What Child Was…But Almost Wasn’t?

This past week I recorded a short version of the beloved Christmas carol, “What Child Is This” (which was set to the tune of the folk classic “Greensleeves”). It was fun putting my own musical twist on it…and I used it to get out a quick Christmas message to my friends and family…etc. As I was working on this song I started asking myself, “What if?”  And some of you may be thinking, “What if, what?”  That is a really good question….btw.

About a year ago, I read an eye-opening book called “The Cosmic Chess Match” by well-know prophecy expert and biblical archaeologist, L. A. Marzulli. The book goes into great detail about the moves and countermoves of God and His adversary, Satan, that have been going on behind the scenes ever since the beginning of time as we know it. It seems that it did not take long, after Lucifer (aka Satan) rebelled against God and one-third of the angels in Heaven rebelled with him, for the primary focus of their efforts to center around two things: 1) causing these new creations of God, human beings, to rebel against God too, so they could not receive God’s eternal promises…and 2) once mankind became tarnished by sin and were headed for eternal judgement, do everything possible to prevent God’s plan of redemption through His Son, Jesus, from materializing. And as we will see, the Bible is full of examples of the evil one’s attempts to make sure this particular baby was never born, in the first place. And once Satan failed at that, his efforts to keep Christ from fulfilling His mission on the Cross jumped into “the crosshairs”….pardon my pun…please.

Let’s take a look at a few of these stories, if we can, to see if that gives us a greater appreciation for just how active and involved God Almighty was from Day One to insure that this special baby was not only born, but that He would accomplish all that the Father had sent Him to do on behalf of His children….Thank You, Lord.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’” “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. [Genesis 3:1-4 CSB]

Here we see the first two human beings, Adam and Eve, living in this beautiful garden with plenty of food to eat, no wild beasts who are ready to eat them….and apparently no need to worry about keeping up with the latest fashion trends. They were both naked and unashamed because sin had not yet entered the picture. Things were going along just fine until one day this serpent shows up and tries to get them to disobey God. You see, God had told them there was one special tree that they were not permitted to eat from…and if they did, they would die (which is interesting because they were designed to live forever…death was not part of God’s original concept for them). So here comes this serpent and what does he do? He lies and tells them, “Go ahead. You can eat from that tree. You will not die.” The serpent (who was being used by Satan) knew that if they ate of that tree, all of mankind would be tarnished by sin and headed for judgement. Satan’s job would be a whole lot easier. Now he only had to stop one man, a Savior, from ever showing up. The chess match had begun and now he would be going after the opponent’s king.    

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. [Genesis 6:5-6, 8-9 NKJV]

About 1000 years after Satan’s first swipe at humanity, another major punch was thrown and this one was meant to be a knockout. If you casually read through Genesis 6, you might not pick up on how this all unfolded because the enemy was very clever in masking this attack. But if you look closely, you will see there were fallen angels who had come to earth, had relations with human women and impregnated many of them. They, then, gave birth to children infected by the demon seed. Is it any wonder that it says God looked down and saw that “all flesh had been corrupted.” It appeared that Satan had won, because if all flesh was corrupted, the bloodline that would eventually bring forth the Savior was now tainted and there could be no Messiah. But God’s countermove was a master stroke. He managed to keep one family pure and uncorrupted. A man named Noah found favor with God and it says he was “perfect in his generations,” which I believe means his family’s bloodline was not infected. Therefore, Noah was chosen to build the ark and his family were the only people spared from the flood. They also became the ones who would get to restart humanity. So you see…we are one big family, afterall.

After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest (David),” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” [1 Samuel 16:10-12 CSB]

In this one, the devil’s handiwork was a bit more obvious. The prophet Samuel was instructed by God to go to Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse, who had many sons and one of them was to be the next king after Saul. But when Samuel comes, Jesse only showed him seven of his sons. He had eight sons, but Jesse did not think that David, the youngest and smallest of them, fit the bill. He was wrong. David was exactly who God had in mind. Call me crazy, but I cannot help but think it was Satan who filled Jesse’s head with such doubts. He knew David would be a great king and a man after God’s own heart, so he was hoping Samuel would pick one of the others. But the Lord was not about to let that happen. There was yet another great king to come and he had to be a descendant of David. Another subtle effort by the enemy was foiled. Plus, it was important that the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah be fulfilled precisely so those who would be looking for Him would find Him.

