Philippians 1;21:  "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."  Paul wrote this verse, but I fear that most Christians don't really believe it.  This could be perhaps because Christians are afraid of death.  I don't think that is the case.  I think it is more likely that we are so often enticed with this world that we don't look forward to heaven.  We could be enticed by this world because we live in America where life is not hard.  We live good.  We are not persecuted.  We have our ipads and ipods.  But are we being seduced by the world?  We should be looking towards heaven where we will be with God.  We should be desiring heaven.  But we don't.
The challenge:  What is more important - earth or heaven?

     "Veni, vidi, vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) are Julius Caesar comment on one of his wars in Asia Minor.  His ability to conquer was important to his rise in power, and his conquest of Gaul (today's France) and his victories enabled him to become the first Roman emperor.  He still influences Western civilization today.
      But there is a new Latin phrase that is even more important.  And that is "veni, vidi, credidi" (I came, I saw, I believed.)  This is my paraphrase of John 20:8 "Finally the other disciple [St John the apostle], who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed."  John had seen the grave cloths in the same form as when John had buried Jesus, but now the grave cloths were empty.  Jesus had risen from the dead.  So when John saw the grave cloths, he now understood that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ.  Thus, John wrote in John 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."  These words have world wide significance.
     Julius Caesar's "I came, I saw, I conquered" influenced Western civilization.  My words "I came, I saw, I believed" influenced the world for eternity.
     My challenge to you is do you believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, [the Messiah, the Anointed One], the Son of God?

Today many will celebrate Earth Day.  "On April 22, more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection."  I agree that we should not pollute the earth, but how many of us are looking for the day when we will have new heavens and new earth?  In Revelation 21:1 we read:  "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,"  Unfortunately most people concentrate on the present earth, and do not look forward to the day of the new heaven and the new earth.  We look downward at our feet and pick up a piece of litter.  That is good.  But far better is to look upward and to the future when Christ Jesus will return and destroy the earth with fire and create a new heaven and new earth. 

   This past Friday was Good Friday and our pastor, Rev. Roest, preached on Peter denying Christ.  Later Christ restored Peter.  In John 21:18-19  we read:  " I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”  Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
    Rev. Roest said that these were words of comfort.  But how could they be words of comfort when He was predicting that Peter would be crucified?  Jesus Christ was comforting Peter in that He was telling Peter that next time Peter would not deny the Savior. Peter had denied Christ on the basis of an accusation of a slave girl.  But here Christ is confidently telling Peter that Peter has been restored. No longer will Peter be a wavering reed.  No, the next time when Peter is going to be accused, Peter will stand fast.  And Peter will stand fast even though he will be crucified.  Christ did not forsake Peter, even if Peter did forsake Him. May God be faithful to us, when we waver.  May God keep us faithful.

April Fool's Day and Palm Sunday fell on the same day this year.  And Jesus rode on his inaugural parade on a donkey.  That is like on Inauguration Day riding in a Yugo from the Capitol Building to the White House!!  Real kings use war horses, not donkeys.  Real President's use Cadillacs, not Yugos.  Think of Mordecai's reward.  In Esther 6:9 and 11 we read about how to honor an important person:
"Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!'"  So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!"
Notice it is a horse, not a donkey.  But Jesus, the King of kings rode in His inaugural parade on a donkey.  April Fools!
   Not only did Jesus ride on a donkey, but the people that were excited about Him were children.  Not the army.  April Fools!
   And finally, there is the lack of consistency.  The people that shouted "Hosanna in the highest" on Palm Sunday shouted a few days later, "Crucify Him!"  April Fools.
    But God's ways are not our ways, and while Christ rode on a donkey on Palm Sunday, He will return in power and might and justice.  Will you be ready for Him when He returns?

