Week Forty-Three, 2024

Renew your thoughts and attitudes (Ephesians 4:23). Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)

We have all had it happen. The remote doesn’t work. The garage door won’t go up, and the list goes on. The solution is usually to recharge or replace the remote control batteries. Our spiritual life is like that.

In God’s economy, there are no new upgrades required every three months. No new models release every year. No recalls are made due to design malfunctions. No, we simply need to be plugged into the Lord and have our systems recharged by his Word continuously.

We were not created to experience the staggering power of regeneration never to depend on God again. We were created to need His revival continuously as we ebb and flow this side of glorification. Every day we need the Lord to breathe life into our bones that still get dry and weary from sin and failure and weakness and troubles.

At times, we attempt to plug into power outlets we weren’t created for. The result leaves us more depleted and in need of the only One who can revive our depleted hearts. In this society marred by sin, it is the Lord himself who restores and revives; therefore it is necessary for our survival to be plugged into the Word of God. This is no mistake or misstep.

Just as we plug in our phones every day, God has designed our new operating system (Ezekiel 36:25-27) to be daily charged by the ultimate Power Source because, while our heart and flesh may fail, he is the strength of our heart and our portion forever (Psalm 73:26). And this “plugging in” is not a once-daily surge from our quiet time, but a continual sustenance throughout the day.

When we, like Jesus, realize everything in our life flows out of our individual time with the Father, it changes the way we view our schedules and priorities and everything else. We submit to our need for the Holy Spirit to daily recalibrate our hearts, and we plug into him for the grace and strength to survive and thrive in our fallen flesh and fractured world.

As broken people living in a broken culture, our greatest need is to be plugged into the only One who can bring revival in our hearts. And the amazing news is that Jesus came for this purpose—to revive our hearts. He is committed to reviving the hearts he awakened.

So how are your batteries?

Sometimes True Stories

A better place to focus:

Only time will tell if history repeats itself once again, but, until we know one way or the other, our time and energy will be better spent praying for God to intervene and bring peace than worrying over the prospect of war.

After all, Jesus was clear that this world is far from perfect and will remain that way until he returns to establish a new heaven and a new earth to take its place. As such, our job is to help as many people as we can to place their faith in him between now and when his kingdom finally comes in all its glory.

How can you do that job today? Jim Denison

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When they said, “Caesar’s.” Jesus then said, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Then the Pharisees marveled at His words and left Him and went away.

“Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” but we often forget the second part of His response.

“… and to God the things that are God’s.”

Wow… that means everything. Because it’s all God’s. God created it. God gave it to us. And Jesus reminds us and the Pharisees to give God everything that is His.

That means everything. Not just our money, but our possessions. But not just our possession, but our lives and our livelihoods. We are to give Him everything. All that we are. All that we do. All that we have. All back to God for Him and His glory. For Him and His work. For Him to do with as He pleases. What are you giving back to God?

Marty Stubblefield

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The Church of England is dropping the word church in a quest for relevance. According to a new study, “modern-sounding” words such as community are now in favor.

Quotes You Can Use

Unbelief is a serious sin that doubts God’s character and power. Believe the Word of God! Pastor Edgar Aponte

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in a large group. George Carlin

Today we are a divided country, and Satan is laughing at us because that is exactly what he wants. Dysfunction, mistrust and hatred help his kingdom flourish. We have to realize that we are not fighting against other people. We are fighting against Satan and his kingdom of spiritual darkness. Tony Dungy

Positions are temporary. Ranks and titles are limited. But the way you treat people will always be remembered.

Do everything with a good heart and expect nothing in return and you will never be disappointed. Snoopy

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. T.S. Eliot

Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward. Oscar Wilde

The razor blade is sharp, but it can’t cut a tree. The axe is strong but it can’t cut hair.

Everyone is important according to his or her own unique purpose. Never look down on anyone unless you are admiring their shoes.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, but courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill

Never seek revenge. Rotten fruit will also fall by itself.

Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more that the Christ within us. A.W. Tozer

Death is not the end of life; it is only the gateway to eternity. Billy Graham

Hell is real and judgment is coming. Flee sin and run to the Lord. Pastor Edgar Aponte

The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk. Cicero

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

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

Knowing and doing are two completely different things. Brenden Schlappi

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

Remember, upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all. Alexander the Great

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

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 2024

Ocotber 12, 2024

—Sometime around 50 A.D. Roman Emperor Claudius “commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome” (Acts 18:2). The reason? Luke doesn’t say, but Suetonius does! He wrote a history around 120 A.D., entitled The Lives of the Caesars, covering the Roman Emperors from Augustus (the emperor at the time of Jesus’ birth) to Domitian (the emperor who expelled the apostle John to the island of Patmos).

In his book Suetonius explains the emperor’s action, “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome.” In other words, a growing number of Christians in Rome, perhaps evangelistic-minded Christians, became an irritation to the Jews, so the Jews turned to the emperor for help. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in an empire where peace mattered much, so the Christians must go.

—What a fabulous reference to Jesus by Suetonius! Well, at least most fair-minded historians see his mention of Chrestus as a reference to Jesus Christ, and Suetonius’ mention of Chrestus certainly corresponds with Luke’s record in Acts 18:2. Both historical references fit the same time frame, for example, and though admittedly some scholars remain hesitant to equate Chrestus with Jesus, it hardly seems possible that the detailed mind of Suetonius would have left hanging the identity of Chrestus if he referred to some unknown individual outside the mainstream of history. And who else could it be?

—Latin routinely adds “-us” endings to proper names. For example, Paul would be written as Paulus, so this would naturally explain the difference in endings between Chrestus and Christ. But in case you’re also wondering why Suetonius spelled the name Chrestus with an “e” rather than Christus with an “i” as one might expect, you should know that the almost unanimous consensus of historians contends that Suetonius simply spelled the name of Christ phonetically in the absence of any well-known template for the now common spelling of the name. But to strengthen this claim even further, many early church fathers likewise spelled Christ as Chrestus or even Chrestos, and sometimes you’ll even find them spelling the word Christians as Chrestians. Thus, the consensus of opinion among secular scholars and religious scholars across numerous different faiths leads to the comfortable conclusion that Chrestus refers to Jesus. Amazing!

—Daniel McCabe

Week Forty-Two, 2024

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

We’ve all had them, and the older we get, the more they pile up. They are the regrets for the wrong decisions we have made. Often, they have brought lasting and painful consequences. Some were recent and some from a long time ago. Some may be family and social, some relationships and some financial. Some bring shame and guilt.

But remember, you are not alone. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all have made decisions we wish we had never made. Remember that God has a plan for forgiveness and restoration. Often the consequences of our wrong decisions will linger, maybe for a lifetime. But forgiveness and restoration is now.

Talk to God openly about your weaknesses, failures and mistakes. Repent of any wrongdoing. Repentance means you’re sincerely sorry and you want to make a change.

Overcoming shame and guilt is possible with Christ’s help. He has paid the price for our sins, even the worst sins that cause us to feel guilt and shame. 1 John 1:9 says when we confess our sins, he forgives us and purifies us. This means we do not need to let shame and guilt control us. Shame and guilt are tools of Satan!

Finding compassion and contentment in life is an inside job. No one else can give these things to you. Worrying is like paying interest on a debt that never comes due. It is never too late to be all that we can be. We can live in the darkness or fight our way into the light.

We have all traded what really matters for something that doesn’t really matter. We are defined by our choices.

Regret can draw us to salvation. Paul tells us that “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10) and that it is God’s kindness that brings us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

Regret is sorrow or remorse over something that has happened or that we have done. Regret can also be a sense of disappointment over what has not happened, such as regretting wasted years. To be human is to have regrets because making mistakes is a universal experience.

The Bible gives much instruction that, if followed, will result in fewer regrets. God’s commands and boundaries are written down for us in His Word, and the more we adhere to them, the less we have to regret. However, in God’s grace and mercy, He has also provided a way to deal with regrets when we have not lived as wisely as He wants us to.

Bring your regrets to God and He will lead you to a path of joy.

Sometimes True Stories

And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75).

