April 13, 2024

Picture of Tower of Babel

—I’d like to visit a familiar event from the book of Genesis. Sometimes the answer to a mysterious question is staring us right in the face, and we just need to read carefully what the Bible says. Many Christians wonder why the Tower of Babel was built.

—I have heard many different ideas and guesses as to what was going on there. Well, by the time we get to the narrative in Genesis 11, God had already commanded mankind to “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” We read that command to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28, and God reissued that creation mandate to Noah and his sons in 9:1—a mandate, by the way, that God has never rescinded.

—The reason why the Tower of Babel was built is stated plainly in 11:4, “And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’” You see, God was not pleased with humanity so brazenly disobeying His will to spread out over the earth. He responded in the most effective way possible to split them up—by mixing their languages. Vs. 8 states, “So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.” So, the problem with the tower was not the tower itself, but the people’s motive, their unwillingness to live according to God’s sovereign plan for mankind in relation to the globe.

—Adam Keim

Week Sixteen, 2024

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isaiah 53:3).

It was a familiar hymn that I had sung many times, but when I sang it recently, it spoke to me in a new way and how it affects our culture today. “The Old Rugged Cross” is a popular hymn written in 1912 by American evangelist and song-leader George Bernard. Troubled by contemporary disregard for the gospel, Bernard said he had a vision where he saw the Christ and the cross as inseparable.

What is the meaning behind The Old Rugged Cross? He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. The Old Rugged Cross’ lyrics reflect a life that has been changed by the gospel truth that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left His glory above, to bear it to dark Calvary.

What stood out to me were the words despised by the world. How appropriate that is in today’s contemporary world. John 15:18–27 predicts that those who follow Christ faithfully will experience hatred and persecution from the world. The intensity of this experience has varied according to time and culture, but the non-believing world is generally hostile to authentic faith and perhaps today it is now more pronounced than ever.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

We all dread the time when our age prevents us from doing the things we must do and the things we enjoy doing the most. It’s not just the physical but also the mental failings. And having a clear memory of when we were younger doesn’t assuage the melancholy we feel.

However, it’s not just old age. How many times have we said this job is getting old. Or all that people expect of me is getting old. Or the general burden of life is just getting old!

It’s those times when we must look to the source of our strength and resilience. Consider the source of your strength. “The Lord is my strength and my shield….” Psalm 28:7 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 “My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 With God’s help finish strong. Rich Jensen

WORD OF WISDOM FROM EDGAR APONTE:

• Do not compromise. Be faithful to the Lord. People will dislike you and oppose you.

• Do not reject Jesus. He is worthy of your trust.

• You can be in a Christian crowd but still not following Jesus.

• Faith should lead us to obedience.

• It takes special eyesight to see who Jesus is. It is spiritual sight, not physical sight.

• Jesus is there to help us even when we think He is not paying attention.

• Jesus, the expected King and Messiah, saves us and makes us whole.

• Faith cries to the Lord and is transformed by the Lord. Keep pursuing Jesus!

• People of faith can disobey Jesus. Do not excuse disobedience, instead obey His Word. 

• The crowds are amazed by the Lord but are not transformed by the Lord because they are not following the Lord. Follow Jesus!

• The currency used in heaven is faith.

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The average cost of college in the US is $36,436 per year.

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U.S. consumers spend a record $19 trillion dollars in January 2024, most of it on credit cards.

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New Estimate Shows More Than 1 Million Babies Killed in Abortions in 2023

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According to the latest poll from Gallup, more than one in five Gen Z adults in the US—people born between 1997 and 2012—now identify as LGBTQ+.

But while that number may seem high, it’s right in line with the changes in sexuality from generation to generation. The study found that people in each generation are roughly twice as likely as the one preceding it to identify as LGBTQ+. If the trend continues, then nearly half of those who come after Gen Z will share a non-heterosexual identity.

