The tragic effects of sin : fish out of water 🐳

God is a lover of beauty. He creates various beings to display different aspects of His love and different types of beauty. He made the fish for the water, the birds for the air, human beings for the earth, and angels for heaven. Each part of creation is guided by a specific set of rules, all of which tie back to the great Law of Love.

A fish is beautiful in its habitat in the ocean; a bird is beautiful to behold while flying through the sky. An eagle cannot survive long underwater because it wasn’t made for the sea, and a fish cannot survive long on dry land because it wasn't made for the shore.

Imagine that one day, a whale decides, "I have been living in this ocean for too long. The world is a big place; why does God restrict my freedom to the water? I believe I can have a more fulfilling life on land. I can reach my full potential by going wherever I please. This ocean is a restriction to my liberty."

After much deliberation, the whale leaves the ocean and begins making its way onto the sand. Imagine standing on the beach and seeing this whale swimming out of the surf. You would be deeply concerned. You would think, "Something is wrong with that whale."

If you could speak to the whale, you might say, "Are you okay? Why are you leaving the bounds of the ocean?" And the whale might respond, "I want to be free! I am tired of God’s restrictions and the laws that keep me in the water. I want to enjoy more of life on land." But as the whale speaks and moves further inland, you can see it struggling to breathe. Life is becoming agonizing, and it is in great danger of dying.

Out of concern, you would say, "Mr. Whale, you are dying. You are going the wrong way. God didn't make you for the land; He made you for the ocean. That is where you are most beautiful, where you reach your full potential, and where you find meaning. Land is not for you. By transgressing the laws of your design—the laws of life—you are suffering. Return to the ocean and live!"

Friends, we are that whale. God made us in His image and set bounds (laws) for how we should live. These laws are not meant to restrict our happiness, but to help us fulfill God’s design for us. Yet many of us think God’s laws are a hindrance. Like the whale, we leave the "ocean" of His love to explore grounds He has not approved. As a result, we find the life being sucked out of us, yet we often refuse to return. We hear the warnings of the preacher and reject them as "fanaticism," continuing to seek joy in forbidden places.

We suffer from depression, anxiety, brokenness, and emptiness as a result of leaving the bounds of God’s Law. The further the whale goes from the water, the closer it gets to death.

Now, imagine the whale finds someone to provide him with "wheels" to roll smoother on the land, or an oxygen tank to help him breathe. You might think, "What a good thing!" But I tell you, unless the whale uses those tools to return to the ocean, he will still die.

Many of us seek "wheels" to make our ride in sin smoother:

• The "wheels" might be finding friends who support your sinful lifestyle.

• The "wheels" might be using protection during immoral acts to avoid consequences like STDs or unplanned pregnancies.

• The "wheels" might be listening to motivational speakers to boost your self-esteem while ignoring your soul’s decay.

• The "wheels" might even be going to therapy or attending church services just to feel like a "good person," without actually repenting.

Unless you return to the "water"—unless you return to God—you will die.

God’s laws are for our good. It is within His bounds that we truly enjoy life. For example:

• The Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) provides a mental and physical break—true healthcare for the soul.

• Not committing adultery protects your marriage and your children.

• Not coveting keeps you content and peaceful.

• Not lying keeps your conscience clear and builds trust with others.

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A fish struggling for air on the sand is a tragic sight. Similarly, many around us are "suffering for air" outside of God’s love. Satan will tell you that life is better on the "dry land" of sin, but breaking God's Law is simply a slow, agonizing self-destruction. There is no need to die such a death when Jesus is near, willing to carry you back into the vast ocean of His love.

Will you allow Him to carry you back today?

The goal of life 🥅

If I were to ask you, "What is the goal of life?" what would your response be? Some might say it is to reach your full potential; others would say it is to travel the world, or simply to eat, drink, and be merry. Religious folks might say the goal is to serve God. Some seek a spouse who will make them happy, while others do everything they can just to escape pain and suffering. For everyone, the goal of life is different. What is yours?