We live in a world where we often have only one chance to get it right. The shot at the buzzer to win the basketball game. Your final exam to get the degree you have been working for. The one opportunity to apply for that dream job. You think, if I could just have a “do over”, this time I’ll get it right.

Peter, as we sometimes do, thought that he really blew it when he denied Christ not once, but three times. He thought, as we do, that he wouldn’t get another chance for redemption.

Thankfully, we serve a God of second, and sometimes third, chances. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20)

That doesn’t mean we can keep on sinning. That means, like Peter, if we confess, we can receive forgiveness and restoration. (I John 1:9)

God’s love is limitless! Rich Jensen

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Sleep issues are widespread, with between 50-70 million American adults experiencing some form of sleep disorder. Insufficient sleep affects about 32.3% of adults in the US, and insomnia impacts 10-30 percent of the population.

Quotes You Can Use

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle. Napoleon Hill

Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again. Anne Frank

Sometimes the Lord brings us to the end of ourselves to grow us and to display His glorious power in our weakness. Believe! Pastor Edgar Aponte

In six months, you will have six months of excuses or six months of progress. The choice is yours.

The greatest wealth you will ever experience in your life is having a healthy body, a peaceful mind and the right people in your life.

We are living in a time where Satan doesn’t even hide anymore and the world still can’t see him.

In life, it is important to know when to stop arguing with people and simply let them be wrong.

The TRUTH doesn’t change just because you don’t want to hear it.

People don’t decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their future.

Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of trust. Albert Einstein

Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word. A.W. Tozer

We need leaders not in love with money, but in love with justice, not in love with publicity, but in love with humanity. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, if this person is mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of a different perspective. If not, there is no point to argue.

Sin should not characterize the Christian, but a life of freedom from sin and freedom for righteousness should characterize the Christian. Tony Merida

A goal is a dream with a deadline. Napoleon Hill

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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 2024

If the proofs of Jesus Christ’s existence in the first #5 through #10 didn’t make a huge impression on you, then buckle up because the next four proofs in our series take our quest for the historical evidence of Jesus to the next level.

First, in case you were wondering, yes, there was a Pliny the Elder, and both he and his son hobnobbed with Roman emperors. Pliny the Younger, the focus of this post, served under Emperor Trajan and corresponded with him regularly. Eleven of his letters to the emperor have survived, and here’s an excerpt from one of them that describes the early practice of Christians as well as the tension between Christianity and emperor worship that resulted in the persecution of so many Christians during the first and second centuries. The letter is dated to 112 A.D.

“Others, whose names were given me by an informer, first said that they were Christians and afterwards denied it, declaring that they had been, but were so no longer, some of them having recanted many years before, and more than one so long as twenty years back. They all worshiped your image and the statues of the deities and cursed the name of Christ. But they declared that the sum of their guilt or their error only amounted to this, that on a stated day they had been accustomed to meet before daybreak and to recite a hymn among themselves to Christ as though he were a god and that so far from binding themselves by oath to commit any crime, their oath was to abstain from theft, robbery, adultery, and from breach of faith, and not to deny trust money placed in their keeping when called upon to deliver it.”

Trajan’s extant reply to Pliny explained that Christians were “not to be hunted out,” but even so those who refused to deny their faith in Jesus should be punished. On the flip side, however, any who recanted of their faith in Jesus and who were willing to participate in emperor worship should be readily pardoned. From Pliny’s letter, quoted above, it’s quite clear that many did recant in order to receive a pardon.

What would have been your response to Trajan and Pliny’s goons if they asked you whether you’d be willing to curse the name of Jesus in exchange for your life? Think that couldn’t happen to you? Where once our founders humbly sought God’s blessing and guidance, today our leaders seem bent on the marginalization of Christians. Tomorrow they may even criminalize the public display of Christian symbols and speech in their efforts to combat what they’ve assessed to be a threat to democracy. Or are we already there?

Daniel McCabe

Week Forty-One, 2024

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

I wonder how many of us find ourselves a bit confused and anxious in the midst of the rhetoric of the election season in our nation. Hoping we will embrace once again our nation’s values, foundational beliefs, and heritage aligned with the God who ordained and blessed the founding of America. Wondering who to vote for, and will it make a difference.