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Suffer not the little children to come unto me…Jesus never pushed the little ones away but instead drew them closer to Him. Dwight Short

The uncommitted stand by and watch as the forces of darkness take over. Dan Shock

For all the people who want to see a miracle in order to believe in God, perhaps a trip to the doctor to see just how amazing our human bodies are would remind them that they are not an accident, and in fact a real miracle of Creation. Dwight Short

God’s wisdom is more valuable than any material wealth. John MacArthur

The first generation creates the wealth, the second generation conserves it, and the third generation loses it. This is true to human nature: when we receive a gift we didn’t deserve, we typically acknowledge it with gratitude and seek to use it well. Then we take it for granted as though we deserved it. Then we abuse it until it’s gone. Jim Denison

Jesus will not leave you the way He found you. He is such a great friend and savior that he will not leave you in your sin. He will find sinners in their sin, but He will not leave them in their sin. Edgar Aponte

Don’t expect to make a withdrawal if you’ve never made a deposit.

Our adversary seems to attack us at the very time when we are not fully awake, or at a time when we are least prepared to fend off the attack. And it happens when we’re being productive and least expect it. Take heart. The same Jesus who calmed the storm for His disciples will calm the storm in your life as well. He is always there. Focus your eyes on Jesus, not the storm. Rich Jensen

Your mind cannot be both grateful and anxious at the same time. Chris Dodson

The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. George Orwell

The fear of the Lord may be the beginning of wisdom, but the love and obedience of the Lord’s precepts will be the basis of wisdom for a lifetime. Dwight Short

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Albert Einstein

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. Eleanor Roosevelt

The things that we love tell us what we are. Thomas Aquinas

We have enough money. We just cannot control our financial appetite. Chris Dodson

You can change what a person looks like on the outside, but can’t change one’s real person on the inside. Too often, we look at people the same way. We form our opinions of them by the outside, when it’s the inside that matters. Rich Jensen

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. R. Buckminster Fuller

Perseverance, secret of all triumphs. Victor Hugo

Never, never, never give up. Winston Churchill

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Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Your feedback is welcome. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

Archaeological Discoveries Related to Jesus

In 1968 a Greek archaeologist named Vassilios Tzaferis oversaw the excavation of a tomb in Jerusalem that yielded the remains of a crucified man. Inside the man’s limestone ossuary (bone box), which dates to the first-century A.D., the excavating team found the heel bones of a man named Yehohanan, and in 1985 Tzaferis wrote an extensive article on what he found.

Yehohanan’s bones were held together by a 7-inch nail—clear evidence of his crucifixion. When pounded into the olive wood by the executioner, the nail hit a hard knot, bent and curled. If not for the knot, then the nail would not have been preserved in the bones. The only way Yehohanan’s executioners could remove his feet from the upright was to take a hatchet and amputate his feet, which they did.

From Tzaferis’ study of Yehohanan’s bones his position on the cross can be generally described as follows. The same nail affixed both his feet to the upright. The nail went through the right heel bone first and then the left. His right foot and his right leg laid on top of his left foot and left leg so that his knees would have been turned to his left. A wooden foot support nailed into the upright enabled Yehohanan to push up his legs in order to breathe easier. His knees were bent and his legs flexed at about a sixty degree angle while his left buttock rested on another wooden support nailed to the upright. This support enabled Yehohanan to lift up his torso to breathe. His arms were stretched out on the crossbeam and nailed just below the wrist—not directly into his hands—and there is evidence that Yehohanan’s legs were fractured.

The Romans left condemned men on the cross for as many as three days that they might die a slow death, but Jewish tradition required burial on the same day, so in order to hasten asphyxiation Roman executioners often broke the legs of the condemned man, preventing him from pushing up with his legs to breathe.

