Week Fifty-One, 2024

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:29-31).

They were teasing us with their ultimate land fall destination. They were Helene and Milton, both category five hurricanes and all with a bee line for where we live. Ultimately, they found land a little South and a little North of us, but not without a broad path of destruction.

The wind and storm surge were terrific. We had five feet of water in our weekend condo and my boat was totally destroyed. Many others fared worse when one hundred mile plus winds and numerous tornados brought down many trees.

Most places in the country have their territorial disasters, fires, earthquakes, tornados. Where I live, our weather challenges are hurricanes, in this case two major ones in a two-week time span. Many had much more damage than we did, and some lost everything.

God’s power in these kind of catastrophic weather events is beyond imagination, but that’s not His greatest power. Look in the Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is all you need, for my power is the greatest when you are weak. Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Nehemiah 8:10 Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Yes, His power goes beyond the things of earth, like the weather and goes to the soul of man. Our power comes when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8

The biblical description of power relates primarily to God and people. Power is an inherent characteristic of God (Rom 1:20). It is the result of his nature. God’s kind of power is seen in his creation (Psalm 19; Psalm 150:1; Jer 10:12).

God is all powerful. The weather shows us His power, but the soul absorbs it. Have you accepted His power in your soul today?

Sometimes True Stories

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:43-44

Today we make enemies with those who merely disagree with us politically, spiritually or any other way. We also find it easy to make someone who has harmed us physically or emotionally into our enemy. Then we can hate them and vilify them, but love and pray for them? Get real!

That sounds hard, if not impossible. Then I realized Who is telling me to do that. Every sin I have committed has made me an enemy of Jesus Christ, since He alone led a perfect life. We all have to come to the conclusion that this is certainly hard, but when we realize what Christ did for us on the cross, we have to do it.

When we truly begin to pray for our enemy, our hearts will change, and we start to see them as Christ sees them. At first, it must be intentional. Then it becomes easier and easier. Just do it! Rich Jensen

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Surveys show that approximately two-thirds of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. While most commentators tend to think only of economic issues, I have often suggested that much of this concern is also related to the breakdown of cultural norms and values. Here’s proof.

A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that 80% of Americans believe the influence of religion in America is declining. Nearly half of those surveyed (49%) said religion’s declining influence is bad for the country, and nearly as many (48%) felt there was “some” or a “great deal” of conflict between their religious beliefs and American culture.

Equally troubling is the fact that 41% of Americans felt it was best to “avoid discussing religion at all” whenever they disagreed with someone about religion. This growing impulse to self-censor is a result of the left’s increasing intolerance, and it’s exactly what they want. They want to shut us up and shut down debate.

Let me be clear: I believe this trend is a very disturbing development – especially in a nation founded on religious liberty and which adopted the phrase “In God We Trust” as our national motto.

Some may say, “You can’t legislate morality.” Yes, you can. We do it all the time. All law is someone’s idea of what is right and what is wrong. The question is: Whose ideas are going to prevail?

Our first president, George Washington, was also very clear about his belief in the role of religion in American life and that only a virtuous people can remain free. In fact, Washington felt so strongly that he wrote at length about the importance of religion in his Farewell Address. Washington declared:

“Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. . .

“And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

“It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”

Nearly 190 years later, President Ronald Reagan put it more succinctly when he warned, “If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

Quotes You Can Use

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Salvation doesn’t just make you right with God – it makes you new. Live by faith in Christ. Andrew Evans

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

I would better beg for bread on earth like Lazarus than beg for water in hell like the rich man. Dwight L. Moody

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

ORG charts define the structure of the organization, but the real power may not be on the chart.

People are now expected to spend more time in the practical world and less in the theoretical. Michael Smith

In Christ, you have been called to freedom. Don’t abuse your freedom but use it to love and serve others. Edgar Aponte

Jesus’ presence in His creation compels us to take His presence to the lost world today.

We forget that waking up each day is the first thing we should be thankful for.

The meaning of life is to help others find the meaning of theirs. Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Does the Lord still speak to His people today? Yes, yes, He does… We may just need to listen. Marty Stubblefield

One is not aware of a loss when what is lost is of no value. Michael Smith

If you have time to worry, you have time to pray!!!!!!

