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All His life He was considered a radical.  People were used to doing things a particular way, but He taught them they could actually be done differently.  Jesus was a misunderstood man.  People knew if someone hurt you, you should hurt them back.  If someone slapped you, slap them right back.  You got a black eye?  Give him one too.  It made sense.  It was an eye for an eye.  But Jesus taught differently: If someone slapped you, turn the other cheek; in other words, say, “Uh, you missed this side.”  Jesus wants us to go as far as to give a cup of water or a plate of food to those who hurt us-to our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

In one word, Radical, is what He expects us to be.

Most of us are accustomed to doing things our own way until we learn a new way.  However, more times than not, we refuse to learn a new way.  Jesus tells us to greet those we don’t know; to invite to feasts those who can’t invite us back to their place.  Again, be radical.  This is a lesson I’ve learned throughout the years.  For some twenty years we’ve invited lots of friends and family over for various occasions, yet, they hardly ever show up.  On two instances, after settling on a date and time for 2-3 days later, my wife has cooked galore with roasted pork and rice and baked cakes only to have no one show up.  When confronted about the situation in each case, the parties involved reacted with either, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” and, “I forgot.” That led us to stop inviting people over.

Our only invitation is for Thanksgiving and 2-3 times in the past we also had a Christmas dinner.  We announce it to our church and the members take it upon themselves to bring those they find along the way (Luke 14:12, 13).  God knows who needs to be here and so He sets it up so those that would otherwise be alone, can fellowship with others and also enjoy a great, hot meal.

In Jesus’ days, He told of a parable where people were invited to a great feast but when it was time to show up, one by one they began to make excuses about attending.  Jesus said that those people were not worthy of being at the party.  So, He had His servants go out to the highways and byways and invite the poor and lonely ones (Luke 14:16-24).  That’s how it is with God’s Kingdom.  So many people have excuses as to why they shouldn’t give their lives to Christ, even when they feel His tug at their hearts.  In essence, they’re telling Him, they’re not worthy to be there; they’ve got better and more important things to do.  When it’s too late, they’ll be crying for a second chance, but it’ll be beyond reach.

Are you one of those invited to God’s Kingdom?  It’ll be much more than turkey, pork, or ham and more than varieties of cakes and pies.  We’re looking at eternal life, eternal fellowship with God Himself and Jesus.  A perpetual feast!  There will be no more pain or sickness or evil to deal with.  Death will be gone forever.  We’ll never age, and no more wrinkles!!!

Be radical!!  Live for Jesus now!

God Bless!

Sam

    Has anything BIG happened in your life recently? Anything HUGE in the works? Are “The Stars’ lining up for you?  Are you waiting for something GRAND to transpire so you can thank God? Multitudes are waiting for BIG DREAMS to be fulfilled so they can give God a small portion of thanks and credit.  Some, spend months and years gambling for that CHUNK of cash from a Lottery win to roll in.  They’ll buy the large house, a yacht, fishing gear, a small plane, and other goodies that’ll reflect their newfound status. Have you ever considered the regular things taking place in your life?  What of the small ones happening every day?  Have you considered the teeny-tiny ones?  God is manifested and glorified in the ‘insignificant’ occurrences befalling us.

   Ours is a world similar to that of Bluto and Popeye in one particular cartoon where each performs a particular achievement and sings to the other, “Whatever you can do, I can do better.”  It’s interesting that the natural man will always try to outdo his fellow man in just about everything except in giving financially to a good cause.  It all comes down to wanting to be the best, desiring to do more, etc.  God is unimpressed.

While living in New York, we experienced many ‘small, insignificant’ moments in our lives.  There were times when our old station wagon would turn off on its own as we drove.  How did we keep it going? We sang Christian songs! We sang together especially when we reached traffic lights and had to wait for them to change.  For those of us doubting, if we stopped singing, the wagon would turn off.  We learned to sing all the way home.  Some people would see that as something small-not worth mentioning.  But God was there and we knew it!