I once read about a football player who said one of the worst moments of his life was the day after he finally achieved his life’s goal and won the Super Bowl. He felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness and despair. Many of us experience this. We have a goal that we think will make us happy, but when we finally reach it, we realize its promises were deceitful. Unless we immediately set a new goal, we sink into despondency. This is why people say, "It’s about the journey, not the destination"—because the destination usually disappoints.

You see a beautiful woman or a handsome man and think, "If I can only be with them, I will be the happiest person in the world." You work hard, you pursue them, and you feel a thrill when they text you back. The journey of "capturing" their heart is exciting. But once they are yours, many find themselves asking, "Is this it? Is this why I spent all that energy?" You realize they are a human being just like any other, with their own flaws.

A life of conquest always disappoints because life was never meant to be about conquest. The moment we "conquer" what we thought would bring us joy is the moment we find it to be empty.

The goal of life is not to do this or that, but to love. To understand the purpose of a thing, we must look at the Creator and understand His motivation. The Bible says God is love. God is self-sufficient; He has no needs and is complete in Himself. Why, then, did He create us?

God created us to share His love with us. He created us not out of necessity, but out of an overflow of love. Everything God creates—angels, humans, animals, flowers, and flowing rivers—is an expression of that infinite love.

God’s "goal" is to share His love with created beings. He is always at work to uplift humanity, to bring blessings and beauty into our lives, and to make our tomorrow more beautiful than our yesterday—if we will but allow Him.

Once we understand God’s goal, it becomes easy to see why we are so depressed and dissatisfied. It is because we have set goals contrary to our Creator's design. Nothing but a life of love will bring true satisfaction.

• A life of conquest is a restless life. You are always searching for the next thing to conquer while fearing being conquered yourself. It is a life of fear, short-term thrills, and eventual despair.

• A life of love is a life of peace, beauty, and joy. It is long-term and brings deep satisfaction in seeing others feel appreciated and alive.

If you want to be truly fulfilled, seek to love. Do not wait for others to love you; seek to love them first.

Love requires time and effort. Seek to love by listening, by seeking to understand others, and by accepting them for who they are. The more you love others, the more you will see their hidden beauty beneath layers of brokenness and hardness.

But before we can love others, we must love God first. Only by spending time with Him and understanding His will do we gain the strength to be patient and selfless. As you start loving others, your whole being will be transformed. Life will finally make sense.

The goal of life is not the pursuit of material things or fleeting pleasures. The goal of life is to be like God—and God is love.

Let us seek to love God supremely and to cherish our neighbors. Watch as your life is transformed from despair to hope, from brokenness to wholeness, from a "conqueror" to a lover, and from a selfish individual to a lovable Christian.

Let our prayer be: "Lord, help me to love You supremely and to love my neighbor as myself." Amen.

Seeking for prosperity as the end creeps upon us

 "I need a spouse as soon as possible; a spouse will complete my life and make me whole. I need money—lots of it. My life is miserable because I have no money; I must do whatever it takes to get it to provide safety and security for myself. The more money I have, the more leisure time I will enjoy. Speaking of leisure, I need to start planning my vacations for the next two years. Life is short; I need to have a grand time because I only have one life to live. And what am I going to do for fun this weekend?"

These thoughts represent the modern mindset, but Scripture gives us a warning:

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:37-39)

Friends, we are here. As the end creeps up upon us day by day, life has become a relentless round of amusement. Pleasure-seeking is at an all-time high.

The vast majority of people—both in the church and in the world—are primarily concerned with their marriages, their careers, and their entertainment. They strive for prosperity even as the end of time approaches, remaining oblivious to its nearness. Signs of the coming of the Son of Man are increasing all around us, yet the masses ignore them:

• The Pandemic: We recently faced a worldwide pandemic, but many couldn't wait for it to end just so they could return to "life as normal."

