April 19, 2025

l’ve nicknamed my two older sisters, “Brown Eyes” and “Blue Eyes,” and you only get one guess why. Did you know that the majority of Americans also have brown and blue eyes, 45% and 27%, respectively? My eyes, on the other hand, are hazel like another 18% of Americans, but only 9% in the US have green eyes like Bruce Willis, Scarlett Johansson or Batgirl. Worldwide the number is even lower; only 2% have green eyes with Kate Middleton being perhaps the most famous example.

—According to biblical anthropologists, most men and women in Bible days had brown eyes although some in the region of Upper Galilee sported blue eyes. However, I can actually name two people in the Bible who had green eyes—Miriam and Aaron. Admittedly, their driver’s license read “BRN,” not “GRN,” but Numbers 12 makes it quite clear that brother and sister had been attacked by the green-eyed monster of jealousy. Here’s how the passage puts it, “And they said, ‘Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?’”

—After all, the Bible does call Miriam a prophetess, one who speaks for God, and there was that time, following the exodus, when she led “all the women” of Israel in a song of praise to the Lord (Ex. 15:20). That showed able leadership on her part and a broad base of support. Without her Moses would have never won the women’s vote.

—Aaron too had a strong resume. In fact, the Bible refers to Aaron as Moses’ prophet (Ex. 7:1) because everyone knows that Moses couldn’t talk his way out of a paper bag (4:10). Besides, Aaron too stood toe-to-toe with Moses against pharaoh in Egypt (5:1) and at his side on Mount Sinai in the presence of God (19:24). Don’t forget that it was Aaron’s rod that turned into a serpent (7:10) and Aaron who stretched out his rod over the Nile, turning it into blood (7:19). Aaron called up the frogs (8:6) and lice (8:17) that plagued the Egyptians—not Moses! The Lord spoke regularly to both Moses AND Aaron (4:27; 6:13; 7:8; 9:8), and when the people complained, Aaron too got his share of it (16:2). God gave Aaron the position of high priest in the tabernacle, representing the people before God (28:35), and, you know, he’s even three years older than Moses (7:7).

—All that should count for something, right? Of course it does! It tallies the many ways that God shows us grace to us despite our many weaknesses. Miriam didn’t deserve a special place of honor for leading an impromptu worship service with the ladies. Instead, that should be her humble response to all that God had done for her. Aaron didn’t deserve to wear high priestly garments. Again, it’s a sign of God’s grace! That the Lord chooses to use any one of us should humble us as it evidently did Moses, for immediately following Aaron and Miriam’s green-eyed rant that they too should hold power, we read these words, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (12:3).

—Moses too didn’t deserve his position for having learned humility. No, again, it is all God’s grace, but note these words from Proverbs 29:23, “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”

–Daniel McCabe

—Trivia

—Of the following nations, which one does NOT have a formal peace treaty and normalized relations with Israel?

On Location: The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu

—Many think that it’s here on the eastern slope of Mount Zion where Jesus stood trial in Caiaphas’ house and where Peter denied the Lord three times. Gallicantu means “crowing of the cock,” and the modern church adorning this panoramic location has been notably preceded by both a twelfth-century Crusader chapel and a fifth-century Byzantine shrine. In his surviving travel diary the Pilgrim of Bordeaux mentioned this site as far back as 333 A.D. Rock-cut structures, cisterns, cellars, and stables, dating to the time of Jesus, have convinced many of the site’s authenticity, and an outdoor staircase on the northern side of the church leads down into the Kidron Valley in the general direction of the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed on the night before his trial. Rival sites exist on both the western slope just outside Zion Gate and in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, and although I’m admittedly uncertain which site has the best claim, the architecture, artwork and archaeological evidence of the Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu makes it well worth a visit.

—Daniel McCabe

Life in the Land: Date and Cocoa Balls

—Recently we had friends over to our home for dinner and a game night. I surprised them with these treats purchased last year from Israel.

—Does the combination of dates and cocoa sound good to you? Here are the abbreviated responses of my family and friends who tried them that night. “They taste healthy, a little like coffee, a lot like a chocolate fig bar. They’re pretty good though a little rich, a little dry. I really liked them. They were just the right size.”

—Swing by our house anytime. You never know what I might pull out as a surprise!

—Daniel McCabe

History & Geography: Shechem, part 2

—Just a few generations after Joshua, when Israel was in a vicious cycle of betraying God, getting conquered, and being delivered over and over again, one of Gideon’s own sons, Abimelech, rose to power by murdering seventy of his brothers. The leaders of Shechem, his mother’s hometown, made Abimelech king of their city. At this point in history, Israel was not yet to have a king, not until God appointed Saul for that role. According to Judges 9:6, the people crowned Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. This must surely be a reference to the very stone that Joshua erected years before to serve as a witness of Israel’s faithfulness to God.

—I encourage you to read the story of Abimelech in Judges 9. Notice what Jotham (Abimelech’s only surviving brother) does when he stands on Mount Gerizim to challenge Abimelech and curse him. Consider the political intrigue in which Abimelech gets entangled as he betrays the people of Shechem and even kills 1,000 people by burning down the Tower of Shechem, the fortress temple of their city, Baal-berith, the remains of which you can still visit today.

—The tragic events that unfolded at Shechem are sad in their own right, but even more so when you think about them all happening in the presence of Joshua’s stone, witnessing this great period of sin and faithlessness to Yahweh, the God of the Bible. I have been to Shechem a few times, and I always yearn to go back. To look up at Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, to visit Jacob’s well nearby where Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4, and even to see what is quite probably the very stone of witness that Joshua himself set up at the city of Shechem. A massive, plastered stone pillar has been discovered and restored to its original location just outside the fortress temple of Baal-berith. This surviving pillar is almost five feet tall; it is broken, but stands at most of its original height. I have pictures of me, my wife, and other friends sitting before it and standing around it.

—Just think of the intervening millennia of time that this stone has witnessed. Everything from wars, exiles, the rejection of the Messiah and centuries of pain, misery and sorrow. All of it because people, not only Israel, but everyone, have not done as promised in the days of Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” But praise be to God that He offers forgiveness to everyone in that whoever believes in Him, Jesus the Messiah, should not perish but have a spring of water within him, welling up to eternal life, worshiping the father in spirit and truth.Just a few generations after Joshua, when Israel was in a vicious cycle of betraying God, getting conquered, and being delivered over and over again, one of Gideon’s own sons, Abimelech, rose to power by murdering seventy of his brothers. The leaders of Shechem, his mother’s hometown, made Abimelech king of their city. At this point in history, Israel was not yet to have a king, not until God appointed Saul for that role. According to Judges 9:6, the people crowned Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. This must surely be a reference to the very stone that Joshua erected years before to serve as a witness of Israel’s faithfulness to God.

—I encourage you to read the story of Abimelech in Judges 9. Notice what Jotham (Abimelech’s only surviving brother) does when he stands on Mount Gerizim to challenge Abimelech and curse him. Consider the political intrigue in which Abimelech gets entangled as he betrays the people of Shechem and even kills 1,000 people by burning down the Tower of Shechem, the fortress temple of their city, Baal-berith, the remains of which you can still visit today.