Another time here, in Puerto Rico, my wife was driving another station wagon (hmm..) down a narrow two-way road when she noticed her breaks were not working.  The line had broke and she was skidding on the brake fluid. She was passing a mound of dirt on one side of the car and a body of water on the other side.  She reasoned, “If I hit the mound I’ll get killed and if I go into the water, I’m going down.”  She prayed for God to help her.  She saw a huge tree up ahead so she went for it.  The passenger door was wrapped around it and one could see the tree-shape on it.  Whew, that was close! But it was only the first part of her experience.  She needed to get home up to the mountains…she got back in & drove about two miles to the end of the road to where our mechanic’s shop was located.  She prayed the entire way that she’d be able to stop when she’d reach the busy intersection.  Upon reaching it, with no cars approaching, she turned right and the car turned off right there as she parked.  She couldn’t believe it and could hardly speak.  God had performed another regular event in her life.  No, there were no TV cameras around.  No one was there to congratulate her or to present her with an achievement award or a huge multi-million-dollar check.  If she was jumping up and down like Yosemite Sam saying “Unga bonga bunga” it wasn’t from winning anything; she wasn’t asking God for another station wagon (third time’s a charm), rather, she couldn’t believe how God had watched over her.

This week, whether you’ve won the Lottery, experienced something EXTRAORDINARY or just want to recall one, or several minor life-changing events in your life, DON”T forget to thank the MAGNIFICENT God who makes all things work out for our good.

God Bless!

Sam

I can’t forget how on several occasions our high school shop teacher, Mr. Koffer, would look up from his work and say, “My glasses, my glasses, who took my glasses; anyone seen my glasses???  Most of us would stop working—or talking, and look around our work area for them.  Oftentimes, we’d look straight at him and say, “They’re on your head!”

Hasn’t it happened to you?  Looking for the horse and you’re sitting on it!  I recall our pastor talking to someone on his cell phone and at the same time rummaging through his briefcase desperately looking for something important.  He then told the other party, “I’ll have to call you back cause all of a sudden, I can’t find my cell phone!”  We’ve all been there.  It drives us nuts.

When our three kids were very small and played hide-and-go-seek, we’d laugh so hard at how they played.  Their version was unique.  While one closed his eyes to count, the other two would hide-in plain sight!  We’d wonder how it was they couldn’t be seen!  The one who was ‘it’ would walk around saying things like, “I wonder where she’s hidden.’ And of course, she would smile at us and put her finger to her lips signifying ‘shh,’ she can’t see me!  The kid would continue throughout the house trying to find the other two. At some point, they’d be found.  We thought it was unbelievable!   It was very unlike when I was growing up, not only did we play hide-go-seek around the block, but around the neighborhood.  We’d hide so well that we sometimes couldn’t be found at all & had to continue the next day.  But our kids liked to play it safe.

So many of us have played the game with God!  We think He can’t see us.  We hide at home, at our jobs, we ‘play’ by hiding around the neighborhood.  We hide behind our families and sometimes, even hide behind religion.  We may even hide within a church not knowing we can’t escape the All-knowing and All-seeing God!  King David wrote, “If I descend to the depths of the sea, you’re there; If I ascend in to the heavens, you are there…” The night is just like the day before God (Psalm 139:7-12).  The thing is, no matter how much hiding we do, we’re hiding in plain sight!

So why do we hide?  Mostly because we believe He’s out to get us.  Followed by our lack of desire to live according to His ways. Think of it this way: About eighteen years ago I read a story of a man who found something and spent some time trying to return it to its rightful owner.  After acquiring the owner’s address, he visited him only to find the owner didn’t speak English and he got himself kicked out of the premises.  Being persistent, he returned with a translator, but being the wrong dialect, he was kicked out again. On about the third or fourth attempt with yet another translator, he was able to correctly talk to the owner.  So, what was so important that he kept risking being chased out yet kept returning?  He had found the man’s winning lottery ticket, apparently lost but with his name on it.  The owner later said, “Here’s this man trying to return my $7 million dollar ticket and I kept kicking him out.”  He gave the good Samaritan some $2 mil. as a reward.  So, am I saying God has a winning ticket for you?  It’s better than that!  While the lottery is a gamble, living for God isn’t.  It’s a sure thing.  That’s why He’s seeking you.