Following his death and the decomposition of his body, Yehohanan’s bones were placed in an elaborate, carved ossuary inside his family’s tomb. An inscription found on a nearby ossuary read, “Simon, builder of the temple.” Another read, “Yehonathan the potter.” These inscriptions suggest that Yehohanan was from a comfortable or prominent family, suggesting that he wasn’t crucified as a common thief. Perhaps he participated in some activity considered treasonous by the Romans, but whatever his crime, the evidence of his crucifixion has provided incredible first-hand insight into the crucifixion of our Lord as recorded in Scripture.

Daniel McCabe

Week Fifteen, 2024

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).

One of my first jobs was working in an automobile dealership, sometimes in the repair shop, where there were a multitude of mechanics, each doing their own work. There was one exception. If a wheel was removed to work on the brakes and other things, before the tire could be put back in its place, the job had to be inspected by another mechanic. It was a good check to make sure that no one got hurt if the wheel came off.

That’s a good lesson for our Christian journey. Iron sharpens iron and we have a duty to help other believers of the faith. I remember a time when I was contemplating a business venture that I was excited about. A group of men in my Bible study came to me to talk and point out what I was overlooking. They said I was excited about the “frosting” on top and ignoring the cake underneath. You know, they were right, and I passed on the opportunity. That decision, all because of their coming to me saved me a lot of heartache …. and money.

There are times when Christians are called upon to “talk to” or try to correct a fellow Christian. Assuming we are talking about a matter of sin in a believer’s life, our motive and intent should always be to bring about repentance and restoration to the erring brother or sister in Christ.

We can’t divorce Jesus’ methods from His message and expect Jesus’ results. As Christians, we have to invest in other Christian’s lives. It has been said that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, travel in a group. You don’t help fellow Christians by lecturing to them, but rather by understanding them and investing in their lives.

The phrase “iron sharpens iron” is found in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” There is mutual benefit in the rubbing of two iron blades together; the edges become sharper, making the knives more efficient in their task to cut and slice. Likewise, the Word of God is a “double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), and it is with this that we are to sharpen one another—in times of meeting, fellowship, or any other interaction.

The proverb also indicates the need for constant fellowship with one another. Man was not made to be alone, for did not the Lord God say this, even before the Fall (Genesis 2:18)? How much more, then, after the Fall of Man, do we need to come together with our brothers and sisters in Christ for seasons of fellowship and prayer? Clearly, this was recognized by the saints of the early church (Acts 2:42–47), who “devoted themselves” to teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer, all corporate activities that provided opportunities for sharpening one another.

Whose iron are you sharpening?

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

I was in Dollar Tree last night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in the LONG line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glow sticks, and the baby was screaming for them so the Mom opened the pack and gave him one; which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but then the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again. Just as the Mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glow sticks and handed it back to the baby.

As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said, “I had to break it so you could get the full effect from it.” I almost ran because l could hear God saying to me, “I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose.”

That little baby was happy just swinging that “unbroken” glow stick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do which was “glow”. There are some people who will be content just “being” but some of us have been chosen by God to be “broken”.

We have to get sick. We have to lose a job. We go through divorce. We have to suffer with the disease of addiction. We have to bury our spouse, parents, best friend, or our child because, in those moments of desperation, God is breaking us, but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created.

So, when you see us glowing just know that we have been broken but healed by his Grace and Mercy.

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Words of wisdom from Edgar Aponte:

• Christ’s grace extends to us even when we are neither expecting nor asking for it.

• There is a cost to follow Jesus, but the cost to not follow Him is infinitely more.

• Jesus is not like a used car salesman trying to trick you to buy anything.

• Discipleship is living a life with Jesus.

• There is a cost to follow Jesus but there is also an urgency.

• Jesus paid an incredible cost for our redemption. Be prepared to pay a cost for being His disciple.

• A call to follow Jesus is a call to count the cost and o commit to Him completely. Follow Him now.