If you seek relevance and trust, stop gaslighting and just tell the truth. Michael Smith

We should not enjoy confrontation, but sometimes it’s necessary for the sake of the Gospel. Resist the pressure to compromise. Edgar Aponte

One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is to shut their eyes to the facts. C.S. Lewis

Moral relativism is back. In reality it never left, it was just repackaged as “tolerance”. Michael Smith

When you encourage others to live their truth, their truth will be infiltrated with selfish lies and deception. Dwight Short

Turn your cares into prayers!!!! Dan Shock

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

Frank’s well-researched book on the ministry of the Magi

Those three Wise Men in the typical nativity scene are not what they seem. They were actually tough and courageous men of faith who overcame their own fears and doubts. outsmarted their scheming enemies, and survived the perils of a thousand mile journey. The arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, just hours before the angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt, was no coincidence. And their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh financed the family’s escape to Egypt.

At the time of Christ’s birth, the Holy Land was as unstable and unsafe as it is today, and the King of the Jews would find opposition from both his own people and their Roman rulers. Rome was indeed incredibly wealthy and powerful. Over the course of several hundred years, they built towering aqueducts to move water to their cities, and paved 50,000 miles of highways around the Mediterranean basin and across Britain, giving birth to the saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” If you doubt this, you may still hike some of these ancient highways today, over 2,000 years later.

In spite of Rome’s success, they were not the only world power. The truth is that Israel was merely a tributary state, the prize in a constant tug-of-war between two warring empires. You may have learned from your history books that Augustus Caesar, following his defeat of Marc Antony and Cleopatra at Actium, established his Pax Romana, a period of enforced peace and stability throughout the empire. And local Roman governors, like Pontius Pilate, were tasked with maintaining Augustus Caesar’s “Roman Peace,” even if it meant wiping out the populations of entire subject nations, as they ultimately did to Israel in 70 AD.

Rome faced the hatred of the Jews as well as possible invasion from their powerful enemy to the east. That may help explain King Herod’s determination to destroy any possible contender for his throne at Christ’s birth. And Pontius Pilate’s later behavior was also politically motivated, an effort to pacify and befriend the recalcitrant Jews over whom he was supposed to rule. Pilate’s desire to befriend the Jewish leaders, and his fear that the growing tumult might result in a Jewish rebellion, help explain his attempt to wash his hands of the matter during Jesus’ trial, ultimately surrendering the Lord to the Jews for Roman crucifixion.

Contrary to what most of us were taught in school, Rome did not dominate the entire world. Caesar ruled from the Holy Land for 1,500 miles west to the Britain Isles, while the mighty Parthian Empire dominated the lands eastward for 1,500 miles, all the way to the Indus River in India. In fact, Parthia conquered Palestine several decades before Christ’s birth, driving Herod out. And Parthia, not Rome, ruled the Holy Land until just 37 years before the birth of Christ, when Rome returned Herod to power.

Jesus was born at the eastern end of the Roman Empire in September, 4 BC, during the period that Augustus Caesar was the supreme leader of Imperial Rome, and his subordinate, Cyrenius was ostensibly governor of Syria. The second chapter of Luke tells us that a Roman named “…Cyrenius (Quirinius) was governor of Syria,” but in fact his control went no further than the Holy Land because most of Syria was ruled by Rome’s bitter and longtime enemy, Parthia. And Parthia had defeated Rome’s mighty legions in two major battles, the last just decades before the birth of Jesus.

One of those battles was fought at ancient Carrhae only 53 years before the birth of Christ. Rome’s seven legions were commanded by a general named Crassus. Known as “the richest man in Rome,” Crassus had been a political and financial patron of Julius Caesar, and played a key role in transforming the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Crassus was unscrupulous, and legend has it that he began acquiring his wealth by founding the first fire department in Rome, then having his firemen stand by while a man’s home or business burned, refusing to let his men fight the fire until the owner sold him the property for a pittance.

Crassus was an early governor of Roman Syria, and it was from from there that he launched his military campaign against the Parthian Empire. In the most crushing defeat in Roman history, the Parthian horsemen, who were outnumbered four to one, nearly wiped out the Romans. According to the historian, Ovid, it was one of the most crushing defeats in Roman history. Many of the sacred “Eagles” that were carried by the Roman legions were captured by the Parthians. They killed 20,000 legionaires, captured 10,000, and 5,000 took flight, with many of those dyiung from wounds and thirst. The Parthians captured the sacred Eagles that served as the battle flags of the legions, and Crassus himself was killed while trying to negotiate with the Parthians. The few that survived literally kissed the ground when they reached safety.