So, remember, whether we put on disguises or dress up differently, we cannot escape Him.  The Bible tells us in Romans 3:11, “There’s none that seeks Him; no not one.”  The thing is, we usually know we should want to learn about Him and know what He’s all about, but usually just put it off.  The Good News is that He’s been looking for you all your life.  Not to punish you, not to get even with you, not to destroy you, but to welcome you into His family; to say, “Found you, you’re it.”

Who doesn’t like stories of buried treasure??! They’re fascinating. Most hold intrigues.  There’s mystery and the danger of the unknown. Treasure hunting may require years of search. Loss of investments and time are two factors people deal with when looking for wealth that others lost or has been hidden for years. Some searchers are ‘driven’ while others may believe ‘they’ have been chosen to stumble across it. People will pour their heart and soul into a mission usually laden with uncertainty.

  Sometimes, searches require miles of traveling to hopefully make a great discovery. Other times, treasures are unearthed right in someone’s backyard. I love stories of miners digging for gold. How those who found it usually risked it all for it.  How against all odds, they became winners instead of whiners.  What kid hasn’t dreamt of becoming rich digging for pirate treasure?

 Have you ever found some treasure? Are you in the midst of striking it rich soon? Has your shovel struck the hard, metal of a chest buried deep in your yard? Are you losing sleep just anticipating pulling it out? Is your mind wondering what might be inside? Your heart pacing with wonderful thoughts of how you’ll use those gold coins??? Have you made a plan yet of ALL you’ll buy with the countless millions???  If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be on your way to… …success!  Or, to waking up!

I recently came across some treasure. Our home is surrounded by lush vegetation.  There are all types of plants and trees, rocks and boulders as well as plenty of hidden locations where forgotten gold has been buried for who knows how long.  What I discovered was serendipitous.  While cleaning out my bin filled with memorabilia, touching as well as funny letters, notes, poems, and pictures drawn by our three kids decades ago were ‘unearthed.’  Below are some of my discovered treasures.

Something all treasure hunters have is determination.  They set out to ‘strike it big’ over days, months, or years if necessary.  Many days are spent with little sleep or even food, so long as what is so anxiously awaited, is found.  God tells us to do the same:

“My son, incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you will cry out after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; and will seek for her as silver and search for her as hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God…” “Happy is the man that finds wisdom and gets understanding for she is more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than fine gold.” “She is more precious than rubies.” Proverbs 2:2-4, 3:13-15, paraphrased.

Walking with God, treasure hunting with Him is an adventure! But He’s always present to lead and guide us and to point us in the right direction.

While growing up in the 70‘s the talk around us often focused on marriage.  Common amongst high schoolers ran the thought, “Who needs a piece of paper?” “That’s all it is.” It made some sense, I mean, after all, it seemed the only thing binding two people in love was nothing more than paper.  When we view marriage on an extremely small scale, it makes sense.  Most of us have been exposed to all types of marriages and relationships.  From simple weddings performed in tents or tipis, to some performed in the woods or on the water.  I’ve read of multimillion-dollar unions (Prince Charles & Lady Diana – $110 million) to one where even an amphitheater was created just to house some twenty thousand guests (some of which were flown in for the five-day event), by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Salama at an estimated cost of $100 million.  Weddings may have all the utensils cast in 24k gold or of cheap plastic-or paper (easy on the environment!).

We’ve heard of all types of weddings, from people marrying either in groups of three (a man & two wives, or vice versa), to hundreds tying the knot all at once. We recently had a great laugh when a cousin of mine came to visit us. We hadn’t seen each other in almost three years since before the storm.  Since we all had endured quite an ordeal, laughter was definitely needed.  She had recently celebrated a civil wedding and a church wedding, so I thought, ‘Why not a shotgun wedding?’ neither she or the husband were familiar with the term.  After a brief explanation, they agreed to one!

So here we can see Jose ‘sweating bullets’ under the gun, while Evelyn is dreamy-eyed and overflowing with love as she awaits Jose’s high-pitched and squeaky-voiced, “I Do!”

So, how about you?  Are you awaiting the most glorious wedding ever???  I’m not talking about the wedding of the year, or of the decade.  It’s not even the event of the century or of the millennium; heck, it won’t be a cheap $110 million party for 20,000 guests, and it’ll last a lot longer than five days!!!  It’ll be the largest and greatest wedding in the world!  The most spectacular event in history!!!  Forget 24k gold utensils, the streets themselves will be paved of crystal-clear gold (Revelation 21:21)!!!

