THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / Leave a comment

GiftofLaughterThere are a lot of serious issues that we are confronted with in our lives. We have the stress of bringing home a weekly pay check to support our families, raising kids in a society where moral values are changing, aging parents to look after, health concerns that eventually invade all our lives, and the list goes on. Every time we turn the TV on it is filled with bad news that only adds to our accumulating aggravation. To temporarily escape it all we take week long vacations, take short mini-trips and engage in activities that momentarily remove us from the often overwhelming stresses that the living of life can bring our way.

Is there any way we can enjoy the sunshine of an “instant vacation” in the normal routine of life while still being involved in the daily activities that life brings our way? Yes there is. Milton Berle said, “Laughter is an instant vacation.” Laughter is a heavenly gift that we often overlook, take for granted, and even sometimes ignore. In dealing with life, a good sense of humor is a must.

We find written in the wisdom of Proverbs, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken (Proverbs 15:13), and “A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is “a time to laugh” (Ecc. 3:4). The Inspired Word records that He that sits in the heavens “laughs” (Ps. 2:4). When His blessings fill our coffers the Psalmist says it should fill our mouth with laughter (Ps. 126:2). There are over forty references to laughter found in the Bible.

When was the last time you laughed? Did you ever laugh that it did not make you smile and make you feel better? Laughter is like beautiful music as it drifts through the air bringing smiles to faces. Laughter has been called “internal jogging.” Researchers agree with King Solomon that laughter is good for the soul and body, as it is a natural stress reliever and has positive effects on the human body. Laughter improves blood circulation, increases the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, and releases endorphins and other hormones that makes one feel better.

From four decades in the ministry I know if it was not for a good sense of humor and the magic of laughter I would have probably jumped off a bridge a long time ago!! When I have the privilege to deliver the charge to a young preacher entering the ministry one of my points of advice to them is to make sure they keep a sense of humor and learn to laugh…laugh a lot. While we need to be serious about the living of life we don’t have to be somber while we do it. The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon was once approached by someone who scolded him for what they considered his excessive humor. Spurgeon’s reply was, “If you knew how much I held back you would really be proud of me!” The renowned preacher knew that a healthy sense of humor kept him sane amid the grimness that life sometimes brings our way.

Last year when I was dealing with prostate cancer, I strived to keep my sense of humor through it all. While it was a serious situation, and still is, I refused to be somber about it. On my first day of radiation treatments as I lay on my back on a table with my dignity abandoned and myself exposed before two ladies I didn’t even know, I quipped to them, “Pleases do me a favor; don’t put these pictures on Facebook!” They laughed and promised they would not. That set the tone for the 43 radiation treatments I had to undergo. When I finished my treatments, those same ladies told me thank you for coming everyday with a cheerful smile and spirit. If they only knew that there were days I didn’t feel that way, but I knew it was essential to act that way. The music of laughter allowed me to dance through a difficult time instead of grimly dragging through it.

Laughter is truly a gift from God, it is natural and innate. Babies begin smiling a few weeks after birth and begin laughing within a few months. Can you think of anything more melodious than the laughter of a child? It is contagious. Each time we hear a child laugh we are reminded that as we grow older not to lose this precious gift the Lord has given us.

If laughter is good for us, then let us not deprive ourselves of this marvelous medicine. Let us not neglect to take time to laugh. While it may be difficult to laugh when events are not going well, it is in those very moments that the gift of laughter may get us sanely through the rough spot and help us handle the stress. Even amid the dark clouds of life let us not fail to see the sunshine peaking through the clouds. It is often a little lighthearted laughter that helps us see those bright sun rays.

Laughter is the medicine that gives to our lives that balance in body, soul and mind, which helps us face the turbulence of day to day living. Laughter is the icing on the cake of life. Let us not only enjoy partaking of an icing-laden slice of that cake but let us share a slice with others.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

DON’T SUFFER ALONE IN SILENCE

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / Leave a comment

On Monday the world was stunned to  learn of the tragic death of Robin Williams. His ingenious talents stilled at age 63. His death was even more tragic as it occurred by his own hand. A most creative comedian and actor, he could make people laugh, as well as inspire by the characters he portrayed. A man who fought various addictions during his life, he suffered bouts of depression. It seems paradoxical that one who spent his life making people laugh was in the end depressed enough to take his own life. But such is the malady of depression, as it is no respecter of persons regardless of one’s age, economic or social status. No matter how a person appears on the outside we never know what is going on the inside of them. depression-topic-banner-fb

