2021 – THE NEW YEAR HAS ARRIVED!

Here’s Something That Will Not Change In The New Year


The New Year is here.  2020 finally comes to a close. Lots of people are hoping for a new and better year ahead. After 2020, that’s kind of an understatement.

Many are praying for lots of things to change for the better, while others are making new “resolutions” for their lives in the upcoming New Year. But there is something that will not change in this New Year.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being “born again.” He clearly pointed out two literal births. We read in the first chapter of the epistle of I Peter about being “begotten of God,” and, “being born again.” It says in verse 23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” There is something amazing in that verse.

We easily understand what it means

PENTECOST 2020

This Sunday, May 31, many Christians will celebrate Pentecost, remembering the events recorded in Chapter 2 of the book of Acts.  But what is it really all about?

Some Christians don’t see the great significance of Pentecost. Actually, it’s even hard to find it included on printed calendars.  And yet,  just 8 days before it happened,  Jesus specifically spoke about about it right before he ascended.

The article below, “What Is Pentecost All About”  gives great insight about that momentous event recorded in Acts 2. Perhaps after reading it you might consider that Pentecost really is a big deal!

What Is Pentecost All About?

There are a number of popular celebrations on the Church calendar. The biggest and most popular of course, is Christmas. People understand they are celebrating the birth of Christ.

When it comes to Pentecost, what exactly are we remembering?  Some say it’s all about commemorating the descent of the holy spirit upon the Apostles. That event, along with details of what followed is recorded in Acts Chapter 2.

But was that original Day of Pentecost of even greater importance and significance than the birth of Christ? Is it possible it was the greatest event to date in the history of mankind? What’s the real significance

WHO IS JESUS?

Two Unique Truths About Jesus

For the last 1900+ years, more has been written about him than any other person. Who is Jesus?

He never taught at or established an institution of higher learning, yet all the schools of all times could never measure even close to his number of students. Who is Jesus?

All the rulers who ever reigned, all the government bodies that ever sat, and all the military campaigns ever engaged, have not affected the life of mankind as powerfully and dynamically as Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus was the most unique human being who ever walked the face of the earth. His birth and

HOW TO LIVE LONGER

Do You Really Think You’re Gonna Live Forever?

Every year people spend billions of dollars to look younger, stay healthier, and live longer. Most people want to live a long life. I want to be around to hang out with my grandchildren, in fact, I want to dance at their weddings!

If people spend billions of dollars to “live longer,” what might they pay to live forever? Living forever to some may just be a fairy tale, or science fiction. But, it is not only God’s desire for all human beings to live forever, but He came up with

GOD MADE ME THAT WAY

Some Striking Differences Found In Human Beings

On a recent visit to see our new granddaughter in Charleston, South Carolina, I got to take my son’s dog for a walk a couple of times. While it was no match for spending time with baby Betsy Rose, I really enjoyed it. Jack is a “golden,” and he’s a great dog.

On one of those walks, I was reminded of something I saw years ago on an episode of Dog Whisperer, where a lady told Cesar Millan what she said to her dog when it misbehaved. It was a very long sentence, threatening to take him to the pound if he ever did it again. Cesar looked at her and said, “And you really think he understood all that?”

Humans and animals are indeed made differently. It’s not our brain size that distinguishes us from all the animals. While they may be really cool creatures, there are obviously many striking differences. Here are just a few:

  • Communication: Animals understand simple words, gestures or tones. They do not comprehend sentences. On the TV show, Cesar made that very clear to the lady. Meanwhile, we humans have developed hundreds of languages, along with thousands of dialects. I have to say, I did not notice Jack having any kind of a “southern accent.”
  • Humor: Your cat or your dog, or an elephant or frog for that matter, is not able to appreciate or express humor. Humor requires the ability to see the odd, surreal or ironic. So, I avoided trying to get Jack to laugh.
  • Appreciation of beauty: If you take your dog on a trip here in Arizona to the Grand Canyon to gaze on its magnificent splendor, it is simply breathtaking. But does your dog enjoy the beauty? Nope. She’s probably busy looking around for a tree, or a squirrel, or another dog, just like Jack was on our walks.
  • Morality: Animals do not have a conscience, or the desire to build character. They learn by training which involves reward and punishment. We, on the other hand, can choose to control our thoughts based on what we consider right or wrong. Unlike animals, we have the unique ability to analyze actions before they are performed.  Jack had full intention of going after that squirrel!
  • Worship: In every part of the world, in every culture, humans exhibit a desire to seek, to follow, and to worship a “higher power.” Animals do not. Jack is really an affectionate dog, but trust me, I am not a higher power he has been seeking.