The Parthian cataphracts that terrorized the Romans formed the core of their army. They were horse archers, or cavalry, and they were the nemesis of the Roman legions. In fact, the Romans only began putting troops on horseback in an attempt to counter the Parthian supremacy. The Parthians were marvelous horse soldiers and were lethal with their bows and arrows. At Carrhae, for example, the Parthian General Surena just 1,000 cataphracts armed with lances, and 9,000 horse archers to stand against more than 35,000 men in seven Roman legions.

Then, eighteen years later, and just thirty-five years before the birth of Christ, Marc Antony also led an invasion of Parthia, but was forced to retreat after a series of humiliating disasters. It would be another 150 years before Trajan successfully invaded Parthia but only held Macedon for a brief period.

Our story, Saving Jesus, begins as the Apostle Matthew tells us, in the east, with the appearance of a fantastic star. The empire to the east, of course, was Parthia—formerly the Media-Persian Empire, and before that the Babylonian Empire. It was the appearance of that star that set in motion a chain of events that inspired the Wise Men to travel nearly a thousand miles, from the capital of Parthia all the way to Bethlehem, where they ultimately were used of God to help save the baby Jesus.

Perhaps the humble carpenter Joseph wondered at the Wise Men’s gifts of gold, and myrrh, and frankincense, but it surely became clear to him the very same night of their visit, for Matthew tells us, “When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up!’ he said. ‘Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.’ ” (Matthew 2:13). It was surely a miracle that the Wise Men delivered that wealth into the hands of Joseph just in time to save his family.

Did you ever wonder what happened to the Magi who, “…having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, … withdrew to their country by another route” (Matthew 2:12)? There were only two caravan routes back to Parthia, one to the north around the Fertile Crescent, which they had traveled to reach Bethlehem, and the other to the south and around the north end of the Persian Gulf. It would have been foolhardy to expose themselves to Herod’s wrath by traveling back through Jerusalem to return via the fertile crescent.

Which leads us to the question, “How much of this book is fact and how much conjecture?”

I have sought to frame this book around well-attested historical characters and events, but it remains a work of fiction.

Yet, Matthew’s accurate Biblical account inspires us to ask one question, a question which is at the heart of this novel:

“Why didn’t some faithful Jew who lived in Palestine provide the gold needed by the Messiah’s surrogate family to flee Herod’s wrath and make their escape to Egypt?”

Would non-Jewish wise men make a dangerous journey of nearly a 1,000 miles to worship the Jewish Messiah? If I interpret the New Testament Book of Matthew correctly, those wise men were used of God to save the Christ child’s life. For in bringing their gifts, they also provided the means that Joseph would require to escape with his family that very night, and to sojourn for years in Egypt.

The names of our three wise men—Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar—are a matter of legend or tradition, so it seemed suitable to use them here, but there were very likely more than three of them, and they would have traveled with a large caravan for safety.

The major historical characters behaved pretty much as I have described them. Most people have heard that Herod the Great ruled Palestine at the time that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Herod was not even a Jew but an Edomite, and the quality of his reign is still debated today. But his character should not be, for we know that he murdered many baby boys in an attempt to kill Jesus Christ.

King Phraates IV, of Parthia was little better. He murdered all of his brothers to secure the throne of that vast empire, and he was still ruling it in 4 BC at the birth of Jesus. And as I relate, Augustus Caesar, did indeed send Thea Musa—a former serving girl and concubine—as a gift to Parthia’s King Phraates, and Phraates was obviously so taken with her charms that he married her. She then induced him to send his four sons to Rome as hostages, which conveniently positioned her own son, by an earlier marriage, to become the next king. About the time of Jesus’ birth, Thea Musa murdered her husband, King Phraates, and married her own son. They served as co-regents for four years, but were ultimately deposed and fled to Rome.

The Book of Matthew tells us that the Magi, or Wise Men, came from the East. That suggests that they came from east of Jerusalem, from Parthia, for that is where the Magi had settled centuries earlier. Five hundred years before Christ, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had appointed the prophet Daniel ruler over all those wise men of Babylon, and I believe that the Wise Men who visited little Jesus were descendants of Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, advisers to the King Nebuchadnezzar.

I have the Magi come from the city of Tusbun, in the very heart of the old Media-Persian empires. Tusbun, also known as Ctesiphon, was the winter capital of Parthia, and its ruins lie about thirty miles north of the ruins of ancient Babylon.

If you are able to travel to the ruins of Ctesiphon (Tusbun), you may still view the huge arch which was part of the Taq Kisra Palace, the structure which my character, Melchior, feared to approach.

