In the late winter of 2020, a new virus appeared on the scene, shutting down businesses, public buildings, churches, and schools. We are in the grips of this pandemic whether we like it or not.

With all the hype over the virus, people went into panic mode. There were fights over packages of toilet paper. People were pushed away by some who wanted goods on a store shelf. They then emptied the entire shelf into their cart.

I am reminded of some dialogue from a movie, Road House, starring Patrick Swayze, who plays Dalton, a supervisor of bouncers in a very rough club that he, the Cooler, was hired to clean up. In one scene, Dalton gives instructions to his bouncers:

If somebody gets in your face and calls you a [name], I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice.

There is a lot of truth in that scenario. If someone grabs those packages of toilet paper, volunteer to help him load them in his car. Be nice. If someone needs goods on a shelf so badly that they push you out of the way, be nice. Help them put the groceries in their cart. As Christians, remember who we represent. Be nice!

The Scripture reads that if someone takes your coat, offer him your shirt — give him the shirt off your back! Or if someone robbed you and took your wallet, you would remind him that he forgot your watch. Being human, that would be hard to do. But remember, Jesus gave everything He had, to pay the ultimate price for you and me. So in these situations, ask yourself, what would Jesus do?

Remember that God takes care of the lilies of the field and He will take care of you. Put your trust in the One who never fails.

Prayer: Father, give us the strength and the courage to let Jesus shine through us. May people see Him and not us with all our human frailties. Amen.

The cross and the guillotine have some things in common: they were both cruel methods of execution. The guillotine was used by Germans and perfected by a French doctor, who hoped to make the beheading of a condemned person more efficient and humane. He was against capital punishment and viewed it as a less brutal way of execution until capital punishment could be abolished. It is hard to see how cutting off one's head could be made humane.

The cross was a method of execution used by the Persians, later by the Greeks, and eventually by the Romans as a very cruel method of executing those who had committed acts against the Roman state. Crucifixion was particularly horrible, where convicts died of exposure and by drowning in their own body fluids when they no longer had the strength to lift themselves to breathe. However, there is something else that these two methods of execution have in common.

Do you know the story, A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens, where the English look-alike, Sydney Carton, went to the guillotine in the place of Charles Darnay, a French family man? This man was in a well-guarded French prison, and there was no way to save him except to change places and die in his stead.

Have you ever wondered why someone would do that? The Englishman was a drunk and felt that the French nobleman, a family man, had more reason to live. He had come to love the Frenchman's family, and the Frenchman was an innocent man, who just happened to be born into the wrong family at the wrong time in history.

The death of Jesus provides a contrast. Jesus died on a cross, not for the innocent but for the guilty. We were the ones who deserved to die, but He was the one who died. Jesus was perfect and without sin, totally blameless, but He still chose to pay the price.

You see, there was no other way. We were guilty. Someone had to die. Jesus chose to change places with us. Jesus chose to die for the very people who sinned against Him and even for those who nailed Him to the cross. We did the crime; Christ did the time—or in this case, gave His life. All we have to do is repent and accept His forgiveness.

Prayer: Father, we do repent of our sin and ask forgiveness. We acknowledge Jesus as our Saviour and accept His love, forgiveness, and gift of salvation. Amen.

In an old forest, the competition for growing space can be very severe. The large canopies of the big trees blot out the sunlight, so very little vegetation may be found on the forest floor. It is usually very easy to walk through an old forest once one gets through the first few feet along the road or stream. Periodically, it is necessary to clear-cut sections to get new vegetation to grow. Nature accomplishes this through lightning and fire.

The forest in northwest Pennsylvania was once covered pretty exclusively with hemlock. When many of the trees were cut to service the tanning industry, the hardwoods began to grow in the empty spaces. These hardwoods now serve as a vital part of the forest industry in this region. Although the competition for growing space is severe, many species of ferns are found growing on the forest floor, producing something that resembles a carpet. Many of these ferns thrive by putting out a toxin so that other species do not grow in their space.

From time to time, many of us resemble these ferns. We poison the ground around us with careless words and actions. Many reputations have been ruined this way, and churches have been literally destroyed. Among the young, there have been many suicides over careless words, either through conversations or via the World Wide Web. We must continually be vigilant lest we become as these ferns. And we must continually clear-cut unkind and damaging thoughts so that the good stuff can grow.

Prayer: Father, may we, each day, ask for Your strength so that we may become a blessing to others rather than a toxin. Amen.

An old martial arts saying was passed around: "If you are going to have to go into a den of rattlesnakes, become a rattlesnake." The rattlesnakes do not prey on each other; they attack others. This is just another way of saying that we should live and be conformed to the way of the world.