Why Did The Creator Make Us This Way?

There’s a verse in Psalm 139 that talks about how we humans are fearfully and wonderfully made. That means distinctly awesome, or distinguished. But why did God single out human beings to be made in that way? Why did He purposely make us awesomely unique?

Those awesome, distinct qualities I mentioned above, and many more, we have as human beings. Animals do not. The Creator purposely and intentionally gave us free will to choose, and a desire to seek and know a higher power. It is built in; He made me this way.

God did not make us to seek Him and worship Him instinctively, or automatically, like breathing. We breath without thinking; we blink without giving it a thought. Rather, God designed human beings so that worshiping Him would be our free choice. He made us so we could, if we choose, freely seek Him, freely worship Him, freely love Him. He made me this way.

Looking For God

Over the centuries, and to this day, there are those who seek and find the Creator. There are others who choose to worship something other than the One true God. The Bible, in a number of places, refers to the latter as “strange gods.” At one place it says they, “worshipped and served the creature [creation] more than the Creator.”

God certainly knew He was taking a big chance by giving us free will. He could have made us robots – human drones that just automatically praised Him all day long. He didn’t want that.

But the very first two humans used their freedom of will to make a very, very bad choice. In order to fix that catastrophic mess, God sent His Son to atone, to pay the price necessary for all human beings.

And now, as a result of His Son’s completed work, any human being can choose to accept Christ or not. Isn’t it stunningly remarkable that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

True Or Not?

God made made me this way. I can choose to believe anything I want to believe. But just because I believe something, doesn’t make it true; just because I don’t believe something doesn’t make it not true.

The Creator gave us free will not so we would determine what is true, but so we could choose to believe what is true. Truth is truth, period. Truth is truth whether everyone believes it or no one believes it.

We human beings are awesomely unique and distinct in having free will. We can choose to seek and find God, the Creator, in His written Word that He gave so we could know Him, love Him and worship Him. In doing so, we will clearly see His Son, Jesus Christ, is God’s promise and plan to give any human being everlasting life.

Jack is a great dog. But it is baby Betsy Rose who can someday choose to accept Christ and gain eternal life. God made her that way!

WE LIVE IN AN E-WORLD

A New E World Is Coming!


We live in an E-world, don’t we? “E” of course stands for the word “electronic.” So many things today are accomplished electronically, thanks to the Internet.

Sending a letter to someone that could take days to reach their physical mail box has almost been completely replaced with email, which takes seconds to arrive in someone’s email box. Many have tossed their fax machine and opted to use e-fax in its place.

Instead of going to the bank to transfer money, we can do it electronically by way of EFT – electronic funds transfer. Once it is set up online with your bank, a few clicks and the money magically moves from your account to theirs.

Legal documents needing a signature are so easy now. When we refinanced our home, all the preliminary documents came via email. I printed them, signed them, scanned them, and then emailed them back.

What about shopping online? E-commerce is big business. Billions of dollars are spent every year as people purchase items electronically from their computer. And eBay lets just about anyone sell their stuff online.

A number of companies have even adopted the “e” into their name to attract attention, like E-Trade, E-Polymers, and E-Ventures, to name a few. (Some might argue that Chuck was the first to proximately use the letter “E” in a business name. You know, Chuck E. Cheese, but that’s another story altogether.)

In The Cloud?

So where exactly is all this electronic information stored? The common answer is, “the Cloud,” which is a colloquial expression used to describe a variety of different types of computing concepts that involve a large number of computers connected through a real-time communication network. Simply put, there’s a lot of information stored on massive servers, e-storage if you like, referred to as, “the cloud.”

We live in an E-world. There’s no doubt about it. All that information is stored in some “cloud” somewhere, but, this e-world life of ours is still temporary.

A New E-world Is Coming!

There is a new life coming. It will be an “E” too – eternal life! There’s a day coming when we’ll be all done with emails and e-filings, and instead, born again ones will meet our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, face to face! And that great meeting will take place in the literal clouds!

So, as nice and as handy as all this e-stuff is, I’m really looking forward to the new “E-Life:” eternal Life and meeting my lord and savior face to face. How about you? E-nuff said.

Another Birthday

Everyone has one once a year.

Today is my birthday.

I thank God every morning that I am alive and that I have been given another day to live.  I believe life is a precious gift.

