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John 3:16 is no doubt the most commercialized verse in the Bible. It is the first verse that we all learn as children at vacation Bible school. Growing up in the Catholic church, it was the most often recited verse and the most used anecdote for any situation requiring the reassurance of God’s love for the sinner. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It is true, and it is the cornerstone of the Christian faith so, I want to be careful to not cause offense.

I have heard and even quoted this verse so many times over the course of my life that it seemed to have lost its meaning, at least to me. It was the sinner’s feel-good verse or the cure-all for any condemnation one may feel resulting from any transgression. The constant repetition eroded all the meaning and even the importance of the text. I do not mean that the text in this verse lost all meaning. I am saying that after having heard it and repeated it so many times, it did not mean anything to me as it should.

When my children started learning verses of the Bible, this was one of the first verses I taught them. I did not allow them to sit on this one verse, or let it be the one the called up in every situation. I did not let that verse be the solution to every problem met in our family. In fact, I did not want my children to grow up to adopt the idea that because Jesus died on the cross, all we had to do was believe that and we would have everlasting life (which is true). Yet I know that the people I was around as a child took it to mean they could live however they wished and still have everlasting life.

This verse is true and, again, I want to clarify that only my understanding of this verse was skewed. In my early adult years, I understood this verse to mean that I would have everlasting life, without any effort on my part other than believing that Jesus died so I would not perish. This is what I now understand is known as reading into the meaning of the Bible what I want it to mean so it fits my life (eisegesis) instead of taking out of the scripture what the author intended it to mean (exegesis), then changing my life to line up with the Word of God. Sadly, I only knew what I had always heard from others. Growing up Catholic, I never read the Bible for myself.

When I did begin to read and study The Word for myself, God led me to the verse that cured my issue with John 3:16 and I chuckled when I realized the reference of the verse God showed me. This verse does not ignore our response to the crucifixion, nor does it overlook our responsibility as the body of Christ. Let us all apply this verse to our Christian lives.

16       We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).

God’s commands and expectations of us can be difficult at times, and that is if we even understand what it is He expects of us. In my experience, the problem is that I get hung up on why He expects some of the things He does. One example occurred only a couple of months after my salvation. I remember praying at the altar when the Word of the Lord came to me saying, “Go. Forgive your mother”. I do not mean in any way for this to be comical, because it really was not but, I nearly lost my cool and cursed God aloud, right there at the altar during church. Instead, as quietly as I could manage, I replied, “God, I cannot do that! Not after all she put us through and to this day there is no remorse”.

I was so infuriated because I could not understand what it was that God was asking of me. I tried to convince myself that it was not God that I really heard. But the quiet voice returned saying, “if you do not, I cannot use you”. I did what any baby would do – I cried, I begged, and I pleaded, “Please, God! I cannot do that! Please, don’t make me!” I could not understand what God was thinking when He told me to forgive my mother. Surely, He knew all the torment I suffered at her hands and all the misery she orchestrated in mine and my sibling’s lives. I thought it absurd. He did not push me to do this, but He got my attention when He told me that He would bring my sister home when I did.

My sister had run away from home two weeks prior to this and nobody knew where she had gone. So, I decided to do what God asked. I would have done anything to make sure my sister was safe and back at home. I do not perceive that God bribed me or coerced me in any way. He simply let me know that when I did forgive my mother, my sister would come home. I stalled until I just could not stall any longer. I went to my mom’s house unannounced and she was obviously disgusted by my presence. It took every ounce of inner strength I could muster but I did forgive her. That afternoon, my sister returned home, and I found more joy in glorifying God for His faithfulness than I had anger toward Him for asking this of me.

I could not fathom uttering those words to my mother and I considered that God had gone bonkers in asking such a thing of me. It made no sense whatsoever to me. Nevertheless, I did what He asked – what He commanded. What I discovered was that it was meant for my good. Twenty years later, I still struggle with some of the things He commands but, today I am not as reluctant to obey. Today, I remind myself that whatever He commands me to do is for my good. I remind myself that I do not have to understand at that moment what God is doing or what He is thinking. What I try to keep in mind is that God knows what He is doing. When I obey, especially the hard commands, I come through it with the realization that it was for my benefit.

