Two dear friends lost loved ones this last week, one anticipated because of a long illness and the other completely unexpected. Regardless of the circumstances, someone’s death is always an abrupt reminder that our time on earth is finite, and also raises the question, but is our life?

There are varying beliefs about what happens after death. Some believe that when we die, we just cease to exist. Some, that we are reincarnated. Others believe that everyone goes to a “better” place, and finally some believe that there is both a heaven and a hell, but then disagree on the criteria for who goes where.

I am not here to argue the various sides, but I do hope that whatever position a person takes, that he or she has based it on a substantial and firm foundation and not wishful thinking, TV or movie portrayals, or personal opinion, as I believe this is the most important decision a person makes. I have heard through accounts from those who have been with their loved ones at their time of death that some have passed on at peace and with a smile on their face while others have met death in utter torment. So there is a difference.

Those of you who have been following my blog, know that I believe in the inerrancy of the Bible (blogs 8/12/2015 and 8/19/2015). Because of that belief, I hold the position that we can have the assurance of eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us. Though there are many verses that attest to this, I was reminded of one of the most compelling this past week at the memorial service for my dear friend’s husband. It is John 14:1-6, when Jesus speaks to his disciples:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know , and the way you know . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Paul reminds believers again in I Thessalonians 4:13-14:

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep In Jesus.”

Death was never meant to be and does not have to be a scary and uncertain prospect, but rather one of peace and assurance.

Below are other verses which speak of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

John 11:25, John 5:24, Luke 23:43, John 3:16, Matthew 10:28, 1 Corinthians 15:51-57, John 16:22, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Hebrews 9:27, Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8, John 14:6, Proverbs 12:28, Romans 10:9-13, Acts 24:15, Revelation 20:1-15, John 5:28-29, John 14:1-31

I have just survived watching two weeks of non stop Olympics (put on beautifully by Rio), and one of the things I learned was . . . fourth place is a tough place to finish. It is the heartbreak position. The “almost had it” spot. After making it through multiple heats, or slogging one’s way through pool play and qualifying rounds, or biking six hours in an endurance course,  to come up a few yards or points or hundredths of a second short and, therefore, one place short of a medal is painful.

There were multiple ways competitors wound up in fourth. Sometimes they lost the medal at the very end because they ran out of steam. Sometimes it was a self-implosion. The pressure was just too much and the athlete crumbled. Other times it was just one mistake–one dive or one errant shot. Then often, the athlete did nothing wrong at all, but someone else had the performance of his or her life and surpassed them. Regardless, the result is the same–missed it by one.

Though most of us will never be an Olympian, we have almost all experienced that “fourth place” finish. You make it to the final two in the selection process, only to learn the other applicant got the job. Your manuscript made it all the way to the editorial board and then it was denied. The house you put an offer on and desperately wanted was yours until something unforeseeable derailed the process. I bet we could all add to the  “almost” scenarios for quite awhile.

There is no denying the disappointment that comes with not just losing, but “just” losing, and the sting will be there for awhile, but once again, the Bible offers answers for how to handle those disappointing episodes in our life.

First we can be comforted, because “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” -Psalm 34:18

Jeremiah 29:11 then reminds us that God sees and knows all, both the wins and the losses. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Paul tells us that the only way to move forward is to forget the past. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize . . . .” (Phil. 3:13-14)

And Peter states, “. . . humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:6)

Yes, fourth is a tough finish to stomach in any of life’s arenas, but for those who place their trust in God, they ultimately know, “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28.

Does the following sound familiar to you?

You are having trouble with your computer (or not) when, rinnngggg, here comes the phone call that will either solve your problem or tell you that you have a problem (like a deadly virus), and that they can fix it. The callers sound legitimate; they know all the right numbers and answers; they take over your computer and show you where the issues are; then they take your credit card number so that they can charge you the very low rate that it took to fix the issue. THEN you get that gut sinking feeling when you realize that you have been duped … scammed, and that what you thought was rescuing you from a terrible computer meltdown has actually caused more despair and destruction. Almost immediately you see money being siphoned away via that credit card number you gave them, and you feel like a complete idiot because how many times have you told others not to be so foolish and gullible?