Having been in the gospel ministry for over four decades, one thing I have learned over the years: depression is real. It strikes the non-Christian and the Christian alike. There can be a combination of genetic, environmental, biochemical and psychological factors that can lead to depression; however, in dealing with many persons over the years battling with depression I have found  four root causes that can lead to depression are: faulty thinking patterns, faulty living, internalized anger, and yielding to negative emotions. The despair of depression can be conquered and reversed if we seek to correct the four root causes that may be contributing to the depression.

Man is more than a physical being, but he is also a spiritual being. In dealing with depression the whole of man must be dealt with: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. When the spiritual is ignored we are neglecting the key component to conquering and defeating depression. To those who suffer from depression, don’t suffer alone in silence. Seek out help from a minister trained in counseling or a professional who sees the connection between the physical and spiritual.

There is no way the four root causes I have mentioned can be dealt with in a blog, yet I will briefly address them. It is recognized I can only touch the hem of their garment, but it is hoped they will offer some insight.

First, if we are to defeat depression we must abandon faulty thinking patterns. What is meant by faulty thinking patterns? Thinking that dwells on negativism, self-condemnation, unfair comparisons, self-pity, feelings of worthlessness,  hopelessness, insignificance, inadequate, etc. When one adopts such thinking patters it will lead to depression.

Thankfully, the Bible tells us “there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Paul tells us we have been “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). In Christ He strengthens us to make us adequate to face whatever comes our way (Phil. 4:13). It is in Christ we find unconditional acceptance that is not based upon what anyone else thinks. As Paul wrote in Philippians, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Phil 4:8). It is as we mediate on the Word and who we are in Christ that we break faulty thinking patters. We must daily renew our thinking (Romans 12:2).

Second, if we are to defeat depression we must abandon faulty living. We were created to have a relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ. As Creator He gave us a guide Book on how best to live. He gave each of us a conscience which is the “echo of God’s voice.” When we go against how God designed us to morally live, when we ignore and violate His inner voice, guilt occurs. No matter how humanity may try to dismiss guilt it is real and is the result of disobeying and living apart from a relationship with our Creator. When such faulty living is adopted depression can result. Many people feel lousy because they live lousy. In Psalm 32 David describes how tortured he was on the inside when he was living in disobedience to his Lord. Only when he confessed his sin and changed his behavior did the joy of the Lord and living return.

The answer to depression that results from faulty living is to correct our lifestyle to align itself with God’s Word. When we seek to live right it is amazing how we begin to feel better about ourselves, our God and our fellowman.

Third, if we are to defeat depression we must rid ourselves of internalized anger and unforgiveness. When one holds grudges, anger and unforgiveness in their heart it will eventually bring about depression and even physical disorders. Again, we are more than a physical being, but we are also a spiritual being. I have seen many persons over the years so dwell on anger or unforgiveness toward another that it drove them to depression. King Saul in the Bible is a good example of one whose  internalized anger over David led him to depression.

Jesus told us we must forgive one another (Mark 11:25). We must let such baggage go for it will drag us down. The Book of Hebrews speaks of plucking up the root of bitterness before it takes root (Hebrews 12:15). Internalized anger and unforgiveness is a load too heavy for us to carry or bear. It’s as we ask Him to help us deal with such repressed anger and unforgiveness that we experience the freedom from bondage in our souls.

Fourth, if we are to defeat depression we must master our emotions and not let our emotions master us. The Lord created us as emotional beings, but when our emotions master us instead of us mastering them we can find ourselves sinking into depression. We can have emotions of excitement or depression, tension or relaxation, joy or sorrow, positive or negative, gladness or sadness, anger or forgiveness, love or hate, contentment or discontentment, and the list goes on. To have such emotions makes us human. The problem comes only if we allow negative emotions to dominate our attitude and dictate our actions.

How do we control our emotions? We control our emotions by controlling our thoughts and actions. The Bible says, “As a man thinks so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). John Edmond Haggai says it well, “It is a basic law of psychology that you will feel as you think and act. In other words, if you don’t feel the way you ought to feel, think and act the way you ought to feel, and soon you will feel the way you are thinking an acting. Therefore, you will be feeling as God wants you to feel and act” (Haggai, How to win Over Worry, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975, 40-41).