While Vermont may have the most colorful fall, I am convinced that Virginia has the most beautiful spring.  This past week has been as colorful as I can remember it.  The dogwood is covered in white blossoms, and the redbuds have bloomed.  Redbuds are an interesting tree, because the entire branch is covered with little blossoms.  In one inch there may be 15 exquisitely created pink blossoms.  It is a wonder to look at.  And then there are the azaleas, bushes covered with flowers.  They don't last long, but the sight of thousands of flowers blooming at once is so beautiful.  And don't forget the little yellow dandelion, popping up everywhere.  (Yes, I have been digging them out, but miss one and hundreds of seeds are spread across the lawn.)  And then there is the wisteria, that have hundreds of blossoms.  So many different colors and all blooming at once.  Just beauty. 
So thank the Creator for His wonderful workmanship.

     Today I went to church in a retirement center (recreational vehicle (RV) and mobile home) in southern California, near Palm Springs.  I talked to a Canadian who for the last two years has come down here for three months.  He and his wife used to go to Mexico, but now they go to California.
     He said that there were two principal reasons for going to California instead of to Mexico.  First, the church in California is much better.  Here the Word of God is faithfully preached.  The preaching is expository - a book of the Bible is selected, and the chaplain preaches through the scripture.  He does not cherry pick what he wants, but he preaches all of the Word of God.  Second, in California, there is a sense of belonging to a community.  The people often stayed only one or two weeks in Mexico, so there was no sense of belonging.   In the California retirement center, most people stay for about three months, some for four or five months.  Because the retirees stayed longer, there was a sense of community.  Also, the retirees, like birds, keep coming back to the same retirement center, year after year.  The people get together and develop friendships. 
     I travel a lot, and when I visit different churches, although the people are often friendly, there is no sense of community.  I am here, there, and everywhere, and then disappear.  On travel, there is no friendship or accountability.
      So my challenge to my reader is "Do you belong to a church community?"  If  you do, great.  If you don't, I urge you to join a community, a friendship group.  Don't church shop for months on end.  Pick a church and settle down.  There are many blessings that you will bring, and you will also be blessed by the community. 

We don't have a television at home.  Never had, and I doubt that we will be getting one soon.  At the hotel where I am staying, there are 57 channels.  I just went though them all, and 17 were showing advertisements. So about 30% of the time is advertisements.  Okay, maybe I did my snapshot at the wrong time, but still, do you need to be bombarded with so many advertisements, urging you, coaxing you, enticing you to buy something that until you saw the advertisement you did not know you needed it? 
    My next complaint is the shows themselves are really horrendous.  Is it worth your time watching a show on seeing what a guy finds in an abandoned stowage unit?  Or the History Channel has an entire show for an hour on something really mundane.  It would be one thing to depict the great things that influenced the world, but most of the time it is on obscure things that are not really history.  Then there are the comedy shows that mock Christianity.  Why spend time watching something that tears down what you believe?  And CNN is the definition of repetition.  Over and over again the same story is presented.  Rarely is the story in depth, and it is the same at 7 AM as it was at 6 AM, and will be repeated at 8 and 8:30 AM, and at 9 AM, etc.
     So my challenge to you is to turn off the television.  It spews blasphemies and often will mock your faith.  It often has nothing important to say.  So turn off the TV and enjoy a good book.  Turn off the TV and spend some time talking to real humans. 

     I just finished reading Joel Rosenberg's book, The 12th Imam.  Let me introduce Joel Rosenberg. He is a Christian author whose books have been widely read; over one million of his books have been bought.  He writes very well, and his books are page turners.  I brought it aboard ship, and finished the book in a couple of nights.  His books are easy to read and understand.
     His basic premise in the book is that today's Israel is God's chosen nation.  I do not agree with that premise.  But he also writes that God is working in the Muslim community, often through visions and dreams.  Most Muslims will not read the Bible and are closed minded.  That is why you won't find Bible book stores in Iran or Saudi Arabia.  So God has apparently been using other means to reach the Islamic community, and that is through visions.  Many have been coming to Christ because of that.
    Bottom line:  get his books and read them and think and talk about them.  They are great conversation starters.