—The tragic events that unfolded at Shechem are sad in their own right, but even more so when you think about them all happening in the presence of Joshua’s stone, witnessing this great period of sin and faithlessness to Yahweh, the God of the Bible. I have been to Shechem a few times, and I always yearn to go back. To look up at Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, to visit Jacob’s well nearby where Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4, and even to see what is quite probably the very stone of witness that Joshua himself set up at the city of Shechem. A massive, plastered stone pillar has been discovered and restored to its original location just outside the fortress temple of Baal-berith. This surviving pillar is almost five feet tall; it is broken, but stands at most of its original height. I have pictures of me, my wife, and other friends sitting before it and standing around it.

—Just think of the intervening millennia of time that this stone has witnessed. Everything from wars, exiles, the rejection of the Messiah and centuries of pain, misery and sorrow. All of it because people, not only Israel, but everyone, have not done as promised in the days of Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” But praise be to God that He offers forgiveness to everyone in that whoever believes in Him, Jesus the Messiah, should not perish but have a spring of water within him, welling up to eternal life, worshiping the father in spirit and truth.

—Adam Keim

Answer to the Trivia

C. Lebanon

Week Sixteen, 2025

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9. Jesus did not pay for our sins only in part: He paid for all our sins. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

Back in the day, before they were mandated by law and building codes, my father was in the automatic fire sprinkler business. He had difficulty making sales, because companies didn’t want or couldn’t afford the cost of installation. My dad thought of a bright idea thinking what if it didn’t cost anything to install.

He went to the underwriters and got them to agree that they would lower insurance premiums when sprinklers were installed. After all, it would lower claims when sprinklers put out fires before the fire department could get there.

Then he went to customers and told them that he would finance the installation, and the finance payments would equal the reduction in insurance premiums and then the system was paid for, it was therefore free. His idea met with great success and business picked up significantly. None of us want to pay for anything, when we can get it for free.

There is a spiritual parallel here. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is a price to be paid for sin, but if we can figure out how to get someone else to pay for it, that’s a bargain.

Oral Roberts told a story of a student who had broken the rules and was fined twenty dollars. The boy was concerned, as he didn’t have the money. Dr. Roberts passed the boy in a stairwell and slipped a brand new twenty-dollar bill into his pocket. The one who found the boy guilty, paid the penalty.

That’s the way it is with Jesus. He hung on a cross and paid not for part of our sins. He paid for them all, past, present and future.

The cross is where God in Christ absorbs sin and recycles it into forgiveness. The cross is not what God inflicts upon Christ to forgive. The cross is what God endures in Christ as He forgives. Once we understand this, we know what we are seeing when we look at the cross: We are seeing the lengths to which a God of love will go in forgiving sin.

The cross is both ugly and beautiful. It’s as ugly as human sin and as beautiful as divine love. But in the end, love and beauty win.

Sometimes True Stories

Half a million older Americans will be diagnosed with dementia this year. That represents a 42% jump in the risk that someone age 55 or older will develop the life-altering condition.

In fact, an NIH-sponsored study in the journal Nature Medicine reveals that half of all adults in the U.S. will experience cognition problems after age 55. And by 2060, there will be a million new cases of dementia each year.

Clearly, it’s time to launch a whole-hearted battle against cognition problems and dementia.

Brain health depends on a healthy circulatory system and controlled lipid levels, lack of chronic stress and inflammation, as well as a healthy environment, life-long learning, and social connections (your posse).

That means you need a diet that delivers a daily dose of omega-3s (from fatty fish or supplements), lots of fresh fruits and vegetables loaded with fiber and phytonutrients, and vitamins D and B12.

Getting daily exercise also protects your cognition by dispelling stress, promoting epigenetic changes that stimulate the creation of neurons and enhance connections, and promoting the well-being of your organ systems.

Healthy sleep habits are essential as well. Go to bed around the same time nightly and sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room for six to eight hours.

Plus, you can dive into learning a new skill or hobby or playing brain games such as Double Decision. Do that with friends for even more benefits. Dr. Oz

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It is estimated that Jesus walked more than 3,125 miles during His ministry, I guess you can say Jesus literally walked the walk of love and teaching. Jesus demonstrated leadership by caring more about others than Himself and understood that mankind is sinful by nature and prone to mistakes. Here is the good news, “A mistake that makes us humble is better than an achievement that makes us arrogant.” God loves the humble! Tony Ferguson

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Cocaine is legal in Vancouver, but straws aren’t. That must be frustrating for the cocaine users.

Quotes You Can Use

The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Spurgeon

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. Charles M. Schulz

Faith doesn’t require that you understand it all. Tony Walliser

God created us for relationships. He knows that we advance His kingdom when we associate with like minds. And we get strength and safety to boot. Rich Jensen

Every sin we commit—every careless word, selfish action, and fallen thought—shows up on God’s list. And, if you’re a Christian, the only reason those sins won’t keep you out of heaven is because the gift of grace made freely available through Jesus has paid that price for you. Jim Denison

Forgiveness is available to all people through Jesus, but those who reject His offer will face definite and eternal judgment. Every person is either in Christ or out of Christ. Those who refuse to receive Christ will not receive His forgiveness. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: the continual rejection of Jesus and the gospel due to a hardened and unbelieving heart. Tommy Campbell

Beloved, I will ask you now a question. How would it be with you if God had filled your cup in proportion to your faith? How much would you have had in your cup? Spurgeon

A man is what he thinks about all day long. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The nightingale sings sweetest when the night is darkest. Henry Ward Beecher

Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence. George Washington

Living an upright life does not happen by accident, it requires living with purpose and understanding the consequences of our words and actions. Tony Ferguson

It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one. George Washington

Whatever it is you are living for, whatever passion rules your life, whatever it is that gets you out of bed in the morning and drives you – that is your god. Dan Shock

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118.8

Attending worship services will not be very effective if your mind is focused on where you are going for lunch, or how quickly you are able to exit the parking lot. Dwight Short

Grace, forgiveness and eternal life can only be found one way and that’s through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other way to the Father. No other way to Heaven. Marty Stubblefield

Whatever life throws at you, duck and let it hit someone else.

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt

As we live and deal with day-to-day, the happenings around us and the world that we live, let us take hold of this wisdom and incorporate it into that day to day… striving to be like Christ and shining His light on the world around us. Marty Stubblefield

The secret of your strength lies in your commitment to Jesus Christ. Dan Shock

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

But there’s a Trivia challenge below the next article!

April 12, 2025

Scripture Study Series–

Stories from Numbers and Deuteronomy: Marching Orders, Numbers 10, part 4

—I used to march! Not to “The Caissons Keeps Rolling Along,” a tune I somehow managed to learn as a child even though my dad was a Navy man. Not even to “Anchors Away” or “Wild Blue Yonder,” and I’ve certainly never made it as far as the halls of Montezuma or the shores of Tripoli. Instead, trombone in hand, I used to march to the tunes of “Honey Boys on Parade,” “Trombone Section” and “Under the Double Eagle.” My high school band marched nearly two hundred strong, military style, with twelve majorettes in parade formation leading the way in their green skirts, silver blouses and white Cowboy hats. Next came the trombones, loud and proud. Behind us the trumpets. Always in that order though no one ever seemed to question why. We simply hurried to our spots, awaited Mr. Kunkel’s nod to begin, and listened for our drum major’s whistle for “Attention!” before stepping off smartly in our proud green and white.