• Conditional acceptance is a complete rejection and delayed obedience is disobedience. Follow Him today.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

We all need to be careful in what we do or say, lest we lead others to stray from basic moral truth. Jim Wilson

In order to be faithful to the mission and message of Jesus, we must abandon old traditions, practices and prejudices that are not in line with the Gospel. Tommy Campbell

We often get upset because we think someone is getting by with evil deeds. But sooner or later, their sins will catch up with them. Dan Shock

As we begin to hear and answer God’s call to action to “Do Something”, we have to remember that God’s grace and forgiveness are a free gift and not given to us just because we are trying to do good things. His grace and forgiveness aren’t earned. They were given to us on the cross – through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Marty Stubblefield

Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. Mark Twain

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. Anne Frank

God knows that fear is born when we focus on the problem or on the power of the enemy. Dan Shock

Anything you don’t pray for you don’t really care about. Jim Wilson

Mercy is a divine attribute of God. He is always merciful. So we ask for His mercy and we can know it is there because it is an attribute of God. We are recipients of His mercy each day. Elbert Nasworthy

The Bible says, only on Jesus is eternal. Stephen Bernard

It’s always a good idea to be careful how you use Scripture; it only took God a few hundred years to get it right in delivering it to us. We would be wise to only apply the Bible as the Creator intended. Dwight Short

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples money. Margaret Thatcher

As a Believer and Follower of Jesus, it’s time for us to bravely and boldly put our faith to work, time for us to step out of the darkness and shine God’s light, time for us to overcome our fears and weaknesses. Look around you. See what needs to be done. Marty Stubblefield

I believe that no man or group of men is good enough to be trusted with uncontrolled power over others. C.S. Lewis

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Your feedback is welcome. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

The Heel Bones of Yehohanan (part 1)

March 30, 2024

Roman crucifixion is arguably one of the most brutal and painful forms of execution ever invented by men, yet, according to the accounts of first-century historians, Rome systematically sentenced thousands of men to death by crucifixion, including our Savior, Jesus. Loss of blood, muscle spasms, and exhaustion greatly contributed to the death of crucified men, but asphyxiation was the pivotal cause of death, for breathing became incredibly difficult as the hours passed, especially when those crucified could no longer muster the energy to pull up with their arms or push up with their legs in order to fill their lungs with air.

We know too from historians that the condemned were either tied or nailed to wooden crossbeams and uprights, but until 1968 no physical evidence had ever been found of Roman crucifixion. In that year construction workers uncovered an ancient tomb in a neighborhood in northeast Jerusalem, and inside they found an ossuary (a bone box) inscribed with the name Yehohanan, the son of Hagakol.

A young Greek archaeologist named Vassilios Tzaferis oversaw the excavation of the tomb, and in 1985 he wrote a detailed article about his findings. He determined that Yehohanan was 24-28 years old when he died and approximately 5’ 6” tall (an average height for people in that part of the world at that time) with a slender build and lean muscles. His bones showed no evidence of nutritional deficiency or disease and no serious injuries prior to his crucifixion, but outside of a noticeable cleft palate, which he might have successfully hidden by a beard, Yehohan had a pleasant face.

His short life and tragic ending, however, have provided enormous insight into the manner in which men were crucified during the time of Jesus. We’ll look at this in next week’s post.

Daniel McCabe

Week Fourteen, 2024

I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Though there is a complete mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son, the Father and the Son remain distinct persons within the Trinity, as does the Holy Spirit (John 14:10).

It sounded like a dumb idea to me when they said I had to take geometry. What good is that I asked. I remembered algebra when the teach started off with saying pie are square when I knew that pie are round. What a waste studying triangles, rectangles and other forms of design. I would never use that information.

But the value came to life when I was in flight training learning how to calculate a wind triangle. A wind triangle, the pilot’s version of vector analysis, is the backbone of dead reckoning. The wind triangle is a graphic explanation of the effect of wind upon flight. Groundspeed, heading, and time for any flight can be determined by using the wind triangle. It involves figuring a compass deviation factored by airspeed and the speed and velocity of the wind blowing from a side off the ground course.

wind triangle

Once I knew that, the triangle I learned in geometry came alive as I understood that on a windy day, all three lines of the wind triangle got me right where I wanted to fly to and at a time I wanted to arrive. All three sides of the triangle were necessary for a safe and accurate flight.