The pragmatic William James said, “If we wish to conquer undesirable emotional tendencies in ourselves we must…in the first instance cold-bloodily go through the outward motions of those contrary disposition we prefer to cultivate” (Miller, Science of Mental Life, New York: Harper and Row, 1962, 73).

As these four root causes of depression are dealt with the peace that God desires us to experience, and which the human heart longs for, will fill our hearts. No one is exempt from the onslaught of depression, but as we take the proper steps to deal with it we can be victorious and conquer it. We should never suffer alone in silence. Seek help and above all seek the help of the Lord.

“And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

COMPASSION: A TRUE MORAL INCENTIVE

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / 2 Comments

It has been two weeks since my beloved dog of thirteen years, BoBo, had to be put to sleep. (click to read previous blog) When I open the front door, out of habit I still expect to see his wagging tail, the gleam in his eye and his escorting me to my car. I still hear his bark echoing in the caverns of my mind. The memory of his unconditional love and affection still lingers in the air like the fragrance of a freshly cut rose. Quotation-Arthur-Schopenhauer-As a matter of fact, as I am writing this blog I hear my wife talking on the phone sharing with someone about how much we miss BoBo. While he sleeps in death beneath clods of dirt at the edge of our yard, he is still alive in our hearts. King Solomon was right, “Many waters cannot quench love.”

The other day I was talking to someone about the loss of my dog and that I unashamedly wept at his passing. I was stunned when they remarked, “We shouldn’t act so foolish about losing just a dog.” Though irritated at their heartless remark, I asked the person if they had a dog. They replied no they did not, and callously added, “Even if I did I don’t think I would get so close to them I would cry when they died.” They smugly continued, “It is hard to believe someone would be that emotional over the loss of just an animal.”

I quickly dismissed myself from the presence of one so shallow in their thinking and obviously so shallow in their soul. I have always thought how one relates to animals says a lot about their inner character. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), who was one of the first philosophers to address the issue of the ethical and humane treatment of animals, in his book On the Basis of Morality (1840) insightfully wrote, “Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to living creatures cannot be a good man. Moreover, this compassion manifestly flows from the same source whence the virtues of justice and loving-kindness towards men arise.”**

While the animal kingdom was created by God for the benefit and pleasure of mankind, that is no excuse to ever misuse, abuse, or treat them inhumanely. One’s compassion in the thinking and treatment of animals reveals a lot about a person. A soul that can’t be touched with the unconditional love and affection of a dog, cat, etc. has closed their heart to experiencing and receiving of unconditional love of one of God’s creatures and the opportunity to return such love. Unconditional love is the kind of love God has for us and it is as we develop a relationship with Him that we seek to love others. We must admit it is much harder to practice such love in our relationships with others, because too often our love for one another is conditional. However, we find in God’s creation of the animal kingdom an example of unconditional love that reminds us such love does exist and can be received and given.

It sure wouldn’t hurt if a flowing river of compassion for both man and beast overflowed its banks. Schopenhauer argued that morality flows from selfless compassion to both man and God’s creatures and only actions that have sprung from such compassion have true moral value and virtue. He stated, “If an action has as its motive an egoistic aim it cannot have any moral worth,” compassion being “the sole non-egoistic motive” and  “the only genuinely moral one.” Compassion is the ultimate moral and non-egoistical virtue because we enter into the suffering of the person or animal. When one exhibits compassion one feels the suffering of the other, they feel it as their own, though it is in the other person or animal. Therein lies selfless virtue. Such compassion enhances one’s sensitivity to experience love that touches the gates of heaven.

I have seen it over and over, no matter how callous a person’s heart may appear, when they share the love God has invested in His creatures I have watched impenetrable walls of selfishness momentarily be torn down. While the cross of Christ is the demonstration of God’s eternal unconditional love for humanity, if we look around us God has placed the daily practicality of unconditional love in the animal kingdom.