Our natural tendency is to make those who hurt us, hurt more than they did us. It is natural for us to want to give back as good, if not better than what we got. We think we must lash back and inflict pain on our offenders. It is most difficult to not only refrain from these natural tendencies but, to show favor to those who have harmed us. If not for God and the power of the Holy Spirit, this would not be possible. Even with the guidance of the Spirit, the flesh will rear up its ugly head in staunch retaliation. But I challenge you to follow through because it truly is for your benefit. Obey the Word and God’s faithfulness will shine through brighter than ever.

Do you despise those who have aligned themselves with you as foes? What about those who simply despise your very existence? What about those who curse you or simply make your life difficult? We all have these issues, and we all have people such as these described who cross our paths regularly. I want to challenge you to draw on the strength of the Spirit and love your enemies, show kindness to the ones who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you. This is the Word of the Lord. Obeying His Word is in our best interest.

27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28).

In my early Christian life, I became quickly aware that being a Christian granted me no immunity from hardship and pain. I still suffered from heartache and loss. I still must endure the effects of Bipolar Disorder. In fact, God did not give me eternal life free from human existence. He did, however, give me a new life – a life far more abundant than my earlier life. For a while, I saw my new life as overflowing with an abundance of pain and struggle. However, I was also aware that, for some strange reason, I did not respond to these things in my usual fashion.

From the moment I knew that my life had undergone a drastic change, I saw an unchanged world around me. When at first, I thought my life turned upside down, it was quite the opposite. My life had been upside down and tossed about for as long as I could remember. For the first time in my natural life, I thought I was on top of the world and was only on my feet. However, it did not take long before I was back on my knees.

In the blink of an eye, everything about me radically changed. There was no feeling of change other than the zero-gravity effect I experienced as I peeled myself off the floor in front of the altar. It was out of character for me to hang around after church and visit. In an instant, God took smoking cigarettes and drinking out of my life. I did not lose the taste either. Something in me did not want it so, I just did not partake any longer. I thought it strange because I had tried over and over to stop smoking cigarettes or consuming alcohol without any degree of success. After an hour and a half service at church (most of which I have no recollection) and just like that, I do not smoke, drink, or curse.

For twenty-nine years, I was a wreck, and I gave up on ever being any different or having any kind of life other than my miserable, hopeless existence. Today, I feel more, I see more, I experience more than I ever did my first twenty-nine years. God changed me on the inside, not the world outside. Although, I still struggle, I go through various trials, and suffer hardship and tribulation, there is nothing and there is no one who can convince me that there is no God. I am infinitely certain that God is love and that He loves me. It was His love that rescued me and sustained me ever since. Therefore, I am not ashamed to say that I fall on my knees, and with all that is within me, I will bless the Lord!

God love you and He always has. When you wonder where He is, it’s because you wondered off. He is wanting you to return to Him, especially when you are broken.  

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me,

bless His holy name (Psalms 103:1).

Check Yourself

I remember a particular Sunday morning service the pastor asked the congregation, “If this church depended on your prayer life, how long would it survive?” Wow! I thought to myself, “What a question!” That question is one that I cannot shake. That is the way it should be. Unforgettable. Unshakeable. It should plague our minds until we get it right.

I posed a series of questions to myself that came from my study of Deuteronomy 6:5-6,

5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your might.

6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart”.

Remember, verse five is the first and greatest commandment. As commanded, this commandment SHALL be on your heart. That is not a request, understand. This is a prime example of the adage, “God does not call the equipped, He equips the called”. He commands us what to do, how to do it, and He gives us the right tools for the task. I had to know so, I asked myself, “Self…”:

1.      Am I DILIGENTLY TEACHING my sons (in my case daughters; It also means younger generations; this is work)?

2.     Am I talking about them (The Commandments)

a.     When I SIT in my house (relaxing, lounging);

b.     When I WALK by the way (with passersby; at the market; at school; at work)

c.     When I LIE DOWN (praying before sleep, rest, relax)

d.    When I RISE UP (praise when I wake up)

3.     Am I BINDING them as a sign on my hand (holding the Word of God open to read; are my hands reaching out to the poor; are my hands giving; are my hands extended to help those in need; are my hands on the sick who need healing);

4.     Are God’s Words a FRONTALS on my forehead (am I reading, memorizing, thinking on them, or meditating on them);

5.     Have I WRITTEN them:

a.     On the doorpost of my house (a constant reminder to me; visible to all who visit; can be seen when entering and exiting);

b.     On the gates (the furthest edge of my dwelling; seen by all who dwell within; a warning to those who do not).