There is a spiritual parallel here. Christians believe that God is a Trinity of Persons, each omnipotent, omniscient and wholly benevolent, co-equal and fully divine. There are not three gods, however, but one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we should relate to Him.

I remember when my wife was speaking with a Jewish neighbor who said that Christians worship three gods. Not so. God sent His Son, who came and returned but left us with the Holy Spirit to guide us through life until we meet the Father and Son in eternal glory.

How does the Holy Spirit guide your life?

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

In the New Testament – Jesus made…

• 132 public appearances – 122 were in the marketplace

• 52 parables that Jesus told – 45 had a workplace context

• Of 40 miracles in the Book of Acts – 39 were in the marketplace

• Work, in its different forms, is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible – more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise and singing combined.

Don’t minimize your daily work – it is nothing less than a Holy Calling:

• God has you right where He wants you… Right now!

• Remember – Jesus was a Carpenter most of His adult life.

— o —

Words of wisdom from Edgar Aponte:

• We demonstrate our faith in Jesus by bringing our deepest needs and burdens to Him. Take it to Jesus!

• The Lord will make you wait, not to hurt you, but to grow you for His glory. Wait on Him in faith!

• Guard your heart from cynicism. It destroys hope and it makes your heart a perpetual mourner. Believe in God and hope in Him!

• Do not give over to hopelessness those who Jesus came to save.

— o —

Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results.

Forgiveness is Biblical and it is costly. The greatest act Jesus did for me was to make me a child of God by forgiving our sins. When we sin, we sin against God and only he can forgive our sins. When Jesus says your sins are forgiven, He is saying He is ready to pay the price for our sins. Be a great friend and bring others to Jesus. Warren Wiersbe

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human, are created, strengthened, and maintained. Winston Churchill

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. John C. Maxwell

To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun? Katharine Graham

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt

The Christian life is easy to talk about but difficult to live. Jim Wilson

Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell your storm how big God is! Adrian Rogers

In order to be faithful to the message and mission of Jesus, we must leave behind the Pharisaical judgment and personal prejudice. Tommy Campbell

Cell phones are a digital pacifier.

Though we may not understand the timing, good will always win out, and our prayers will be answered. So don’t stop praying. Be patient. God’s timing is always perfect.

Only one-fourth of America’s preteens believe the Bible is the Word of God and only one-fifth believe in absolute truth, according to a new survey that warns the nation’s preteens are “following in the unfortunate spiritual footsteps of the generations that have preceded them.” Michael Faust

The one who will judge us is Jesus who saved us. Edgar Aponte

Love is demonstrated by our actions.

People don’t perish because they didn’t hear the Gospel, they perish because they have sinned and rejected the Lord. The Gospel is the only hope for salvation. Edgar Aponte

No matter how hard any of us might try we can never be right with God unless we do it God’s way. Elbert Nasworthy

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Your feedback is welcome . Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

Week Thirteen, 2024

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us (Ephesians 2:14).

There’s a piece of it that sits by my deck as a reminder of how walls can keep us out or keep us in. I flew there shortly after holes were punched in it to allow ingress and egress. Shortly before, people had been shot on sight for trying to go over it. As I stood before it, I saw a sobering sight, bustling prosperity on one side and drab sights of deprivation on the other. It was the Berlin Wall.

Berline Wall

I walked through a hole in the wall into East Berlin and experienced the stark contrast. I was there to purchase former communist assets to be deployed in a free business environment and become a part of the free enterprise economy in the west.

Throughout history walls were built around cities to provide security and keep enemies out. The Berlin Wall was different, designed to keep people in…. people who wanted to escape the tyranny of the East for the freedom of the West.

