Monthly Archives: February 2009

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The Eastern Eye – Leaving Egypt With Silver, Gold And Rainment

[The Bible is an “Eastern” book.  It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

When the Children of Israel left Egypt, they did not leave empty handed.  The Bible says, in the book of Exodus, Chapter 12, verses 35 and 36,

And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

To the western mind this seems kind of ludicrous.  Why in the world would the Egyptians give these people their silver and gold and raiment?   Again, to our minds it seems odd because we are not familiar with the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.

In the Bible times it was very common to “borrow” jewels or raiment for a pilgrimage because a pilgrimage was understood to have God involved in it.  In that culture it was thought that if you helped someone who was going to a pilgrimage it was assisting or taking part in the things of God.

And here is something that is very interesting.  Even though they used the words “borrow” and “lent,” if you gave and never received it back, you didn’t worry about it because you knew you were giving to a good cause.

The Children of Israel were leaving to go and worship their God; that made it a pilgrimage.  God instructed Moses to tell the Children of Israel to “borrow” from the Egyptians for this pilgrimage.

Keep in mind that many, many years before, all the wealth of the world came into Egypt during the famine because a man named Joseph walked with God.  Now, that wealth is given back to God’s people as they leave Egypt.

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There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

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He Got A Promotion And A Raise!

When is the last time someone you know got a promotion?  It seems these days that being promoted is pretty rare.  But here is a short interview with a friend of mine who not only got a promotion, but he got a raise, too!

Interview

As you listen to us talk, take note of some very important principles that everyone could apply at their workplace.  Just click on the player to hear the interview.
[audio:http://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/audio/ts-interview-2-09.mp3]

Prayer Is Important, But…

Yes, prayer is very important.  But we also need to continue to do our part.  Remember the record of Joseph in the Bible.  He was in a horrible situation.  He had been sold as a slave and found himself working for a man named Potiphar.

But Joseph continued to apply himself to the task at hand,  to the point that God continued to bless him, despite his current circumstances.  And, as you know, he eventually ended up second in charge in Egypt.

Nothing Puts God Out Of Business

There is nothing that puts God out of business.  We can have confidence in our God to bring us the solutions that we need.  We do our best, pray and ask Him for what we need, and then allow Him to bring the answer to us however He chooses.

What joy we have when we receive that answer.

Mike Verdicchio

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True Comfort In Times Of Sorrow

This is not an easy topic to write about.  But, since this is what I have been involved with the past few days, I thought I would share some insight with you.

My dear friend asked me to do the memorial service for his mother who passed away.  I agreed, and on Tuesday, we had the services for Nancy Mae Young.

I have performed many of these services over the years, and it is never easy.  You are standing in front of a group of very sad people, and rightfully so.

As I stood before family and friends, I reminded them that it really doesn’t matter what denomination you belong to, or what country you are from, or in what type of culture you were raised.  In fact, it doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are. In these circumstances everyone has sorrow.

I went on to share that for Christians, the Scriptures teach that even though we do have sorrow over the loss of a loved one, we do not have sorrow like those who have no hope.

We Have Hope

Now I am very well aware that there are many different teachings regarding what happens to you when you die.  That fact becomes very apparent to me whenever I do a memorial service for someone.

But I wasn’t there to try and convince anyone of anything.  I was there to help and to love and to comfort all those who were grieving.  And since the Scriptures are pretty plain about what words will comfort those who are grieving, I chose to share what I knew and believed from the Scriptures in a very loving manner.

As I spoke to this sad gathering of people, some were just so overwhelmed with grief that they seemed to be oblivious to what I was sharing.  But then again, you never know.

Some were partially listening, but obviously distracted.  Others were pondering what I was saying, maybe hearing it for the first time.  And there were those to whom this was a familiar message and it was indeed comforting to them in their time of sorrow.

He Is Coming Back!

If you are a fan of the Bible then you know that God has promised to one day send His Son, Jesus Christ, back for us.  At that day, and not before, all those who are “born again,” including those who have died, and those who are still alive, will be gathered together and given a new body, similar to Jesus Christ’s resurrected body.

(Now this is very logical, right?  If we have been promised eternal life, the body that we are living in right now is simply not going to make it that long!  If we are truly going to live forever, we are certainly going to need a new body, a much better body than we have now.)

I pointed out that the Scriptures really cause us to stop and think when we read that if in this life only we hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  And that is so true isn’t it?

If this life that we are living right now is all there is, then what’s the point of anything?  Even if you lived to be a hundred and fifty years old, if this is all there is, then what is the point?  There is no point.

They Are Asleep

I went on to tell them that many times in the Scriptures you read the word “sleep” referring to death.  Why?  Because for the believer, death is temporary.  There is a day coming when those who have died will be raised from the dead.