Are you ready???  Are you going??? The invitation was sent out over 2,000 years ago.  The preparations are still in-check. The bride, all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, is getting herself ready!!!  She’s all dressed in white (the righteousness of the saints; Revelation 19:7, 8) and waiting for Him, the bridegroom, to call us there for an unrivaled event!  The bride is made up of believers from every corner of the world and every nationality.  Billions will be there!

Quick, accept the invitation, get your garment ready by living for Him!  His return will be very soon, in the twinkling of an eye!  Be ready to say, “I do!!!”  You’ll live with Him for all eternity.  It won’t be a shotgun wedding, for sure; God doesn’t force anyone to serve Him!

   When my wife and I married, the church altar had a hidden door behind thick curtains.  The door was the entry to a small office.  While I waited at the altar with the best man, the guests didn’t know that the bride was behind that door.  As everyone was looking back waiting for her to appear, and, I’m sure some were probably thinking, “I knew she’d leave him waiting there,” she stepped down and took her place next to me!  When people began turning around, one could hear comments like, ‘How did I miss her?’ and ‘When did she get there?’  It was funny to us who knew it.  While everyone was busy looking back for the bride, they missed her up front.  As we await Jesus’ returns for His Bride, we’re busy looking upwards towards the heavens awaiting the glorious moment when at the sound of a trumpet, we shall be changed, transformed, and will meet Him in the air and readied to enter His glorious kingdom where the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place. (Revelation 19:7-9)    

True Romance is in the air.  You can be part of it!!!  Believe and accept that Jesus is God’s Son and that He’s coming back to take you home.  Once signed up, your name shall be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 3:5), and you shall never taste death!  Don’t look back, you’ll miss Him—but upward, for your redemption is getting close (Luke 21:28)!!!  He’ll be here sooner than you think!

God Bless!

About eighteen years ago, I purchased a collection of Rooster ceramic plates on a rusty-metal rack. They looked great! We figured the best place for them was in the dining room, so that’s where we hung them.

Often, throughout the years I’ve looked at the rusty-metal rack and have been inspired to display my western-scene bear and coyote ceramic plates, but then I hear a faint, glass-smashing sound and I just shake off the thought. Meanwhile, I have a lonely display rack begging for ceramic, make that plastic, plates to display*.

One day when I came home my wife said to me, “Honey, I’m so sorry about your plate.” When I asked what had happened, she told me she was sweeping and ‘accidentally’ hit the rack and smashed a plate. I was silent for a few seconds, then told her it was okay since I still had three more. That’s when she said, “Well, not really.” “See, I swept back & broke another one.” I was silent again thinking that at least two plates had survived the storm. As I asked to see the remaining two, I was informed she swept back and broke a third one. At that point I was really questioning how much of an ‘accident’ this really was… “Well, I asked, did anything survive?” “Yeah”, she said “The rusty-metal rack.” I asked her, “Honey, what did you do???” You must have had some kind of party accidentally sweeping back and forth again and again.” I couldn’t grasp how that could have been an accident. Usually, at the sound of breaking glass we stop, but she kept going and going and going.

Well, on a regular basis my wife will tell me to clean up or get rid of stuff. Then, for years, she’s been telling me, “It’s very frustrating for me, cause you won’t allow me to clean up for you.” Are you kidding?!! If that was an accident back then, I can only imagine what intentional looks like!!! Graciously, I tell her I will put things away and try my darndest to do so. Of course, I inconspicuously make sure to keep brooms away from her at those times.

Now and then, most of us have had items of significance taken away, whether through an ‘accident’ caused by others or ourselves. It sometimes hurts. Sometimes, it may not have been an item but maybe a person or a job that was lost. When our dreams are shattered, no amount of glue can paste them back. Neither welding, smelting, or other means can replace what is gone. If your life is broken, smashed asunder, only Jesus can bond it back; only He can rebuild it. Only He can give us new dreams and new hopes. Only Jesus can display your life for others to see, and it doesn’t have to be on a rusty-metal rack. He’ll put your name in The Lamb’s Book Of Life (Revelation 21:27) and all of heaven will know who you are. Everyone around you here on earth will know you were once broken but now are whole; made new.