Metaphorically people build walls. Some around themselves and some around others. We build walls to isolate us from others. The Bible talks a lot about walls, the most noteworthy are the tearing down of the walls of Jericho and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. One was to capture and the other to protect.

Today, more than ever, it is vital to build an impenetrable wall of the word of God around us and our family. The Bible says Jesus is our firm foundation. He is also the corner stone. We build on Him and His word – which, of course, are one.

Every time we pray, confess, or worship God, we are erecting our walls. The more we do this, the greater our wall becomes. The stronger and more fortified it is, as we confess His word over our life and the life of our families.

As you build with the word of God, you and your family become surrounded with the word of God. If you are surrounded by the word of God, you are surrounded by Jesus. If Jesus surrounds you, then you are safe and protected. God is telling me, telling us, to build our walls. To create, with the words of our mouth, a fortified place where we are protected from our enemy. That place is the word of God. That place is the blood of Christ. That place is in Him.

On what foundation are your walls built?

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Love…. everything begins and ends with love:

• Loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength

• Loving our neighbors as ourselves

• Loving as we are loved

• Loving the poor, the weak, the brokenhearted and the downtrodden

And putting that love into action… just as Jesus put His love for us into action on the cross. In love, there is no room for prejudice, hate, abuse, divisiveness, or taking advantage of others. In love, there is room at the foot of the cross. How can we better show our love… our love for Jesus… our love for others? Marty Stubblefield

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WORDS OF WISDOM FROM EDGAR APONTE:

• King Jesus has power to forgive sins, because He is God and Lord.

• Forgiveness of sin is your biggest need, and only Jesus can give it to you. You need to come to Him in faith!

• Do not harden your heart. Stop resisting God and honor Jesus!

• In faith and love, bring others before Jesus. Pray for the lost and tell them about Jesus.

— o —

We have expectations laid on us from many sources. Our parents tell us to avoid certain things to keep us safe. Our teachers tell us what to read so as to develop knowledge. Our bosses tell us to work a particular way to obtain the greatest efficiency. When we heed these admonitions, our lives are better for it. We can count on it.

God’s word tells us things as well. “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.” Romans 15:7. “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:17-18. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. “….truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

God’s Word is true. Count on it. Rich Jensen

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward

It seems to me that if we want to see revival… that if we want to see God do a great work… if we want to see God move, then it begins with us on our knees in prayer. Marty Stubblefield

In order to be faithful to the message and mission of Jesus, we must leave behind religious legalism. Tommy Campbell

Is your hope for heaven something you did or something someone did for you? Trust Jesus now. Edgar Aponte

You can change what a person looks like on the outside, but can’t change one’s real person on the inside. Too often, we look at people the same way. We form our opinions of them by the outside, when it’s the inside that matters. Rich Jensen

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. R. Buckminster Fuller

Never, never, never give up. Winston Churchill

Heaven has strict entrance requirements, but hell has open borders. Rodney Akers

My worship was empty because I was too worried about filling me… instead of pouring out and worshiping Him – the one that could and would wash me clean and fill me again. Marty Stubblefield

When you have a true encounter with God, you come away with the realization that God is for you. Dan Shock

The Christian response to sinners in the world is radical love, and compassionate concern that results in Gospel witness. Tommy Campbell

We go to all kinds of seminars to get all kinds of answers, but God has our answers. Ask Him! Matt Blair

If it’s not in God’s time you can’t force it. If it is in God’s time you can’t stop it!

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet. Anne Frank

All in this world are not disobedient to God but, the devil is the most “cunning” ‘fisher of men’ as his baits are deceitful and enticing. Stephen Bernard

What’s one of the differences between humans and animals? Animals don’t let the weak lead.

Trying to grasp the incredible gift of eternal life is like trying to understand the generosity of our Creator…watching a sunrise and sunset in just a twelve-hour period is a good way to start. Dwight Short

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Your feedback is welcome. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024

March 16, 2024

Countdown of the Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries Related to Jesus

-Sometimes the Lord puts a love in your heart for someone or something that’s hard to explain.