David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!” Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” [1 Samuel 17:32,36-37 CSB]

Fast forward a bit…and Israel and King Saul have a problem. The Philisitines had this “giant of a man” named Goliath (remember the Nephilim from Genesis 6 who were called “mighty men or renown?”…they’re back). He was said to be nearly ten feet tall and he was taunting and tormenting the Israelites. He would challenge them to send out their best, so he could fight them and most likely kill them. As luck would have it (and I do not believe in luck) most of the Israelites, including David’s three brothers, we’re not willing to take this guy on. But David volunteered. King Saul pointed out that David was just a youth and had not even been trained for battle. Yet he stepped up and said, “God saved me from the lion and the bear, He will give me the victory over this Philistine.” And God did just that, as we know, leaving His adversary’s efforts trashed again. Hence, the Messiah would rightly be called the Son of David and trust me, the evil one was not happy about that.

After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. [Matthew 2:13-14 CSB]

Now, about a thousand years later, the enemy had to change his strategy completely. The “Promised One” had been born. So now, instead of trying to corrupt the bloodline, the evil one had to figure out a way to take Him out before He has the chance to do what He was sent here to do….save the world from their sin. But God sends an angel to warn Joseph to flee, with Jesus and Mary, to Egypt until Herod dies and the baby is safe. God wins again.

So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.” After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time. [Luke 4:9,12-13 CSB]

About thirty years later, the “Promised One” is now an adult, He has received the Father’s call to action (when He was being baptized by John the Baptist and a voice rang out from the heavens saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”) and headed out to the desert to fast and pray for forty days and forty nights, when the enemy appeared to confront the Son of God directly. Isn’t it amazing that after four thousand years since he first tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God and listen to him (which they did), he is using the same worn out ploys…1) first he tempts Jesus with food (this time bread..not fruit)…2) secondly with power and authority (compared with wisdom the last time in Eden)…and 3) and lastly, the enemy tries to trick Jesus into “testing death” (hoping that it would lead to death..sound familiar?). Anyway, unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus was not fooled. His eyes were on the prize, yet He knew temptations would come to take the easy way out. But, He was God Incarnate and the one also referred to as Immanuel (which means “God with us”). He was able to see right through the enemy’s schemes. And to make matters worse for the bad guys, Satan’s time was about to run out. Game. Set. Match. 

Jesus would go on to fulfill His mission. Like the Bible teaches, greater is the power that was in Jesus (and now is in us who believe..the Holy Spirit)…than the power that is in the one who is in the world (God’s adversary…the devil). The promise was never really in danger at all. God Almighty was way ahead of His enemy every step of the way. And that has not changed..even today. God is still way ahead of His enemies. What He said He will do, He will do.

So this year, as we celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, we should also realize that this was not just about a baby, albeit a very special baby born in Bethlehem. It is about a promise kept. 

Satan may have thought he won, when humanity fell victim to temptation. But our Lord is a very good chess player. He knows that sometimes you have to sacrifice a few pieces, here and there, to protect the king and ultimately defeat your opponent.

But in the end, it will all be worth it because finally, those who trust in Him will be able to eat of that Tree Of Life..forever.

Afterall… “This, this is Christ the King…whom shepherds guard and of whom angels sing.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS

BOB PALUMBO

(author of “Unlocking Creation” and “The Red Letter Parables”)

OFFENDED??

As I look at the news in America these days, I cannot help but notice that something has drastically changed in our society. Sure there has always been bitter disagreements and challenges. Heck, it took the Founders almost three years (2 years, 11 months and 17 days…total…they had 11 sessions adding up to 165 of actually meeting) to agree on the what should be in the Constitution. And yes, many of the same “hot button issues” we are battling over today, were on the table and hotly contested in Philadelphia back in 1787. There were arguments over free speech, religious freedom, states rights vs a strong central government, government funding, permission for war, not to mention the proper role of government and yes, of course, slavery and matters of race. So, none of these problems are new. But, I think the way we are dealing with them, nowadays, is quite different, sadly.

The problem (one of them anyway) as I see it, today, is everyone is “offended” by someone or something. Therefore, in their eyes, everyone else is selfish, intolerant, mean, bigoted or OK..I’ll say it…Unamerican (don’t you just love it when one American calls another American…Unamerican?).  There is a popular saying that one of my African American co-workers used to say all the time, when we got on this subject (and trust me, we used to get on it a lot…lol). He would say, “I don’t need anyone to tell me what I should or should not be offended by, thank you very much. That is for me, alone, to decide.”  My response was always, “You are right, my friend. You can waste your time on whatever you like. I’d rather be all about ‘finding solutions.’ Getting all offended over what someone else says or does? It solves nothing.”