—If you were to make a quick scan of Numbers 10 as it plods through various “whistle” commands and its detailed marching alignments for the twelve tribes of Israel and if you decided instead to skip ahead to the more exciting fire, leprosy, spies and giants described in the next three chapters, then no one would really blame you. Still, you’d miss more than you know—“Piccolo Pete” Kunkel standing alongside the band with chin in his hand, feeling the weight of perfection; a series of predetermined whistles from Laura Jackson, our drum major, that prepared us for the march; and the all-around pageantry of majorettes with twirling batons and of musicians in their shakos and plumes. Or more precisely, gray-headed Moses with his staff and Law, the sharp blasts of two silver trumpets, colorful tribal banners raised by six hundred thousand fighting men, and holy priests carrying the tabernacle furniture under the cloud of God’s presence.

—But are there any practical takeaways from this chapter? Strikingly, the silver trumpets are called “an ordinance forever throughout your generations” (v. 8). In other words, the trumpet blasts are a call to worship both then and now. It would make more sense to me if the silver trumpets announced the start of a worship service like modern church bells sometimes do. But why should trumpet blasts announcing war or the start of a festival day prompt the Israelites to worship? Because God would save them from their enemies (v. 9), and he would receive their voluntary offerings at the tabernacle (v. 10). The trumpet blasts represented God’s promise that he would remember them when they faced giants. That he would forgive their sin. That though they once shook their fists at him and questioned his plans, he still desired a relationship with them.

—Still today the silver trumpets echo God’s comforting promise that he will fill our future with his presence. Impenetrable walls—even the ones you don’t yet know exist—will crumble before the one who trusts the Lord, and one day soon, Lord willing, another trumpet, “the trumpet of God,” will sound to announce that Jesus has returned for his people. We will have completed our march, and from that day forward “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:1).

—But a second, quick lesson springs from Numbers 10, for marching order does matter. Mr. Kunkel’s placement of the baritones, clarinets and tubas achieved his aim—the right blend and balance, the right look and feel. He charted every step. He timed every pinwheel, counter march and “to the rear” maneuver. God likewise has a perfect plan for his church. He is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Your place on the field fulfills his divine purpose, so line up where he directs you. Stand tall whether he’s called you to march in front or in the rear. Listen for his whistle and march in step with the Holy Spirit, trusting that his design is for your good and for his glory.

–Daniel McCabe

Trivia (answer at bottom of this page)

—What is the third largest city in Israel behind Jerusalem and Tel Aviv?

—A. Ashdod

—B. Beersheba

—C. Haifa

—D. Nazareth

Life in the Land: Unleavened Bread

—Every spring Jews celebrate a holiday known as Hag HaMatzot. Notice the word matzot in the name of this holiday. Matzot is a plural word that in the singular would be written as matzah, and now that’s a word that you might recognize. Matzah is the Hebrew word for “unleavened bread,” and so Hag HaMatzot translates to the “Holiday of the Unleavened Bread.”

—You can read about this Jewish holiday in Leviticus 23, which begins annually on Nisan 15. One day earlier on Nisan 14 the Jews celebrate Passover, and one day later on Nisan 16 they celebrate Firstfruits. Although these three days are unique in their emphases, they are not unrelated, prompting modern worshippers to refer to the three together as the one holiday of Passover, which runs from Nisan 14-21 in compliance with the biblical directive from Exodus 12:15 for the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for seven straight days. The holiday of Unleavened Bread remembers the hasty departure of the Israelites from Egypt, following the tenth plague of the death of the firstborn, when “the people took their dough [with them] before it was leavened” (v. 34).

—Luke 12:1 records these words of Jesus to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy,” and Paul refers to “the leaven of malice and wickedness,” thus signifying that leaven represents sin and unleavened bread represents “sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Thus, in the days leading up to the start of Passover week, Jewish families today remove all leaven from their home, perhaps the origin of our Western practice of “spring cleaning,” and on the night before Passover Jewish fathers make one final playful search through their home by candlelight with their children to sweep up bread crumbs that had been conspicuously placed around the house earlier in the day. With feather, spoon and paper bag in hand the children collect the remaining leaven to be burned the next morning. With their hearts and homes cleansed, the family is now ready to celebrate all that God did in bringing their forefathers safely out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

—Daniel McCabe

Podcast #58:: The Ashes of the Red Heifer

—Our latest episode is up! Click on the logo below to be redirected to our Apple Podcasts page. Our podcasts are also available on Spotify and all major platforms.

Life in the Land: Firstfruits

—Most Bible teachers believe that Jesus died on a Friday and rose from the dead the following Sunday. Jesus died on Passover, lay in the grave on the first day of Unleavened Bread, and rose again the third day. Christians commonly call this third day Easter or perhaps Resurrection Day. Rarely do you hear it called Firstfruits, but, according to Leviticus 23, that’s its correct name, for on that day Moses instructed the Israelites to bring their first ripe sheaf of barley as an offering to the Lord in order to express their gratitude for the harvest. On Passover the people bundled a sheaf of barley and left it standing in the field. On the next day they cut and prepared the barley, and on the third day they brought their offering to the temple where the priest waved it before the Lord.

—Although rarely celebrated today by the Jews, this third day, Firstfruits, Nisan 16 on the Jewish calendar, holds great significance for Christians because on this day, the first day of the week, Jesus triumphed over death. The apostle Paul explains its significance in this way, “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep … for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22-23). Firstfruits then pictures Christ’s resurrection and it also serves as a promise to Christians that they too will one day be resurrected. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

—Daniel McCabe

History & Geography:: Shechem, part 1

—It is one of the most important locations in all of the Bible, yet it is one that seems to fly under the radar for so many people. Maybe it’s because the events that happen there are not the most famous or well understood. However, I would like to highlight a couple of notable points in biblical history that took place at Shechem.

—The first set of events is the covenant renewals that Joshua led with the people of Israel. After Israel defeated the cities of Jericho and Ai at the beginning of the Canaanite conquest, Joshua took the people to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, which flank the city of Shechem on the north and south, respectively, and which are essentially in the center of the Promised Land.

You can read about this in Joshua chapter 8 where he built a stone altar on Mount Ebal and sacrificed to the Lord. Half of the people assembled in front of Mount Ebal to the north and heard the curses of the Law. The other half of the people assembled before Mount Gerizim to the south and heard the blessings of the Law. Joshua also wrote down the Law on tablets of stone. All of this was done in accordance to what Moses commanded them to do in this specific place, recorded back in Deuteronomy 11 and 27.

What happened was an observance of the covenant relationship between God and His people, Israel. Joshua 8:35 states, “There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.” The timing of this covenant renewal was important; the ethics of the Law were to be observed properly if Israel was to have success in conquering and inheriting the entire Promised Land. It was the first thing they did in the Land after taking care of Jericho and Ai.

