After we got home I told my wife that I needed to go back to check on that man. She understood and told me to go. The 10 minute drive felt like forever. I was hoping the man was still there so that I could help him. On the other hand that seemed selfish.  Maybe someone stopped and helped him. With so many cars passing by every minute, surely someone saw the man in need and stopped to help.

As I approached the intersection my heart started beating. I wanted to be the Good Samaritan so much, yet I didn’t want the man and his children to still be there just because I wanted to feel good about myself. He wasn’t in the intersection. Disappointed I turned around to go back home. The light turned red and I had to wait few minutes. As I meditated about this situation, I turned my head and saw the car in question in the northwest corner of the intersection. I was so happy God had given me a second chance to help a man in need.

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Joseph is a great example of this. He experienced many changes as a young man. As a child, Joseph got a great start. In fact, he was the favorite son of his father, Jacob. However, his good fortune did not last very long. Out of envy, his brothers sold Joseph as a slave into Egypt. There he was accused falsely by Potiphar’s wife and thrown in prison. But God did not forget Joseph and used the negative events of his life for His glory and Joseph’s good. In spite of all the ups and downs, Joseph lived a successful life because God was the constant in the midst of his circumstances.

Some of our teenagers are graduating high school this month, closing a very important chapter in their lives. Many of them will go to college while others will start a career. Either way, they will experience significant change.

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The memory of this experience reminds me of Jesus Christ. While at our house, the lamb was out of his element and in a strange place. Jesus came to a strange place, of His own will, and separated Himself from His Father and His heavenly throne. Also, my father didn’t kill the lamb because the animal did something wrong. The lamb was innocent just like Christ was innocent. Peter tells us that “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” (1Peter 2:22) In Isaiah we read that “ He {Jesus} was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”  (Isaiah 53:7)

I don’t want to leave you with an impression that Jesus Christ was killed and treated with shame because He was powerless. Not at all!  In fact He lowered Himself and made Himself the sin offering for us all. So, how powerful is Jesus? He is so powerful that He fought Satan and death and rose victorious. Don’t believe?

You will see it when He comes back again.

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Recently I read that kids between 4 and 6 years would rather watch TV than spend time with their fathers. Without a doubt, we are a visual society. We would rather watch than read. It is scary to think about the stuff that our kids are seeing and hearing.

What are you thinking about most of the time? Does it matter what we think about? Absolutely! Our mind is always working. It will process whatever “food” we give it. The bible tells us that a man is “as he thinks within himself”. (Proverbs 23:7)

God makes it clear that what we think about is of extreme importance because what we think about will change us one way or another. Think a lot about evil things and you will commit evil. Think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8) and you will glorify God.

So, how do we get the nasty stuff out of our minds? We will get it out the same way you get out the air from an empty bottle. Put water in any empty bottle and you will get the air out. Fill your mind with Truth (The Word of God) and you will be transformed. (Romans 12:2)

Want to please God and not sin against Him?  Then hide (memorize) His word in your heart (mind). (Psalm 119:11) Such a person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

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True love is not madness. It isn’t merely an emotion either. It is a mysterious thing embodied by God himself. Some would say that LOVE is the very nature of God (Whoever does not love, does not know God for God is love. 1 John 4:8). Therefore love is eternal and infinite. True love is a powerful thing. It binds so strong that nothing can break that bond (Romans 8: 38-39).

True love makes sacrifices. A knight would sacrifice his life only to rescue the princess. A father or mother would give their lives only to make sure that their little one is safe. Only a truly loving God would give his life to save dying humanity.

“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)

How should one respond to God’s perfect love? The most appropriate response is to love back “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”. Luke 10:25-29

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I don’t want to overshadow God, steal His glory and think about myself more than I ought to. In his book “It’s not about me”, Max Lucado tells the story of a young guide in the art museum who’s job was to simply lead people to the paintings, answer their questions and step out of the way. Initially he succeded. He walked the clients to the framed treasures, identified the artists and stepped out of the view. Simple job. Delighteful job. He took great pride in his work. Too much pride one might say. For in a short time, he forgot his role.

He begun thinking that people had come to see him. Rather than step away from the work of art, he lingered near it. As people oohed and aahed, he smiled. “Glad you like it”, he replied, chest lifting, face blushing. Visitors disregarded his comments. But they couldn’t dismiss his movements.

Little by little the guide inched toward the painting to the point where his body blocked the entire piece. People could see him but not the art. The very work he was sent to reveal he begun to conceal.