I’ve always liked cheetahs, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge, and the way that steam rises off my hot chocolate. I don’t know why those things fascinate me nor can I explain why I’m so fascinated by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

After all, it’s dark, sooty, loud and filled with hanging icons that just don’t work for me, and yet I’m drawn to the place—every inch of it. I don’t believe most of the legends that have sprung up about the church, whether it be that they found the true cross of Jesus there in the fourth century; that Jesus was crucified over the place where Adam’s skull is buried; or that the Holy Fire celebrated annually at Easter won’t burn you; yet, I still find it all rather interesting to learn.

For me it’s not about the pageantry and legends. It’s about Jesus, and just being inside the church and experiencing the life of the place makes me feel closer to him. I believe that he was once there. I believe that he took his last breath on a nearby spot of ground now enveloped by the church and that I was on his mind in that moment. Every ancient pillar in the church, every painting, every churchman who walks the hallways—they all suspend my attention from the trivial things of life and transport me back to that Friday afternoon when Jesus died for me and to the following Sunday morning when he rose again to defeat my two greatest adversaries, sin and death. I am alive in that place, for it is there that I was made alive. Though once dead in my trespasses and sins, Jesus raised me to new life through the cross. If I lived in Jerusalem, I’d be a regular visitor to the church, thanking God that the events which took place there so long ago have impacted me so personally.

-Can it be proven absolutely that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the correct site of Jesus’ death and resurrection? No, I suppose not. But the archaeological, historical and literary evidence for its authenticity is so strong that I have little doubt about it. The church is a powerful testimony, therefore, to Jesus Christ, my Savior. Do you know him?

—Daniel McCabe

Week Twelve, 2024

When Moses’ arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur brought a stone for him to sit on, while they stood beside him and held up his arms, holding them steady until the sun went down. In this way Joshua totally defeated the Amalekites. Exodus 17:12-13

Lighthouses in America have always fascinated me, and I have been able to visit many and climb to the top of several. There are more than a thousand lining the coast, shooting beams of light to warn ships at sea.

Most predate electricity, yet project sharp beams of light as they rotate. The important components are height, the light, the lens and the lighthouse keeper, who kept the light burning all night long. Lighthouses are built high enough on the land to be seen by ships miles away. The light itself was usually a burning wick saturated with kerosene. It gives little light, but the key is the prism lens that concentrates the light into a bright beam.

Several years ago, I was walking through a cemetery on St. Simons Island in southern Georgia when I came across a gravestone that said, “For fifty years–the keeper of St. Simons Light.” I could not think about how many ships he had kept off the coastal rocks and the lives he had saved, as the light guided ships into St. Simons Sound and warned of the many sandbars in the area. Since 1872, a lens made in France has projected the light that guides mariners into the sound.

Lighthousue

But all of that was impossible without the keeper of the light, most of which are never remembered. I thought of Aaron and Hur in the Bible. Everyone remembers Moses who was directing the army to defeat the Amalekites. Lacking more modern forms of direction and communication, he directed with his arms. When he became tired, Aaron and Hur brought him a stone to sit on and when his arms became too tired to lift, they held them steady. Again, like the lighthouse keepers they, though hardly remembered saved the day in defeating the Amalekites.

I thought about Jesus being our lighthouse and that great song that describer him:

I thank God for the lighthouse. I owe my life to Him. Jesus is the lighthouse and from the rocks of sin he has shown a light around me that I might clearly see. If it wasn’t for the lighthouse tell me where would this ship be?

This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Counterculture: a subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, often in opposition to mainstream cultural mores.

In a society and culture moving further and further from the values in which it was founded, how then should we live?

A Countercultural Standard For Living:

• Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

• Do not conform to what the world/age says is ok.

• Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you can discern God’s perfect will.

• Do not think of yourself more highly than you should.

• Think sensibly.