 If what I believe to be true is actually true, that our nation and the government was founded upon the principles of God, as layed out in the Bible, then maybe we should take a moment and see what the Bible says on this subject. Let’s take a look at what this really “wise guy” named Solomon wrote about three thousand years ago:

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city and contentions are like the bars of a castle. [Proverbs 18:19 NKJV]

If our opening stance on matters of disagreement is “I’m offended” (which is very different than “I disagree” or “I object”) and the one who offended me needs to change, if we are ever to get along,” then there is not much hope of reconciliation. And, if both sides are offended and fully believe the other party is totally at fault, the problem becomes twice as hard to fix. The problem, then, is not just figuring out how to “win a strong city” (as King Solomon talked about) and bring them around to our way of thinking. No, at this point, the situation has gotten to the point where both sides have gone MAD (the acronym for what the military calls “mutually assured destruction”), which is the strategy for nuclear war where “no one wins and everyone loses.” It is the point where both sides think it is better to be totally destroyed, than to work towards finding “a path to peace” with the opposition. 

In 2017, in the United States Of America, I believe that as a society, we are there. We have decided that peace and harmony is not an option (both sides would probably tell you they do not even want to get along, at this point). Basically, we have gone MAD, way past the point of wanting to work it out and so now we’re totally focused on destroying the other side, even if it means we destroy ourselves in the process.

It doesn’t matter what you choose to talk about, white vs black, Republican vs Democrat, rich vs poor, those who choose to believe in God vs those who choose not to, or Trump vs just about everyone else…let’s say. If you are on one side of any of the above issues, most folks seem to think there is no way to reach a place of agreement and compromise…so blow it all up. If I can’t have it my way, your not either. It’s like the spoiled kid who is at the beach, building a sand castle with his sister. She adds a section that he doesn’t like, so he just kicks the whole thing down. MAD. Both he and his sister lose. It fixed nothing.

We may have forgotten about the power of forgiveness and what happens when, instead, we choose to hold a grudge against someone. We really only hurt ourselves, don’t we?

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” [Matthew6:14-15 NLT]

A very wise Christian brother once told me, “It is never wrong to forgive, but it is always wrong not to.” Pretty powerful….chew on that one for awhile.

Marriage counsellors would tell you that, nowadays, trying to find a path to reconciliation between two embittered and deeply offended spouses is pretty much the same. Both sides are so intent on winning and “gaining the upper hand” over the other one, that it is just easier to blow it all up, leaving dreams, children and finances in utter ruin…than to do the hard work needed to make the relationship successful. Besides, that would take compromise. They would have to give up some ground to the other person and no way are they willing to do that. They are often heard saying, “Why should I? He (or she) is the one who offended me. When they change, when they admit they were wrong, I’ll think about it. But until then, my answer is no. Blow it up, see if I care.” That is where we are at, as a nation, folks.

A few years ago, my wife and I did a marriage study, it was a workbook called “He Wins, She Wins” by Dr. Willard F.Harley Jr. The author proposed an alternative to the “winner take all” approach to marriage that seems to be so prevalent these days. His approach might also be useful as an alternative to MAD (mutually assured destruction). I am going to apply my own acronym here, let’s call it MEA…or “mutually enthusiastic agreement.” Notice that Dr. Harley does not just stop at “mutual agreement.” No, what he is after is “enthusiastic” agreement. And he even goes a step further by saying, “If at first you do not agree. That is fine. Keep talking. Keep asking questions. Keep trying to better understand your partner. Because until you do, it is pretty hard to reach a compromise. And, if you begrudgingly agree without coming to “enthusiastic agreement” on both sides, the peace will likely not last because it is not really an agreement, it’s “caving in.” That usually does not end well.

So, I ask you, what if we applied Dr. Harley’s “mutually enthusiastic agreement” system to our societal differences? What if we agreed to continue talking, to keep respecting each other, to keep trying to better understand why the other side feels the way they do (instead of overreacting to sound bytes from a media that loves to “fan the flames of controversy,” because it is good for their bottom line…..profits)…what if we did that, for a change?

What if our first instinct was to pursue understanding (to truly come to grips with why our opposition thinks the way they do), rather than pursuing revenge or retribution? Jesus said it this way:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” [Matthew 7:1,3,5 ESV]

Here is something I know for certain…I am not perfect. None of us are. So what right would I have to judge you or anyone else? I have absolutely no right to do so. God is the only one worthy of judging us. That is why this concept of both parties agreeing to do absolutely nothing until there is “mutually enthusiastic agreement” is so brilliant. It forces you to get to know the reasons behind the opinions, instead of “shooting from the hip” and asking questions later. Dead people don’t answer questions very well, anyway.

