Kissed by the Spirit

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.”

(Psalm 23:4)

I know nothing about herding sheep, having grown up in the city of Chicago. Those who grew up in rural settings are blessed to have a natural understanding of how a shepherd uses his staff to comfort his sheep. So, I decided to do a little research to learn more about it.

The shepherd’s staff can be used as a weapon against predator animals, or as a tool to break up the underbrush and open a path for the sheep to walk or graze more freely. 

The hook shaped part of the shepherd’s staff is called the “crook.” The average Chicagoan knows a different meaning for the word, “crook,” but those who raise sheep, know very well that the shepherd’s crook is used to lift the sheep’s head up when they look down and wander off. 

I learned that sheep have a sense of misguided independence when their heads are looking down, and that downward gaze causes them to wander away from the flock, and into various dangers, possibly falling off a cliff. 

When a sheep wanders too far, the shepherd uses the crook portion of his staff, to gently place it around the sheep’s neck, in order to pull its head upward. Sheep startle easily, so it takes special skill to use the crook to gently guide and not startle the sheep. Once its head is pulled upward, the sheep can be easily led back to the flock. 

David once wrote in Psalm 3:3, 

“Lord, thou art a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” 

By understanding the shepherd’s crook, it gives clearer meaning of the “Lifter of our head,” but there’s more.

There is an area around the sheep called the “flight zone.” It’s the personal space of the sheep, and if the crook is placed around the sheep’s neck, from a point inside that flight zone, the sheep will panic and run. The shepherd needs to extend his staff from a certain distance outside flight zone, and gently pull the sheep’s head upward. The calmer the sheep, the easier to manage.

We all have a flight zone around us, an invisible shield of thinking. When something triggers us, within our flight zone, it may lead to fear and anxiety, whether it’s in something we hear, see or feel. 

Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd, and He never gets tired or loses patience in lifting our head, because it’s what a good Shepherd does. He speaks peace to us, and since we belong to Him, we hear His voice, and in knowing He is near, we will fear no evil. 

The crook of His staff is a hook, but it’s a hook of love, always drawing our gaze upward toward Him. It’s an image that represents trusting Him completely, with our eyes on Him, instead of overthinking a problem, with our head down in worry.

If we think back over our lifetime, we will find that our Shepherd has always been there, to faithfully comfort, guide and protect us with His staff, over and over again. 

Lord, thank you for the comfort of your staff that lifts our head and calms our fears, always restoring our gaze toward you, who are the source of everlasting comfort. Amen

“Remember not the former things,

 nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 (RSV)

When I visit the residents at the Nursing Home, there are two in particular that I have formed a bond with. One is a lady with a history of drug abuse, who has two adult children that refuse to have anything to do with her. She has renewed her faith in God and prays every day. She still tends to fluctuate emotionally, often feeling that God must be angry at her, but I keep encouraging her.

The other resident is a man who has struggled with depression most of his life, since being abused as a child. He has a current diagnosis of heart failure, which causes him to dwell on his fear of death. He has a beautiful faith in God and is easily uplifted by prayer, but he often drifts into the sorrows of his past, submitting  to feelings of depression. 

In spite of their emotional ups and downs, I can see that they both have a rock solid belief in Jesus, with deep humility, and I know that God will use them to be a great inspiration to others. 

Both of these friends tend to be asking the same questions that many people ask- Why does God permit suffering?

I remind them that we don’t get to know the reasons, as one minister once put it, 

“We live by God’s promises, not His explanations.”

Since we live by His promises, we can be sure that He is always with us, because His word says so. I try to encourage them to look forward, and not get stuck in the memories of their past. 

Whatever deep waters, fires and storms we have been through in life, God has always been there. He raises us up afterwards, to see the new mission He has for us, which fulfills our joy by helping someone else who is going through what we once suffered. 

It’s how ministries are born. This is what happened in the life of an Iraq war veteran, named Ben. 