Last Sunday I heard an excellent sermon on Hebrews 11:35 "By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient."  Rahab had four strikes against her. 
Strike 1 is that In Genesis 15:16 we read "In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”  Thus, God had promised to Abraham that the Amorites would be destroyed.  Hundreds of years later, Joshua is at the city of Jericho and is ready to destroy this Amorite city.  Yet because of God's grace, He decides to save Rahab.
Strike 2 is that Rahab is a woman.  As a general rule, women are not mentioned by name.  For example, in Genesis 7:13 we read "On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark."  Noah and sons are mentioned by name, but not their wives.  But in this story Rahab is mentioned, but not her father or her brothers.
Strike 3 is that she was a prostitute.  In Hebrews 11:35 the Bible records "By faith the prostitute Rahab."  There is no mincing of words - she is a prostitute.  But God's grace extends to prostitutes. 
The first three strikes are against Rahab. 
Strike 4 is a wall problem.  In Joshua 2:15 we read "So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall."  So Rahab is living on the city wall.  Not only that, but she lives on the highest part of the wall because early in the chapter, she has hidden the spies on the roof.  In Joshua 6:5 we read "When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."  Then in verse 20 we read "When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city."  The problem God had to solve was to have all the walls collapse, except for where Rahab lived.  Some scholars say the walls collapsed when an earthquake struck the city.  So God caused the earthquake that happened exactly when the people had completed marching around the city and shouted, and the earthquake destroyed all the city walls except where Rahab was. 
Thus, this story is a display of God's grace in saving Rahab, and a show of His power in destroying all the walls except at the exact area where Rahab had lived.
    We need to thank God for His grace to us as sinners and His mighty power.

     Are we truly thankful for all that we have?  Solomon in all his glory was not as rich as the average middle-class American.  We have so much, but I fear that we are not very thankful.  Some examples:  We have air conditioning and heat.  With a flick of a switch we can have air conditioning that cools are homes to a comfortable 75 degrees without humidity.  If we want it cooler, we adjust the thermostat, and it cools to 70 degrees.  If we want heat, we flick it from cool to heat and our houses are instantly warmed.  We want cool water - we go to the refrigerator and get some fresh, filtered water.  Need it literally ice-cold?  We add some ice.  And we have the choice between cube and crushed ice.  Need some music, we put on some headphones or ear buds so we don't disturb anyone and listen to a full orchestra on our iPod that is so small we can put it in our bag.  Want an opera?  We select opera.  Want something totally different?  Then we select some country-western.  We want some entertainment?  Then we go to Netflix and download any one of hundreds of movies and watch them on our TV.  If we don't like the selection, we can shift to our DVD collection.  Life is good. 
     But what is our attitude?  We are richer than Solomon, one of the richest men that ever lived.  We have what he did not even dream existed.  And our attitude, which should be one of thanksgiving, is often complaining.  It takes too long for the hot water to reach the bath.  We have only 170 hours of music and someone else has 230 hours of music.  We only have a 50" TV and our friend has a 65" TV. 
    So let us always be thankful to God for the great riches that He has poured on even the poorest of us.

I was out to sea last week so I did not get an opportunity to write a blog.

It snowed last night - fast and furious, and what beauty - lots and lots of snow flakes coming down.  But what struck me last night is God's creativity.  Every snowflake is unique and there were thousands of them last night, perhaps millions.  How can that be?  God, who is infinite in power, is also infinite in creativity.  So He made each snowflake unique.  I think I would have run out of new ideas after a thousand, but He creates millions and millions of snowflakes that are unique.  Just like no two human beings are identical.  Even identical twins have different fingerprints.  Each one of us has our own God-given DNA, our own finger prints, our own teeth, etc. 
So let us praise God because of His creativity.