When we fail in our duty and responsibility to love one another as we should, let us pause in reflection to have our sensibilities refreshed in the witnessing of  the compassion and unconditional love the Heavenly Father has invested in His creatures. To the person who said to me it is nonsense to get that close to “just” an animal, I rather suspect they are a person who has refused to be touched deeply in their soul with the love that is found in all of God’s creatures and His creation. It is only those who are able to open their soul to the sensitivity of compassion, in spite of the risk of pain and hurt, who will enter into the enriching blessings that are found in a loving relationship with God, their fellowman, and His creatures.

Schopenhauer wrote, “Compassion is the true moral incentive.” It was God’s love that was the incentive behind the sending of His Son to pay our sin debt (John 3:16). When such love is experienced it opens our hearts to entering into a love that transcends egotistical love, but a compassionate love for both man and His creatures that enriches our souls beyond measure.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

**I have always loved this quote from Schopenhauer (1788-1860), a German philosopher who was a big advocate for animal rights and the humane treatment of them. While I am by no means a proponent of  his  overall philosophy, his writings against the abuse and mistreatment of animals is to be commended and was ahead of his time. A man who never married, he lived with two poodles.

 

THERE CAN BE NO LASTING GREATNESS WITHOUT GOODNESS

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / Leave a comment

Recently I have read several secular articles regarding the decline of America’s greatness? It is hard not to be persuaded by the arguments in these articles. As matter of fact, I agree with them in regard to the decline of America’s greatness, but for another reason that transcends secular reasoning. There can be no lasting greatness without spiritual and moral goodness.goodness

Flowing from the pen of the Wisdom writer we find words history has proven to be true, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34). Can a nation, can a people who make up a nation, forget and violate the righteous moral principles of God and expect to stay a blessed nation? Will God violate His own holy nature and bless that which His nature opposes? Can America expect to continue to remain great when we have willingly and blatantly chosen to defy His moral truths? Some would say it matters not how we live, all will be fine. Others will say we cannot abandon the biblically moral foundation upon which this nation was built without suffering dire consequences. It was the conclusion of a 19th century French statesman, Alexis deTocqueville, that when American ceases to be morally good it will cease to be great.

In the 1830’s de Tocqueville came to America seeking an answer to its success and blessings. His often quoted conclusion needs to be revisited, “I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors; in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

de Tocqueville saw that America’s greatness lay in a people who believed and adhered to living morally accountable and responsible that flowed from a fountainhead of Judeo-Christian influence. He concluded that when such living ceased the nation’s greatness would also cease. His assessment has proven prophetic.

When any nation makes the decision to separate itself from moral values and principles, as this nation is so obviously doing, it will always bring upon the landscape consequences that come with such moral abandonment. Some seem to think that society can divorce itself from any moral parameters and religious standards and just accept any kind of behavior with no ill consequences. The question is posed, “What is wrong with everyone just living as they please regardless of it how affects others?” Such thinking that becomes adopted by a society eventually leads to moral, societal, cultural, political, and spiritual collapse and anarchy. The Psalmist sums it up by telling us that when a nation forgets God it is turned into a place of chaos, a place of hell (Ps. 9:17).

I challenge anyone to give an example from history of a society that has abandoned moral order and replaced it with the philosophy “each person doing that which is right in their own eyes” that did not eventually collapse as the result of chocking on its own sin. When a society departs from the foundational truths of traditional family values, hard work, compassion, integrity, honesty, love, self-restraint, moral decency, sobriety, individual responsibility and the individual liberty to pursue life, liberty, and happiness as God given, then you will find a society that is in decline and headed for the dust heap of history.

Now be honest, can this nation survive if we continue to remove the foundational truths on which this nation was built? Can a nation survive that seeks to redefine the institution of marriage, adopts moral prevision, embraces debauchery, moral relativism, excessive materialism, abortion, an entitlement mentality, and seeks to replace a theo-centric view of life with a humanistic view of life. History teaches us the answer is an unequivocal NO.

To the alert observer this great nation has slipped in her greatness, and is falling faster than a sky diver without a parachute. Why? The answer is simple: she is ceasing to be good. As a nation we have sadly allowed, and in some cases even supported, men and women who are morally corrupt and decadent become the national compass, and as a result we are headed in a destructive direction and spiraling downward. Unless there is a return to what is spiritually and morally right and good this downward trend will continue. There can be no lasting greatness without goodness.