There is a man who was a professional hockey player from Canada (a “person of color” himself…incidentally), who now has become a well-known “street preacher” and evangelist…his name is Todd White. He has a really great outlook on the whole concept of being “offended.”  He says (I’m paraphrasing here), “What right do I have to be offended by anything? I, myself, have done many despicable things. I have been selfish, I have been deceitful and mean and I have hurt others, even those I love dearly. In the eyes of God, I am a sinner, no better or worse than anyone else. Yet, He chooses to love me. So much so, He sent His own Son to die for me, to take the punishment I deserve upon Himself so that I might be spared, forgiven and live forever with Him in a very special place He has prepared for those who love Him. Knowing that He, who had never sinned, was willing to stand in my place and forgive me and love me with a love purer than mankind has ever known, how could I ever be justified in being offended by anything or anyone? Rather, I believe it is my duty to ‘Pay it for forward…to be willing to show mercy to others, as I have been shown mercy…to forgive as I have been forgiven. Mercy triumphs over judgement, the Bible says.'”  WOW…could you imagine what a different world it would be, if more people took that approach?

Yes, I understand that people have been hurt, wronged, oppressed and even killed unjustly. And yes, the oppressors should have to pay a price for the pain and anguish they have caused. I believe that, ultimately, they will. God promises us that all evil will be punished and I believe that God always keeps His promises.

The question remains, however, what should my response be to evil, when it affects me or those who I love? The Bible is pretty clear on this, actually:

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” [1 Peter 3:9 NIV]

Ok…so if it is not our place to repay…how will it ever be dealt with?

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” [Romans 12:19, 21 ESV]

Seems pretty clear to me. Remember when you were young and someone did something mean to you and you wanted your Dad to go over there and settle the matter (I know I did…my Dad was not someone you wanted to mess with….trust me)?

Turns out…..that is a pretty wise response.

Let your Father in Heaven settle the score.

Only He is truly worthy of executing judgement (we are not).

And His ways are always best (yeah..ours…not so much).

Our only part, in this process,  is truly to trust Him.

He is willing and able to fight our battles.

And He sees every tear that we cry.

Remember this song? 

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so….Little ones to Him belong….We are weak, but He is strong.”

It’s so true…even for us….as adults.

Are we not still His children?

BOB PALUMBO

You Are A “TOP PICK”

I am writing this post on the morning of the first night of the 2017 NFL Draft. Ok, I admit it. I am a total “draft geek.” But in fairness, I live in Northeast Ohio and have been a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan. So to us, the NFL Draft every year, is our SuperBowl. I kid you not. In Cleveland, “draft fever” usually starts halfway through the previous season and continues to ramp up until Draft Day, when the excitement of the hopes of a brighter day for Browns fans and the stress level from the anticipation of another blown opportunity by the Browns decision-makers both reach the point of “boiling over.” This year you can add to the usual excitement the fact that the Browns have the #1 pick and that comes with the nervousness that they will screw it up yet again. In Cleveland, “hope springs eternal” because that is possibly how long it will take for the Browns to win a SuperBowl, if ever.

The NFL Draft, for those who do not follow such things, is not only a great example of how complicated it has become, these days, to field a winning professional sports team. But it also has become, for some, a total “sports season” unto itself. Think I’m kidding? There is baseball season, football season, basketball or hockey season and, yes, NFL Draft season. The NFL Network has a show, every year, called “Path To The Draft” and it runs for sixty days prior to the actual draft. And that is not the only programming sports channels like the NFL Network and ESPN crank out to keep NFL fans buzzing, even in the offseason.

The other part of this annual juggernaut, especially for the teams and the athletes themselves, is all the poking and prodding that takes place and how every measurable from these players is scrutinized almost down to the microscopic level. Height, weight, speed, jumping ability, wingspan, hand size (I am not making this stuff up), lung capacity, eyesight, hearing and who your mommy and daddy is. Then, it is all charted and documented and compared, in great detail, with the files of hundreds of other perspective players. And of course, these players get worked out over and over again. There is the Senior Bowl, the Scouting Combine, Pro Days and lastly, individual team workouts. I would be exhausted just from the travel required, leading up to the draft, let alone the workouts.

So as I sit here, chomping at the bit, with another nine hours to go until the first pick is made, my mind has wandered a bit…past the many looming decisions with real life-changing impact potential…such as “Garrett, Trubisky or trade down and gather more picks,” to wondering if there might be a spiritual illustration that can be drawn from all of this. I don’t know why my mind goes where it does. It just goes there and then I drag you folks along for the ride. Lucky you, right?