Last Sunday, June 30^th, marked our 24^th year on ‘Paradise’ island; otherwise known as the “Island of Enchantment.”  Just before leaving our native New York, a word from the Lord came forth at our church through our pastor’s wife.  The word had to do with plenty of storms and contrary winds that would shake up a lot of things.  That word would be ‘right on the money’ as the saying goes.  We’ve had our share of turbulent times-and ‘it aint over yet!’

Enchantment is a way of being lulled over.  Yes, the island is beautiful and enticing with clear skies, deep blue and green waters; mountains all around, but life is awfully tough.  Despite so many advances in technology, we’re worlds away from life in the states.  Marching to a different drum, allowed us time to learn to mix cement by hand; not pre-mixed concrete but truckloads and wheelbarrow loads of gravel, sand, water, and the cement.  Like the time we mixed thirty-one 47lb. sacks for half our porch and then thirty-three more the second time around.  We learned shovels had different characteristics and purposes.  We (son and two daughters also) learned to carry cinder blocks, etc.  In fact, our oldest daughter took her newfound skills and taught them to Masai tribe members in Tanzania, Africa.  She also taught ‘machista’ teenage boys in Mexico that a girl could do the same thing they did; only better, by mixing cement right before their incredulous eyes.  Yeah man, to locals, we were the ‘Gringos’ living in the mountains.  We were The Robinson Crusoe on a quest to escape the city life; on a quest to breathe clean air; on a quest to be independent as well as survivors.

 In time we’ve come to realize this is our wilderness.  Hopefully, we won’t be here for 40 years like the Israelites were wandering in circles, though it sometimes feels that way!  But this is where God wants us.  This is our training camp.  Does that mean we’ll be in the construction business in heaven?  I don’t think so!  I’m petitioning against that right now and giving Him some suggestions!  But God teaches us and speaks to us in our daily activities.  He changes our lives and our perspectives on things.  Things we thought to be important lose some of their significance.  Must-haves become, eh-maybe someday…  As He works in us, we learn to keep our focus on Him and on His desires. We learn to consult Him for everything we do or plan.  As we’re in tune to nature-the trees and all that surrounds us, we hear His voice; not a mystical, spooky voice but in our hearts and in our spirit, we sense His direction.  Of course, you don’t have to live atop a mountain with breath-taking views or near a rainforest.  Heck, you may not even be surrounded by lush vegetation breathing in clean mountain air all day long, and God may not take you to tribes ‘outta-the-way,’ but He can and will use you right where you are.  However, if you’re an adventure-seeker, by all means, let Him know!  He’s got a plan for you!

So, we’ve had our ups and downs and have learned to do a lot of things on our own.  We’ve learned to survive and to hold on to the man Jesus, the One who told a thief, “Today, you’ll be with me in paradise.”  Someday soon we’ll be headed to heaven.  No shoveling and hopefully, no cement mixing!  As we look back at almost a quarter century of our lives here, we can definitely see God’s hand leading us, feeding us, providing for us, and shielding us from the storms.  He’s got us in the palm of His hand.  It’s the safest place to be.  Our adventures are many, and God’s in control.  How about you?  Do you need some adventure in your life?  Need a little zest?  I could suggest moving out here (Puerto Rico)!!!  But for a real adventure, seek Jesus and invite Him into your heart.  You’ll be enchanted forever.

God Bless!

Sam

Work on our balcony and deck by me

Enjoying the mountaintop view

…quickly fly the years, one season following another, laden with happiness and tears… So go the lyrics to the wonderful song of yesteryear by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. What makes the song so especially memorable is the fact that it’s true; our days seem to whiz by at record speed. On a day much like today, June 26, 1988, my dad, Abraham Cruz Sr. took his last breaths. He was 76 years old. A very serious-looking man he was. Inside, however, he was funny; always cracking jokes. He had a big heart, couldn’t bare to see someone going through a tough time. Couldn’t stand to see someone go without food, clothing, or basic home necessities without doing something to help the person out.