But, as you and I know, time marches on and we all get older every year.  Perhaps the older we get the more we appreciate eternal life.  Eternal life is a gift from God, and how thankful I am that I don’t have to earn it.  And so, each morning I also thank God for eternal life.

There is a day coming when God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will return.  It doesn’t really matter whether people believe that or not; it is going to happen.  When he does, those who are born again, both those who have died, and those who are alive, will meet him in the air and so shall we ever be with him!

Isn’t it great that the Bible tells us that when that happens we will all be changed – we will get new bodies!  I think the older you get the more you can appreciate that!  I know I do; how about you?

Yes, I do look forward to the Return of Christ, when there will be no more no more death, sorrow, crying or pain.   And, of course I realize there is no comparison to the life we have today with the  life that is coming.  But until that day comes, I want to live the life I have been given today to the fullest.

We as God’s children do have a great hope – the Return of Christ!  We are not hopeless people.  But until that day comes, we are not helpless people either. 

God is still a God of love and power.  We can live each day, having confidence in Him and in His ability to supply all that we need today so that until His Son returns, we can enjoy the life we have, right now.

Michael Verdicchio
2011

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No One Can Pluck You Out Of His Hand

From the Category, “The Eastern Eye”

[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.]

In understanding the Scriptures it is important for us to understand the culture, but it doesn’t mean that we should necessarily follow that culture. Rather, it is in the understanding of the Eastern culture that we gain light and understanding about many things in the Bible.

In the Gospel of John, in teaching about eternal life, Jesus Christ said that those having eternal life would never perish, and that no one would be able to pluck them out of his hand or His Father’s hand.

To “pluck out of the hand” refers to a game young children played in the lands and times of the Bible.  This is something that those listening to Jesus would have easily understood; it painted a clear picture for them.  Once we understand the game the children played, we too will have a clear picture of what he said.

The Game

Here is the simple game the children played. One of the youngsters would put a coin in his hand, close his fist, and then keep it closed as tightly as he could.  Another child would then try to open the tightly clenched fist, and if he could, he would get the coin.

In referring to eternal life, Jesus was saying that no one was going to “open his Father’s fist.”  In other words, eternal life cannot be changed or altered.  This gives us a little added insight to a verse in Colossians that says that our life is hid with Christ in God.  The life being referred to is eternal life.

Not Perish

It is noteworthy that when Jesus spoke of eternal life, he used the word “perish.”  He didn’t say that those who have eternal life would not die, but rather that they would not perish.  There is a difference.

The Greek word translated “perish” means to be completely abolished, ruined and lost.  While one may die, if he or she is born again, that person will not perish, because they have eternal life.  The Bible says that those who die are asleep and will be made alive when Christ returns.

An Open Invitation

Because of God’s great love, He has freely extended the invitation to all people to accept His Son, to believe that Jesus is the savior and lord of all men, and that God raised him from the dead.  Accepting these two truths, one becomes saved and receives eternal life.

And, once you receive eternal life, nothing can change it!  No one is going to pluck you out of Christ’s hand, or out of his Father’s hand.

Once again, with a little understanding of the times and culture in which the scriptures were written, the Bible becomes clear, and its richness shines brightly.

John 10:28 and 29
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Colossians 3:3b
Your life is hid with Christ in God


I Thessalonians 4:15-17
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Mike Verdicchio

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Resources
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 Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to many 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)

More Eastern Eye Articles

Paid In Full

It’s Another Podcast!

I taught a little bit about the concept of “paid in full” yesterday at the Glendale Fellowship.  I also have a new article coming out on Thursday (Pep Letter) with some of that information as well.  Since it is really hot on my mind, I thought I would do a podcast this morning.

Some religious people might be offended by some of what I say here or in the upcoming article.  I’m not trying to be critical, but, as I wrote in the article, I hope that people take a little time to consider what they believe and why they believe it.

Enjoy the podcast. (9:56)

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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For past articles, click on the, “Posts” tab above.  For past videos and podcasts, mouse over the “Posts” tab above.  Look for more videos as well as more podcasts coming soon to Confidence And Joy!

John 3:16 Compilation

Okay, I decided to do a compilation of all 5 parts of the video series I’ve been doing on John 3:16, the most famous verse in the Bible.  In this video (7:50), I put together all 5 previous videos but left out the introductions.

Isn’t this a marvelous verse?  Someone once referred to it as, “The Gospel in a nutshell.”

Enjoy the video.

We’d love to hear what you think.  Please type your comment below.