Jesus said the following words, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain..” [John 15:16]

Well, that is pretty interesting. Most of us, if we were asked, would probably say that we are the ones to whom God granted “free will” and that is up to us to come to a decision to follow or believe in God or not, not the other way around. But Jesus reminds us, here, that He has already chosen us from before the foundations of the Earth and our decision to turn from our own ways and follow Him is very much like getting an invitation to a wedding and then sending in your RSVP.  You have already been chosen. God is just waiting for your response. 

One more thing, before we move on, God is not choosing you or me so that we can produce some good things for a couple of years before the effects of age take over and we have “diminishing skills” (Cleveland fans know what I am alluding to, there). Jesus is saying that, yes, He wants us bear fruit, in other words produce good results. But He is also telling us that He wants us to produce the type of fruit that remains long-term, eternally speaking of course. What NFL team would not love to pick players that performed many great things for years to come? Unfortunately, that is extremely rare.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:10]

The difference, of course, with the way God goes about choosing those who are His, is that there is no need for all of the poking and prodding, forty yard dash times, bench press or long jump results. He, Himself, uniquely created each and every one of us in His own image. He knows us far better than any set of athletic tests or medical measurables could possibly reveal. As it says above… “that we should walk in them” (good works). So the Apostle Paul is saying, that even before we began to walk spiritually (or physically for that matter), the invitation was already in your “inbox.” You had already been chosen.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates (Israel), or the gods of the Amorites (Israel’s enemies), in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” [Joshua 24:15]

“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you…” Whoa. If we truly slow down long enough to allow this statement to soak in, it is not just baffling , but downright scary. This is not like, “Oh, it’s OK honey. If you don’t like broccoli, you don’t have to eat it. No biggie.” The verse above was actually God, Himself, speaking prophetically through Joshua. Saying “No” to this invitation was, in essence, turning down God Almighty. Can you imagine standing before God’s throne, seeing Him face-to-face, and hearing Him say, “Hey, if you have no desire to play on My team, so be it. But I would not advise signing up for the opposition. Oh, by the way, not accepting My invitation IS signing up for the opposition. There is no neutral ground. Everyone is “in the game.” To not play for one team, means you choose to play for the other. 

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!” [Joshua 24:16]

It certainly didn’t take the Israelites long to figure out that saying “No” to God was probably a really bad idea. And it is not a good idea for you or I, either. So what does all of this mean? Is there some applicable correlation between the NFL Draft and our ability to connect with a living God, one who loves each and every one of us more than anyone on this planet ever will or ever could? Well, OK, here are a few things to think about:

1) Usually, to join an NFL team, you are either selected via the draft process, traded, or you sign as a free agent (in this scenario….the player chooses the team he wants to play for). God said that He has chosen us, we did not initially choose Him. We are basically “high draft picks” and since God does not play favorites, we are all #1 picks. SWEET!!!

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. [Isaiah 55:9] 

Hey, if God is willing to map out a better course for my life, I believe I would be foolish to say, “Nah, thanks God, I got this!!”

2) Again, if there is no neutral ground and “not playing the game” is not an option for any of us, if we are all going to stand before our Maker, one day, to give an account of what we did with our life, would you be comfortable saying, “Well, I tried my best to use the brain You gave me, Lord, and although I’m sure some of my decisions were not good ones, I hope the good out weighs the bad. Like Frank Sinatra, I did it my way. Doesn’t that count for something?” 

Or would you prefer to say, “Lord, I know I have sinned. I know I have screwed up, plenty of times. But based on the precious blood of Jesus Christ, I ask You to forgive me. I accept Your invitation of redemption, knowing I could never have earned it on my own. I am humbled and thankful that You loved me enough to choose to be with me, and me with You for all eternity.

I would just hope that all of us could realize one thing. Know that He has chosen you (whoever you are and no matter what you have done) and that in His eyes, you are without blemish, spot or wrinkle. You are perfect in His sight, all because of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, and that will never change, no matter what.

You are a “Top Pick”….made by God, Himself, and that is so much better than being a free agent could ever be.

Thank You, Lord!!!

And….GO BROWNS!!!

BOB PALUMBO

Why Did God Bless America?