How many of us have fallen prey to this scam or one of the many other scams that are out there? Probably more of us than would care to admit it.

What is important to note is that the reason these frauds are so successful in getting us to take the bait and bite is that they imitate the truth so accurately.

This is exactly how Satan works, and it is why he is so successful at duping us into thinking that many of the answers he proposes are the ones that will solve our problems or satisfy our needs. He “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) so that what he offers looks inviting and good. Therefore, we jump all over it only to find out too late that it is NOT the answer or the solution, and, in fact, often creates more problems or leaves us very, very empty.

The Bible is very clear about Satan’s motives and strategies. He is called “the father of lies” (John 8:44); he is a being who “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9 and 20:3), a schemer (Eph. 6:11), and someone who sets snares (I Tim. 3:7). Jesus compares Satan to a thief who comes only to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10) while Peter calls him a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). So what we think is meant to make our life better or happier or easier, Satan means to use to destroy us, if not now, certainly for all of eternity.

Banks and businesses will tell us that there is only one way they will officially make contact, and if someone contacts us in a different way, don’t bite. Even if it looks legit, it isn’t.

So it is with God. His Word is the only definitive truth. If something looks good or like a plausible answer or will satisfy our desires, the only way to be sure it truly will is to test it against what the Bible says. Only then will we know if it is from God. Therefore, the more familiar we are with God’s Word, the easier it is to ferret out Satan’s schemes.

Yes, we can be upset with ourselves over getting duped by both computer scammers and the wiles of the devil, but hopefully, we come away wiser, more wary, and, finally, more discerning so that the next time we can say with certainty, “NO.”

I love the Olympics. Whether it’s the summer or the winter games, from the first note of the Opening Ceremonies to the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, you can find me parked in front of the television. Though I primarily cheer on the American athletes, what I enjoy most is what the Olympics represent to me–the unadulterated love and spirit of competition. So, when they came to Los Angeles in 1984, I had to go. Val, a friend of mine from high school, and I met at Long John Silvers and planned out our two week Olympic experience.

Tickets were extremely inexpensive, so we purchased quite a few, four of which were a five dollar ticket to fencing, a five dollar ticket to archery, a twenty dollar ticket to men’s volleyball, and a twenty dollar ticket to platform diving. But our biggest expenditure was a sixty dollar all day pass to track and field.

Like most people, I had certain expectations of what my Olympic experience would be like. I was going to see a lot of famous athletes and watch some incredible performances. What I didn’t realize was that it would be an obscure athlete in a relatively uncelebrated sport who would have the greatest impact on me and leave an impression which would last more than thirty years.

We arrived at the stadium at eight in the morning for what proved to be a beautiful day for track and field. The sun was shining, the high was to be about eighty degrees, and our seats were twelve rows up from the track and right off the final turn. We saw Carl Lewis win the long jump, the first of four gold medals on his way to tying the great Jesse Owens. Then we saw Edmond Moses win the 400m high hurdles. But not until that afternoon did my Olympic experience truly begin.

Around three o’clock, officials cleared the track for the start of the 10,000 meter race walk. Now if you are unfamiliar with this particular event, the rules stipulate that one foot must always be in contact with the ground, and for the advancing leg to come to vertical. These requirements cause the walkers to waddle, like a duck.

Like most long distance athletes, they were kind of scrawny, not very impressive, and they just jumbled themselves up at the starting line. But when that gun sounded I had never seen such hip action in my life. Those guys could flat out move.

They were to make two laps of the track before exiting the stadium for a course through city streets before returning for their final lap. By the end of the first lap, one athlete had fallen way behind the other athletes–the little race walker from El Salvador. By the time he was half way through his final lap, all the other athletes had left. A hush went over the stadium. No one was breathing. When he finally exited the stadium, 70,000 people let out a collective sigh. My friend Val leaned over and said, “If that were me, I would just walk right back to the Olympic Village and call it a day.”

