Jesus, into my heart and make me new, In His Name, Amen.” Live for Him! You’re now ready for an adventure of a lifetime-it won’t be easy, but He’ll be with you every step of the way!

God Bless,

Sam

Scene 1. On a gorgeous grassy knoll, with luscious greenery all around, surrounded by beautiful mountains, walks a lonely man unwanted and unloved.

Scene 2. In a jungle setting, lush with flowers, trees, plants, grasses, and overflowing with snakes, spiders, and birds of all types; a young couple tries to carve out a life for themselves.

Scene 3. In a busy crime-ridden city neighborhood amidst tall buildings and businesses, young children try to find a way to fit in today’s world of “me-ism.”

In every scene, in every part of the world, there are people in need of love.  There are people completely different from us, yet, exactly like us in feelings or situations. They experience hardship, intolerance, hatred, and injustice. Like us, they need God’s forgiveness.

In a world beyond ours, fluffed with clouds, with streets of gold, gates of pearls, eternal gardens, the brightest lights ever, sits the King of the Universe enthroned, surrounded by rainbows and perhaps by a “bit” more than a quintillion angelic being. Elders fall before His throne and the words “Holy, holy, holy” ring in unison in worship from every corner; praises in adoration to the One who lives forever.  Surrounded by pure holiness-in complete absence of sin, God, chose before the foundations of the world to love us. Before He uttered a word into space to create the world we see, He knew he would be dying for us.

God sees beyond the skies, beyond our nationalities, beyond our shame and guilt, and beyond our hopelessness. In His infinite love, God, through His Son, Jesus, took a giant step for mankind; one step down from heaven, from beyond the galaxies, to pay us a visit.

He fills our loneliness, replaces our fallen state by removing our sin, and loves us unconditionally.  Not with the “I love you” of chocolates and flowers observed once-a-year, but by laying down His life for us-especially when we didn’t deserve it.

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment hath we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.  We love him, because he first loved us” (1John 4:20, 21, 19).

“Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth” (1John 3:18).

We all need love, demonstrated with action-not “lip-service.”

God Bless,

Sam

That’s reno, as in renovation.  My wife and I were talking & laughing last night as we watched one of our favorite home-fixer shows. We know some things are real & some are rehearsed, otherwise, they wouldn’t make sense. We base ourselves on the following: “Ok, so out here, we’re going to remove the stone, replace that with something else, I don’t know what yet, but it’ll all look beautiful once it’s done.  We’ll  give you all new windows, shift the door, paint the exterior, put up a new roof, and do the landscape.  Shall we go inside?  “Great entry” shares the host.  Moving into the kitchen, “What do you like, don’t like?” “What would you like to see?  “OK, I can see all new cabinetry, we’ll give you a massive island- the largest we’ve ever done (contractor’s eyes open wide & knees tremble a bit), all new consistent flooring throughout, remove these three walls, vault the ceiling, create a window bench with plenty of storage, and get you a new dining table.  Shall we look at the primary?  Here, we only need new paint, demolish the awkward bathroom, give you all brand-new fixtures, a double vanity, & a walk-in shower with jet sprays, rain forest shower head with massaging technology, new tiles, built-in Bluetooth for an ultimate experience, and, that’s it.  What else? Outside, brand new covered composite deck, new grill, a chicken house, lounging, and remove some of those trees.  That about wraps it up!

Now, (the previously rehearsed part) how much do you have for this project?  You’re thinking, “Dang, they gotta have at least $280-350k for that.  If they say, “$295K,” which is a good amount, we know it was rehearsed.

But what if they say, “Well, after much consideration… we can afford…no more than $75K…” There’s no way that could be pulled off.  So, after all that talking and all those plans, had they not known the budget, the host would probably say, “In that case, scrap everything we’ve said, and let’s just focus on the kitchen; “Contractor, whaddaya think?” Nodding his head and with a sly smile he says, “Yeah, I think that’s about right.” With that, they’re off, and set to begin work tomorrow.  The budget’s taken into consideration and within a few months the reno’s completed.  Somethings in life are rehearsed, others, aren’t.

You and I may not appear on a show.  We may not have sufficient funds for a massive project undertaking.  However, we do need renos; we need to be renovated from the inside.  When the ONE who said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26), was He talking to Himself, or to the Godhead?  He/They, had you in mind from before the start.

God renews us from within-removing sin, spiritual death, and changing our ways of thinking, etc.  You can be a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17); for real!  God’s ready to start.  In fact, He’s got every room figured and all the parts are in, especially, a new heart.  He’s already begun and is waiting on you to give the “Go ahead” signal.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:16).

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Get ready for that reno!

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

God Bless,

Sam

Singing group, Chicago, had a song by the above title in the 70s.  They also sang, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? There are plenty of song titles asking questions. Do you ask questions? I do-lots of them!

I was recently emailing a former high school classmate whom I haven’t seen in person in 49 years. I told my wife that the friend is like my brother when it comes to questions & answers. See, if I have 4 questions for my brother, I have to send him 4 emails.  Otherwise, he’ll only answer one.  So, my wife tells me, “Most of the world only answers one question!”

Later on, she was watching a tv movie where the main character, a “has-been” actress asked questions upon questions, and then gave updates upon updates!  My wife said, “That’s you!”  “Then you wonder why people only answer one!” Well, I know there have been times when I’ve asked her a question and when she’s said, “Ummm” I’ve jumped to the next one, and when she’s said, “Well,” I’m asking her “What do you think?” When she answers, I’m like, “Is that an answer to Q #1, 2, 3, 4, 5???”  At that point, it’s like “Yes to…No to…Maybe…I don’t remember what else you asked…” It can be frustrating when people don’t keep up or follow my conversations/questions!

A day is coming when all our questions will be answered!  Things said or done in secret shall be revealed!  Things we haven’t understood, will be made known.  Things we, and  others wonder about, God will explain.  When He, who holds the mysteries of the world shall appear…  “There’s nothing hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

In the Bible, when King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which troubled him, he desired to know its meaning.  The trouble was, he forgot the dream! He asked for something seemingly impossible: Let a magician or astrologer not only interpret the dream, but first get in my head, & tell me what I dreamt. No one could help him.

When Daniel was brought to him, he told the king that no astrologer or magician could know what he dreamt, but, “There is a God in heaven that reveals secrets” (Daniel 2:28). And God did so.

Look forth to that day! Everything shall be known!
God Bless!
Sam