It would probably be a good idea to start off this post, since the title seems to raise some questions as to why God has chosen to divinely and uniquely bless and protect the United States of America, by saying that I have no doubt, nor have I ever doubted, that He has intently and purposely done just that.  I am not suggesting that we have always deserved His blessing, as a nation. We certainly have given Him plenty of good reasons, over the two and a half centuries since our inception, to withdraw his hand of blessing and protection from us and leave us to our own recourses (especially in the last fifty or sixty years or so if you ask me). But He never has, at least not completely, and I can’t help but wonder why. 

Have we done something noble to gain His favor? Have we been more righteous or compassionate than other nations and therefore we’re more worthy of special treatment? I think I could rightly say both “yes and no” to those questions. I would say we have done plenty of good things, as a people, but we certainly have been far from sinless, in other areas. But all of that is for another post, I guess.

We have all heard the stories, I’m sure, of the effect “people of faith” such as the Pilgrims, the Puritans, George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards and many others like John and Samuel Adams had on the forming of this great country (“a city upon a hill”, as it was called by John Winthrop in a sermon in 1630) and then, no less, how they influenced the penning of our founding documents which provided the structure for a free and fair government that has stood the test of time and has overcome many serious threats and challenges along the way. And to be sure, the threats and challenges persist to this day.

While I do believe that America’s faith and reliance upon “our Creator” (as He was referred to in the Declaration of Independence) may be one reason He has watched over us all these years, there may have been another significant factor that is often overlooked and rarely talked about. I would suggest that the relationship between America and the Jewish people, which can be traced all the way back to Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Inquisition, might have played a fairly large part in it, as well.

In the Book of Genesis, we see that God made a pretty big promise to Abraham and I have found no reason to believe that He has failed to keep it, even today, here in the 21st century.

“And I will make you a great nation; And I will bless you and make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”                [Genesis 12:2-3]

Let’s take a look at how one expert on Jewish history framed the argument:

[From] “Columbus And The Jews” (by Dr. Gerhard Falk)   

http://jbuff.com/c100903.htm

Dr. Falk begins his article this way: “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue; and his interpreter was a Jew whose name was Lou and that is true.” Indeed it is true. But Luis de Torres, whose original name was Yosef ben Levi Ha-Ivri, (“Joseph, Son of Levi, the Hebrew”),  was not the only Jew who sailed with them at that time. Columbus’ navigator and his doctor were also Jews. All three and two more were Jews who underwent formal “conversion” to Christianity one day before the voyage began but were nevertheless viewed as Jews both by other Jews and by the Spanish Christians, who called Jews converted to Christianity “marranos”, meaning swine.

There is a good deal of speculation based on evidence that Columbus may himself have been the grandson of Jews. He wrote a great deal about Zion. He often used two little markings on the top of every letter he wrote. These marks resemble the two marks orthodox Jews still use in their letters. The two abbreviations come from the Hebrew words besiyata d’ishmaya, meaning “with God’s help” in Aramaic.

While it is pretty certain that Columbus was not Jewish, it is however entirely likely that the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition led many “marranos” to make every effort to find a place where the Spanish empire had no power and Christianity was unknown. When, on August 3, 1492, the three ships of Columbus’ fleet left the harbor of Palos they saw the ships on which the Jews were leaving the country in which they had lived a thousand years. None could have known that Columbus’ great voyage would lead to the establishment of the present American Jewish community, the most blessed of all Jewish communities ever to exist in the Galut (outside of Israel itself).

Here are just a few of the major ways the US has blessed Israel: 

1) US “acquiesces” the Balfour Declaration (1917) that called for a permanent home for the Jewish people in the region known Palestine. 

2) US Congress passes the Lodge-Fish resolution (1922) in support of Balfour.

3) US leads the charge to get the UN to officially declare Israel a nation again (1948)

4) 42 out of the 83 times that the US has used it’s “veto power” at the UN…it was in support of Israel.

5) US has provided hundreds of billions of dollars in financial and military support.

In addition to all of that, no nation on Earth has been more open and welcoming towards the Jewish people, especially back when they had no homeland to call their own. As early as 1654, even before we were a sovereign nation ourselves, descendants of Abraham came to our shores and found a home. They settled in New Asterdam first (which later became known as New York) and over the next three centuries, the number of  Jewish immigrants greatly increased as they settled mainly in large East Coast cities, worked hard, overcame resistance and became an intricate part of the fabric of America we know and love today.

The bottom line is now there are basically as many Jews living in America as there are living in Israel (approx. 6 million in each) and it seems pretty obvious that we have been a blessing and a friend to Israel, and there is little doubt that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has been a friend and a blessing to the good ol’ US of A.