While the racers were out walking, other events were taking place in the stadium, but I couldn’t tell you what they were. I, like everyone else, was wondering what was happening to the little guy from El Salvador.

Finally, the announcement was made that the walkers were returning. All eyes were riveted on the tunnel, waiting and watching. When the first walker came through everyone cheered. He was from Mexico. When he was half way through his final lap, the second place walker entered the stadium, and the applause grew louder. But all eyes kept going back to the tunnel, waiting for that one athlete–the little race walker from El Salvador.

Walker after walker after walker entered the stadium, but not him. Finally, there was a lull. Ten, twenty, thirty minutes went by, but no one entered, yet we knew the race wasn’t over because the announcement declaring the race over hadn’t been made.

Finally, through the tunnel, the light blue shirt of the El Salvadorian race walker could be seen. When he entered the stadium, the place went wild, cheering two, three times louder than they had for the winners. So thankful was everyone that he had finished the race, that he hadn’t died of embarrassment out on the course–that he hadn’t died period.

But when he was half way through his final lap, something unexpected happened that caused the entire place to go silent again …. Another race walker entered.

When the mental fog finally dissipated and the reality of what had happened became clear, the place went absolutely crazy, for not only did the El Salvadorian walker finish the race, but somewhere out on the course he had caught up with and passed a fellow competitor.

Until that day, I thought I knew what courage and the Olympic spirit were, but I didn’t. I now know that courage is knowing that the task you face is insurmountable, but you face it anyway. And the Olympic Spirit? The Olympic Spirit is a little race walker from El Salvador who left the Olympic stadium in last place but came back a winner.

sThe month of July focused on the seventh characteristic mentioned in Philippians 4:8–virtue. This is not meant to be a political blog, but because we have just completed two weeks of Presidential Party Conventions, I wanted to look at this attribute in light of the political scene, as we will be making a very important decision here in about three months time.

“Virtuous” is defined as those things having “moral excellence, goodness, righteousness, and are excellent and praiseworthy.” We know people who demonstrate each of these attributes, and we also recognize virtuous acts. I also know that every one of us falls short of virtuous behavior, and, regardless of one’s political leanings, I think we can agree that the two primary candidates for president have fallen short on virtue as well. So is virtue an important characteristic for a leader?

I recently read the transcripts to John MacArthur’s video “Who is God’s Candidate–Part I and II.” They are fascinating. MacArthur never asserts his personal opinion but takes the listener/reader through a thorough look at what the Bible says about how a country should act and what a leader should be.   

Part I discusses what the Bible says will happen when a country rejects God, and MacArthur shows how Israel has always been God’s example to the world as to the blessings a country will reap when it honors God, and the curses and troubles that occur when a country rejects God. It is disturbing to see the destructive parallels with our own country as we work harder and harder to remove God out of all public sectors. Below is the link to Part I. Just copy and paste it into your browser.

https://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-489/who-is-gods-candidate-part-1


Part II is what the Bible says about leaders and leadership. MacArthur doesn’t take a stand on any candidate, but outlines what the ten biblical qualifications for a leader are. First, a leader must acknowledge God as ultimate authority (worship). Then leaders must demonstrate righteousness, justice, wisdom, honesty, morality, humility, teachability, and courage. Finally, leaders are responsible for providing security (protection) for the citizens on his or her country. Below is the link to the second part.

https://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-490/who-is-gods-candidate-part-2

Yes, as my cousin observed, probably only Jesus himself would hold up to that scrutiny, and yes, we need to evaluate the candidates in light of their international and domestic policies as well as their stance on the issues we care about, but I think we would be remiss if we didn’t also evaluate them in light of God’s standards as well.

You may watch the video or read the transcript, but they are not for the faint of heart, as they are lengthy, which is what we should want if we are asking for a thorough understanding of what the scriptures say.

Psalm 86:6 states that “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name,” and Romans 14:11 says, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” So eventually, whether they want to or not, every nation and every person (leaders included) will have to finally acknowledge that God is God. May we pray one of these candidates steps up and lead us in that direction.