The caravan with which my wise men traveled from Tusbun to Jerusalem was relatively small by first century standards. You can read of actual caravans that had over 100,000 camels. The caravansarai, or caravan palace, was the Holiday Inn Express of that day. They were built along the trade routes from the Mediterranean to China. You may view photos of some of the more elaborate on the Web.

I have taken liberties, but this is a work of fictions, and much about that period is unclear and even disputed. All in all, I’ve attempted to provide you with an accurate historical background over which I’ve endeavored to paint my fictional characters, including Ben Hadad, Zimri, Darius, and, of course, Miriam and our three Wise Men—Belthazar, Melchior, and Gaspar. I trust that this well-researched fictional account of the Wise Men and their journey to the Holy Land will charm and inform every reader, and makes a great Christmas gift!

Saving Jesus is available at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

December 7, 2024

How I love this city, home to the ancients like David and Isaiah, a city long conflicted, yet home to the greatest story ever told, that Jesus died for sinful men and then rose from the grave to triumph over death.

The tram bells along Jaffa Road, the persistent voices of hawkers up and down David Street and the joyful bar mitzvahs at the Western Wall tug at my heart even as I write from a distant land.

I can’t explain fully why I feel such a deep affection for Jerusalem, but when I listen to the descriptive words of this song with its haunting tune, I’m drawn to the refrain, “Behold, I am a violin for all your songs.“

Indeed, I cannot help but share with others how the city of Jerusalem has captured my heart! Enjoy the music at YouTube.com, but as you listen, may the hope of Jesus color any sadness associated with the city, for one day he will return to her and “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

—“Jerusalem of God” was first sung on May 15, 1967 at the Israeli Song Festival to celebrate Israel’s nineteenth anniversary. At that time the Old City of Jerusalem remained in Jordanian hands, but when the Six-Day War broke out on June 5, this song soared in popularity, because twenty-three days after its first performance, Israeli paratroopers retook the Old City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and the Western Wall, adding tremendous impact to the words. Still today it is one of Israel’s most beloved songs.

—Daniel McCabe

December 7, 2024

How I love this city, home to the ancients like David and Isaiah, a city long conflicted, yet home to the greatest story ever told, that Jesus died for sinful men and then rose from the grave to triumph over death.

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Life in the Land:

—How I love this city, home to the ancients like David and Isaiah, a city long conflicted, yet home to the greatest story ever told, that Jesus died for sinful men and then rose from the grave to triumph over death.

The tram bells along Jaffa Road, the persistent voices of hawkers up and down David Street and the joyful bar mitzvahs at the Western Wall tug at my heart even as I write from a distant land.

I can’t explain fully why I feel such a deep affection for Jerusalem, but when I listen to the descriptive words of this song with its haunting tune, I’m drawn to the refrain, “Behold, I am a violin for all your songs.” Indeed, I cannot help but share with others how the city of Jerusalem has captured my heart! May the hope of Jesus color any sadness associated with the city, for one day he will return to her and “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

—“Jerusalem of God” was first sung on May 15, 1967 at the Israeli Song Festival to celebrate Israel’s nineteenth anniversary. At that time the Old City of Jerusalem remained in Jordanian hands, but when the Six-Day War broke out on June 5, this song soared in popularity, for twenty-three days after its first performance, Israeli paratroopers retook the Old City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and the Western Wall, adding tremendous impact to the words. Still today it is one of Israel’s most beloved songs.

—Daniel McCabe

You may hear Jerusalem of Gold on YouTube.

Week Fifty, 2024

For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God (Joshua 3:23-24).

Christians are a people with a story, and the Christian experience is to take your part in the story. It tells us who God is and who we are. We should stick with God’s agenda and live as faithful participants in His grand drama. The book of Joshua teaches us that lesson. It comes on the heels of the great exodus from Egypt, following a forty-year journey in exile in the wilderness.

As Joshua leads the thousands into the promised land, he wants to leave a sign for those yet to come in generations following what the Lord did to set them in a new free land. He gave specific instructions to gather twelve stones and build a memorial of remembrance to be a reminder of generations to follow.

Twelve men hoisted heavy stones to their shoulders from Jordan’s floor and then piled them together in the Promised Land, by God’s command. They were stacked there as a sign, an unmistakable marker at the very place where God had demonstrated His power to overcome any obstacle to His will.

Then God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until all had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up. This is what happens when the impossible meets the promises of God. This is the outcome when the implausible comes up against the glorious riches of God in Christ Jesus.