Ben was a faith filled believer since his high school years, but later he joined the military and was deployed to Iraq. It changed him from within, in seeing so much death. He had a group of soldier friends, who were all killed in one day. Then he witnessed first hand, wounded and dead children, after a school was attacked by a suicide bomber. 

Ben’s spirit was crushed, by the time he returned home, and he suppressed all his feelings. He began to lose his faith, while suffering with PTSD, and even contemplated taking his own life. One night, with a hand gun in one hand, he called an old friend who was once his mentor and advisor in the Christian faith. His friend answered the phone and told Ben to hang in there, because God is about to give him a spiritual resurrection and a victory over all that he suffered. Thankfully, Ben put his gun away that night, and revived his search for God.

After he resumed his prayer life, received counseling, and kept in touch with a supportive Christian community, he was able to share  his feelings and memories. He began gaining inner strength, renewing his relationship with Jesus, who led him to see that he had a new mission to accomplish. His true story is not an unusual one, because statistics show that soldiers are nine times more likely to die by suicide than in combat. 

Ben started an organization called, “Engage your destiny,” a faith based group to help veterans confront their mental scars and traumas, promoting mental and spiritual health, and free them of suicidal thoughts. God doesn’t want us to be controlled by a painful past, but to see the new thing He is doing in us and through us. When the Lord shows us a path through the wilderness, that path always leads to others.

God wants us to perceive the new mission He has for us. It can simply mean listening, responding and encouraging someone, who is suffering in a way we are familiar with. The qualifying credentials needed to start a new mission, is our faith and having been through the deep waters, fires and storms of life, ourselves. 

Lord, heal all war veterans and raise them up to find purpose in helping others. Keep us from dwelling on the negativity of our past, so that we may perceive the new mission you are leading us to. Amen

“What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.”

Matthew 26:15-16 (NIV)

I’m sure everyone has at least one story about being betrayed by someone at some time in their life. Jesus was betrayed by His friend, Judas, which probably was a shock to the apostles at the time. Betrayal is never expected, which is why it is so painful, but even worse if it ends an innocent life. 

I once heard a true story from an anesthesiologist I worked with, about a betrayal that his family suffered. It occurred during the Holocaust, when Hitler’s Nazi regime committed the largest systematic genocide in history, by forcing Jewish people from their homes and putting them in camps. 

In hearing rumors about death camps in those days, many parents were looking for ways to save their children. I know from another friend that his mother survived by being hidden in a convent by nuns during this horrible period. 

Two eight year old Jewish girls, who were first cousins, were living in Poland at the time, and their parents were looking for a way to save their daughters. One family found a woman who was willing to hide one girl in her home, for payment of a wrist watch and a certain sum of money. 

The parents of her cousin found a different family that was willing to keep their daughter in their home and hide her as well. It was a desperate effort, so both sets of parents sent them to live with strangers, trusting and hoping for the best. 

By the time the war ended, and the Nazis were defeated, both sets of parents had been sent to the concentration camps and killed. In 1945, Russians forces were the first to liberate Auschwitz, freeing the 15% who survived that camp, as the US liberated 30,000 survivors at the Dachau concentration camp. 

The little girl who was safely hidden in a Polish family’s home, sadly learned that her parents, aunt and uncle were all dead after being sent to camps. Her only hope now was to reunite with her cousin at the home where she was staying. Russian soldiers took her to that home, in an effort to reunite the two orphaned girls. When they arrived, the woman of the house denied ever knowing about any Jewish girl living there. The little girl recognized the watch on the woman’s wrist, telling the soldiers it was her family’s watch given as payment to hide her cousin.

As the soldiers further questioned the woman, she finally admitted to trading the girl to the Nazis for a two pound bag of sugar. She told them that Nazis went from house to house offering rare goods in exchange for the surrender of any hidden Jews. The woman apparently wanted that sugar so much, that she traded the girl she was paid to protect, for a bag of sugar.