—At the end of Joshua’s life, he would bring the people back to Shechem to again renew the covenant before the Lord. You can read about this in Joshua 24, the final chapter of the book. Verses 14-15 record some familiar words. Joshua said, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

—The people claimed and promised that they would serve the Lord only, but Joshua knew better than to trust that they could actually do it. Regardless, he did something very striking to serve as a witness to their claim. Verses 24-28 tell us that “the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.’ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.’ So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.” Joshua then died and the people of Israel buried Joseph’s bones there as well. Remember that Joseph insisted that his people carry his bones out of Egypt so that he would be buried in the Promised Land (Gen. 50:25).

—Imagine a giant stone being put in place in your hometown that would serve as a constant reminder that you promised to remain faithful to the one true God. That’s what occurred at Shechem, and that is also what makes the second event that I will address next time all the more disappointing.

—Adam Keim

Answer to the Trivia:

C. Haifa

Week Fifteen, 2025

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world (1 Peter 5:8-9).

It came like a thief in the night, totally unexpected or unimaginable. It happened on September 11, an odd coincidence since that’s the number (911) that we call for emergencies. We all remember where we were when it happened and stayed glued to the television throughout the day. Planes struck both World Trade Center buildings, hit the Pentagon and a fourth attack was thwarted by passengers on board.

Three weeks later, as the buildings were still smoldering and ash still falling, my wife and I headed to South Manhattan armed with Bible pamphlets which we handed out on the streets, ashes falling on our heads. People reached for what we had, as they were hungry for the Word in a time of crisis. It is amazing how desired the Bible becomes in times of crisis.

Satan attacks in various ways, usually striking like a snake. The adversary is aware of who you are. He knows of your divine heritage and seeks to limit your earthly and heavenly potential by using the three Ds: Deception, Distraction and Discouragement. He infiltrates the world with his lies, and even believers can be deceived. He’s always ready to interject his ideas into our minds and lead us astray by convincing us that there will be no consequences for sin. If we believe his lies and disobey our heavenly Father, we will suffer His loving discipline.

Spiritual warfare is real, and we all will one time(s) or another be one of Satan’s targets. Like the Boy Scout oath we need to be prepared. Spiritual warfare is best confronted with spiritual preparedness, so to be prepared we need to immerse ourselves daily in the Bible, prayer and spiritual fellowship.

Whenever you choose less than God’s best or to forego God’s prescribed plans, you always put yourself in a vulnerable position. Whenever you choose to go your own way and not follow God’s plan with God’s people, you put yourself in a weakened position. When we settle for less than God’s best or His will, we set ourselves up for attack from the enemy. We should put on Jesus and make no provisions for the flesh. Romans 13:14

So, the next time you are confronted by a bully boastful devilish serpentine enemy, call out to God. Pray for the Spirit’s empowerment. Lead in the Spirit. Maybe even ask for some holy anger to drive you on. And when victory is won, give glory to God.

Sometimes True Stories

There are two aspects of who we are as human beings created in God’s image. The first is our physical body. When sin entered the world through Adam, our bodies were doomed to deterioration and ultimate death. In fact, because we inherited the sin nature from Adam, science tells us that we begin that process at the moment of conception with the slight degradation on the cellular level. The death rate is 100%.

The other aspect is spiritual. Inherited sin affects that as well. However, the spiritual death, also known as separation from God, is full and complete at conception. But, unlike the physical death we will experience, spiritual death, the separation from God, can be overcome. Because Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin on the cross, we can place our trust in Him and Him alone and experience a spiritual rebirth which re-establishes our relationship with our Creator.

It gets better. When our physical bodies die and Christ comes for us, we will get brand new bodies to go with our spiritual rebirth and live with Him forever. Rich Jensen

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God wants me to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.

In other words, God wants me to dwell upon Him and His character and His characteristics…. wants me to dwell upon Jesus and all that He is: True… Noble… Right… Pure… Lovely… Admirable… Excellent… Praiseworthy…

Dwell upon such things. Marty Stubblefield

– 0–

Birthrates are falling below replacement levels across the Western World. For Europe – and other nations with generous state managed retirement programs, a declining youth population spells trouble. Michael Smith

Quotes You Can Use

If you or someone you know is having a medical problem, remember to be patient. Hope for the best, be happy about small improvements, and trust the Lord that things will get better. God is good, even when things are difficult. Ronald Sy

Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.

Ask yourself if what you are doing today gets you any closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Some people have no idea of what they are doing, and a lot of them are really good at it. George Carlin

The greatest need in your life is not more stuff, more time, or more money. Our deepest need is to know God better. John Piper

It would have been well for the church if the warnings of the Gospel had been studied as much as its promises. J.C. Ryle

At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you have accomplished. It’s about who you have lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you have given back. Denzel Washington

Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people. Dennis Prager

Integrity—it’s a foundational element God calls us to embrace, to have the impact and leave the legacy, in the life of purpose He created us to live. Integrity—you can’t have a little, or a lot. You either have it, or not! Scott Whitaker

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Carl Jung

Hardness of heart leads us to oppose God and devalue human life. Guard your heart before the Lord and show mercy to others.

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

Justifying unbelief or hiding it behind self-improvement projects will not work. Come to the Father by believing in the Son. Edgar Aponte

Mankind is inherently evil, and it takes discipline and God’s grace to purge the evil from our hearts and souls. Tony Ferguson

The risen Lord promised His presence and His power so we can accomplish His purpose. Edgar Aponte

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Your feedback is welcome. If you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

Well-earned praise for Pastor McCabe by Frank Becker

April 5, 2025

Every week, Pastor Daniel McCabe, of Shalom Y’all Ministries, copies us with his wonderful weekly email. It’s packed with wonderful truths and insights from God’s Word, and we generally focus on just one aspect.

But this week, we’re pointing out the wealth of information available, material which, candidly, I rarely see anywhere else. Consider the first three articles below:

1. From Daniel’s Scripture Study Series–Stories from Numbers and Deuteronomy, entitled “Seven Busy Weeks, Numbers 9, part 3”. In just his first paragraph, we learn more about the dismal conditioins under which the wandering Israelites lived that first year in the wildneress than from most Bible studies.
2. Next,, Daniel’s weekly Trivia question, which is always fun, but can be a real challenge.
3. Then one of his “On Location” articles: The Small Wall.” This is fascinating information that could only come from someone familiar with Jerusalem, and in this case, it’s information that would be beneficial to anyone planning a visit.
4. And fourth, another “Life in the Land. It’s about three basketball coaches here in the USA, whose teams are among the “Final Four,” and they all have strong Jewish Connections.
5. And that’s not all. There’s another article, plus a story from the Arhives.

No wonder folks love to have Daniel McCabe for their guide when they travel to the Holy Land, and why he’s shepherding another new and growing church.

Seven Busy Weeks, Numbers 9, part 3

—The Israelites had been living in a tent now for one whole year since leaving Egypt, and desert life in the Sinai hadn’t been easy. It rained only eight to ten times during the previous year and for no more than a total of three inches, not nearly enough to fill their water jugs. While in Egypt they had lived more or less at sea level in the gentle humidity of the Nile Delta, and so they weren’t accustomed to their new mile-high base camp at the foot of Mount Sinai with its rugged peaks that rose another 2300 feet above their heads and with dazzling views of the surrounding hills for those like Moses and Joshua whom God had instructed to make the climb. Summer temps regularly swelled into the mid-nineties, and winter months dipped below freezing. Hot, cold, dry, dusty and monotonous. But finally something to cheer.