This history teaches up three points:

1. It’s all about God.

Seeing that rock pile and hearing the story, the people of Israel would know clearly that they had not crossed Jordan on their own. Those stones cried out, “God did this! By His hand we have forded this river. By His power and faithfulness, we have accomplished this!”

2. We have a missionary purpose.

Joshua told Israel that the stones would serve as a reminder that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.” (v. 24) Let no one be confused. We have no mission here, but the Great Commission. These buildings aren’t memorials to us, but to Him! We exist to know God and make Him known. Our buildings exist, not to make us comfortable or proud, but for God’s glory and the gospel’s advance.

3. We must change if we want to go with God.

The stones out of the Jordan marked the movements of God among His people. They testified of the willingness of a people to leave what they had known in order to go with God, to face challenges to their faith, to step into the water, to believe in what they could not see.

We cannot yet see how God will do it, but we believe He is faithful. It’s time to venture with God into His future for us.

Look to this memorial in the days ahead and hear the message they preach: This is all about God and His glory; it is about the missionary purpose for which we exist; it is about the challenge to change so that God can manifest His glory more fully through us.

What is your mission and how committed are you to it?

Sometimes True Stories

Joshua Ensley, a young preacher in a small town in Georgia, provided this summary of why the Ten Commandments are still relevant. While certain aspects of these laws may seem antiquated, their core principles are profoundly relevant today:

1. No Other Gods (Exodus 20:3): In our modern era, the First Commandment’s call to put God first is as pertinent as ever. Our society often places material goods, celebrity culture, and personal desires above devotion to God. This commandment serves as a reminder that all these things are fleeting and can never replace the ultimate satisfaction that comes from a relationship with God.

2. No Idols (Exodus 20:4-6): Idolatry takes many forms today—money, fame, self, and even relationships. This commandment calls us back to the reality that only God is worthy of our ultimate devotion and worship.

3. Do Not Take God’s Name in Vain (Exodus 20:7): This commandment often goes beyond mere speech. It condemns claiming to be a follower of God while living a life contrary to His teachings. By doing so, one bears God’s name in vain and misrepresents Him to the world.

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep It Holy (Exodus 20:8-11): The Sabbath, specifically the seventh day of the week, remains a critical element of Christian worship. It serves as a weekly reset for spiritual and physical well-being, reminding us of our creation and redemption.

5. Honor Your Father and Mother (Exodus 20:12): In a world that often undermines the family structure, this commandment reiterates the significance of maintaining familial bonds, which are essential for social stability and individual development.

6. You Shall Not Murder (Exodus 20:13): This commandment upholds the sanctity of life. Amid societal debates on issues like euthanasia, abortion, and capital punishment, it serves as a stark reminder that every life is valuable in God’s eyes.

7. You Shall Not Commit Adultery (Exodus 20:14): In an age of casual relationships and shifting views on marriage, this commandment stands as an enduring testament to the importance of marital fidelity and the sanctity of the marriage covenant.

8. You Shall Not Steal (Exodus 20:15): With issues like corporate corruption, online piracy, and theft prevalent today, this commandment’s call for personal and communal integrity has never been more important.

9. You Shall Not Bear False Witness (Exodus 20:16): In a world of misinformation and fake news, this commandment’s directive to uphold truth resonates powerfully. It underpins the trust that is foundational for any thriving community.

10. You Shall Not Covet (Exodus 20:17): In a culture driven by consumerism and social comparison, this final commandment encourages us to find contentment in God alone, rather than constantly seeking more. While society changes, the inherent wisdom and guidance found in the Ten Commandments remain steadfast. These divine laws are not obsolete; rather, they continue to provide a moral framework that is remarkably relevant for modern living. By adhering to these enduring principles, we not only honor God but also establish a more just and compassionate society.

Quotes You Can Use

Most days, our peace feels elusive and our hope light years away—and it is almost impossible to set our minds on God’s coming reign. But what if the return of Jesus, the King, and His Kingdom is exactly what we need to find our peace and ground our hope today? His coming victorious reign is what gives us the strength that we need for today. David Jeremiah

Use your freedom, but don’t abuse your freedom. Edgar Aponte

It takes a significant amount of courage to march to the beat of a different drum when there are twenty other drummers trying to drown out the truth. Dwight Short

You should preach the Gospel to yourself every day. Jim Wilson

Now more than ever, people are searching… searching for hope…searching for peace… searching for something to help them overcome the hate and the fear that is so prevalent in our day and time.