My coworker, the anesthesiologist, shared this true but heartbreaking story with me, because the surviving little girl became his mother, who later emigrated to the US, and lived to 93. Her missing cousin was never found and presumed dead. It’s a sad story, but it is his story, which needs to be heard. It happened many years ago, but we should never forget the 1.5 million children who were killed during the Holocaust. When I first heard his story, I thought there is no positive angle to write about a girl who was sold for a bag of sugar. 

Stories of betrayal, are something Jesus can certainly relate to. He was also an innocent victim, sold for a price. According to scripture, Judas looked for an opportunity to hand Jesus over, which he did for a payment of thirty pieces of silver. There is a common message in every story of betrayal, which is about opportunity. 

Everyone in these stories had the opportunity to do good or evil. Death camps like Auschwitz and Dachau could only exist because someone had the opportunity to make an evil choice. A Polish citizen had the opportunity to do good, to protect a little girl who grew up to live a long, fulfilling life. The other woman, like Judas, may have started out with good intentions, but they both settled for something they valued, more than a human life.

Jesus would have died whether Judas betrayed Him or not, because He stated that no one takes His life from Him, saying that He lays it down voluntarily, doing it for us and our redemption. Jesus had the opportunity to willingly become our sacrificed lamb, which He did for us.  (John 10:18) 

We all have opportunities to make good choices that can change a person’s life, or change an entire trend in history. May God give us the courage to always stand up and speak for the innocent lives who are either being traded, trafficked or undervalued in any society today. 

Lord, we pray for any enemies who have betrayed us, and for all the innocent lives who are victims of some kind of betrayal in the world. Give us the courage to use any opportunity to do good. Amen

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

Ephesians 3:17-18 (NIV)

If we could grasp the depth, length and width of the love Christ has for us, it would benefit us in every aspect of our lives. I’ve noticed that when someone cannot grasp the love God has for them, they drift into a mindset of self condemnation, depression and other unhealthy ways of thinking. God wants us to know how much He loves us, or there wouldn’t be over 300 scripture verses throughout the bible, saying so. 

The main message that the apostle Paul was teaching the Ephesians, was to stay rooted in the love of God through Christ, which is longer, wider, higher, and deeper than they could ever think or imagine.  

David is a great example of a Bible character who stayed rooted in knowing God loves him, despite his flaws and shortcomings. David struggled and fell into disobedience at times, but he always rose back up again. Because he was rooted so securely in God’s love, he was able to trust and rely on His mercy, over and over again.

Since David was called “a man after God’s own heart,” it’s worth learning why he received that title. He surely didn’t earn it through a life of steadfast obedience, but he did have  steadfast trust in the abundant mercy of a loving God, throughout his life. God wants us to trust Him as David did. 

God loves us as a father, and He will discipline or prune those He loves. One time during David’s reign as King, he neglected to follow God’s instructions, and a prophet named Gad came to tell him the possible consequences. David was then asked to choose his consequence:

He was given a choice of either three years of famine, three days of a plague or three months of fleeing from human enemies while being pursued. 

David answered, “I am greatly distressed. But let us fall into the hand of God, whose mercy is great, rather than into human hands.” 

(2 Samuel 24:14)

David chose the three days of plague, rather than being at the mercy of a human enemy. He placed himself and his people into the hands of God, hoping and praying that He would show them mercy by shortening those days, which He did. The plague ended after only one day, instead of three. The story teaches us that even when we mess up, trusting in God’s mercy can change everything.

I know this is a strange story, in David being given such a choice, but there is a lesson in the story for all believers. David was being pruned by God, which is also a part of our Christian life, as once described by Jesus. He told us that every good gardener prunes branches in his garden, in order to bring new growth and produce more fruit. We are all branches abiding in Jesus, the vine. If He is pruning us, it means we are bearing fruit because we belong to Him. He is not punishing us, but pruning us, to make us more fruitful. (John 15:2)

Because of God’s love for us, He is always looking for ways to make us better, and His pruning cuts away whatever is necessary to make us more fruitful. He is working all things together in our lives for our ultimate good, so we can relax and trust Him.