On his dying bed, he had been in a coma for several days before I arrived with my youngest brother, Nelson. Our flight there was most interesting: We knew our dad needed to give his heart to Jesus. We prayed a lot on our way there. To begin with, after being dropped off at the airport we learned it was the wrong terminal or something like that. I know we had to drag our suitcases over grass and climb over fences just to reach the right place on time for our flight.

Shortly after takeoff, I noticed on the small TV screen behind the seat in front of me that the mileage was decreasing, meaning we were returning to the airport. An engine had died. While we waited for an hour, then two, then four, then six and all throughout the flight, there were two men, drunk beyond sense, who kept cracking jokes about the plane going straight down into the waters and how they could see the sharks just waiting to feast on us! They definitely did not help anyone on board!

Hardships aside, we landed in Puerto Rico at 3:45 a.m. and went straight to see our dad. We were told that as soon as we walked into the room and he heard our voices, he came out of the coma. We didn’t know he’d been in one, much less that he was being fed through tubes. He called our names. We spoke together, he removed all his tubes, and we even fed him. While I prayed for him, Nelson led him through the sinner’s prayer to repentance. He shed tears as he asked God for forgiveness and into his heart! Days later, he was gone.

Last week and 31 years later, our oldest brother, Abraham Jr. passed away after having been in a coma for several days. He was 77 years old. Like his dad, Jr. was also serious-looking on the outside, funny on the inside, and a very caring person. Family always came first for him. He did what he could to keep them close at bay. Unfortunately, as the song above goes, our sunrises quickly turn to sunsets. Jr., a weightlifter in his youth, now laid aside every weight as he took his final breath on June 18.

Scripture tells us in James 4:14 b “For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes.” Regardless of whether we’re a boxer, a weightlifter, of even the fastest runner on earth, our lives are at best, a dash, a sprint; a short step to the finish line and then we’re off to eternity.

Fortunately, Jesus is the only person to go beyond that finish line and returned to tell us about it. When you reach your final race, when you take your last puffs of air, if Jesus is your savior, He’ll be at the other side with rewards to bestow upon you ( Revelations 22:12 tells us: “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be”).

While both Abrahams are gone, we’ll always treasure their memories, their stories, their joys of life, their challenges and their triumphs as well as their characters in our hearts. Before your last vapor, before you fall into a coma or how ever you may go, you may want to invite Him into your heart. Reap rewards in heaven for your work for Him on earth. Today is your best bet. Go for it. God Bless You.

Both Abrahams shared a special corner for their granddaughters:

Abraham Sr. with my daughters

Abraham Jr. with his granddaughters

Not all of us have had fathers matching those on sitcom shows where we ended up with an ice cream or a Life Saver candy after messing up an event or flunking a class, etc.  We may not have always received a pat on the back as an act of confirmation; maybe a pat across somewhere else, if you know what I mean. Relating to our earthly dads can sometimes be difficult. As a result, understanding our heavenly Father can be a hang-up or a challenge for many of us since the closest to Him might be, or have been, an abusive dad or someone who fell short of our definition (or God’s, for that matter) of what a loving dad ought to be. 

    Granted, not all dads fall short of loving their kids. They don’t all break their promises.  It’s a fact that being a loving and caring father requires lots of work, dedication, planning, and love. There are many kids out there growing up without a dad; without a male figure to relate to; without a friend with whom they can go camping with, fish with, shoot some baskets with, talk about life issues with, or wrestle across the floor with.

Back in New York, I once read about some famous man who gave his son the best gift he could afford to give: he dedicated something like one hour a day to spending time with him.  I remember thinking I’d go nuts if I gave an hour a day, each day to each of my three kids!  I decided to modify that.  Once a week, I’d give each child thirty minutes.  We’d begin with a prayer, discuss bible teachings, cover school/home situations, and then we’d wrestle!  We would have lots of fun rolling all over the floor, bopping each other over the head with pillows, etc. As the kids grew, we’d play basketball outside.  Then came boyfriends and what to do in the future. We’d have lots of family meetings where we’d agree to change the way things were done or how to improve things. The bottom line was that the kids knew their father was always present in their lives.  He took time to get to know their joys and hurts. This dad was an integral part of his kids’ lives.