—On the one-year anniversary of their exodus from Egypt the long-awaited tabernacle had been completed and raised by the Levites under Moses’ direction, probably in late March or early April of 1445 B.C. (Exodus 40:17). It had been a massive project. But no one could have imagined what would happen next. “The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (v. 34), and the cloud that the Lord had sent before them to lead their way through the desert now “covered the tabernacle” (Num. 9:15), signifying in unmistakable fashion that God dearly loved his people and desired to live among them.

—Two weeks later on a moonless night the Israelites celebrated their second Passover. “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover” (9:2), the Lord had instructed Moses, and so they did, though it would be their last such celebration before entering the Promised Land thirty-nine years later. Even so that second Passover served to remind the people of God’s power to deliver them both from physical slavery in Egypt as well as his plan to cover their sin with the blood of an unblemished Lamb.

—Sixteen days later the LORD spoke with Moses inside the freshly consecrated tabernacle, instructing him to count those “twenty years old and above—all who [were] able to go to war” (1:3), no doubt creating a hopeful stir among the 603,500 men of fighting age and the remaining men, women and children that they would soon break camp and head for their future home. The people completed the census and finished their packing in under three weeks, for “on the twentieth day of the second month in the second year … the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle” (10:11).

—A busy seven weeks, fifty days to be precise, had passed since they’d completed the tabernacle and watched in reverence and wonder as the glory of the Lord descended into their midst, but now they were moving out. Little did they know, however, what lay ahead, and the same is true for us.

—There is much to do. You might even say that you’re busier than ever, raising your family and chasing your dreams, but let us not forget the glory of the Lord. It certainly didn’t take long for the Israelites to forget. Fears and frustrations quickly diverted their eyes from God’s abiding presence at the tabernacle. But let’s be different. Let us take to heart Peter’s encouragement to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [for] to Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

–Daniel McCabe

Trivia—Egyptian hieroglyphics was first deciphered by studying WHAT?

—A. Book of the Dead

—B. Elephantine Papyri

—C. Library of Alexandria

—D. Rosetta Stone

On Location: The Small Wall

—Perhaps you’ve heard of the Western Wall, sometimes called the Wailing Wall, part of the ancient retaining wall built to support the Jewish temple complex in Jerusalem so long ago, but still partially visible today. Many Jews choose to worship and pray along this wall because it’s very close to the ancient location of both Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple and to the Holy of Holies in particular where God’s presence once dwelt in a visible way. The temples have long since been destroyed, and today a Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, stands where both temples once stood. Although no temple has stood on this site since 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Herod’s magnificent buildings, even so many Jews wouldn’t dare climb the modern ramp to enter the Temple Mount compound for fear that they might accidentally tread on sacred ground. Instead they prefer to worship at the base of the Western Wall that’s been turned into an open-air synagogue and that’s now visited each year by ten million people from around the world.

—But what if I told you that there’s another section of the western retaining wall that’s even closer to the historic site of the temples and that hardly anyone ever visits? It’s called the Small Wall, and it’s located about 200 yards north of the famous Western Wall just outside the Iron Gate of the Temple Mount. The courtyard from which you can view the Small Wall is only about ten yards long and four yards wide, but its size quickly gives you a better taste of the cramped conditions once prevalent at the Western Wall before bulldozers leveled the area in the late 1960s to make room for large numbers of worshippers who flocked to it following Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War.

—Once used as a latrine and often filled with garbage during the time of the Ottoman Empire the courtyard facing the Small Wall has now been cleared and cleaned, and it provides a more peaceful alternative for prayer than at the Western Wall if you’ll take just a few extra minutes to wind through the heart of the Muslim Quarter in order to find it.

—Daniel McCabe

A Christ-Centered Passover Seder

—Would you be interested in us coming to your church, school, retreat or camp to lead your group in a seder? Lasting about sixty to ninety minutes, but adaptable to any setting, this presentation and optional meal highlights the significance of Jesus in the Passover. There is no cost. Let us know if you’re interested!

Life in the Land: Three coaches of the “Final Four” have A Strong Jewish Connection

—Did you know that of the four teams participating this weekend in the NCAA Men’s Basketball “Final Four” tournament, three have Jewish head coaches, Bruce Pearl of Auburn, Jon Scheyer of Duke, and Todd Golden of Florida, and the fourth team, the University of Houston, starts a guard named Emanuel Sharp who is a citizen of both the United States and Israel.

—Bruce Pearl is married to a Christian who, according to the Alabama Baptist, prays that he will place his faith in Jesus.

—Jon Scheyer was once named “Mr. Basketball” in Illinois and nicknamed the “Jewish Jordan” while leading his high school team to a state championship, the only championship team known to have a starting lineup of all Jews.

—Todd Golden played professionally for a short time in Israel, and he has both worked for and been coached by Bruce Pearl.

—Emmanuel Sharp was born in Israel, raised there until the age of nine and played for the 16U Israeli National Team. Emanuel’s dad, Derrick Sharp, played professionally in Israel for fifteen years.

—Daniel McCabe

Scripture Study: The Sermon on the Mount, part 3

—Again, let’s look at this familiar passage, so called because Jesus taught a crowd of His disciples somewhere on a “mountain,” which was really a level place on a hill near Capernaum. You’ll find the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. The location is most likely an area close to the Church of the Beatitudes. The last time I was there, the farmer who owns the land had planted a lot of banana plants in his fields, so we could not walk in the area where Jesus probably delivered this great sermon.

—In any event Jesus told the crowd in Matthew 6:9 to “Pray like this.” He did not require the exact words to be repeated, although that is fine, but instead I think that He gave a model of how our prayers should look.

—If you look at the content of the Lord’s prayer, He begins with praising God, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” I follow that example when I pray in public, starting out by glorifying some attribute of God. Then Jesus asked for the kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on earth just like it is in heaven. All believers should desire that. God’s will is followed perfectly in heaven, and ideally it should be followed on earth as well. The believer’s earthly hope is longing for life in the kingdom at the time of Messiah’s return.

—Jesus then makes a few requests. First, “Give us this day our daily bread.” I think the importance is that we ask God for what we need to get us through each day. We don’t necessarily ask for what we need for the next forty years, but simply for one day. In so doing, we’ll obviously need to go to God the next day as well, and the next, and that’s a good thing because it keeps our focus on our need for God each and every day. In fact, whatever happens in our life to drive us to need God is a good thing, even if it comes through hardship, which fixes our attention on Him as it should be.

—Jesus finishes this model prayer with a request for God to forgive sins as we, ideally, forgive others, and for God to lead us from temptation and deliver us from evil. Some versions read, “the evil one,” using a substantival use of the adjective, and some manuscripts add the phrase, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen” although this latter phrase was probably not in the original text.

—So there we have the Lord’s prayer. Again, Jesus did not prescribe a meaningless repetition of the prayer, but laid it out as a model of the sort of things about which we should be in prayer. Praying those exact words is good, however, if you mean what you are saying in your prayer.