We may not always grasp the  benefit of the pruning process that is happening, but we can trust that the love and mercy of God is deeper and greater than we could ever think or imagine. We learn from David, to always place ourselves into the hands of our loving, heavenly Father, whose mercy is abundant.

To know the love that God has for us, as David knew it, is to know that we will always fare better, by placing ourselves, our loved ones and everything else, into the hands of  God, who is a fountain of infinite mercy.

Lord, help us to grasp your love for us, in the midst of whatever pruning we may be going through, as we trust that all will be well, by placing ourselves into your loving hands of mercy. Amen 

“Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

The Christian life is compared to running a race. We are told to throw off anything that hinders us, so that we can run freely. We can get emotionally weighed down by various kinds of losses, or by people who offend us, or tragedies that distract us from staying focused on Jesus and the finish line. 

Whatever is encumbering us while running this race, needs to be given to Jesus, or we will end up wearing our troubles like a heavy garment. A heavily burdened, distracted runner will eventually slow down and lose sight of the finish line all together. 

The marathon race metaphor is meant to remind us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Anyone who has run a marathon knows not to be distracted by the activities happening on the side lines. Jesus is the author of our faith since He began a good work in us, and He is the finisher of our faith by inspiring us to focus on the finish line, at all times.

Scripture tells us that God will never allow any trial to push us beyond the limit of what we can handle. If He permits it, we can endure it. 

(1 Corinthians 10:13)

We can trust Jesus to be with us and get us through whatever we are facing, because He gives us His strength and peace.

One way to stay focused is to share with others the good things that God has done. Whenever we speak about God’s goodness to others, we not only encourage them, but ourselves, as well. It’s a way of keeping our focus on Jesus and the finish line. 

One of the most inspiring true stories of a person who suffered, but kept her focus on the Lord, is a young lady named Ali Truwit. Her story was on the news a few years ago. She is a bright, athletic twenty three year old, who was on the Yale swim team. After graduating college, she went on a Caribbean vacation with her friend to celebrate. While swimming in the water near their boat, Ali suffered a sudden shark attack. 

With her left foot and part of her lower leg bitten off, Ali had the fortitude and soundness of mind to swim 50-75 yards as fast as she could, to get back to the boat. 

As shocking as it was, she did not freeze in panic and extreme pain. 

She didn’t resign herself to stay still and wait for help, nor did she give up and expect to die. She swam away as fast as she could, without the lower part of her left leg, heading straight to the finish line, which, on that day, was the safety of her boat. 

As I read more about her, I learned that Ali was raised in a family of strong Christian faith, who believed in keeping their eyes on the Lord at all times. Her faith prepared her to stay focused and act quickly, but her story doesn’t end with that horrific shark attack. One year later, with a prosthetic left leg, Ali swam for the US in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she won two silver medals. Nothing can distract, slow down or discourage Ali, because her eyes are always fixed on a finish line.

Today, she visits hospitals, to inspire children who are learning to live with a prosthetic limb. Losing a leg could have been overwhelming enough to lead her into a deep depression, and lose her focus. Instead, Ali kept her eyes on Jesus, and today she inspires others to do the same. 

A Bible verse that she relied upon during the hardest times is: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 
 (Philippians 4:13)

Jesus is leading all of us to our finish line, while a great cloud of witnesses in heaven, watch and cheer us on. We may reach several kinds of finish lines in our lifetime. A finish line could be a single decision of faith put into action, putting us on the right path, or a long term goal that is finally achieved, or the ultimate finish line of arriving in Heaven one day and standing before Jesus, face to face. We don’t need to lose a limb to know that life requires all the endurance and focus we can muster up, to keep our eyes on Him. 