It really is comforting to know and understand what happens when you die, and, also, what is going to be happening in the future when Christ returns.  The Scriptures declare that God does not want us to be ignorant concerning this topic.  God does not want us to guess or believe something that came from the mind of man.  That means that the answers must be in the God inspired words of the Bible.

And while there is sorrow and grief, those that hear these words are comforted because they can readily see that there is a day coming; they can have real and true hope.

Waves

I did mention to everyone that grief is similar to the waves in the ocean.  At the onset of grief, those waves are big and those waves are frequent.  But as time goes by, the waves do get smaller and less frequent.

There will be times for all of us when we lose a loved one and find ourselves attending a memorial service.  It will never be pleasant.  But at those times we can take great comfort that one day, God will indeed send His Son.

We can have confidence that our God will fulfill what He has promised and that He will indeed send Jesus Christ back.  That day will be a day of incredible joy.

It is a day that I certainly anticipate with great expectation.

Until Then

But until then, until that day, as I told everyone at the service, we need to live the life that we have been given.  Life is a precious gift.  We should live it to the fullest the best that we can.  And, really, all we can do day by day is live our lives the best that we can for that day.

We can live our lives with confidence in our God to perform what He has promised in the Bible.  And as we continue to see His hand of blessing, our lives will be full of joy.

Mike Verdicchio

PS – If you think this article might bring some comfort and understanding to someone else, you can email them this link:  http://confidenceandjoy.com/true-comfort-in-times-of-sorrow/

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There Just Has To Be A Solution!

Neil Armstrong working at the Apollo Lunar Module

I was working in Chicago for Ozark Airlines on July 20, 1969.  A few of us were sitting in the break room and the radio was on.  We all listened as Neil Armstrong stepped out on the surface of the moon.  He looked up, and saw the earth.

I know, today we send space ships to Mars, but back then, in 1969, it was a very big deal. On that mission, two human beings, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin, actually spent time on the surface of the moon.

Today, flying in an airplane from one end of the country to the other is no great feat. Thousands do it every day.  But at one time, it seemed impossible for men to fly.

It’s Just Impossible!

There will always be those who view their problems as impossible to overcome, at least for them anyway.  But there are others who take the opposite point of view.  Their focus in life is on possibilities and solutions; they are problem solvers.  They live with an attitude of, “Well, there just has to be a way!”

Many times in our lives we are faced with challenges.  Those with a positive attitude address those challenges as great opportunities for success.  And when someone accomplishes what most everyone else thinks is impossible, it is very inspiring; at least it is to me.

I Couldn’t Believe This Story!

I remember a few years ago when I first heard about Erik Weihenmayer.  I was almost stunned.  It’s one of those stories that when you first hear it, your mouth almost falls to the floor.

Almost all of the seeing population on the planet would never even consider climbing Mt. Everest.  Yet, Erik Weihenmayer, a blind man, did just that.  He has also climbed the highest peaks on all of the other 6 continents as well.

Erik’s first book, Touch the top of the World, is really something to read.  When you read this, it starts at a really low point, but hang on!  It’s going to take you up high, really high.  Publishers Weekly said:  “In this moving and adventure-packed memoir, Weihenmayer begins with his gradual loss of sight as a very young child. By the time he became fully blind in high school, he had already developed the traits that would carry him to the summits of some of the world’s highest mountains.”

I put a link for the DVD, Farther Than The Eye Can See – Mount Everest (2003).  I have seen parts of this video documentary. It is an intimate look inside one of the most successful Mount Everest expeditions ever. It’s 75 minutes and it really captures the emotion, humor and drama of Erik’s historic ascent as well as four other remarkable ‘firsts’ on Mount Everest.

I recently found out that it has won 21 International Film Festival awards, was nominated for two Emmy’s, and was ranked by Men’s Journal as one of the top twenty adventure DVDs of all time.  So, if you’re interested at all, just use the links at the bottom.

Are You Planning To Climb Mt. Everest?

Now, you and I may never climb Mt. Everest and we may never walk on the moon.  Perhaps you will be inspired to remember these and other seemingly impossible tasks when you face challenges of your own.

I think that remembering seemingly impossible great accomplishments are not only inspiring but they tend to make our problems look a lot smaller, and more solvable.  What do you think?  Does hearing about those kinds of things inspire you?  Does it help you to look at your challenges and see them as solvable?

One of the reasons that I like to say, “There has to be a solution,” is because if you’ve read some of the Bible then you know that God is in the solution business. And He has provided some very miraculous, over-the-top solutions.  In fact, He is very good at it!   He can help you and He can direct your path.

There Just Has To Be A Solution!

Mike Verdicchio
(I mentioned Erik Weihenmayer climbing Mt. Everest.  There is a DVD movie about it called, Father Than The Eye Can See – Mount Everest. This movie brings truth and new meaning to the phrase “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” Erik Weihenmayer is an inspiration to blind people and sighted people alike. Not only was this film inspiring, a great story, and a historic landmark, but it is beautiful to watch too.)