—Adam Keim

From the Archives: History & Geography, Banias

July 28, 2022

—With its freshwater springs, its picturesque waterfall, and its stunning views of the verdant hills all around it that perhaps still hide a few spent shells in their rich, dark soil, sobering reminders of the battle for this scenic landscape during the Six Day War of 1967, it is probably no surprise to you that many armies have fought here, including the Seleucids, Romans, Crusaders and Arabs. One of the three sources for the headwaters of the Jordan River, Banias, now a nature reserve at the foot of snow-capped Mount Hermon, is arguably one of the most beautiful places to visit in Israel. Banias is a corruption of Paneas, meaning a place sacred to Pan, the god of nature, forests and flocks, for long ago the Greeks built a temple here after discovering a cave at the base of a rocky, red cliff from which bubbled up a refreshing spring. Because of seismic activity, the water still flows today, but now from a crack beneath the cave. In 20 B.C., then under Roman control, Caesar Augustus gifted Banias to King Herod who built a white marble temple near the spring in honor of his benefactor. Herod’s son, Philip, built the capital of his territory here in 2 B.C. and called it Caesarea, which is why you probably know it best by its other name, Caesarea Philippi.

—“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’…. Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:13, 16). Asked and answered near the shrines and temples of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus’ question stands out, for there are indeed both past and present rivals to the name of Jesus, prompting me now to ask, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” One among many good prophets like Elijah or Jeremiah? One of many gods like Pan? Or God alone? Jesus is Lord!

—Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia: D. Rosetta Stone

Who We Are

—Shalom Y’all Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all gifts to our ministry are tax-deductible. SYM was formed in 2021 to teach the Bible and lead tours to Israel. Our teaching and presentations feature the acronym S-H-A-L-O-M, which means “peace” in Hebrew.

——S – Scripture Study

——H – History and Geography

——A – Archaeology

——L – Life in the Land

——O – On-the-Ground Tours

——M – Media and Resources

Our Mission

—To teach and encourage those who love the Bible, the land of the Bible and the people of the land and to lead educational tours to Israel that forever change the way you read your Bible and worship the Lord

Our Prayer

—“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Find Us on Facebook–Everything you read here is also on our Facebook page. See the link below.

Shalom Y’all Ministries

104 County Road 1633

Cullman, Alabama 35058, US

Week Fourteen, 2025

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7).

It was a grandfather’s day out with some of my favorite grandsons….. a day at the races. We attended a series of Indy Car races and were fortunate enough to sit right behind the pit area. The pit times are as important as the track time, and often it’s the fast pit time that wins the race.

I found it amazing how fast the crews could change tires, fuel up and get the car back on the track. A car can only go so far without pit stops. I noticed one that went too long and had to be towed off the track.

Our spiritual life is like that. Just as we need physical rest, we also need spiritual rejuvenation. Spiritual refreshment is when we are refreshed or revived in our inner spirit through our relationship with God and our hearts are filled with peace, joy, inner strength and renewal, as we experience God’s life and God’s Word in our daily living.

This world is a dry and weary land. Nothing will deaden a person’s spiritual appetite like the spirit of this world. Even believers with the best of intentions find that their passion for God wanes in the spiritually polluted atmosphere around us. And the more immersed we become in it, the more dry and weary our souls become. Every minute we spend watching television, listening to secular radio, surfing the Net, playing video games, reading newspapers & magazines, strolling through the mall—and a thousand other activities that beckon us—the more barren we become spiritually.

The believer who thirsts for God – like a deer pants for streams of water – limits his time in this world. He rises early and cries out, “O God, Thou art my God!” There is a thirst for God and the things of God that cannot be quenched. He longs for “the Fountain of Living Waters,” and refuses to drink from the “broken cisterns” of this world.

Let us forsake the stale, dirty water offered by the world’s broken cisterns. They may temporarily wet the throat, but they can never quench the thirsting of our souls. Instead, let us keep going to the Fountain of Life—again and again and again—until we thirst no more.

Sometimes True Stories

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalms 117

What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalms 119

What chapter is in the center of the Bible? Psalms 118

There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118.

There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up (594 x2) and you get 1188.

What is the center verse in the Bible? Answer Psalms 118:8

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Internationally the US ranks 125th for literacy. 54% of Americans between the ages of 16-74 read below a sixth grade level.

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Florida abortions declined 28% in 2024, the lowest since Roe v. Wade due to the state’s six week ban which became effective in May. A statistic to celebrate.

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In other news, a supercomputer simulation has predicted when humanity will go extinct. It foresees a day when rising temperatures, volcanic chaos, and an unrecognizable climate will make most of our planet uninhabitable for mammals. However, this cataclysmic apocalypse will not occur for another two hundred and fifty million years. Jim Denison

Quotes You Can Use

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10

The question is this… what are we doing with the gifts that we have been given? Marty Stubblefield

Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson. Elon Musk

Idleness and ignorance breed vice.

We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.” Proverbs 16:33

God’s plan for your situation may seem peculiar. And you may even be reluctant to try it. Obey the impressions of God upon your heart. Dan Shock

God doesn’t want to make you a better person. He wants to make you a new person. Edgar Aponte

God sometimes allows things to happen – good or bad – so that He can and will ultimately be glorified through them. And if that’s the case, He does the same things with talents and gifts. Marty Stubblefield

A man does not realize how bad he is until he tries really hard to be good. C.S. Lewis

You can learn a lot about what people value when faced with a crisis, they decide what to defend. Michael Smith

We often spend more time trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube than brushing our teeth and getting them extra clean. Dwight Short

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning. Winston Churchill

God’s judgment on sin will be final and eternal. Tommy Campbell

What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. Gal 5:16

Time shall be no more when judgment comes, and when time is no more, change is impossible. Spurgeon

Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded!!

Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people. Dennis Prager

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

March 29, 2025

—It’s quite normal to flee from danger like the time my family evacuated our Louisiana home at the news that Hurricane Rita had it in her crosshairs or that time we heard the unmistakable sound of a rattlesnake while hiking in one of our favorite state parks in Texas. Likewise when the people of Israel learned that the army of the king of Assyria was headed their way in the late 8th century B.C., thousands fled south to find safety inside the stone walls of Judah’s capital city, Jerusalem. Before long, however, innkeepers and relatives had no more room for the displaced, forcing the king of Judah to expand the city walls of Jerusalem to accommodate the panicked newcomers.

—But imagine their excitement when archaeologists in the early 1970s uncovered part of this wall which takes its name, “the Broad Wall,” from a presumed reference to it in Nehemiah 3:8. What archaeologists unearthed matches an historical reference to the King of Judah’s expansion prophet, described poetically by the prophet Isaiah, “You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses you broke down to fortify the wall” (Isaiah 22:20), for the archaeological evidence points to a systematic demolition of houses in order to make room for this wall that measures twenty-three feet in width and over twenty-six feet in height, constructed to protect a new residential area that evidently came to be known as the “Second Quarter.”

—To many who today visit the modern Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem the “Broad Wall” is perhaps just another ancient wall that they feel compelled to photograph since they’re there, but which is later overlooked in conversations with their friends back home in favor of pictures of their group at the Western Wall or in their favorite coffee shop on Jaffa Road, yet for those who fled to Jerusalem so long ago, the Broad Wall represented life and safety, echoing the words of Jerusalem’s greatest king and to which we as Christians can happily relate, “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirteen, 2025

The priests made repairs, each in front of his own house (Nehemiah 3:28).