    The Psalmist wrote:  "I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”  (Ps. 122:1)
    It is great to be able to start the new week off rejoicing.  We were able to go to church twice and it is truly a privilege.  Yesterday we had a great service - followed by a time of fellowship over food, a time to rejoice with others.  A time to pray with and for others.  It was great to start the week off in the house of the Lord. 
   It is great to start the day off with devotions, reading a passage from God's Word and then praying.
   May you-all have a blessed week -  

     What is your attitude when something bad happens to you?  In Romans 1:21 we read "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him."  And in Philippians 4:6 we read:  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 
     Let me give a personal example.  For Christmas vacation, our family drove from Norfolk, VA to Pennsylvania to see my mother and father-in-law, and then we drove to New Jersey to see my mom.  We drove into NYC on the 23rd of December and then on the 24th we drove to Michigan to see my daughter and her family.  On the 30th of December we drove back from Michigan so my son could fly to South Africa on the 31st.  On the 4th of January our car would not start.  We had it towed to our mechanic, and he discovered that we had a bad fuel pump and that our radiator was split and was leaking coolant.  The gas tank had to be lowered, the fuel pump replaced, and we needed a new radiator.  All in all it cost us many, many dollars. 
    So what is our attitude?  Are we complainers?  I could have used the money to pay off some debts, but now I am further in debt.   Looking back I had to give thanks to God.  We could have had the fuel pump go out on Friday 30 December on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  To get Philip home in time for his flight, we would have had to get towed to a garage and on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the exits are often 30 miles apart.  Then we would have had to rent a car and where could we have found a rental car agency in the western part of Pennsylvania that would have been open on Friday night?  Then we would have had to drive home - 8 hours away, and Philip still had to unpack from the Christmas trip and pack for South Africa.  Then turn around later in the week and drive back and pick the van up.  Or we might have had the breakdown in NYC on Friday the 23th.  Then we would have had a towing to a garage, repair and thus we would have missed celebrating Christmas with my wife (who was already in Michigan) and my daughter and her family. 
     So I was and am very thankful that the van broke down at home, and not on the PA Turnpike or in NYC.  I am thankful that it broke down after my son had caught his international flight.  I am thankful that it broke down in our driveway, vice failing when my son was driving 70 MPH going up a hill with concrete barriers on one side, and heavy truck traffic.  I am thankful that I could get in fixed by my mechanic, whom I trust, and not by some other person.  I am thankful that I could get zero percent financing for the next six months.  So here is just one example of how to live with an attitude of thankfulness, and not whining, puleing, or complaining.
    The challenge is to always live a life of thanksgiving, even if it costs you money.

     One of my New Year's Resolutions was that I would faithfully write the blog every Sunday.  And here it is, three Sundays into the New Year, and not a single blog has been written.  I have failed.  Instead of three blogs posted, I have zero.  I had all the best intentions to write - I have had time off from work so there is no excuse.  Even this past weekend I had time.  I had three days of no work, and yet I failed to write a single word. So here it is Tuesday morning, and only now am I beginning to write - 17 days late.  And the New Year has just begun.  So first of all I want to apologize to my dear reader.
     Second, I want to say what a comfort we can draw that we know that while man is unfaithful, God is faithful.  We often read in the Old Testament about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God is saying that He was faithful to those great saints, and He is going to be faithful to their descendents.  So let us rest in His arms, knowing that God is faithful.

     On 13 December 2011 my first grandson was born.  What a joy it is to hold him.  He was born into an uncertain world, and we do not know what the future will hold for him.  We pray that God will guide him and watch over him and protect him.  Samuel Andrew Vandermolen was born for a purpose - what it is, neither his parents nor his grandparents know.
     When Jesus Christ was born, He was born with a definite purpose. He was born to save.  In Luke 1:30-31 we read:  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus."  Jesus is Greek for Joshua which means Savior.  And in Matthew 1:21 we read:  "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." 
    So while the future of Samuel Andrew Vandermolen is unknown, we know why Jesus came to the earth.  He came to save His people from their sins.

     Have you noticed that the "Shopping Days till Christmas" is now "Days till Christmas"?  It used to be that there was no shopping on Sundays.  For example, if Christmas was on a Monday, the previous Thursday they would say "3 Shopping Days till Christmas."  The days would have been Thursday, Friday and  Saturday, with the stores closed on Sunday and the celebration of Christmas on Monday.  As a child I remembered taking my dime and biking to the store to buy a brother a chocolate bar for his Christmas present.  I distinctly remember doing it on a Saturday afternoon, realizing that the stores would be closed the next day.  But now that the fourth commandment is routinely violated, disregarded, ignored, and broken, in the above example there would be 4 Days till Christmas. 