Jesus, saints and myriads of angels rejoice from Heaven, watching all of us run this race of faith, as we keep focused, believing like Ali, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and He is with us forever.

Lord, thank you for believing in us, and giving us strength to focus on  reaching our finish line, by keeping our eyes on you at all times. Amen

Ali Truwit

“Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:2-3 (NAB)

A young girl was taken captive by a band of raiders. She was removed from her homeland, her family and her way of life, to become a servant to the wife of a high ranking Syrian military officer. The nameless little girl was raised in the faith of the one true God of her people, the Israelites. She believed in the God who did many miracles for her people. 

Now she was far away from her family, her freedom and her home, but she managed to keep her faith through the calamity of war, human slavery, and adjusting to a new culture of people who did not know her God. In her new life as a servant, she had no choice but to make the best out of where she was living. 

Instead of pining away in loneliness, thinking of her past and her family, as a captive in a strange land, she sought the heart of God, believing He was with her wherever she went. The little girl developed compassion for the people in her present life and circumstances. She told her mistress about God and all the signs, wonders and miracles He has done through their prophet, Elisha. 

The husband of the girl’s mistress was the high ranking Syrian officer, Naaman, but his life drastically changed on the day he found out he had leprosy. Naaman heard his wife’s servant girl speak about their prophet Elisha, who raised the dead and called fire down from heaven. Naaman went to his king and asked him to arrange for a meeting with the renown prophet. 

The meeting was arranged and when Naaman arrived at the house of Elisha, with an entourage of servants, horses, chariots, and payments of gold and silver, Elisha was asked to heal Naaman’s leprosy, but he did something that no one expected. Elisha told Naaman to go plunge himself seven times in the Jordan river. That’s all the prophet said and then went back into his house. 

A man of power, pride, and prestige doesn’t take well to the advice of

“Go jump in the river seven times.” Naaman wondered if it was all a joke, an act of vengeance or a payback for conquering their nation. Driven by his ego, he was about to give up and walk away, but he had a humble Hebrew servant, who pleaded with him to do exactly as Elisha advised. The people of Israel knew the power of their God and how He worked through the prophet, so the servant finally persuaded Naaman to obey Elisha.

In this story the servants were the true heroes of the faith. It started with the young girl as a messenger of hope and then with Naaman’s servant, who persuaded him to put faith into action and obey. It all culminated with Naaman plunging in the river seven times, and on the seventh plunge, his body came out of the water, completely healed of leprosy. It was a happy ending for all, and Naaman and his household believed in the God of the Israelites.

The servants were both in the places they were, not by their own choice, but as captives, being conquered by the Syrian people.  By faith, they found a way to adapt to a new culture, yet retain their faith, and live out their captivity as servants of God. 

Everyone, at some time in their life, finds themselves in a place that isn’t what they would ever choose. Like those servants, we need to find a way to adapt right where we are. It’s easy to become discouraged when things don’t go as planned, but God is still working His divine purpose through us. 

The servants in the story looked for the heart of God in their calamity. The more they searched for God’s heart, the more compassion they had for the people in their present circumstances. As they permitted God to renew their minds, the more He used them to help others to have faith. God works in unexpected ways, but it usually starts right where we are, instead of where we wished to be. We all tend to ask God to change our circumstances, but He is trying to change something in us through our circumstances.  

This story reminds us to be more like those two servants, to embrace our faith in the place where we are at, and allow God’s truth to transform us during any calamity that feels like captivity. Both servants in this story are nameless, but their examples have shined throughout the centuries, teaching generations after them. 

Lord, help us to live by faith during any calamity so that we may bring praise and glory to your name, in the places and circumstances you lead us into. Amen

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.”

John 14:12 (RSV)

Jesus promised that greater miracles would come after He was gone, but sometimes a miracle is first described as a coincidence. Coincidences are merely God’s way of performing miracles anonymously. The following is a true story about an anonymous man wearing a yellow sweater, seen by only two people, yet leaving many unanswered questions. 