Jerusalem had been destroyed, but then the city had been rebuilt. However, the city wall remained in rubble. Rebuilding such a large structure, necessary for protection, was an overwhelming task. However, Nehemiah had a plan. Instead of looking at the total project, each one should rebuild the portion adjacent to his house.

According to the Bible, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days. The task was monumental, given the size of the stones and the opposition Nehemiah faced, but by dividing the work, it could be done, and it was.

I am reminded of the boy on the beach throwing back the starfish that were washed ashore by a storm. A man approached the boy and said he could never save all the starfish. The boy picked up a starfish, threw it in the ocean and said, “True, but I just saved this one and it matters to this one.”

In the Bible story of Nehemiah, the phrase “build your own wall” refers to the strategy he employed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Each family was responsible for repairing the section of the wall directly in front of their own homes, effectively creating a sense of personal ownership and accountability in the rebuilding process.

Starting in front of their own houses, the people of Jerusalem not only rebuilt, but restored their devastated kingdom. They also built a unique community of trust, shared commitment to, and dependence on God.

As we look at the problems facing our society today, they look overwhelming and impossible challenges to solve. Our societal walls are broken, morally, politically, spiritually and economically. But if everyone does his part they can be fixed. We change the political scene one vote at a time. We change the spiritual life of our community one witness at a time.

Shortly before he died, I met Frank Laubach. While Frank was working among Muslims at a remote location in the Philippines, he developed the “Each One Teach One” literacy program. It has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own language.

It was a simple program where people were taught to read and then they taught at least one more person to read. Also, one of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled “The Game with Minutes.” In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt to keep God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. In this way, Christians can attempt the attitude of constant prayer spoken of in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues of a life lived with an unceasing focus on God.

Meeting and listening to him at my young age had a deep impact on me and helped me to commit my life to helping to change the world with my actions one person at a time.

Will you make such a commitment?

Sometimes True Stories

They say ships don’t sink because of the water around them, they sink because of the water inside them. Sin is much the same, when we allow sin to dwell within our hearts, we open a hole for the devil to pour in. The devil is always testing us, and just like a sailor we must be prepared for rough seas. A smooth sea doesn’t make a skilled sailor, but it is a trained and faithful sailor who reaches his destination. Tony Ferguson

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How do we put our faith to work?

In response, these 5 things came to mind:

1) By living what we say we believe. That is by glorifying God through our day to day living… through our work… through our fun… even in the mundane.

2) By doing what Jesus did – loving others, helping others, sharing life with others. Not because we have to, but because of what He first did for us.

3) By going therefore – That is, by going to make disciples. Whether next door, down the hall, across the country or around the world. Put your faith into action.

4) By loving your neighbor as yourself (goes back to number 2). And who is your neighbor? Everyone – even if they don’t look like you. Overcome hate and disdain with love. Shine where you are.

5) By taking up our cross daily and following Him… loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – That is, loving him with all that we are. Love like Jesus. See as He sees. Respond like He would respond. Allow His heart to become our heart.

Let’s be clear – Faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ, the Son of God is what saves us. But as we live and grow in our faith in Him, we are called then to put our faith to work. So others can see Him in us… so others might know of His great love, grace and mercy.

Now is the time for us to shine, to be a light in a dark world… or at least our little part of it.

Go now… “Get off the bench and do something… get out of the pew and put your faith to work.”

Marty Stubblefield

Quotes You Can Use

God wants us to learn to trust in Him completely – even when we cannot see any possible solutions. Dan Shock

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Corrie ten Boom

America’s problem is that we are no longer serious, and we tolerate too much unseriousness and fantasy. Michael Smith

As Christians, one of the best ways to help our country and culture is to show people the power of placing our hope in God rather than presidents, governments, or any other facet of our nation’s leadership. Where is your source of hope? Jim Denison

God will not give you victory over the flesh in one year. Success has no shortcuts – it’s a lifelong battle. Dan Shock

Our minds cannot be both grateful and anxious at the same time so it is important we seek the wisdom from God so we can lie down in peace sleeping confident in our Father’s care. Maybe that’s why a child can sleep so well. They don’t worry about tomorrow because their care is in their parent’s hands. Shouldn’t we all sleep like babies and put our care in God’s hands. Pray, believe, sleep. Tony Ferguson

When I was not a Christian, I knew the Bible existed and even some of the popular stories found therein. Then I put my trust in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit came alive in me. So now, as time goes by, I can open the Holy Scriptures and find wonders that help me live a life I never knew before, becoming more Christ like every day. Trust Christ. Open and discover the wonders found in the Bible. Dig in. Rich Jensen

Athletes work fifty hours a week to play a three-hour game; while Christians spend one hour a week at church to prepare for a fifty-hour work week…no wonder we seem to be losing the battle and the war. Dwight Short

Faith is not about feelings but accepting that God is sovereign. Faith is about humbling ourselves and accepting God’s grace rather than how we feel on any given day. Feelings come and go, but God’s gift of grace remains the same. Be wise, accept it, and peace and calm will be the reward. Tony Ferguson

Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying. Ronald Reagan

If you want your work to matter for eternity, you have to know what’s on God’s heart for eternity. That’s one reason why time in the Word is so important. Jordan Raynor

We live in a day when people are proud of what they should be ashamed of.

What a comfort to know we can talk to the Lord and know He is listening. Tony Ferguson

This world is not our home, we are just passing through, try to leave it better if you can…sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best legacy possible because it has eternal value. Dwight Short

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim with new wine.” (Proverbs 3: 9-10 NIV) When we honor the Lord, we are expressing gratitude for all our God given gifts. Unfortunately, mankind often takes the credit when things go well and look to blame others when things don’t go our way. When we live life with gratitude rather than blame, we often find that gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion to clarity. Gratitude can turn blaming into forgiveness, and enemies into friends. Live a life of gratitude and you will be rewarded. Tony Ferguson

Jesus commissions and empowers His disciples to invite others into His Kingdom. Edgar Aponte

To know where you are going, you must also know where you have been. Michael Smith

Trying to keep secrets from the Lord is like trying to nail Jello to a tree, it’s impossible. Even when we hold our tongues God knows our thoughts. Even when we try to fight back the evil thoughts and motives of the heart, He knows. Accepting the sovereignty of God is the first step in confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness. Faith is not a part of a Christian life, it is the whole life. Trust the Lord and He will guide your thoughts. Tony Ferguson

Jesus is better than anything this world can offer. Edgar Aponte

Hurt people, hurt people. Broken people, break other people. Tony Walliser

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

March 22, 2025

—Cleopas and his unnamed traveling companion on the road to Emmaus listened with burning hearts as Jesus “expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). In Genesis Jesus is seen as the Creator (Genesis 1:1; John 1:2-3). In Exodus he is our Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:5-7; John 1:29, 36; 1 Corinthians 5:7), and in Leviticus Jesus is pictured as our great High Priest (Leviticus 21:10; Hebrews 4:15). Jesus shows up in “all the Scriptures,” including, of course, the book of Numbers where he is pictured in at least five unique ways.

