A blessed day to you all,
I have to admit that during my short hospital stay, I watched way more television than I should have. In doing so, I noticed a pattern on reports relating to  our public health challenges . That is that the majority fell into either the "news are dire and the world is going to end tomorrow" type, or "here are stories of recovery, hope, and courage". 

These polar opposites made me think of Matthew 6:22 [The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great  is the darkness.]  When we remember that Matthew was written to a Jewish audience, we take into account Jewish context such as Jewish literature. In Jewish literature, the "eye" is a lamp that reveals a person's inner life. From this perspective, a "healthy eye" (clear vision) suggests a loyal devotion to God, while a "bad eye" (impaired vision) indicates moral corruption. That is why the  verses are found in the middle of speaking on good and bad treasures. 

In a broader context, clear vision as opposed to impaired vision can help us maintain a spiritually healthy perspective. This does not mean ignoring the negatives of our current situation but focusing on the greater reality which is that God is with us. His word promises that He walks with us in the darkest valleys as well as the mountain tops. This promise helps us remember that even though our reality may be a bit cloudy right now, the sun (and the Son) is still shinning. 

Let us not get dragged down into pits of despair and negativity but rise up as beacons of hope to those we come into contact with,  and as sign posts to our glorious God. 
Blessings, Vic

Hello Church Family
I wish to begin by thanking everyone for their prayers. I am home now; a little incapacitated but not so much I can't send out a hello.  Yesterday an interview with several Christian leaders made me recall a comment from a friend of mine so let me first provide you the background of that conversation. 

He planted a church in an area of Arkansas named Bella Vista. Bella vista is a suburb of Bentonville. When I visited that church I found it thriving and full of people. He gave me a tour of the greater geographical area and I noticed that other churches of the same denomination were not doing as well even though they were relatively close. I asked him about it, and he explained that Bella Vista was primarily a community of retired Midwest mid-level executives. He then said, "they were in their sixties and seventies when they moved here. One of the reason they were receptive to the gospel is that they were cramming for finals". That comment has stayed with me many years. 

The Christian leaders interviewed said the current public health situation has caused many people to reflect, or reevaluate their current spiritual reality and relationship with God (cramming for their finals) and that this provided an exceptional opportunity to share His message. 1Peter 3:15 instructs us But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason fo the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and a respect]  

At present, we are also hearing news reports of people reacting in extreme fashion out of fear and a sense of hopelessness. Many of us know people that may be ready to hear about the hope we have in Christ, now more than ever. Let's not pass up those opportunities.
Blessings, Vic

Good day to all,
I have always been fan of local proverbial sayings. I guess that is due in part to my mother's influence. She was known to answer questions or making a point by repeating a proverbial saying. Each country has its own treasure of sayings designed to convey wisdom or to point out a human tendency.  Sometimes, the same saying is repeated in more than one country and generates a debate as to who originated it. Our years of living in Chile was cause to learn a lot of local proverbs. I always found they were a pretty good at denoting realities of life. One of my favorites was "es otra cosa con guitara". Translated, this is "it's a whole other thing with a guitar".  The proverb points out that it is one thing to pretend ot play a guitar and a whole other to actually have one in hand. It conveys the truth that there is a big difference between theory and practice.

In James 1:2-4 we read, [Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.] The testing we are all going through now is something we likely never thought of as a possibility. Yet, we are told in Scripture that this will yield positive fruit in our lives. Some of us have only considered "I will carry on through trials" in theory because we had never been tested like at the present time. Now we given the opportunity to go from theory to practice.

Let us consider what is happening now from the perspective that it will help us grow in our faith and  develop in our steadfastness.
What helps make this possible is the prayers, support, and encouragement of each church family member for another.  Steady on my friends, we are not alone. 
blessings, Vic

Good day church,
As we move into a new day of adjustments to our routine, how exhortations in the Scriptures are fleshed out may differ. For instance, in Hebrews 10:23-25 we are exhorted with the words, [Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near] An exhortation to encourage each other and to not neglect meeting together. The meeting together is for the purpose of supporting each other, praying for each other, connecting with each other for mutual uplifting. 

How can we do that in our present reality? We are only limited by our imagination and spirit of adaptability. For example, two of our church family followed each other through the drive through and then parked next to each other, rolled down the windows and visited while they had their breakfast without leaving their car. Last night our GO group had Bible study via a Skype connection. In addition, a church member dropped off some supplies to us, while keeping a social distance. The supplies were welcome but not as much as the act that said, "We are in this together."   

I encourage each of us to think outside the box and find ways of staying connected. Make a phone call, send a text, write to someone on messenger, send a letter. 
Have a blessed day, Vic

Good day to you all,
As we move forward in yet another day of adjusting to the changes we are facing, many of us strive to stay informed via the news on television, radio, or the net.  Some news is encouraging, some is dark, some is based on bad intel, and some news just downright frustrates us.  There are several factors that contribute to frustration with the news. Some frustrations are because we are disappointed with some of our country's leadership and the manner in which they are behaving; some frustration comes about because of how some media outlets are still striving to emulate the tabloids rather  than an objective news outlet.; and some frustrations come about because of the reports we hear.

Among those reports is the question that has come to the forefront that basically asks when the economy is more important than human lives. The debate centers around shelter-in-place vs. getting back to work.   Like any valid debate, there are valid arguments on both sides. However, as people, we can't help but wonder, "how do our leaders determine our worth?" Is there a point where our citizens are considered an acceptable collateral  loss?  Some of us face the answers with disappointment and some with dispassionate pragmatism, while others with anger at having no say.

The worth of our lives from a Biblical perspective is clear. When calling on his audience to behave in a holy manner, Peter provides a wonderful reminder of our worth. In 1Peter 1:18-19 [Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.]

As we move through another day of our current reality, let us face the day encouraged by the truth of the worth God has given us. That worth also reminds us of the value of our neighbor and thus provides a guideline for how we should treat one another.
​Have a blessed day.