The Chief

Building community through the Word of God   All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and...

 I work in a café business. You could say I am the boss of Rio Coco Cafes, although I never allow myself to think that way. Mostly. I have various executive roles to play- financial accounting and planning, cost analysis of our products, managing labor costs, purchasing green coffee, purchasing coffee and kitchen equipment, training our team members.

Then I have my other collateral duties: I’m the maintenance department; I fix toilets, paint walls, repair plumbing, change light bulbs, repair equipment.

But my most favored job is washing dishes. There is something about the effect of a five second scrub and rinse on a dirty plate that brings me great joy. Something that was dirty and useless becomes clean and an instrument for service. I have worked with many people over the years attempting to help them understand God and His plans and purposes for our lives. Many times I see no response on the part of those who have decided to walk their own path. They are valued creations of our father, but they are not useful to His purposes to invite many to spend eternity with Him. Others do respond and become world changers. I guess that is why I enjoy washing dishes. With just a few seconds of effort on my part that dirty dish or pan becomes shiny, fresh, and ready for the next use.

I was in Rome (Italia) on New Year’s Eve 1971. After a dinner of pasta and red wine, I didn’t make it to midnight, and fell asleep in my hotel room. Suddenly I awoke to the sound of crashing glass and ceramics. I opened the window and looked out. There were people standing on their balconies throwing plates, bowls, and glasses onto the streets. The cacophony was overwhelming! The next morning, I walked out of the hotel lobby and there was not one square inch of pavement visible! Broken dishes and glassware completely cover the street! Later that day I saw on the television that three people were in the hospital because of being hit by flying dishes and glass shards!

 We Were Men With A Mission  As we walked through the snow toward the crowd ahead of us, we knew it was going to be a demanding day, one that...

How has God spoken to you specifically through His written word? Sometimes it’s reading something that you may have read before, but because of the circumstances of your life, suddenly the words jump off the page and into your heart. You know these words are for you and you alone this moment! You have just experienced a veritable encounter with the Maker of the Sunrise and Sunset- your Creator, who knows you, your thoughts, your concerns, and your needs. You know that He has just reached out and touched you!

Although there are many explanations why the Bible is special, this is the most significant reason- an encounter with the Living God.

When you are comfortable, you are content.  Contentment often is a state of being that keeps us where we are at.  When there are no problems, there is no reason to search for solutions. We naturally fall into a state of ‘couch-potatoing’ and ‘business as usual’. There is very little reason to do more than what is required. Comfortable & Content people are not the ones who change their worlds. They are often the spectators to those who are not content and not comfortable. This second group is those innovative, energetic, dynamic, and hardworking members of our society who actually accomplish great things in their lifetimes.  We call them ‘movers & shakers’.

 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”                                         Matt 28:18-20 NAS

 This is a passage of Scripture that is often called the “Great Commission”.  It is where missionaries have traditionally gotten their “marching orders” to go to other countries and evangelize unreached people. 

I first heard this message at a concert on Maui by a famous Christian singer, who’s latest album was titled “Jesus Commands Us To Go!”.  I was so excited afterward that I told my cousin Kean that I was ready to go to any place and tell the people about Jesus. 

He looked at me, and with a smile asked me: “How would you like to go to an island in the Pacific where less than five percent of the people attend church on Sunday?” 

I responded excitedly: “Let’s go!”. 

He calmly said: “You are standing on it!”

The first time we took our family there, I noticed the absence of a cheeseburger on the main menu. I was  really disappointed! No Big Mac either! So I ordered a quarter pounder, along with other sandwiches for our family.

 Later my son Lukas went to a register on the far end of the counter where he ordered a McFlurry- a thick milkshake.  When he got it, he was taken by an armed guard through a glass door to a separate seating area.  He was just seven at the time, and really didn’t want to go there, but the security guard insisted that he stay in that area as long as he had his milkshake. We observed all this at a distance.  Finally, I went over to retrieve him, and the guard said that he must drink that milkshake in that separate room. Eventually Lukas finished the drink and we left McDonalds.

A few days later I asked Dr. Smith why Lukas had to sit in the separate room to drink his milkshake. He told me it was all about kosher dietary laws. Religious Jews don’t mix meat and dairy. It was because of the way the rabbis interpreted Exodus 23:19 (and Exodus 34:6)

“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

The rabbis understood that prohibition against boiling a calf in its mother’s milk as God’s commandment to not mix meat and dairy products. Religious Jews never serve meat and dairy products at the same meal. We discovered this at our meals in various hotels. Religious Jews even have two refrigerators and two sets of dishes: one for meats, and the other for dairy.