You can use these questions to check yourself.

Before God saved me from myself, I was the guy who was defiant, just because I could be. I was not one to follow the rules or take orders from anyone. This behavior began in and because of my childhood. I never knew what was right or wrong because of the mass confusion in our family. However, once that behavior took root, it extended beyond life at home and my adolescent years. I despised being told what to do so I had no respect for any kind of authority. In fact, for many years my mantra was that rules and locks were made to be broken. Through my experiences in life, I realized that I was not alone. Whew! What a relief! Right?

Adam and Eve did the same thing in the Garden of Eden and that brought a death sentence to everything and everyone. God has been opening my eyes to the horrible and very real outcome of disobedience. By-the-way, defiance is the same as disobedience with a slap in the face. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, “all sin and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NASB, 1995). The sad part is that all this came about because man could not keep one commandment. Neither can we but Adam and Eve only had one commandment. Don’t go bashing Adam or Eve. You couldn’t obey it either and now you have two commandments that should keep you too busy to worry about the disobedience of the first couple on the planet.

The first commandment given to man told man what he should not do, and he broke it. Observe: Today we are given two commands that tell us what we should do but we just can’t get it right. I have wondered what life would be like today if God had used reverse psychology. “Adam you shall only eat of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and none of the other”.  Again, using the reverse psychology principal, God’s law today would be “You shall hate the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all you might”. Therefore, if those were the laws God issued, 1. Man would still have brought the death penalty, and 2. Man would exude love worldwide. Wouldn’t that be something? Reverse psychology is not in God’s nature because it is manipulative and even deceptive.

Defiance is only natural. Sin is the terminal condition of man and sin rules the flesh. As a result, the flesh is ruthless and incessantly defiant. The flesh must and will die because of its sinful nature. The good news is that YOU do not have to die with the flesh. The best start is with the first and greatest commandment, “You SHALL love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, NASB 1995). Do you want to be loved? Well, I have great news! God does love you. He loves you even if you do not deserve it. All He expects is for you to love Him.

Thirty-five years ago, color tv, calculators, electric typewriters, word processors, and the introduction of pagers were the technological advancements of the day. By 1989, the computer was introduced to businesses and only a few years later, the personal computer made its way into the residential market. Today, technology is everywhere. Man has become dependent on technology to survive. To tap into that technology, there are tools and equipment needed such as computers, cellular devices, televisions, and whatever accessories are supposed to improve one’s quality of life. However, it is all useless if it cannot be plugged into a power source.

Cellular phones, tablets, power tools, and laptops can work independently, by charging their batteries. If the battery has “juice”, the tool, equipment, or device will function. When the battery loses its charge, it must be plugged in again and recharged. The human being is the most technologically advanced creature in existence, medical science has come a long way regarding learning about the human body. However, (no offense to anyone in any area of the medical profession) science is still only learning what God designed and created. Medical scientists will never achieve the knowledge or expertise needed to keep anything alive without machines to keep the heart pumping, which is pointless if there is no brain activity.

God did not give us the blueprint of the human body but, the Bible says that God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7, NASB, ’95). When God placed man (Adam) in the Garden of Eden, God commanded him, “…from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17, NASB ’95). In modern language God was saying, if you disconnect from the power source, your battery will die. But that cunning con artist serpent arrives on the scene, he tells Eve that they will not die. In modern language, he says, “unplug your phone and check it out. It still works fine! Your phone does not have to be plugged in to work! Somebody lied to you!” That is an appealing notion, is it not?

If I knew absolutely nothing about electronics/electricity, and someone had said that to me, I would have done exactly what Adam and Eve did. I would have unplugged the charger from the phone just to see if it would work. When I verified that, I would have said to whomever, “Whoa! You were right! Take the charger! I don’t need it!” When God handed down sentencing, then kicked man out of the garden, He also removed His Spirit from man. Did man die right then? The body did not die right then but, eventually, the body fails. As for the spirit, God removed the Spirit of Life from man (the Spirit of God), leaving man with his own spirit (the battery) which would need recharging if man is to continue to function because it is insufficient to sustain life on its own. Remember that man was created with the ability to perform many different tasks (like the apps that are on a cell phone).