—First, after leaving Egypt to wander in the Sinai Wilderness for forty years, manna fell from the sky six days a week upon the camp of the Israelites to provide what they needed to eat, for they were unable to provide for themselves (Numbers 11:4-9). In the New Testament when the people requested a sign from Jesus to convince them that God had truly sent him (John 6:30-31), they pointed to the manna that Moses gave them in the desert and that authenticated him as a true prophet from God (John 6:25-51). Could Jesus do something like that? Jesus responded, “I am the bread which came down from heaven” (v. 41). The Israelites ate the manna in the wilderness, but “if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (v. 51).

—Second, in a very special ceremony conducted outside the main camp of the Israelites, Old Testament priests used the sacrificial ashes from an unblemished red heifer, mixed with water, to sprinkle on any individual who came into contact with a bone, a grave or a corpse in order that he or she might receive cleansing from contact with the dead (Numbers 19). The writer of Hebrews likens the sacrifice of Jesus to that of the red heifer (Hebrews 9:13-14). Jesus too died “outside the camp” (13:11-12) on a hill called Golgotha. “Without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19) Jesus too purges us from “dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).

—Third, without water the Israelites faced certain death in the wilderness, and so they naturally turned against Moses for leading them to “this evil place” (Numbers 20:5) when it would have been so much more prudent to trust the LORD who only a few chapters earlier had “promised good things to Israel” (10:29). “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, … ‘Gather the assembly together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals’” (20:7-8). Recounting these events from Numbers, the apostle Paul writes that “all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock … and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).

—Fourth, the Lord faithfully provided the Israelites with manna from heaven and even water from a rock, but listen to their response. “There is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5). For their faithlessness the Lord “sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people; and many of the people died” (v. 6). But then the Lord mercilessly directed Moses to make a bronze replica of a serpent and hoist it up a pole so that anyone bitten by one of the serpents could look upon the bronze serpent and live (vs. 8-9). Likewise, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “the Son of Man” will one day be lifted up in order that all who look upon him will be healed (John 3:14-15). All who look to the cross will find spiritual healing.

—Fifth, at King Balak’s request Balaam prophesies that “a Star shall come out of Jacob” to defeat Israel’s enemies (Numbers 24:17), and in the closing words of the New Testament Jesus says, “I am … the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16) who excludes from heaven (the New Jerusalem) all those who oppose him.

–Daniel McCabe

Week Twelve, 2025

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.(Psalm 82:4).

It was my first mission trip and one behind the Iron Curtain before it came down. We arrived in Zagreb, Yugoslavia late at night where we were scheduled to spend the night with a local pastor. We entered the home and were treated as welcomed guests. Then there was a knock at the door.

The police had arrived and told the pastor that he was not allowed to have guests in his home. The three of us were escorted to the sidewalk with our luggage. It was dark, and we were homeless and cold.

While we were thinking we were going to spend the night on the street, the pastor was working and finally found a hotel that charged an exorbitant rate where we were able to spend the night. It was not only a surreal experience, but an education of what it is like to live in a communist country.

We could do nothing but pray and pray we did. It was just the beginning of a three-country mission in communist countries. We had many scary experiences, and we prayed. I remember one night in Poland when I stood before an audience in a church in Poland giving my testimony when officers carrying machine guns walked in. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I prayed.

Prayer is a power of our faith, connecting us with our maker and the line is never busy and we are never out of range. Prayer is communication with God. We do this by praising Him, confessing our sin before Him, thanking Him and asking Him for our needs and desires. Prayer is communion with our Creator. When we pray, we engage in loving fellowship with the Maker of heaven and earth.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

Where we were, access to freedom had been cut off, but access to God is never cut off whether in a communist country or around our home dining table. The Prayer Hand is an easy way to remember five essential aspects of prayer: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise. Use The Prayer Hand resource to walk through each of these five purposes.

No matter what we face, God is always there, so we should spend each day in prayer as we look upward more than we look outward.

Sometimes True Stories

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

What keeps us from trusting the Lord with all our hearts? Could it be doubt? One definition I recently came across defines: “Doubt as the lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep his promises.” Doubt is contagious and it is much easier to find doubters than people of faith. It is critical we have faith and trust God even when His plan goes against human reason or experience. It is a short journey from doubt to despair. Faith is an attitude of acceptance as described in Jeremiah 32:27, “I am the Lord, the God of all people of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” Seek His will in all you do, trust in the Lord and He will remove the doubt. Tony Ferguson

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Many of our young generation are graduating with degree’s that appear to have no useful purpose and yet they seem to think they are going to start in managerial positions right out of college. Sadly, they are setting themselves up for a life of frustration and despair. True lasting success is almost always tied to diligence and hard work. The old saying, “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”. Never let a lack of effort be a contributing factor in failure. Tony Ferguson

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An estimated 1 million Americans are expected to develop dementia annually by 2060—roughly double today’s numbers—researchers said in a Jan. 13 report, adding that the risk of developing the neurological condition may be higher than previously thought.

The researchers’ study, published in Nature, found a higher lifetime risk than previously thought: After age 55, people have up to a four in 10 chance of eventually developing dementia if they live long enough.

Previous studies estimated that about 14 percent of men and 23 percent of women would develop some form of dementia in their lifetime. The new study evaluated updated data and tracked the heart health and cognitive function of about 15,000 older adults over several decades.

“All of our research suggests what you do in midlife really matters,” Dr. Josef Coresh of New York University’s Langone Health, who co-authored the study, said.

The latest findings show that Americans’ risk of developing some form of dementia after age 55 stands at 42 percent, more than double the risk reported in older studies. The lifetime risk of developing dementia rises to more than 50 percent among those who reach age 75, the researchers found.

They also noted that the increase in cases is directly tied to the aging U.S. population.

“That dementia risk translates into an estimated half-million cases this year, rising to a million new cases a year by 2060,” researchers said in a New York University statement.

Quotes You Can Use

God has made only one provision for your safety when the day of judgment comes, and this is in Jesus Christ. Dan Shock

“The God who made the world . . . does not live in temples made by man” (Acts 17:24). His transforming presence is as close as your next prayer. Jim Denison

The Bible doesn’t promise us happiness if we become followers of Jesus. As much as we would like for it too, it just doesn’t. However, it does talk a lot about joy and reminds us to be joyful always and in all things. Marty Stubblefield

In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten, and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.

Everyone says forgiveness is a good idea, until they have something to forgive and then the whining starts. Tony Ferguson

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.

No matter how hard we work or how much success we’ve had in the past. We’re not promised that everything will turn up roses in every endeavor that we take on. We’re not promised that we will gain riches and wealth when we become followers of Christ. Marty Stubblefield

If God forsook His own Son because of sin, how can you ever expect God to be in fellowship with you as long as you have sin permeating your life? Dan Shock

Restoring a culture of respect for the sacredness of life is fundamental to solving our country’s most pressing problems. When each person is treated as a beloved child of God, individuals can reach their full potential, communities will flourish, and America will be a place of even greater hope and freedom. Jim Denison

So, the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control and never panic. Martha Stewart

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