• Be a functional part of the body of Christ

How, then, will you live? For Christianity is naturally countercultural. What, then, will you follow? Mainstream society and the direction its world is pulling and leading? Or the counter… a world led by Biblical values, with decisions and choices made through prayer and supplication? Marty Stubblefield

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The Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer and consideration, they concluded that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they should not interfere with God’s divine will.

At the Baptist church, the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistry. The deacons met and decided to put a water-slide on the baptistry and let the squirrels drown themselves. The squirrels liked the slide and, unfortunately, knew instinctively how to swim, so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week.

The Lutheran church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God’s creatures. So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist church. Two weeks later, the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water-slide.

The Episcopalians tried a much more unique path by setting out pans of whiskey around their church in an effort to kill the squirrels with alcohol poisoning. They sadly learned how much damage a band of drunk squirrels can do.

But the Catholic church came up with a more creative strategy! They baptized all the squirrels and made them members of the church. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter.

Not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue. They took the first squirrel and circumcised him. They haven’t seen a squirrel since.

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You must not only aim right, but draw the bow with all of your might. Henry David Thoreau

It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project. Napolean Hill

You can’t have legalism and the Gospel at the same time, as they are incompatible. Tommy Campbell

The price tag of prejudice and racism is the elimination of people who might have been our friends. Dwight Short

One of our goals as Believers should be to bless God and glorify Him through our actions and our words. Taking off the old and dirty… and putting on the new and the clean. Marty Stubblefield

Jesus will not leave you the way He found you. He is such a great friend and savior that he will not leave you in your sin. He will find sinners in their sin, but He will not leave them in their sin. Edgar Aponte

Our adversary seems to attack us at the very time when we are not fully awake, or at a time when we are least prepared to fend off the attack. And it happens when we’re being productive and least expect it. Take heart. The same Jesus who calmed the storm for His disciples will calm the storm in your life as well. He is always there. Focus your eyes on Jesus, not the storm. Rich Jensen

The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. George Orwwell

The fear of the Lord may be the beginning of wisdom, but the love and obedience of the Lord’s precepts will be the basis of wisdom for a lifetime. Dwight Short

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Albert Einstein

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. Eleanor Roosevelt

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Archaeological Discoveries Related to Jesus

You know him best as the man who washed his handss to rid himself of the responsibility for the execution of Jesus, even though he famously said of him, “I find no guilt in this man” (Luke 23:4).

In his position as the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate had the authority to spare the life of Jesus, but even after his wife had a dream about Jesus’ innocence and his own interview of Jesus reinforced her conviction, Pilate “delivered Him to be crucified” (Matt. 27:26).

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes that Pilate’s words about Jesus and his reluctance to fast track Jesus’ execution lead to only one conclusion—that Pilate became a Christian. They even venerate Pilate as both a martyr and a saint in contrast to the more common take that he spoke and acted solely out of political expedience.

In any event whether his role in the trial of Jesus is that of a saint or a savvy politician, there is no meaningful disagreement regarding Pilate’s historicity and proper governmental title following a monumental find in 1961, known popularly as the Pilate Stone. Discovered in Israel in the port city of Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, this broken, carved block of limestone, measuring just over 2 feet tall and 2½ feet wide, bears the name of “[Ponti]us Pilatus, [Praef]ectus Juda[ea]e.

The Latin spelling translates into English as “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.” In Latin prefect is a title that means roughly, “put in charge,” and the Bible rightly describes him as the “governor” of Judea (Matt. 27:2; Luke 3:1).

Evidently carved to dedicate a Roman building in Caesarea, perhaps even a temple in honor of Tiberius Caesar, the Pilate Stone dates to the time of Jesus in the first century.

Yet again, the accuracy of the Bible has been corroborated—this time by a broken stone that points our attention back to the bitter-sweet account of our Savior, who on the night before his crucifixion broke bread with these wonderful words, “This is My body which is broken for you” (1 Cor. 11:24).

—Daniel McCabe