So to answer the original question here, “Why did God Bless America?”, and why does He continue to bless and protect our great nation, even though we have given him plenty of good reasons not to? For starters, I believe that there were a great many influential “God-fearing men and women” who had a hand in laying the foundation stones upon which our society was built. I think it is also true that “Natural Law”, which is the basic perceptions of right and wrong inherent to all humans (Cicero, and many of our Founders, believed they came from God Himself), played a big role in the writing of our Constitution and inspired many of our early laws, as well.

But, I think if we overlook the impact that God and His chosen people have had on our ability to grow, prosper and prevail as a nation, overcoming many great trials and tribulations along the way, we just may be ignoring the cornerstone that holds it all together. And that is why I believe it is imperative that our leaders put a high priority on dealing fairly and kindly with our greatest ally, Israel. We are undeniably “joined at the hip” with our Jewish brothers and sisters. And if we turn our backs on them, we only injure ourselves.

That is why I “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” [Psalm 122:6].  I believe these are critical times we live in, not only for Israel, but right here in America and around the world. 

If we are approaching the “end of the age” that Jesus taught about in Matthew 24 and in many other places in Scripture, Israel will undoubtedly be “Ground Zero” and I believe it will be up to us to stand with her, while most of the world comes against her.

BE SAFE..AND BE BLESSED!!!

As I sit here this morning, especially in light of the news reports of what happened in Germany, Switzerland and Turkey on Monday, I am sadly reminded that what many people said after 911, “the world as we know it was forever changed”, was probably more true than any of us realized at the time. And I would say it is even truer for those of us who were born and raised and live in the United States of America, a country that has been divinely blessed, in my opinion, with the luxury of living for the most part safely and securely, at least while standing on US soil.  Nowadays, we do not have to look very hard at our surroundings to begin to see evidence of a very different world, even here at home.

Security cameras are everywhere, as are cell phone cameras, and it’s gotten to the point that almost everything that happens, unless it happens in a private residence (at least so far), is probably being recorded and archived somewhere due to the constant existential threats of crime and/or terrorism. To add to those problems, we have a 24/7 news media that loves to “feed the beast” by sensationalizing and over-dramatizing these tragic events, many times to the point of glorifying those committing these atrocities and encouraging others to do the same, by giving these evil-doers the “fifteen minutes of fame” they crave (maybe we should now change that to “72 hours of fame”), allowing them to “go out in a blaze of glory” and give their radical causes tons of “free publicity”.

All of these intrusions into our freedom of movement and our personal lives become magnified even moreso around the holidays, as Americans by the millions attempt to visit loved ones who, at least partly due to the modern conveniences of travel and communication nowadays, are more likely to live hundreds or thousands of miles away. When I grew up, and even when my children grew up, years later, we didn’t have to plan for arriving at the airport two hours before a flight, having our carry-on bags, personal things and even our bodies x-rayed before being allowed to board our flight. But here in the 21st century, these things have become normal and expected.

I remember, very well, the days when bombings and terrorist attacks were “a way of life” in many other places around the world, especially in the Middle East, but not in America. Nowadays, when we mention places like Boston, New York City, Orlando, San Bernadino, Fort Hood, Charleston, Dallas, Oklahoma City in this country and places like Paris, Berlin, London and Jerusalem, just to name a few elsewhere, we are reminded of horrific stories and images captured by all those cameras we talked about earlier.

The picture that I included, here in this post, is quite interesting in that it is sort of a “before and after” captured in one single shot.  It shows a seemingly tranquil park setting overlooking the waterfront, with a group of people appearing relaxed and safe (as it was in days gone by), while just on the other side of the water, millions of people are coming face-to-face with the new realities of “life in America”,  or “Hell on Earth” as some have called that day in NYC. Some were at nearby airports, sitting on a plane on the tarmac waiting to take-off, as both Paul McCartney and members of the band Guess Who were. While at the same time, millions of others like myself were well out of harm’s way with their eyes glued to tv screens, having a very hard time believing what they were seeing. And now, some fifteen years later, unfortunately these horrific events have become so commonplace, we have grown accustomed to seeing these images over and over in what almost seems like daily occurrences in the world we live in today.

So in the midst of all of that, I would like to offer you some hope. Tragedies such as these are not really a new thing. Maybe it just seems like it here in America, because a lot of these things are relatively new to us. And the fact that we now have so many 24 hour news sources showing “the darker side of humanity” on what seems like an endless loop, hundreds of times each day, well that certainly doesn’t help. The world we live in has always been a dangerous place. It has been said, and rightly so, that “No man is promised tomorrow.” So the question is, “What are you going to do with today?”