• Global Conflict: A major war broke out in Europe between Russia and Ukraine following the shifts in Afghanistan. Violence has escalated in the Middle East with the potential for major escalation, yet many dismiss it, saying, "They are always fighting."

• Civil Unrest: In the United States, mass shootings have become common, and we have seen unprecedented political chaos, such as the breach of the halls of Congress on January 6th. Many brush these off as isolated incidents, yet they point to a deeper instability.

Many churches preach "peace and safety" while chaos rages. We see international chaos in wars, national chaos in inflation and political instability, and family chaos in rising divorce rates and broken homes. Internally, there is a plague of mental illness—depression, anxiety, and instability. People are crying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. Like the people in the days of Noah, many continue to live in sin, oblivious that the end is here.

The end is upon us. While we must work, marry (if it is God’s calling), and eat and drink, we must not allow these earthly things to become our priority. To do so is to be blinded to spiritual realities. If we are blinded by the earthly, we will fail to make the final preparations necessary to meet the Lord.

How do we get ready?

1. Confession: Go to God in prayer and confess your sins in detail.

2. Repentance: Ask God to give you a heart of true repentance.

3. The Holy Spirit: Ask for the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind, open your eyes to spiritual realities, and recreate in you a new heart.

4. Forsaking the World: Ask for the power to let go of worldly idols and cleave to Jesus alone.

5. Crucifixion of Self: With God’s help, crucify the evil inclinations in your life.

Friends, the end is here. Let us enter into the "Ark of Safety"—true fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Calamity is increasing as restraint is withdrawn from the world due to the rejection of God. Evil will grow, but those who hide in an intimate relationship with Christ will remain in perfect peace. They will see these events not as reasons for despair, but as signs of the approaching Son of Man.

Let us seek the Lord and get ready for His second coming.

A way that seems right to a man

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." — Proverbs 14:12

Many people cannot discern the hidden dangers or the fearful ending of the path that seems to them the way of happiness. The direction you are taking in life today may feel like it leads to joy, but if it is a way contrary to God, disaster will be the result.

A strange thing about human beings is that we are often ignorant, yet we think we know everything. It is amazing that the less we know, the more stubborn we become. Young children can be incredibly headstrong. Teenagers, who have barely experienced life, are often rebellious. Even adults living disastrous lives will resist any attempt to be told that their own choices brought that disaster upon them. No wonder the Bible says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Samuel 15:23).

We all desire what is good, but not every lifestyle leads to a good end. A person may enjoy the adrenaline of theft for years, but they are on a disastrous path. Eventually, the "harvest" arrives—whether through a run-in with the law or, ultimately, standing before the Great Judge.

King David saw a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing one night. He could not resist the sight of her. Even when his messengers warned him that she was the wife of Uriah, one of his own soldiers, David refused to listen. All he saw was the immediate pleasure.

David never imagined that a "one-night stand" would bring him years of misery. He never thought he would lose four of his own children as a result of that single night of passion. He saw the pleasure to be gained, but not the misery to follow.

When Bathsheba became pregnant, David tried to cover it up. When his cover-up failed, he resorted to murder—having her husband killed on the front lines. One night of sinful pleasure led to a cold-blooded death.

David thought he could enjoy forbidden fruit and escape the consequences, but the Lord declares, "A man reaps what he sows." We may escape the fallout of our bad decisions for a while, but the harvest eventually comes.

• Family Chaos: David's daughter was violated by his son, Amnon.

• Murder: His son Absalom then killed Amnon in revenge.

• Rebellion: Absalom eventually rebelled against his father, publicly shamed him, and was ultimately killed in battle.

All of this tragedy occurred because David thought he knew better than God. The ways of God are the ways of life, but to transgress His law at any point leads to ruin.

The best way to live is to remain humble, recognizing that we are not wise enough to lead ourselves. The more I learn, the more I see my own ignorance. The height of wisdom is realizing that I know nothing compared to the One who knows everything.