James Moore was driving at night one Christmas Eve, on the way to a relative’s home when he suffered an asthma attack while driving. His wife searched for his prescription inhaler, but realized they left it at home. They stopped at a convenience store and James quickly went in to buy an over the counter inhaler. His wife saw a man in a yellow sweater go inside the store at the same time that her husband did. 

As James was struggling to breathe, the stranger in the yellow sweater, walked over to him and handed him an inhaler that was the exact kind he used. James briefly hesitated, but being desperate to catch his breath, he used it and felt relieved. He turned to thank the man, but he was gone. James asked the store clerk where the man in the yellow sweater went, and the clerk said “You’ve been the only customer in here.” 

James stood holding the inhaler, puzzled by the whole event. He saw the man in the store but never saw him leave. His wife saw the man go into the store, but never saw him exit the store, and the store clerk never saw the man at all. 

Did a human stranger happen to be at the right place and time, with the exact inhaler that James needed, and then slip out the door without anyone seeing him leave?

Or, did God send an angel, disguised as a man, wearing a yellow sweater, with the exact inhaler needed, arriving just in time to save James’ life? 

We may never know, but I believe the latter explanation. Angels appeared to Shepherds on the very first Christmas night, so who’s to say they cannot be sent to someone who was praying for help that Christmas Eve as well. Paul tells us that angels may be disguised as people. They don’t always appear wearing a glowing halo, illuminated clothing or feathers. An angel can appear as a stranger in a yellow sweater, and God sends angels to us in response to our prayers. 

Many more miracles are happening in the world today, in response to prayers, which are not limited to anonymous angel visits. Jesus is going into the highways and the byways of this world, bringing His presence to people through many miraculous healings. We are so distracted by bad news in the world that we never hear much about all the miracles God is doing today. 

The Global Medical Research Institute bridges the gap between science and faith. It was started by Drs. Josh and Candy Brown. Josh is a PhD. Neuroscientist and Candy is a PhD. professor of religious studies. They are from Indiana but have traveled across the world to witness and document miracle healings, using scientific and medical investigation methods. Josh’s curiosity about divine healing began when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and miraculously healed fifteen years ago. 

Josh and Candy traveled to nations where miracle healings were often being reported by missionaries. Josh has himself prayed for blind and deaf people who were healed, in countries like Mozambique, Cuba and Brazil. The people in those nations were introduced to Jesus through videos and preaching, and they received the faith with such passion, that God is miraculously healing many of  them. 

Josh and Candy documented the many scientifically investigated healings that merged faith with science through their research. I have attached the 34 minute introductory documentary of Josh and Candy’s story.

(ignore the commercials in the beginning and watch, it is amazing)

It’s from a new series produced by  Angel Studios, called “Miracle,” where you get a glimpse of the medically documented miracles that God is doing around the world today. 

Lord, we all need a miracle in our lives, and we look to you, believing your words, that greater works will be done by faith in you, in these present times. Amen

https://link.angel.com/Lf0WtgNQ2Xb

https://link.angel.com/Lf0WtgNQ2Xb

“Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24 (RSV)

Last week, I met a new nurse assistant, a young man, who puts God first in everything he does, and is very open about his faith, as well. He was born in Belize and has been recently hired at Jon’s Nursing home. I will call him Adam for privacy reasons. 

Last week Adam was assigned to my son, Jon, who was due for a shave. It takes two people to shave him, one to hold his left arm down while the other shaves him. Jon resists everything that people try to do, and although his right arm is paralyzed, he has very good strength in his left arm, which he’s adapted to using daily.

Adam came to me one day and apologized for only shaving half of Jon’s face, since he was trying to do it alone, without help, and wasn’t able to finish. I told him I understand, and then the next day, I noticed Jon was totally clean shaven. Adam persisted by asking for help from another nurse assistant and finished the job. 

