“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:37-40 NLT

How good are you at receiving and following orders? Well, you may say that depends on who is giving them. If you are or ever have been in the military, your answer would most likely be ‘very good.’ Your commanding officer gives you daily strategical orders to be carried out. Failure to carry them will result in strict discipline. Commands given by authority figures in the Armed Services are to build character, integrity, bonding, and to save lives. Jesus gives every Christian two commands to be obeyed for the same reasons.

When Jesus was asked by a lawyer (an expert in religious law) what was the most important commandment in the Law, “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the  LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’” (Mt.22:37 nlt) Jesus said, ‘you must’ or ‘you shall’ as in some translations. This is a command, not an option. To some this may sound arrogant to be commanded to love someone. But as in the military, commands are given for our own good and for others around us. Jesus further commanded, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt.22:39 nlt) It is for our own good and for those around us.

Jesus combined all the commandments of God into two. Jesus is saying if we obey these two wholeheartedly, we will be sure to obey the rest. It will come naturally without thinking about it. The importance of ‘you must’ is clearly seen. “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Mt.22:40 nlt) “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. (and) Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt.22:37, 39 nlt) For our own good and for those around us you must.

“News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Matthew 4:24 NIV

I am sure many of you have heard of the term “going viral.” You may have used it yourself in describing something you have seen going viral. The source for the term used today comes as a product of social media outlets, mostly through videos, comments, and news events shared on these various sites. As more and more people share these posts, it rapidly multiplies the coverage on social media platforms making it almost impossible to miss. You may or may not agree on the content, but you cannot deny its effectiveness in reaching people.

Although the term “going viral” is related to today’s technological advancements, the concept of “going viral” is as old as history itself. It may have taken a little longer but the effects were still the same. The more spectacular and unbelieving the news events seem to be the more it would be spread abroad. One who has personally seen or experienced such an event would be most excited to share the news. Early in Jesus’ ministry on earth news about Him went viral as He taught, proclaimed the Gospel, and healed people of every kind of disease and sickness.

The people who witnessed and experienced the healings shared the news of Jesus with the methods of their day. No doubt the news spread quickly and soon people from all Syria were coming to Him for healing and casting out demons. As the word continue to spread “Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” (Mt. 4:25 niv) The good news of Jesus Christ was “going viral.”

Today we have the same good news the people had in Jesus’ day. The fact is we have a more complete understanding of who Jesus is. We certainly have more advanced capabilities to share what we know and have experienced about Jesus. Are we using all our available resources to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and see it ‘going viral’?

Read: Psalm 41 NLT – Psalm 41 – For the choir director: A – Bible Gateway

“Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble. The LORD protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.” Psalm 41:1-3 NLT

Guarantees are hard to come by these days. There is no such thing as a ‘sure thing.’ Certain consumer products are labeled to be guaranteed to work for a specified about of time, but we all know that is not always the case. You are guaranteed a degree by a major university if you study hard and apply yourself, but the school suddenly closes without warning. The same is true in the workplace, you are guaranteed employment if the company can afford to stay in business. There are no guarantees, or sure things, in life outside the intervention of the Lord God.

David, the author of Psalm 41, gives us the assurance that joy is guaranteed when we are kind to the poor. These first three verses of Psalm 41 correspond to one of Jesus’ Beatitudes given in the Sermon on the Mount. “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Mt.5:7 nlt) David is ill and sees himself in this psalm he is writing. He was one who had shown mercy and knew the joy he had helping others. David trusted the Lord would show mercy and heal him giving him future joy in helping others who are sick and poor. David understood this as a sure thing.

Joy is extended to us as we give to the poor and meet their needs. The recipient of the gift is joyous in the generosity of the giver for the adequate supply of needed substance. David continues noting the blessings bestowed upon those who are kind to the poor. The Lord God will rescue them from trouble and their enemies giving them on-going protection and prosperity. These are signs of a sure thing, guaranteed joy when helping the poor. David was confident God would show him mercy as he had shown mercy to those under his rule who needed help. The Lord will sustain us in our continued efforts to help the poor, bringing joy to all and that is a sure thing!

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.” Revelation 21:1 NLT 

For all baseball enthusiasts in recognition of Major League Baseball’s ‘field of dreams’ game this evening in Dyersville, Iowa the following is an updated post from a few years ago.

Baseball enthusiasts and movie goers alike share a common interest in the 1989 motion picture release “Field of Dreams.” For the baseball fan, especially those who would consider themselves a traditionalist, a historian and lover of the game, it brought out everything that is good about the game. Baseball has the ability to unite people of all races and generations through a game played on grass and dirt with a wooden bat, ball, and glove. Its legends and heroes have managed to survive the test of time and will continue to do so. For the movie goer and causal baseball fan, the movie brings about an escape from the day-to-day drama in our lives and in the world. It also affirms the yearning of all of us for something much bigger than ourselves is possible, if only in a dream, a field of dreams.

The sentimental attachment to a movie produced thirty-seven years ago has not faded. It has become a national treasure in America with tours of the set where it was filmed on location in Dyersville, Iowa. It prompted Major League baseball in 2021 and 2022 to schedule regular season games to be played next to the already historic site. After a four-year absence, the series continues as another game has been scheduled for today, August 13^th. As game week unfolds b there is much enthusiasm as to the upcoming events. This year more than twenty-five members of the Baseball Hall of  Fame will be on hand for the game. People from all levels of society are anticipating the game, the nostalgia, and asking the question from that famous line in the movie, ‘Is this heaven?’ The answer of course is ‘No, it’s Iowa.’  

Many people are looking for a heaven here on earth. They dream of a place if even for a moment that will absolved their tears and frustrations of life. But even in that moment as Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) answered truthfully in that iconic movie, ‘No, It’s Iowa.’ There was no claim that it was heaven, but only a field of dreams.

The good news is, there is such a place as heaven. It is real and not a dream. God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, has made such a place. It is reserved for those who trust in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation. Yes, it is possible to enjoy a little heaven on earth through the blessings God has bestowed on us such as baseball and the movies. But the ultimate enjoyment will be in eternity with our Lord Jesus. Have you made that commitment to trust in Him? You will not need to ask is this heaven when you arrive, you will know. It’s not Iowa, this is heaven.