Thinking Aloud

      “WHO   HAS KNOWN   the mind   of the Lord? ” wonders St. Paul in Romans 11:34.   "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord ( Isaiah 55:8) .  The question on the lips everybody today is about the pandemic—“How long will this exist? When will this come to an end? “Where is God in all this?” others question. I don’t pretend to know the answer. I don’t know what God will do under the circumstances. But I can point out to history (as the Bible reveals it) and bring to your notice what God has done before. As you review it you will arrive at your own conclusion.   First I would like to remind you of another major calamity, narrated in Genesis 6. Mankind had grown totally and consistently evil and God decided to destroy His whole creation and start all over again. Noah was the only righteous person on earth then, and God sheltered him and his family in an ark and protected them for a whole yea...

  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our entire affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  --2 Corinth 1:3-4 ESV To comfort is to cheer and encourage. The word has a positive force that is missing in its dictionary synonym “console,” as “comfort” indicates the dispelling of grief by providing strength. For example, the verse in Isaiah 40:1 —‘“Comfort, comfort my people’, says your God” is more forcible than “console,” which affords only the power of calm endurance of affliction. But “comfort” imparts a bright hope for future and a high incentive to present activity. These are the gifts of the Divine grace, and include the idea of counsel as well as consolation. Although we live in a world full of trials, troubles, and tribulations, we do not live in a world that only has trials, troubles,...

"NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS,” said Jesus in Luke 16:13. “Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money”. Serving the Lord and being a good Christian depends on getting your priorities right in life.   King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were invaded by a large army of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites. Deeply worried, the King led the people in fasting and prayer before the Lord. At the meeting, Jahaziel, a prophet prophesied that the Lord himself would fight the battle for them. When the Judeans went out to meet the invading army, Jehoshaphat put the Temple singers in front of his forces! They sang, "Give thanks to the Lord! His faithful love will last forever." At the very moment they began to sing and praise the Lord, the prophecy came to pass. One of the many interesting details of this story is that Jehoshaphat put the Temple singers at the head of the Judea...

JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD and the pre-existent Christ. In submission to His Father's will, He voluntarily assumed a human body and human nature, without ceasing to be God, but setting aside His right to His power and glory. As Jesus of Nazareth, he was subject to place, time, and many other human constraints. Christ came to offer His body as a sacrifice that is completely acceptable to God. The author of Hebrews quotes Psalms 40:6-8. applying it to Christ, he claims He told His Father ‘’…Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings, you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God’’’. (Hebrews 10:5-7). Peter told the Jews who had gathered on Pentecost day regarding Jesus “This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:23)...