In the past, when nurse assistants struggled to accomplish a task with Jon, I would occasionally give them a $10 tip, which they really appreciate.  I only do it once in a while, knowing how hard they work, since Jon is so much more challenging than other residents. 

Before leaving that day, I looked around for Adam, to give him a tip and thank him for shaving Jon. Adam refused to accept the money, saying he does his work for God and could not accept a tip. I tried to insist, but he kept saying that all his rewards come from God. I told him sometimes He rewards us through other people, but Adam still turned it down. 

A sweet older lady resident, who was watching the whole thing,  called me over and said, “Maria, just put the money in his pocket.” So, I turned back and quickly put the $10 inside Adam’s shirt pocket, saying, “Let God give you a little reward through me today, Adam.”

He smiled and finally accepted it. Adam reminded me of today’s scripture, the letter to the Colossians. He is so dedicated to doing a secular job for God, for rewards that are lasting and eternal, instead of the ones from people. It’s so rare to find people like Adam, and he definitely left an impression on me. 

It reminded me that every task I do should be from my heart, to serve God first, more than people. The rewards which the world gives can distract us from our mission. We can be so delighted by the praises of people, or the money we earn, or the material blessings we acquire, that they can eclipse our central purpose of serving God for Him and His rewards alone. 

In a more perfect world, everyone, especially political leaders, would do their jobs to reap rewards from God, and not from their ego or pride, or for the praise and popularity of people. Seeking God’s rewards would precede 

political ambition and the drive for financial prosperity, but it’s obviously not a perfect world. 

Each believer can still seek God and His promises to reward what we do from our heart, to serve the Lord and not men. God gives us a reward, beyond the monetary or material ones of this world. We have an inheritance that awaits us in heaven, by serving Christ during this lifetime. Adam is one example of that kind of humility that maintains a God centered perspective, in living for the rewards that last eternally. 

Lord, help us to remember to do every task with our whole heart, doing it ultimately for You, which reaps those eternal heavenly rewards. Amen

“Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

James 1:19 (RSV)

In a book I once read, an impactful point was made, about listening to understand, rather than listening to respond. Some people are good listeners by nature, and others need to make a conscious effort with the intention to understand. I believe anyone can learn to become a better listener, and I plan to start now. 

Everyone needs to feel heard and understood, but when we listen to someone with understanding, it’s more than a gift, it’s life changing.

Nothing illustrates this truth more than the many stories of a retired California Highway patrolman, who has confronted hundreds of people, who intended to take their own life. In the thirty years on his job, his assignment area was the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco, which is the most utilized suicide spot in the world. 1,600 people have jumped to their death since the bridge was built 88 years ago.

He has successfully prevented over 200 people from committing suicide, in the span of his own career. He had no psychiatric training, no counseling expertise, no clever words of persuasion, and no set of convincing phrases to speak. He just listened to the person on the bridge, but he listened with a sincere intent to understand. 

When the potential jumpers left the bridge and later were asked, what changed their mind, they said it was because of the officer who listened to them.

It was more than a job for him, because that patrol officer was motivated by compassion, stemming from a family memory. He regretted not being there to listen to his own grandfather, who committed suicide many years ago. God gives people various gifts, both spiritual and natural gifts, but listening is a gift that anyone can offer.

He also pioneered changes, so that all the officers in that particular patrol area, now receive extra training and learn the skill of listening.

Sometimes the most profound advice, sounds too simple. James tells us to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. If we are quick to hear, then we shouldn’t have the time to plan a response.

Solomon, the wise king, once said, “Fools take no delight in understanding, but only in displaying what they think.” (Proverbs 28:2)

I’m going to keep Solomon’s warning deep within my heart, so I will desire to understand more than I desire to display my thoughts. 