Where will we find an answer? Where will we find peace? Church attendance has dropped significantly. The percentage of those who claim to be Christians continues to dramatically decline. Why?

You wonder if the church today is the church which Jesus Christ envisioned when He laid the foundation on Peter? Or has the world infiltrated it, and made the church its own, following the “word” of the world, rather than the “Word” of God.

How many of us today find ourselves at the end of relationships, careers, resources, and hope, unable to believe in a path forward. Feeling all alone. Empty and without direction. Wondering where to turn. Where hope can be found. Turning instead to the loud voices and noise of the world around us. Hoping we will find the answer there. Answers, if any, which are at best a stop-gap remedy, yet often moving us further from where we should be. Band-aids which won’t stem the leeching of Godly values from our minds, hearts, lives, and future generations.

But then we hear Christ’s words to Thomas and the other disciples “I am the Way—yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of Me.” And the words of God to us in II Chronicles 7:14 “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

The words of the song “Running Home” by Cochren & Co, also makes the point for us, as they share “It’s been a long time running down a dead-end road, Lookin’ for that something that could fill my soul. Never found what I was searching for. It’s been a long time running from a messed-up past. But you can’t go forward when you’re lookin’ back. But I ain’t looking back anymore. He called my name, and He stole my shame.“

Everything changed when I came Running Home. Out of the dark, into His arms. No more running away, I’m Running Home…And when I see that smile on my Savior’s face, I won’t be walking, I’ll be Running Home.”

Only one remedy. Only one answer. Only one Way to turn. To…Only one Voice. All leading to one lasting, eternally life-changing Peace and Hope in Christ. In one eternally God-ordained and surrendered life.

Only one Way. To our one Eternal Home. Whether you are lonely, sorrowful, burdened or suffering, Christ is the answer. Christ is the Way. Scott Whitaker

Sometimes True Stories

A society as secularized as ours should not be shocked by the mental health crisis our teenagers are experiencing, a worsening epidemic of distress tied to political turmoil and social isolation. Or by our declining birth rate due in large part to a loss of meaning, prompting many young adults to forego childbearing. Jim Denison

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Amid the political fervor of our day, here’s a different approach: Omena, a small town in northern Michigan, just elected a horse as their mayor. This is news because the office has only been held by a dog in the past, except for one time when a cat won the election.

One resident explained their political culture: “All politics are stupid. But at least we’re having fun with it, and we’re still friends at the end of the day.”

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A scoffer is one who speaks contemptuously or with derision. Whenever you speak the truth, especially that Truth found in God’s Word, they will deny it and say whatever contradicts it and makes them look or feel good. They are on opinion shows (true news is rare). They are in our workplace. They are in our schools. They are in the halls of government. Indeed, they are everywhere.

Take heart. Although they are running rampant these days, they will one day be silenced by the Truth. In the meantime, always be ready to give a defense for the hope in you, but with kindness and respect. (I Peter 3:15) Truth will free you. (John 8:32) The Truth of God’s Word will not return void. (Isaiah 55:11)

Ignore the scoffers. Truth wins. Rich Jensen

Quotes You Can Use

If Paul saw the church today, we would be getting a letter!!!

Faithful obedience is immediate obedience, and faithful obedience is total obedience.

The proper response to God’s covenant faithfulness is our faithful obedience. Tommy Campbell

In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit. Anne Frank

The loss of day not lived in full is time irretrievably lost. Paul Lipton

Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

God desires that our lives be a vessel to contain the Spirit of God, and that we would then channel God’s Spirit to a thirsty world around us. Dan Shock

Think of it: the God of the universe loves you as much as He loves His own Son. Jim Denison

Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level. Peter Drucker

Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. Maya Angelou

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs built the Ark and professionals built the Titanic.