   It is a shame that people are so interested in making a buck, that they don't sit down and rest.  They are certainly not in the churches on the Sundays before Christmas.  And even on Thanksgiving, the retail workers have to leave early to get to work at midnight.  Does America really need 365 shopping days per year?  Is there no rest for the worker?  Must the fast pace continue so fast that the families feel compelled to shop?  The much disparged Blue Laws protected the workers. 

     So let us observe Sundays as a day of rest.  Spend time in church with God and His family.  Then, visit a nursing home and spread good cheer.  And have a Merry Christmas.

The words of the song "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" are interesting:

    You better watch out!
    Better not cry!
    Better not pout!
    I'm telling you why,
    Santa Claus is comin' to town.

    He's making a list
    and checking it twice.
    He's going to find out who's naughty and nice.
    Santa Claus Is comin' to town.

    He sees when you're sleeping.
    He knows when you're awake.
    He knows if you've been bad or good.
    So be good for goodness sake!

    You better watch out!
    Better not cry!
    Better not pout!
    I'm telling you why,
    Santa Claus is comin' to town.

    Why is it that we spend more time thinking about Santa Claus than Christ?  Santa Claus, a mere mythical human, can judge the world and "He's going to find out who's naughty and nice."  Santa Claus as a judge is well known in the cartoons, whether it is Garfield or Curtis.  We sing about Santa Clause the Judge who gives gifts.  if you are good, you get presents and if  you are very good, you get lots and lots of presents, and only occasionally does he have to put coal in someone's stocking.   
     But we ignore at our own peril Jesus Christ who is coming back to judge the earth.  Because He is God,  He does not have to check the list twice and He already knows who is naughty and nice.  Further, when Jesus Christ returns, He will either bless us with His eternal presence (not presents) if we believe in Him or He will curse us for eternity if we don't believe in Him as our Savior. 

My prayer is that we confess our sins and repent and turn to Him.

Are you ready for Christmas?  Two weeks from today, Christmas arrives.  I remember playing hide and go seek as a child.  As I counted down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, I would shout "Ready or not here I come!!"  Christmas arrives whether we are ready for it or not.  Most of us are scurrying around make preparations - Christmas cards being sent out, Christmas decorations being put up, manger sets being set out, Christmas trees being set up and decorated, and Christmas cookies and treats being baked.  Despite advance notice, Christmas sometime sneaks up on us.  Before we know it, Christmas is here. 
     Are you ready for Christ's Second Coming?  He has not announced when, but He has announced that He will surely come again.  Yet I fear that many of us will not be ready.  Unlike the Christmas celebration of today, we do not know the exact date.  But that does not mean that He won't come back.  He surely will come back.  So let us be prepared.

Two weeks ago today was Black Friday.  Two weeks and one day ago was Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, the United States was focused on Black Friday and not Thanksgiving.  Thus, the Thanksgiving Day newspaper weighed several pounds with advertisements of sales and store opening hours.  That way the shoppers could plan the best route.  Target sent out e-mails to its customers titled "Black Friday Eve."  The retailers were looking at the strength of the sales.  In the rush, there was no discussion on how to give thanks, where to give thanks, and above all to Whom to give thanks.  God was pushed right out of the picture.  Instead of thanking God and giving Him praise for all the riches He has poured out on our country, on us, the focus was strictly on the riches.  Our newspaper had one small article on a Thanksgiving service.  But the rest of the paper was dedicated to shopping, shopping, shopping.
   Shame on us for not giving thanks to our Creator and Savior.  In Romans 1:21 we read:  "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."  Our thinking has become futile, and our hearts have been darkened. 
Prayer:  "Lord, forgive us for not glorifying and thanking You."