These tasks (apps) tend to drain energy (battery power). If you notice your phone is getting low on battery power, it will switch into power-saving mode and some phones will reduce the functionality and some features will simply quit working altogether to save battery power. However, it will not save the life of the battery. Your battery will die. When man disobeyed God in the garden, their act was the equivalent of unplugging a cellphone charger from the electrical outlet which is the source of life-giving power (God).

This is akin to separating God from Himself, which simply cannot happen. Therefore, when God removed man (the cellphone) from the garden, He took His Spirit (the power for the battery) with Him. However, God sacrificed an animal and used the skins (the portable battery pack) to cover man (the cellphone) to sustain man for a while. Although this was a temporary solution, this would work until a more permanent solution (Jesus Christ) was implemented. By then, man (the cellphone) would notice his lack of self-sufficiency and once again plug into the power source (God, the life-giving power), using the cable (Jesus Christ) that God provided to supply the necessary power (The Indwelling Spirt) to be operational.

Is your battery losing charge? Your battery will die if there is no charger (Jesus Christ), no connection to the power source (God). Are you ready to get plugged in (Through Jesus)? There is only one way to receive power and that is through Jesus Christ (the charger). Without Jesus (the power cord), you will not survive, death is imminent. Running on your own power (the battery) will impose limitations (power-saver, reduced functionality), hindering you from being able to function in the capacity in which God created you. Do not let your battery die. Get plugged in while you still can. If you do not, your battery will die.

For nearly half my natural life I was completely lost on what love was. In the church, I heard all the wonderful things love was supposed to be, but I never experienced anything but the opposite of what I heard. Away from church, “Love” was heartache and pain. “I love you” meant, “It’s time to duck”. “Love”, as I understood it, left behind embarrassing, life-long scars, mental and physical. Each scar, a memory of the gaping wounds of embarrassment, guilt, and shame. The men in my family suppressed positive affection because it isn’t manly to express one’s affections. The women in my family that did had an ulterior motive, which was usually followed by furious wrath. I concluded that the “love” I heard so much about in church, was something mythological. Therefore, in my experience, “love” was a four-letter word that should never be uttered.

My conflict over “love” sent me on a downward spiral into self-loathing, anger, and hatred, which bred suicidal tendencies. “Love”, as I understood it, was violent and relentless. I even ended my relationship when my girlfriends said they loved me. All the pain I caused others was to protect myself from more pain. I didn’t want to suffer from the “love” of my youth, and I believed that the “love” I heard about in church was made up because it was just too good to be true. So, I settled for what I thought ideal love should be; what it should look like. I tried to make everyone around me conform to what I thought.

I convinced myself that I knew what love was. After all, I love building racing engines, I love racing, I love writing, recording, and performing music, and I love that I was able to serve my country. But, when I separated from the Navy at twenty-nine, everything I loved was lost, gone forever. I decided that the love I desperately needed was a hoax. I was tired of looking for what was not anywhere to be found. So, I bought a first-class ticket on the Hell Express and was going to eject the engineer for not getting there fast enough.

But something happened that changed me forever. Love stepped in and rescued me from plunging into the abyss. It was the Love of whom I had heard so much about in church. It was all true! All these years, I had been totally lost on love, even believing that love was nothing more than a myth. May 29, 1999, was the day that Love captured me. Wait! That was the day that Love raptured me. I am no longer lost on Love or confused about Love. I am lost in Love; I am consumed by Love.

Are you struggling over, or just lost on Love? Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? Do you wanna go where Love is?

 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:8 (NASB95)

 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him 1 John 4:16 (NASB95)

This world is rapidly changing and not for the better, unfortunately. The depth of man’s depravity is the worst it has been in all of history. Violence and greed have become the fastest-growing religion in the world. Crime is rapidly reaching all-time highs, causing general morale to plummet to record lows. The world’s extreme moral decay is evidence that the final hour is upon us. Hope is dying and justice is on the fast-track to non-existence. Evil is coming on like a flood and will lay claim to many inhabitants of this world before the coming of the Lord. Do not be deceived, things will get exponentially worse before this world goes up in smoke!