Now more than ever people are searching for God, whether they realize it or not.

Now more than ever, we are in need of men and women of faith to step out of the darkness and into the light, willing to share their faith… their hearts… their lives.

Now more than ever, we need believers to get off the bench and get out of the pew and put their faith to work… to do something…

One man… One woman… with faith… can make a difference. With Jesus, we can do all things. Marty Stubblefield

Jesus was not, and is not, against wealth or stuff in and of itself—unless it becomes our god!

Relying on your own performance to be accepted by God will never work. Trust in Jesus alone. Andrew Evans

Just a little tolerated sin can permeate through the whole body, rotting it away from the inside out. Dan Shock

We need to proclaim and defend the Gospel even if that means confronting both false teachers and fellow believers. Edgar Aponte

God is like oxygen. You can’t see him, but you need Him to survive.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

There’s freedom in Christ, but don’t allow your freedom to compromise the Gospel. Be discerning. Edgar Aponte

My sinful nature and my desire for a holy, godly nature are at odds. And a battle ensues on a daily, even moment-by-moment basis. I desire to do what is good and right and pure. And at the same time, I desire to do what is worldly and sinful. I hate my worldly desires… I love my godly desires, but all too often I do what I hate and I don’t do what I love. Marty Stubblefield

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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

The soldier of time marches briskly past. Homecoming games have given way to playoff games; nasty-tempered hurricanes have forever signed their names to the guest book of destruction; and pumpkin pie will soon be the ½ off special at the local diner. But stop for a moment and catch your breath. Let’s count our blessings as that one ol’ hymn puts it.

We could be living in the bombed-out homes of many a war-torn country rather than in the bayous of southwest Louisiana, the rolling farmland of northern Alabama or wherever you call home. We could be riding horseback instead of modern horsepower. What a privilege to live in a modern world with its special joys, but, yes, with its own head-scratching challenges!

“In everything give thanks,” wrote the wise apostle Paul to one of his young congregations (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Sure, some things make it easy to be thankful. The wedding went off without a hitch, the kids have pulled up their grades, and that mysterious lump turned out to be benign. But the job is a hassle and the in-laws are coming for Christmas. How can we be thankful for everything?

When we look closer, however, the Bible doesn’t say, “Give thanks for everything,” but rather, “Give thanks in everything.” Sometimes the wedding photographer butchers the shot or promising students party hearty and lose their college scholarships. Sometimes the doctor has painful news to deliver. Some news is horrible. Some events are tragic.

Paul himself had recently suffered a split in his ministry team when he and his colleague Barnabas could not agree to take a young upstart, John Mark, with them on their future journeys. Paul had been beaten and imprisoned in a smelly, rat-infested dungeon that dripped with disease and despair. He had suffered and would continue to suffer greatly for preaching the gospel, yet he always found a way to encourage others to be thankful.

Then there’s my brother. Six years older and thirty more pounds of muscle. He never lost our pillow fights or pine cone wars. I never really had much of a chance. He was always bigger and stronger, yet twenty years later he sat across from a white-coated doctor who delivered a sobering diagnosis—Parkinson’s Disease. It eventually took his life.

No one wants to suffer. No one would choose suffering. “It’s definitely not what we would have picked,” my brother and his bride said not long after his diagnosis, “but we have chosen to be thankful. We focus on counting our many, many blessings, and we work at being joyful every day.”

In the midst of gut-wrenching tragedies or even simple daily annoyances there is hope. God delights in bringing great good out of awful circumstances. The Bible tells us that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28). We can be thankful then during the most trying times.

Give thanks!

Daniel McCabe

Week Forty-Nine, 2024

Lift up a banner in the land. Blow the trumpet among the nations. Prepare the nations for battle. Jeremiah 51:27

During football games at all levels, things go on at the bottom of the pile of players that go unseen by the referees. It is not unusual for players to get a shot or two in at an opposing player during a scramble for a loose ball. It is also common, if the foul is officially observed, that the targeted player retaliates – and draws a flag, followed by a personal foul penalty.

Yellow laundry on the field. Personal foul. Unsportsmanlike conduct. Fifteen yards and an automatic first down! In life, we can get flags and not always fairly and often from the flag thrower not in position to judge.

Life is like that. We get flags through spam and scam and generally in the commercial world. But sometimes the flags are entirely valid. We, yes even though those who love the Lord are sinners and sometimes we get caught.