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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] or [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024,

September 28, 2024

—Do you remember when Jesus once addressed his disciple Peter as Simon Bar Jonah? Simon, of course, was Peter’s Hebrew name, and his dad’s name was Jonah, so then it follows that Mara was the son of Mara then reminds his son that the Athenians, the Samians and the Jews would all suffer retribution for their mistreatment of the wise, but it’s Mara’s description of this wise man of the Jews that garners our interest here, for Mara can hardly be referring to any other person than Jesus. Called the “King of the Jews” by Pilate (Luke 23:3), by Roman soldiers (Matt. 27:29) and by the Jews themselves (Mark 15:12), Jesus fits Mara’s description perfectly. Mara would furthermore describe this wise king as one who had laid down new laws before his murder. 

—Mara bundled the historicity of Socrates and Pythagoras with Jesus. Being a Stoic philosopher who worshipped the Roman gods, Mara had no interest in adding gravity to any argument in favor of Christianity, and yet his words serve as one more proof that Jesus lived, taught a “new commandment” (John 13:34) to his fellow countrymen and then was killed by them.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Forty, 2024

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

When our feet hit the floor each morning we have a choice. The world’s way—do this, go here, be this, seek these things. Or God’s way—be who God created you to be, honor God, follow God, build your life on Him.

And we see people everywhere, near and far, dreaming dreams they hope will be fulfilled by following the temporary, transient ways to which the world calls them. Hoping to reach whatever those dreams may be, climbing ladders seeking after success and fulfillment conforming to the ways of the world.

Worldly dreams seeking after wins, money, success, stuff, image, acceptance by and meeting the expectations of the world. Realizing when they reach the top of the ladders they’re climbing—it’s not there. Rather than seeking after dreams aligned with the God who created them.

Submitting to the God who walks with them. Remembering that He is God of it all—everywhere as far as we can see and be.

So, where will we find the dreams, God created us to dream, and is always pointing us toward? Maybe starting here as you seek to embrace the dreams God places in your heart—

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Remembering as your feet hit the floor each morning, this reminder from God—

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

And throughout the journey of each day, to be empowered by believing that the God of all creation is there above it all, guiding your life of obedience to Him, with this sacred and eternal promise—

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Following the dreams God has implanted in your heart and mine, to be who He created us to be, not someone we are not. Following our dreams with God always alongside, always out-front, behind, above, and even carrying us when we need a lift up, to climb over and beyond whatever is before us, as we search, follow, find, and embrace our God-inspired dreams.

Like the words of this beautiful hymn, “Climb Every Mountain,” from “The Sound of Music” remind us:

Climb every mountain, search high and low, follow every byway, every path you know. Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream. A dream that will need all the love you can give, every day of your life, for as long as you live.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream.”

When our feet hit the floor each morning—follow God’s way. The God who created you and me, and always knows who we are.

Follow God’s dreams for your life. As I follow them for my life. Till we find our dreams. Scott Whitaker

Sometimes True Stories

Words of Wisdom from Pastor Edgar Aponte:

Don’t run from God, but run to Him.

The work of God needs to be accomplished by the means of God. Not by the means of the flesh.

Not everything that is legal is permissible.

Spiritual shortcuts are destructive because God’s work is to be accomplished in God’s way.

Taking matters into your own hands leads to pain and suffering. Trust God’s faithfulness and wait on Him.

Sometimes the pressure to compromise will come from those closest to you. Resist compromise.

You are never alone because God sees and hears your pain. Pray to Him in your distress.

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”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

The Israelites were about to go into the promised land which the scouts had told them was inhabited by giant people. Joshua needed encouragement to lead his people, and God wanted to assure him that He had his back. After all, Satan was behind the effort to prevent the Israelites from entering the land and Who better to have on your side than God Himself.

Satan is trying to prevent us from doing God’s will today as well. Satan causes us to doubt, he causes our sickness, he causes all kinds of logistical roadblocks. Since Satan is in the heavenly places doing his dirty work, God gives us a full set of armor. We must stand for Truth, righteousness and the Gospel of peace. We must have faith to block attacks, and we must be assured of our salvation. Lastly, we hit Satan and his minions with the Truth of the Word of God.