Jesus inclines His ear to us, which He proves every time a prayer is answered, that has been asked in His name. The psalmist knew that God hears us with understanding, saying

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2) 

It’s amazing to imagine, that the all powerful and eternal God is inclining His ear to each of us every day. If every person in the world could know that they are truly heard and understood by God, it would change the world. 

That California patrolman gives us just a tiny example of the way God inclines His ear to listen to us. God has been listening for a long time, hearing us with outstretched arms. Now He wants to send us into the world to reveal His love to those around us.

Some people cannot hear the redemption message of Christ, until they first feel heard and understood. It starts by listening to the soul who is standing on the bridge near us.

Lord, we love you and thank you for always hearing our pleas. Help us to share the gift of true listening, and to listen with love. 

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me.”

John 14:6 (RSV)

Today is Halloween, and the only ghosts I am thinking of today, is the Holy Ghost, who gave courage to the souls of saints, disciples, and apostles who were martyred in the first century persecution of Christians, under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. 

It reminds me of an old movie which depicts this historical period. The movie was Quo Vadis, made in 1951, and contained historical facts mingled with a fictional story involving a young couple, named Marcus and Lygia. She was a convert to Christianity through St. Paul’s ministry and Marcus was converted through her. 

Their lives were caught up in the times they lived in, when Romans owned slaves, Christians were blamed for all bad things that happened and Emperor Nero had an intense hatred of Christianity.

Paul and Peter were pillars of the early church, who encouraged the faithful during a tough period. 

A secret code was developed for early Christians, as a fish symbol, which we still see today on pins or bumper stickers. It’s a symbol developed by that first century church. Greek letters that spelled out the word for fish, was the secret acronym that stood for “Jesus-Christ-God-Son-Savior.” 

If a Christian saw the fish symbol on a home, they knew that another Christian lived there. 

Halloween is the eve of All Saints day, although it’s better known for horror movies about gruesome deaths, ghosts, and haunted houses. The Quo Vadis movie led me to think about a different side of death at this particular time of year. 

After watching a movie older that’s older than me, it was surprising to see how Christ centered that secular Hollywood production actually was. It depicts Christians being  rounded up, thrown to lions, crucified or burned by the orders of Nero. The Christians were united in faith, singing hymns and worshipping Jesus, as they died in peace, with smiles on their faces. Roman citizens never saw such bravery in people of any other faith.

Remembering all those saints in the first century who sacrificed their lives for Christ, the very first martyr was Stephen, who was stoned to death. The disciple known as little James was also stoned, Big James, the son of Zebedee, was beheaded, while Matthew, Thaddeus, Thomas, Nathaniel, and Simon the Zealot(Zee) were killed by sword, arrows, ax, or spears. Philip and Andrew were crucified. Peter was crucified upside down and the apostle, Paul, was beheaded. 

John, the younger brother of James was the only apostle not martyred, but he was banished to the island of Patmos, where he wrote his epistles and the book of Revelation. He was set free and at the age of eighty eight, and died in Ephesus.

The disciples, whose lives were transformed by Jesus, grew in faith and maturity over time, and they all lived holy lives to the end. 

“Quo Vadis ?” is a question in Latin, meaning, “Where are you going?” It makes me want to ask myself the same question. I hope to go in whatever direction the Holy Spirit can best lead me to a deeper faith, staying close to Jesus. 

The Quo Vadis movie is not morbid or frightening like most Halloween movies. It’s a classic, which memorializes the saints who gave their lives to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

This Halloween is a good day to draw our inspiration from those heroes of the faith who lived and died long before us. We remember the brave martyrs who shed their blood to follow Christ, and reaped an eternal reward in heaven. 

It’s a day to reflect on courage, instead of fear, on the Holy Ghost, instead of haunting ghosts, and on eternal life, instead of death. 

                    ><{{{{*>

Lord, may we always have the faith and courage to go in the direction that leads us closer to you, as we honor the legacy of our loved ones and all those first century martyrs. Amen