How did it come to this? The answer is simple: We the people have denounced the God of all creation and turned to serve what is created. This is idolatry. We the people have spurned the love of God and ignited His wrath, fueled by jealousy. We the people have rejected God and have removed Him from our midst. We people have kindled God’s wrath as never before in the history of mankind. We the people have denied God’s sovereignty, and we the people rejected His righteousness. We people have brought condemnation down on our own heads. We the people have attempted to escape His justice. We the people have chosen the path to our own destruction. We the people have refused God’s love. We the people have determined our own fate.

Without God’s divine love there is only demonic hatred.

●                  As the bonds of trust have been whittled away, friends become enemies; husbands and wives become adulterers. The innocent become guilty; Life turns to death.

●                  There are few people if any upon whom one could depend. It seems that there is no one today who won’t smile in your face while betraying your trust. In today’s world, these moral degenerates are called friends. There is not much left in the way of camaraderie. Increasingly, it has become every man for himself.

Without God’s authority and justice, evil is free to reign.

●                  Taking prayer out of the public arena, the removal of Christian symbols or memorials, and the forced acceptance of all that God proclaimed were abominations, are all products of man’s fallacy.

●                  Forging an alliance with the evil one is futile. God’s sovereignty cannot be stripped, nor can it be diminished to any degree. On the day of judgment, there will be no immunity; there will be no deals for a reduced sentence to cop a plea and all judgments are final. There will be no appeal and there will be no pardons.

Without God’s mercy and grace, there is only condemnation in hell.

●      Mercy - not getting what we rightly deserve. The fall of man in the garden of Eden brought a curse of sin on all mankind. The wage for sin is death, and from birth, it is what we rightly deserve. There is death to the flesh (the physical body), and there is the death of the spirit (the soul), which is eternal pain and suffering.

●      Grace - is getting what we do not deserve. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ brought forgiveness to all who will accept it. It is true, we are in no way, shape, or form deserving of God’s forgiveness, much less His love. But God created us for His good pleasure. God’s love made it possible through His Son Jesus, for us to dwell with Him forever.

●      Hell is a real place created by God as an eternal prison for the angel formerly known as Lucifer and a third of all the angels in heaven. He did not design it or any other place for us that would separate us from Him.

           God’s love is extravagant and not easily understood by the creation toward whom He demonstrates His love. God's love compels Him to offer His creation, for free because His creation is not deserving. Since Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, all of mankind has been destitute and lacked that means to satisfy the debt that was incurred. Therefore, God took it upon Himself to foot the bill in our stead. Man was created to have intimate fellowship with Him. All He requires of us is our love. He knows that we cannot give that which we do not possess so, it was necessary for Jesus to step out into the world to personally, provide His creation with His love and personally deliver the necessary instructions for practical application, thereby leaving man with only two commandments:

         37 And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

         38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

         39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

         40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”                Matthew 22:37–40 (NASB95)

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

Do you profess your love for God? Do you live as one who loves God? Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself? Do you demonstrate love toward your enemies? What kind of love have you got?   

Jeff Foxworthy hosted a game show for several years called, Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader. When I first began watching the show, I quickly discovered that I fared as well as the contestants. It was tough to be deemed smarter than the show’s featured fifth graders. Granted, neither the show’s contestants nor I had been in fifth grade for several years but, most of the contestants had at least finished high school and had been to college. I had earned a decent education and at the time I was in college finishing my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I was taken aback by how much of my elementary education was completely lost or forgotten. The Lord used that show helped me understand that the more I learn, the more I learn what I do not know.

There is no conceivable way for any human to remember everything. Knowledge is as perishable, if not more so than anything else. Between birth and the age of seven is the period that a human learns the most and at the most rapid pace. Never again will any person learn so much so fast. How much do you remember from that time in your life? Everything that is learned can and will fall into oblivion if it is not subjected to regular use. Commitment to memory is simply insufficient. If information or knowledge is not often applied, it will be forgotten. It must be consistently applied to ensure its proper execution. James 1:22-25 states, 

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (James 1:22-25, NASB, 1995).

One thing commonly heard in the military is, "Learn the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) and know it well". Many have tried to claim that they were unaware they had committed an infraction but, the response is always, "Ignorance is not an excuse"! Rest assured, on the day of judgment, there will be no excuses, and no one will be able to claim ignorance. The Lord has provided His children with His Word with which to become intimate, not merely acquainted. We are expected to meditate on His word, to talk about His word with each other, teach His words to our children and others, and pray His words continually. 

6. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.        Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (NASB95)

What knowledge nuggets have you forgotten about? Please, do not forget that God loves you. Do not forget that God has forgotten your sins. It is never too late to get back up and give God your love, honor, and praise.

 NOTE: The Holy Bible is the instruction manual for Christians to follow. It is the guidebook for Christian's journey home. It is the rod of measurement for equity. It is the moral compass that gives direction to the Christian who needs direction.

Everything in existence, whether created, planted, hatched, or born, came into existence under another’s authority. “Man” is the crowning achievement in God’s masterpiece. God created man in His own image. God gave man what no other creature possesses: free will. Inevitably, man lost sight of the fact that he was created and that he should submit himself totally to God’s authority. Man would do well to understand that God is the ultimate authority, with or without man's submission.

No man goes without being confronted, in some way, by his insufficiency. At this point comes the realization that he needs help. Following the realization of the err of his ways and personal conviction, the shameful and guilt-ridden prodigal returns home. Upon arrival, the prodigal’s father, who has watched for him, greets his lost son with open arms and a celebration.

Unfortunately, not all are so receptive. More often than not, the overwhelming shame and guilt prevent us from returning home to a loving, forgiving father. Many more reject the invitation to come home on the notion that God never did anything for them. Too many others simply have an authority complex and think that God has too many “Thou shalt nots”.

The human species is the only living creature that can think, reason, choose, and understand. My thinking is that man’s reasoning ability today is terribly flawed as it chooses to rely more on his own understanding rather than rely on God’s authority. In choosing this path, we make life far more difficult than ever it should be, and exceedingly more difficult than God intended for it to be.

When I was in the military, I worked in an electronics shop that required continual support to operate efficiently. Therefore, there were three separate departments that we paid extra attention to maintaining good relationships:

1. The galley (food service). No one wants anything in their food that doesn’t belong.

2. Supply (parts warehouse) Most repairs were time-sensitive so, if the parts orders get held up, equipment does not get repaired in a timely manner.

3. Maintenance (kept the shops a/c blowing low snow) Working in the dark is not an option, and condensation tends to cause problems for equipment under repair.

Allow me to put this into a spiritual perspective. There are reasons for maintaining a good relationship with our creator and the following are some examples:

Man does not have to apply any thought to breathing to stay alive.

Man does not have to keep his own heart beating so blood can carry oxygen to the brain.

Man does not have any control over the brain’s electrical impulses that send signals to the rest of the body for each part to function.

God is the one in control of all of this and so much more and quite frankly, He requires none of our assistance in maintaining all of it. Therefore, it makes sense that we do whatever is necessary to maintain a good relationship with

Him. Man’s life is in God’s hands. Therefore, it makes sense that following His commands would be in the best interest of man. Is that too much to ask?

There are only two commandments that were given to us. They were given to us by the creator of all things, including man. These commandments were handed to us by God, Himself. The very God who gives us life and takes it away from us.

Matthew 22:37–39 (NASB95)

37  “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.

39  “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

For 29 years of my life, I was the guy who did the opposite of everything I was told. Tell me to do anything and I go in the other direction. Tell me not to do something and I will dive in, headfirst. But, when God made His powerful introduction and I experienced His all-consuming love, I got in step, so-to-speak. My life was so peaceful, I could hardly stand it. Sure, the world was and still is noisy and chaotic. In the midst of it all, I have peace as I have never known.

This love is rooted in my relationship with God. There is no woman, no drug, no alcoholic beverage, that ever produced this peace. Love is the only thing that brings peace, and it can't be found in any human being unless that human being has surrendered their life to Christ. No human being can give what he does not have. God is love and apart from Him; true love is non-existent. If anyone loves God, that person is free to love and that unconditionally.

When you sleep at night, you don't pay attention to anything like breathing, keeping your heart beating, clearing your mind for a fresh start when you awake, and if you wake up, it is because God granted you that. Unless you can do that yourself, turn to God, accept His love, and love Him as He commanded. Is that too much to ask?

I am sure you do not like people lying to you, or stealing from you, or gossiping about you. I say this with a degree of certainty because I don't know one person who appreciates any of this. This means one of two things, you are a hypocrite, or you are in love with God. How do you respond to such things? If you have an intimate relationship with God, then you do not engage in such activities. Why? Because these go against God, against Love. If anyone loves himself, one would do well to love God, then and only then can one love anyone else as loving one's self. Is that too much to ask?