God has your back! Rich Jensen

Quotes You Can Use

The next time you’re tempted to prioritize politics over your higher purpose in Christ, remember that this world—as important as it may be—is not our home, and our ultimate allegiance belongs to God. Jim Denison

A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. John Stuart Mill

It’s not how much you know the Bible; it’s how much you live the Bible. R.C. Sproul

A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are.

It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Mark Twain

Dead people receive more flowers than living people because regret is stronger than gratitude. Anne Frank

God’s truths are not bricks to throw at people. They are bread to feed people.

We are all a little broken, but the last time I checked, broken crayons can still color. Trent Skelton

Hell can’t be made attractive, so Satan makes attractive the road that leads there.

We are lost when human opinion means more to us than God’s opinion. D.A. Carson

Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society. When you have an immoral society that has blatantly, proudly all of the commandments of God, there is one last virtue they insist upon: tolerance for their immorality. D. James Kennedy

Going to church doesn’t mean you are a Christian. It just means that you go to church.

As we grow up, we realize that it is less important to have lots of friends, and more important to have real ones.

You don’t have to attend every argument you are invited to attend.

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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 2024

September 21, 2024

—We have our late night comedians like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel, men who make their living through laughter, sarcasm and sometimes the outright mockery of others. We have these men. The Greeks had Lucian.

—Our late night guys love to lambast politicians. Their guy, Lucian, preferred to ridicule superstition, the paranormal and religion. Writing sometime around the middle of the second century A.D., Lucian’s pen took careful aim at Christianity.

—In his work, The Death of Peregrine, Lucian retells the story of this man named Peregrine who lived during his formative years with a community of Christians in Palestine. After being eventually expelled from the group, Peregrine turned to Cynic philosophy and eventually took his own life at the Olympic Games of 165 A.D. Amidst all the drama of Peregrine’s life and death, Lucian took the opportunity in this satirical work to mock Christianity for denying the gods of Greece. Among other things Lucian ridiculed Christians for believing that they become brothers and sisters following their spiritual conversion and also that they will live forever.

—So, why is this work by Lucian so important? Because here’s yet another very early reference to Jesus, to his crucifixion and to his worship by Christians who believed him to be God. Lucian may have laughed it all off without a second thought, but in so doing he unwittingly strengthened the now undeniable fact that Jesus truly existed.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirty-Nine, 2024

But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am? (Matthew 16:15 NIV)

In the Marketplace, especially in Sales and Banking, business leaders are taught early on to have an “Elevator Speech”. That is, to be able to introduce yourself and your business within a one minute elevator ride… to be able to answer the question “What do you do?”

And to be able to say enough in that minute to draw enough interest from the one you are talking with that they would want to continue the conversation.

In Sales and Leadership training, participants are taught to be able to expand that elevator speech in such away, that you not only have the one-minute speech in your repertoire but also have a 3-minute and 7-minute version that can be used in social gatherings and introductions.

Along with client/customer focused questions, these longer versions can also be used in sales calls or presentations… but again only when intermixed with truly customer focused questions.

The truly exceptional professional has these skills/tactics/strategies down to a science. So much so that it becomes second nature. It becomes who they are.

As Believers… as Followers of Jesus… we need to develop similar skills. We need to develop a similar “Elevator Speech” about Jesus and our relationship with Him. Not that we need to “sell” Him, but so that we can best share Him.

In a short period of time, we ought to be able to get to the point where we can share who He is and what He means to us. We need to write it down and practice it.

Our “Elevator Speech” should become so engrained in us that it becomes second nature. That it easily pours from our heart and rolls off of our tongue.

A one-minute version. A 3-minute. A 7-minute version.

Who He is. What He’s done. And what He has done for me (or what that means for me).

How do you answer the question, “Who do you say I am?” What’s your “Elevator Speech”? Marty Stubblefield

Frank Becker’s Comment: “The Apostle Peter put it best:“

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

–1 Peter 3:15

Sometimes True Stories

In a new CNN poll, 39 percent of US adults said they worry they won’t be able to make ends meet. The percentage of past due credit cards is at its highest level since 2012. Young adults are discouraged, and sixty-year-olds are “staring at financial peril.”