God throws flags on our plays in life. The Lord sees everything you do, and He watches where you go. An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways; the ropes of his sins will tie him up. He will die because he does not control himself, and he will be held captive by his foolishness.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 God doesn’t miss a thing – he’s alert to good and evil alike.

Flags can also be used to exalt the Lord or celebrate revival, in the church and in our hearts as well. There are many ways that God can use your gifts and talents to convey messages to His people. As you minister with flags, you are declaring to the body of Christ that the Lord Is Our Banner. Our flags identify us as His children, His messengers, His servants, His Salt, His Light and His beacons on earth.

Which kind of heavenly flags are you drawing?

Sometimes True Stories

“You heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.'” John 14:28

You go to the local pound, and you find a cute little dog to rescue. You bring it home and it looks at you with such love because you saved it from a probable death. You are its master and it knows that you will love it; you will provide it with all the physical and emotional needs it has. When you leave, you say you will be right back. But it doesn’t know when, and will wait in anticipation by the window or door knowing you will come. When you do, it is filled with overwhelming, tail wagging joy.

As a Christian, you have a Master, who is Jesus, who has rescued you and saved you from a certain death. He is the source of all your needs…..physical, emotional and spiritual. He has left, but said He will return. You don’t know when, but will wait with anticipation. When He returns, and He will, you will be filled with overwhelming joy, because then you will be with Him forever.

Wait for Jesus like your dog. Rich Jensen

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WORDS OF WISDOM: EDGAR APONTE

You cannot earn your way to heaven because you don’t deserve to be there no matter what you do to get there.

The Bible is not an appetizer. It is the main meal, not a diving board but the pool we swim in daily.

The way you enter the Christian life is the same way you continue in the Christian life — by grace through faith.

Resist the natural tendency toward self-justification. Rejoice in the gift of salvation.

Salvation was by faith then, and salvation is still by faith now.

Trust in Jesus!

Quotes You Can Use

Transparency is a requirement of good government. Michael Smith

Understanding contrast and contradiction, seeing an overweight man walking proudly home with a loaf of bread in both arms. Dwight Short

Jesus was not, and is not, against wealth or stuff in and of itself—unless it becomes our god. Marty Stubblefield

God is like a Potter and created His children as Vessels to serve Him. And seniors are those of them whom He passed through the furnace and baked to last as long as He wanted them to be used. Unless baked, the earthen vessels God created for His honor, would not last. And we all are the work of His hand. Stephen Bernard

Give all the power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, they will oppress the many. Alexander Hamilton

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking. George S. Patton

Freedom in Christ comes only as a gift through faith and never as an achievement. Edgar Aponte

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Justification is by faith alone in Christ alone. Andrew Evans

Christianity is not a religion of works but a relationship of love through adoption in Jesus. Live out your identity as a child of God. Edgar Aponte

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. Ernest Hemingway

Now more than ever, men and women are re-evaluating their lives and their priorities.

Now more than ever, perhaps more than ever before, people in our nation and in our world are searching for answers…searching to fill the hole in their hearts… and the void in their lives.

Those who choose not to know are slaves to those who do. Michael Smith.

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

From the Series–The Origin of Life, part 3

November 23, 2024

I can drive myself crazy researching things that for some reason I just can’t let go, and sometimes they’re topics so obscure that if I were to bring them up in conversation I would probably risk sounding odd or (worse yet) snooty.

For example, recently I’ve had an obsession with learning about surveying practices in the Old Testament (I know, right!) and locating the place names from Deuteronomy 1:1 on a map. But over the last three months (long before the youth group at church requested that I teach on the difference between creation and evolution) I’ve been trying to determine whether Clifford Wilson and Henry Morris, two men who’ve written extensively on biblical archaeology and creationism, were right in saying that Cro-Magnon Man was originally thought to be a hominid (a transitional form between apes and humans).

I contacted the organization, Answers in Genesis, for information, and even e-mailed an evolutionary paleontologist at Tulane University who kindly replied to me within hours. Most days I study into the wee hours of the morning after everyone in my household has long since fallen asleep, and I often follow rabbit trails that I may or may not choose to write about on Facebook or share with the members of my church, but whether I do or not, I very much enjoy my wanderings. I learn so much!

In any event, this may explain the two or three posts lately about the origin of life. But revisiting this topic has reminded me of a time (long before I said “I do” to my bride or “Don’t do that” to my little ones, who admittedly aren’t so little anymore) when I first heard learned voices in college rattle off a list of fossil finds hailed by evolutionists as evidence of transitional forms. It also reminds me of my long ago visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to view the bones of “Lucy,” a 3’6” primate from Ethiopia that TIME magazine proclaimed to be the “missing link” after paleontologists concluded that Lucy’s knee joints would have enabled “her” to walk upright!