We often hear the government officials or those in the media say, “The best thing we can do is continue to go about living our lives, for if we do not, then the terrorists and criminals have won”. While I do think that is good advice, I would like to add one more layer to that, “God is still in control.” All of our days are numbered by the One who made us, and there is not a single person or force on Earth that can change that.  God knows our beginning and our end, even before we are conceived in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5), so why worry about what you cannot change?   Rather, learn to trust God, for He knows what is best and always has our best in mind, even though at times we might be tempted to think otherwise.

So my prayer for you and yours, this Christmas season is a simple one, “Be safe and be blessed”…and show love and kindness to whoever you can, while God has given you the chance to do so.  For too many have learned the hard way, that the ability to love, forgive or show kindness can be gone in the blink of an eye.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A SAFE AND BLESSED 2017 TO YOU AND YOURS!!!

BOB PALUMBO

A War Interrupted

The following story is copied from history.com:

                             *********************

Did you know??

On December 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary hiatus of the war for the celebration of Christmas. The warring countries refused to create any official cease-fire, but on Christmas the soldiers in the trenches declared their own unofficial truce.      

Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.  At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer. Some soldiers used this short-lived ceasefire for a more somber task: the retrieval of the bodies of fellow combatants who had fallen within the no-man’s land between the lines.

The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. It was never repeated—future attempts at holiday ceasefires were quashed by officers’ threats of disciplinary action—but it served as heartening proof, however brief, that beneath the brutal clash of weapons, the soldiers’ essential humanity endured. During World War I, the soldiers on the Western Front did not expect to celebrate on the battlefield, but even a world war could not destory the Christmas spirit.


                                   *******************

I copied this story with a certain question in mind, one more relevant to the world we live in today, of course.  Could something like this, quite miraculous even back then, happen today? Before you answer, keep in mind this was before the Balfour Declaration (1917), where Great Britain declared an intent to create a permanent homeland for the Jewish people. It was also before Pearl Harbor (1941), the Holocaust (1941-1945), the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) and Israel officially becoming a nation (1948). And of course, it pre-dated the assassinations of John F.  Kennedy (1963), Robert Kennedy (1968) and Martin Luther King Jr. (1968). 

This amazing gesture of “love and respect for our fellow man” eclipsing national, political or religious differences, while only lasting a few brief moments in time, also occurred nearly a century before the attacks on Oklahoma City (1995), New York and Washington D.C. (2001) and the more current atrocities in Europe, Syria and the Middle East.  And yes, there are plenty of other examples (too many to count, in fact) of a basic lack of love and respect for the dignity of human life in countries, cities, neighborhoods and families all over the globe (which is still spinning, alright, but maybe also spinning out of control on a more personal and moral level).

So back to the question at hand, could something like this really happen today? Afterall, it is an example of mortal enemies, temporarily and mutually setting aside their differences to observe a religious holiday and obey a commandment from the God of that religion to “love one another”.  Could you envision ISIS fighters and soldiers who profess Christian or Jewish beliefs (or at least are fighting to protect those who do) laying down their weapons for a brief time of “embracing one another as members of the family of man”? How about members of Assad’s Syrian Army taking a break to share a meal with the rebels who oppose them?  Or, bite my tongue, how about those who passionately supported Hillary Clinton, this year, getting together with those who passionately supported Donald Trump…..or members of Black Lives Matter and policeman from around the country…extending a hand of friendship and respect to each other, if only for a few hours?                                                        

So what are the chances?  Sadly, I would guess if not impossible, it is very highly unlikely.

Interestingly,  Jesus spoke about this when He was speaking to his disciples on the Mount Of Olives. They were asking Him what type of signs would indicate that His return and the end of the age were near. In verse 12, He not only pointed to this very problem of “love growing cold”, but He specifically revealed what will cause it, “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12 NLT)

So could that really be true? Does sin have the power to kill love?

I believe the answer is “Yes”, but only if we allow it to happen.

So what can we do to make sure that sin doesn’t win?  James, half-brother of Jesus, said it best, I believe, when he said, “Therefore submit to God (love). Resist the devil (sin) and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8 NKJV)

Wouldn’t it be great if people all over the world, this Christmas, chose to honor the memory of these men on the battlefield, many years ago, who knew they could be dead by sunset, but made a decision to extend a hand of friendship to someone who might actually be the one who kills them, out of obedience to the one who died to save us all, by defeating death and sin once and for all eternity.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS WITH A SAFE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS 

AND A JOYOUS AND PEACE-FILLED 2017.

BOB PALUMBO