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It’s called synergy: the strength of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The apostle Paul didn’t know American history, of course, but he recognized the synergy of the human body—individual organs and parts of the body working together to accomplish human goals no individual part could accomplish by itself. And he applied that lesson to the church. Each Christian is given gifts by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11) in order to build up and benefit the church as a whole (Ephesians 4:12).

What is your gifting?

What are your talents?

What are your skills?

What are you doing with the gifts, talents and skills you’ve been given?

We as a church (and as a nation) are only as strong as the participation of each of us using our talents, skills and abilities together in unity.

Quotes You Can Use

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer includes this eloquent entreaty:

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal.

God can only lead those who will follow and can only give what we will receive. Our spiritual compartmentalization into sacred and secular, religion and the “real world,” keeps us from experiencing his omnipotent, omniscient best. We reduce the King of the universe to a genie we consult when necessary. Jim Denison

It is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. C.S. Lewis

I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but it will get you pretty near. Margaret Thatcher

The true convert does not receive the Gospel as an addition to his previous life, but in exchange for it.

Let your Christianity be so unmistakable and your walk so straight forward, that all who see you may have no doubt whose you are and whom you serve. J.C. Ryle

When God says something, the argument is over. R.C. Sproul

If you lose one sense, your other senses are enhanced. That’s why people with no sense of humor have an increased sense of self-importance.

I have often heard it said to not bring religion into politics, but that precisely where it ought to be brought.

You are what you do, not what you say you will do. Carl Jung

A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul. Charles Spurgeon

The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks. C.S. Lewis

The biggest mistake you could ever make is being too afraid to make one.

One of the greatest problems of our time is that many are schooled, but few are educated. Thomas More

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. You can show a person the trust, but you can’t make them think.

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 2024

By Pastor Frank E. Becker

Saving Jesus is a great Christmas story!

The provocative title does not imply that God the Father could not protect his only-begotten Son, but that he used earthly instruments to preserve baby Jesus. Among these are Joseph and Mary, and the wise men from the east.

Rich in historical information that is neglected in most books and legends, Saving Jesus tells of three wise men who were led by God to follow a wondrous Star for a thousand torturous miles to help save the Christ child from the fury of a jealous king.

For over a century the Jews of Palestine had been victims in a tug of war between mperial Rome and the mighty Parthian Empire. As a result, the Jewish people seethed with rebellion and waited impatiently for the Messiah whom they dreamed would deliver them.

And while the Palestinians simmered, a group of Wise Men far to the East began following a wondrous Star, only to find themselves embroiled in a cauldron of political and religious intrigue. Those Jewish “Wise Men” were “heirs” to the Prophet Daniel and the “Sages” of Old. They had advised kings, instructed the young, and penned the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Jeremiah listed these Wise Men with the Priests and the Prophets, and considered their ministry to be vital to the practical and philosophical life of Israel (Jeremiah 18:18).

Saving Jesus is the untold story of the Wise Men who defied the world’s rulers by delivering the means to save the baby Jesus from the wrath of King Herod. Whether you consider it legend or legacy, the biblical account of the Wise Men is well attested, and the child they visited ultimately changed the history of the world as well as the eternal destiny of countless millions.

For over a century the Jews of Palestine had been victims in a tug of war between mperial Rome and the mighty Parthian Empire. As a result, the Jewish people seethed with rebellion and waited impatiently for the Messiah whom they dreamed would deliver them.

And while the Palestinians simmered, a group of Wise Men far to the East began following a wondrous Star, only to find themselves embroiled in a cauldron of political and religious intrigue. Those Jewish “Wise Men” were “heirs” to the Prophet Daniel and the “Sages” of Old. They had advised kings, instructed the young, and penned the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Jeremiah listed these Wise Men with the Priests and the Prophets, and considered their ministry to be vital to the practical and philosophical life of Israel (Jeremiah 18:18).

Saving Jesus is the untold story of the Wise Men who defied the world’s rulers by delivering the means to save the baby Jesus from the wrath of King Herod. Whether you consider it legend or legacy, the biblical account of the Wise Men is well attested, and the child they visited ultimately changed the history of the world as well as the eternal destiny of countless millions.

It’s available as an e-Book and in print at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com