—But evolutionists today do not universally accept that Lucy walked upright or that “she” is a “missing link” between apes and man despite her inclusion in Wikipedia’s list of 232 human evolution fossils. Lucy then is not categorically different from other fossil finds through the years that have been presented initially with overzealous joy as ground-breaking evidence of transitional forms, but who some, many or even all scientists later acknowledged as a disappointment.

With both past and future discoveries, however, there will always be some (perhaps even a consensus of scientists) who wade into a scholarly obstinacy or a blindness that fails to acknowledge that the fossils before them cannot conclusively say what they so desperately need them to say in order to validate their evolutionary models. In his book, Bones of Contention, Roger Lewin even cites Donald Johanson, the discoverer of Lucy, as saying that anthropologists who deal with human fossils tend to get very emotionally involved with their bones.

—Daniel McCabe

Week Forty-Eight, 2024

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Molded after the Pilgrim’s harvest festival in 1621, Thanksgiving has been celebrated every year since and now is a national holiday. It means different things to different people. For some a day off from work and for others a day of football and pleasure and for others a time with family.

For me, it is some of all of those, but most importantly it is a time to give thanks for my relationship with the Lord, who gave His life for me and because of my acceptance of Him, life eternal in the presence of God.

The Bible is replete with thankfulness. It is mentioned 73 times in the New Testament, 20 times in the Gospels. Once we begin counting our blessings, we often discover that we have a gracious plenty after all. It’s simply the change in perspective from dwelling on what we lack to focusing on what we have.

The faithful are called to give thanks to God for everything—and not only to be thankful, but to rejoice: “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalm 95:2. Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever Psalm 106:1. I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Gratitude is not merely a courteous acknowledgment of blessings; it is a profound recognition of the divine benevolence that permeates every aspect of our lives. For Christians, Thanksgiving Day is a chance to ask God for forgiveness for our sins, repent for our disobedience, and express gratitude for all He has given us.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8-9 Let’s come before Him with thanks! Let’s shout songs of joy to Him. Psalm 95:2-3

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One; give thanks, because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son. Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One; give thanks, because He’s given Jesus Christ, his Son.

May this be your song of thanks this Thanksgiving.

Sometimes True Stories

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

– Micah 6:8 NIV

And what does the Lord require of you?

Act Justly… That is, to be honest; conforming to a standard of correctness; faithful to the original design.

Love Mercy… Forgiving; compassionate; withholding of the punishment that our sins deserve (Faithfulness – firm in adherence; utterly loyal).

Walk Humbly with God… To not think too highly of oneself; to bring low or prostrate; a show of submission; can imply meekness or gentleness.

Just as Micah shared this Word from the Lord to the people of Israel, this same message rings true today. Yet, we as a people, have seemingly forgotten what is required of us:

To act justly.

To love mercy.

To walk humbly with your God.

A statement for the ages…

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Pope Francis: “Doing an Abortion is Killing a Human Being”

Quotes You Can Use

Edgar Aponte:

God will do what He says He will do, when He says He will do it. Trust His promises and timing!

God’s promises will come to pass, but there will be conflict between the Spirit and the flesh.

Separate yourself from anything that threatens Christ in you, regardless of how painful it might be.

God gives common grace to all people, but only those who have the Son will have eternal life.

The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it. Alan Saporta

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-17

Let’s praise the One who lived and died and lived again so that we may have life and live it abundantly. Marty Stubblefield

Your past doesn’t define you. God can use anyone. David Jeremiah

Why is it that if you give your life for the service of your country you are called a hero, but if you give your life for the service of Christ, you are called a fool? Dan Shock

Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters. Margaret Peters

Most people don’t really want the truth. They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.

You’ll better enjoy your 20′, 30’s and 40’s. Because in your 50’s, that check engine light is going to come on. Snoopy

Conformity is doing what everyone else is doing regardless of what is right. Biblical obedience is doing what is right regardless of what everyone else is doing.

The world is obsessed with what offends people when they should be obsessed with what offends God.

Sometimes my greatest accomplishment is just keeping my mouth shut.

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

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

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to be taken off the mailing list a simple e-mail will do it. Feel free to pass this along to others and to contribute your ideas and thoughts. Address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2024