Do you know why Japan has an aversion towards Christianity? They say it was because the Edo rulers in the 17th century felt threatened by the missionaries. But I had a dream about how it really started. It started with a phone call.
Raoul Pascual started doing cartoons for his office mates in his old job as a designer in a marketing/ publishing company in Burbank California. After leaving the company, he decided to keep in touch with his friends by sending them original cartoons based on some joke emails he received.
Do you know why Japan has an aversion towards Christianity? They say it was because the Edo rulers in the 17th century felt threatened by the missionaries. But I had a dream about how it really started. It started with a phone call.
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was a night like any other night. Me and my fellow shepherds were watching over our flock of sheep. Suddenly, a guy appeared out of nowhere. And he said: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
At one time there were a lot of Christians in Turkey. In fact, the apostle Paul had planted some of the earliest churches like Ephesus and Antioch in that country which is today 99% Muslim. So where did the Christians go? Simply stated, I guess they were bullied out. In fact, the Christians and followers of other religions in Turkey are in hiding for fear of their lives. How ironic that Saint Nick would be beheaded in his own country today.
The community board meeting dragged on and has just ended; and I've been staring at the notes and clippings on my office wall for the last half hour. It's been another long day and I'm wondering what to write about for this TGIF edition. Should I talk about the birth of Jesus from my readings in the book of Matthew? Joseph was pretty admirable to support Mary through her pregnancy even though he knew the child wasn't his.
Oliver was crossing the street Sunday night. Suddenly, with his peripheral vision, he noticed a huge object headed straight for him --- a brand new Toyota Tacoma with the headlights turned off was about to run him down. With seconds to spare he twisted his body just enough to put both of his hands on the hood of the truck. The impact propelled him on top of the truck and then his body rolled over to the pavement.
My life flashed before me (in a good way) last night. I picked up my old dusty Bible that my wife gifted to me back in 1995 as a Father's Day present. I had put it aside for several years because the book binding had given up on the pages and the wrinkled sheets kept on falling off. I'm one of those who abuse books --- I underline, write notes and even draw pictures (lots of them because I'm a visual learner) on the margins and in between columns. Reading my desecrated notes, I was impressed at the insights from my "quiet time" and the many teachers that passed on their scriptural wisdom to me. What a joy! What a treasure! Many of my notes were written when my kids were still under 10 years old. I carried that Bible as well as the many milk bottles and toys we had to drag along whenever we went out. No wonder it got beat up.
I think I should stop reading the news before I go to bed. I had 2 consecutive nightmares last night. In the first one, I was pulled over by the police for driving in the wrong lane. I asked them to prove I was guilty but they couldn't. Then they asked for a bribe to go free. They weren't asking for much but this was a matter of principles. I threatened to call my lawyer. And that's when the real nightmare started because I was in this never ending loop of dialing my lawyer's number over and over again -- and the more I couldn't remember the number, the more they increased the bribe. I woke up out of frustration.
Unless you live in a cave, you must know about the ongoing war between the Israelites and the Palestinians. The hatred between the Jews and the Muslims predates any other rivalry in our time. But did you know that around 782 to 753 B.C. God told a Jew to warn an Arab nation of impending doom? Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located on the outskirts of Mosul in modern-day northern Iraq. It had a square area of about 60 miles and a population of 120,000. In other words this is a factual event --- not a fish story … well, you know what I mean.
Lily called me up a few days ago. I had not talked to Lily and her family in years. We used to go to the same church but she moved and I moved and … you know how that goes. Well, she said she wanted me to share the gospel to Buddy, a family friend, who is dying in a hospital in downtown L.A.. Of course I was willing to help.
There is majesty in the design and size of the buildings. And there is serenity in the open spaces. There is endless variety in the themes of each exhibit. There are priceless paintings, sculptures and furniture that remind you of the hardship of eras long gone by that brought about the birth of a new nation. Different ethnicities --- African, Asian, European, South American --- cry out to be heard. Fossils, stuffed animals/birds and insects reminded me of Noah's ark; while airplanes and rocket ships made me wonder what else God has hidden for us to discover.