Only you know where you are right now in life.  Only you know the joys and/or hardships of having had or not having had a father in your life.  You might be someone’s Lil’ boy or some dad’s Lil’ girl. It might be that’s it’s been a while since you last saw or spoke to him. Maybe you burned all those bridges behind you years ago and have never looked back.  Deep, deep inside, you’re still his little child.  He still yearns to hold you close.  I know every time I see my son, my 38 yr old son, I hug him and kiss him on the cheek.  He’s still that little boy in a crib playing hide-&-go-seek.  Despite of all types of hardships, family relationships are most important in my life. 

This morning at 5:28 a.m. our youngest daughter called me from Jerusalem to wish me a happy Father’s Day.  That was nice. Back in our wrestling days, she was the one beating the daylights out of me.  Glad she wasn’t close enough to whack me out today at age 35!  But that’s life.  Reach out to your father if possible.  Forgive him if that’s what’s needed. Let him know he’s appreciated. Love him.  If he’s long-gone, honor his memory.  Think of your heavenly Father and how He’s always there holding you in His arms in the spiritual realm.  He longs to hear your stories.  He longs to know what things you wrestle with. He makes himself available to you not for thirty minutes, but all the time you need.

 This afternoon my wife shared with me how at age 14 she wished she had a dad.  Her sisters had one, but hers had left a long time ago.  As she cried out to God wanting to know why she didn’t have one like they did, she felt Him embrace her and tell her, “I am your dad.”  Tears swelled in her eyes back then just like they did today decades later, recalling His embrace, His care, His tender mercies towards her, and His commitment to staying by her side all these years. Our heavenly Father makes no distinction of persons. He loves us all the same and gave His Son Jesus to lay His life for us that we may be called children of God.  Happy Father’s Day!

     Wafts of hot dogs, burgers, chicken, steaks, and other yummies fill the air in neighborhood after neighborhood throughout our cities, country-sides, mountain tops, beaches, and everywhere we can gather to honor and remember those who gave their lives defending our country.  Whether male or female, rich, poor, or a regular average Joe, this a day to pay our respects to them all. Yes, we may go ‘all out’ in our get-togethers, parties, or gatherings eating and sharing stories, but deep in the hearts of most Americans, we acknowledge the great price paid for our freedom by those we knew or have heard of.

   Some of our boys returned home in great shape, some injured, some with medals of honor and courage while others only with medals of stress, tension, fear, valiant stories as well tales of horror which no one but those who experienced them could know. The term “War is hell” was a common one in the 1960’s from those who battled in Viet Nam.

      Two centuries ago, a man lived and died a brutal death. Instead of hundreds of thousands of men dying for peace and freedom, only one man died hundreds of thousands of deaths (all at once) for all humanity. He suffered and experienced what every human who ever lived and will live was guilty of.  He fought your battles and mine.  He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and the punishment of our sins was laid upon Him, and with His stripes/wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:6). 

    Even hundreds of years before His birth, God had instructed His people Israel to honor Him by holding special memorial days to reflect on God, His goodness, and His faithfulness.

In Exodus 12:14, God writes: “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.”  God instructed His people to follow a mandate that foreshadowed the coming of Jesus, the Messiah.  Following it proved their belief in Him and in His word.  Striking the blood of a perfect lamb on their homes’ two side doorposts and on the upper lintel spoke of Christ, the perfect lamb’s shed blood for all humanity. Today, make time to honor not only the men and women who spilled their blood and laid their lives for our freedom, but honor and remember Jesus who shed His blood and laid His life for all humanity.  He did so for His undeserved creation: We punished Him and nailed Him to a cross.  He returned from the toughest war ever: The War for the Souls of Men to share His story of triumph over sin, sickness, Satan, and over death.  In fact, while many cried that war is hell, Jesus actually descended into it; to the pit of darkness and stripped Satan of his power.  He holds the keys of life and death (Revelations 1:18. He made a spectacle of Satan and his fallen angels. Today He holds the highest medals of honor any man can ever aspire to: The Son of God, The Almighty, The Lamb of God (who takes away the sins of the world), and The Great I Am, among hundreds of others.  So, eat and celebrate. Read His story.  Share His story around the grill, around the campfire.