God knows the end of every decision we make. He says, "My son, my daughter, choose this way, for it leads to life; abstain from that way, for it leads to death."

Not only should we listen to God, but we should also listen to those who have more experience than we do. If someone tells you, "I wouldn't take that path; it leads to ruin," pay attention. Learn from the mistakes of others. If even King David—a man after God's own heart—suffered such loss from adultery, do not think you are smarter or stronger than he was.

Let us examine our lives closely. Are we on the path of life or the path of death? Any life that is not dependent on Christ and guided by Him leads to misery. Conversely, a life guided by the Spirit of God through prayer and the Word leads to peace and eternal life.

Let us stop trusting in our own foolish wisdom. Put your trust wholly in God and ask Him to guide your steps daily.

Lord, my prayer today is: Guide my every decision in life. Amen.

Israeli and Palestinian conflict : the search for peace

 War has broken out once again between the Israelis and the Palestinians—the latest flare-up of violence in a long-running struggle. This recent conflict exploded when Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip launched a devastating raid on Israeli border towns, resulting in a tragic loss of life. In response, the Israeli government retaliated with airstrikes, leading to further heavy casualties among Palestinians.

Hamas named their mission "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third-holiest site in Islam. The mosque is built upon the Temple Mount, the very location where the biblical Temple stood before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

While Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from this location, Jews hold the site sacred as the foundation of their ancient Temple. Both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capital city. This competing claim to the same holy ground is at the heart of the conflict.

The Israeli retaliation was named "Operation Iron Swords." This "blow for blow" mentality has defined the region since the re-establishment of Israel in 1948. Following the horrors of the Holocaust in World War II, many Jews returned to their ancestral land, leading to conflict with the Arab populations who had lived there for centuries since the Muslim conquests.

The Jews claimed the land by ancestral right and conquest, while the Arabs felt they had been robbed of their homes. Because both sides believe their cause is absolutely just, peace remains elusive. Every act of violence becomes a cycle of revenge for a prior offense.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a visible expression of defending "my rights" at the expense of righteousness. It is the deadly result of unforgiveness, hatred, and the spirit of retaliation.

Ironically, Arabs and Israelis are brothers—descendants of Abraham. Arabs descend from Ishmael, the older son, while Jews descend from Isaac, the child of promise. These descendants are unable to live in peace because both are proud, both believe they are right, and both are focused solely on defending their own interests.

Wherever people are bent on defending their rights no matter the cost, bloodshed follows. We see this even in our own homes. Misery grows when every family member believes their way is right and justifies their behavior while condemning others.

• When one side kills, they are called "terrorists" by some and "freedom fighters" by others.

• When the other side retaliates, it is called "defense" by some and "oppression" by others.

Viewing life solely through your own perspective, caring only for your own rights and not the welfare of others, will always leave you in a state of war with your neighbor. You may not use bombs, but you may use gossip, verbal attacks, or mistreatment. The Bible says that whoever hates his brother is a murderer.

The Path to True Peace

Peace is only found when the pursuit of righteousness becomes more important than the pursuit of rights.

• Pursuing "my rights" means hitting back when you are hit.

• Pursuing righteousness means taking the higher road, loving your enemies, and praying for those who abuse you.

We will only find peace when we stop trying to prove we are right and instead seek to be like Christ. Self-sacrificing love is the only way to have a loving home, church, and society. Because most people are more interested in their own interests than in self-sacrifice, chaos remains the lot of humanity until Jesus returns.

The Middle East lacks peace because both sides believe they are right and the other is wrong. We will not find peace until we realize that we are often wrong and that God alone is righteous. When we truly believe that God is the only righteous One, we will live as He commands. We will be slow to anger and quick to reconcile.

When we seek to be like Christ, our presence becomes a light in a dark and selfish world. Let us seek righteousness through God’s power. Sin leads to death, but God’s way—the way of love—leads to lasting peace.