The way to survive in the world is to be tougher, meaner, and slicker than the next guy. There was a time when I personally lived my life that way and found that it was very easy to push others around, to take advantage of them, and to use them.

What a contrast is Jesus' message of love. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the peacemakers. The way of the world may work for a season, but it eventually leads to unhappiness and death. Jesus wants to fill our hearts with love and joy unspeakable.

Which do you choose?

It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Full of glory, full of glory,
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Oh, the half has never yet been told.
       – Barney E. Warren

A popular commercial asks us what is in our wallets. God asks each of us what is in our hearts: Jesus or the world? Whom do you love — Jesus, or the world? As Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." (Joshua 24:15 KJV)

Prayer: Father, regardless of what the world offers, we choose Jesus and His love. Amen.

How many of us like novelty tunes? Novelty tunes are funny songs. They were very popular when I was a teenager. We listened to such tunes as "The Purple People Eater", and "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". But one of my favourites was Please Mr. Custer, by Larry Verne, about a soldier ordered into the Little Big Horn by Custer, but he did not want to go. I am sure many remember the disaster that happened to Custer's Seventh Cavalry at the Little Big Horn. The young man had some idea what was going to happen. He kept saying, "Please Mr. Custer, I don't want to go."

This reminds me of the story of Jonah. Custer's presence in the Little Big Horn is questionable, but God ordered Jonah to go to Nineveh. There is therefore no question about what Jonah should do. Jonah, however, did not like the Assyrians. He wanted judgment to fall upon them, so he went the other way.

What happened to Jonah? A storm came up. The sailors had to throw Jonah overboard, and a big fish swallowed him. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jesus, likewise, wished the cup to pass, but He obeyed the Father. He was in the tomb for three days. Jesus gave Himself willingly, but Jonah — like us — had to be convinced.

As disciples, which example should we try to follow in obeying the commands of God? Is not any success we have very dependent on the closeness of our relationship with the Father? Is that why Jesus prayed?

Prayer: May we start each day by saying, "I am willing. Use me. Send me." Amen.

Athletes train to become faster and stronger. We endeavour to bring as much power to our sport as we can. We may engage in a weight-training program. We might go out and run. Some will attend a sports camp. Our spiritual power, however, is of paramount importance — and we need to train spiritually as well.

Consider a plain, ordinary light bulb. How much power does it put out? On its own, it puts out absolutely none. It has to be hooked to a power source.

This reminds me of the apostle Peter, an interesting person. He was a common man, a fisherman by trade. He was a powerful man. We certainly have to concede that Peter was dedicated to his calling. Yet, he failed to check to see if the current was on. Peter said he would never be offended or turn away from the Lord. We know what happened before the rooster crowed: Peter denied Jesus three times.

At Pentecost, though, Peter boldly proclaimed the gospel and was instrumental in the bringing of thousands to the Lord. What made the difference? Time spent waiting on the Lord and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit made the difference.

Are we hooked to the power source? Is the current on?

Prayer: Father, may we never fail to connect to the power source. May we be mindful that the power is on and the current flowing. Amen.

How many have ever heard someone say, "It's boring"? This seems to be a common expression, especially among youth. A popular detective on television was fond of saying, "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime." (Robert Blake in Baretta)

Many things in life are that way. Everything worthwhile has some type of a price tag. Being a martial artist, I train with people who have punches that a non-practitioner would consider super-human. Michael Jordan did not just wake up one morning to be one of the greatest basketball players ever to play the game. Nor was the martial artist born with a punch capable of going through several inches of concrete. The dues had to be paid. Michael Jordan, I am sure, spent long hours on the court shooting the same shot over and over. A friend of mine holds a national title in foul shooting. He shoots several hundred foul shots each day. The martial artist over a period of years has thrown hundreds of thousands if not millions of punches.

Many kids start in the martial arts and say, "Show me how to do a jumping spin-around back kick." However they will never learn to hit with power unless they spend the boring time of throwing punch after punch after punch. What they will learn instead is a fancy technique that has no power and just makes their opponent angry. The same is true of the classroom. Education many times is tough, tedious work for which there is no substitute. We cannot avoid the price tag.

If Jesus had had the kind of attitude that avoided the price, none of us could have been saved. He drank of his cup of pain and went to the cross for us. Only his grace, and not our works, can save us. Jesus knew a price had to be paid. He did not take the easy way. Neither should we.

Prayer: Father, may we follow Jesus' example and not shirk from our duty. May we all come to the realization that we are saved solely by his grace. We are not perfect people. By your perfect standard we could not even consider ourselves good people. We are, however, forgiven people, and this, and only this, will get us into heaven. Amen.