Can you imagine what would happen in our lives, churches and communities if we would step out of the way and allow God to be seen? May we see our place and understand our role as people who point to God and then step out of the way.

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As I am writing I am waiting for a toy to be delivered. The anticipation may be better than the actual toy, but nevertheless the thought of getting a new toy is very exciting!

Christmas is that time of year when we get the toys we wanted or we buy the toys we desired for a long time. If you are like me, then you look forward to opening those nicely wrapped boxes to see what is inside.

Sometimes we can get so caught up and tangled in buying, wrapping, opening presents and playing with the new toys that very easily we can forget about the most important aspect of Christmas. My fear is that our toys will shift our focus from the real meaning of this holiday.

Therefore, I propose, not a Christmas without toys, but a Christmas where our hearts are set on Christ and our focus and energy are directed toward heaven’s most amazing gift to us all, Jesus Christ. This Christmas, do your best to be more preocupied with the eternal treasure of heaven rather than the parishable things of this world.

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a) Ephesians 4:25 Stop Lying and start telling the truth!

I dare you in the name of God to start telling the truth all the time to anyone in any circumstance. This will be extremely hard if you are in the habit of telling lies. Stop lying to your teachers! Stop lying to other students! They will notice it and they will know that you live by a higher moral standard.
b) Ephesians 4:26 Control your anger!

There will always be someone at your school who knows how to push your buttons. They will say or do something that angers you. What can you do? “In your anger do not sin”! Satan will use your anger to push you to sin. Control your anger – self control is the fruit of the Spirit.

c) Ephesians 4:28 Stop cheating / stealing and start working hard!

Have you ever done your own homework? Have you ever cheated at a test? If you could grasp the importance of this concept, it will change your life forever.

Until high school no one challenged me to stop cheating (stealing). I knew it was wrong, but everyone did it. Until then all I cared about was the grades and looking good in the eyes of my teachers and my class mates. Then one day, a godly teacher challenged my class to stop cheating and to work hard. Today I challenge you to work hard and from now on when you take a test, write what you know, period.
d) Ephesians 4:29 Watch your mouth! Do not let any unholy talk come out of your mouth!

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

e)      Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate!

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

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For a long time I have been telling our students that their relationship with God is the most important thing in life. The second most important thing in life is who they will marry. After finishing high school, every young person dreams about becoming  independent, making money, and establishing themselves as productive adults. These are good things. However, there is the danger of focusing on these dreams and desires so much that we can very easily forget God. My prayer for our nine graduating seniors is that they will be successful (by God’s definition) in what they choose to do, and that they will continue to treasure and grow in their relationship with God.

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A Chinese emperor was about to die and he had no sons to follow him on the throne. So, he decided to choose the next emperor of China. With the help of his council, the emperor gathered the smartest and most talented young men of China.

One day the emperor gave each young man a seed and asked them to go home, plant it and take good care of it. Then at the appointed time, all of them were to return to the palace and bring their plant with them. You see an emperor has to be able to take good care of his subjects.

Chang was one of the young men chosen. When he got home he did the best job he could do to plant the seed, water it and offer it plenty of sun. After weeks of waiting Chang realized his seed was dead. The hope of having a plant from the seed the emperor gave him was lost forever. Ashamed and embarrassed, Chang refused to return to the palace. However, his mom, a wise woman, encouraged her son to go, and if asked about his plant, she advised him to tell the truth, to be honest.

The appointed day finally arrived and everyone brought their beautiful plants. The emperor walked among them and asked different young men about their plants -  what type each was, and what he had done to help it grow, etc.

After few minutes he noticed a boy without a plant. The emperor stopped.

“Young man, what is your name?”, he asked.

“My name is Chang, Your Majesty.”

“Where is your plant?”, asked the emperor.

“I don’t have one. Although I planted my seed, watered it every day and took the best care of it, it never sprang up, Your Majesty.”

Silence filled the room. Finally the emperor motioned to the boy to come to him.

“Chang, I choose you to be the next emperor of China”.

Everyone was shocked and with big eyes they waited for an explanation.

“I gave all of you a boiled seed,” said the emperor, “and boiled seeds are dead; they never grow. Chang is the only one here who was brave enough to be honest.”

In many ways our hearts are like a garden.  Weeds grow without being planted or watered. So if we intend to have a good crop, it is important that we make sure we plant good seeds and faithfully tend to the soil.

The question is, what will you plant in your heart this spring?

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