Is it too late to return America to the place of the once greatness as de Tocqueville wrote about? I don’t know. But I do know this, unless there is a return to what is right and good on an individual level there will never be a return to goodness on a national level. Our moral measuring stick of what is right and wrong, what is good and righteous, is found within the Sacred Volume known as the Bible. There we find a holy God giving us eternally moral and ethical principles and standards that will not only bring order to our lives but bring order to our chaotic society.

There must be a return to what made this nation great, or the greatness that once was a lighthouse and awed the rest of the world will be lost forever. Let the words of de Tocqueville echo in our ears, “When America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” Let us remember it is not our goodness that gives birth to greatness, but the goodness of our Lord as He reflects His Light of Truth through us in a dark world (Matthew 5:14-16). Only as His light uncompromisingly and lovingly shining through us permeates society can the greatness of America be restored again.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO A DEAR FRIEND

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / 2 Comments

Last night I lost a dear friend. My heart is broken. No words can describe how much I will miss my friend. He always saw the best in me, always was happy to see me, and I could never do anything to make him disloyal to me. What a friend! His name was BoBo. He was 13 years old. He was a true companion. He without a doubt could be called “man’s best friend.” BoBo was my dog. He had to be put to sleep as the result of being hit by a car. I am not ashamed to say I cried like a baby. BoBo2 003

I am not sure if I adopted BoBo or he adopted me. Let me explain. When we moved to where we now reside, our neighbors who lived across the road had just gotten a little puppy. Someone had dumped him off on them. What kind of dog he was I am not sure, but it was obvious he was a crossbreed. He had short legs but it was evident he had some Golden Retriever in him. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with BoBo. He had a pleasant personality and loved being around people and enjoyed being patted and brushed. His owners were an elderly couple and were unable to give him the attention a dog needs, so very time I stepped outside he would run over to our yard. I always welcomed his visits, which were rewarded with dog bones, a pat on the head, and a conversation with him. His visits become more and more frequent.

Our neighbors expressed their appreciation for helping look after him. When BoBo was two years old, sadly, death visited the couple’s home, robbing the wife of her husband. From that day forward Bobo stayed at our house 24 out of 24 hours of everyday. She would call now and then to ask about him and always expressed gratitude for our looking after him since she was unable to do so.

BoBo loved like I wish I could. He never met a stranger. He always warned us when a car pulled in the driveway by barking, but he would greet the guest with a wagging tail and would escort them to the door. When my wife and I would approach the driveway he would always joyfully bark when he saw us and excitedly trot beside the car until it came to a stop. When the car door was opened he greeted us with gleam in his eye, a wagging tail, and waited for us to speak to him. He always ushered us to the front door. When I was outside BoBo would never leave my side.

BoBo loved it when the kids I coach would come over. They always loved on him and he enjoyed every minute of it. When they would roll my yard each November, at the end of cross country season, they would tell me Bobo always helped them. I don’t doubt it. He would also help me clean up the yard, but he seemed to have a smirk on his face all the while!

Our grandsons loved BoBo, too. When they would visit they would hug him, lay on him and at times were probably a little rougher with him than they should have been. But it mattered not what they did to him,  BoBo gladly took it. He enjoyed the attention and I believe he even egged it on a bit. When talking on the phone with the grandkids they would always ask, “How is BoBo?” He had endeared himself to them.

He loved being brushed. His eyes would light up and he’d wag his bushy tail gleefully. When I would stop he would take his nose and put it under my hand seeking to place it back on him. He knew when he had a good thing going. It was as if he was saying, “Just one more time.” I always did as he requested.

As the picture shows, BoBo was overweight. He liked to eat. I asked a vet once how much weight Bobo needed to lose. His reply was, “About a dog!” I tried to cut back on his food but it didn’t seem to help much. If he got too hungry he would come to the front door and bark. Being the old softy that I am I would feed him. He did get some exercise, though. He was very territorial about other critters coming in the yard. If a squirrel, a cat, or another dog came in the yard he would try to chase it away. It was funny watching him, for everything he chased was faster than his short little legs could carry him. Once the strange critter was out of sight he would always trot back to where I was and look up at me as if to say, “See what I did?” I would tell him, “Good job.”

Only on rare occasions did I have to scold him. He liked to dig in a particular spot in the yard. Why that one spot I don’t know, but I never could get grass to grow there because he would scratch it up before it could fully grow back. When I would reprimand him about it he would look up at me with the most pitiful eyes as if to say, “I am sorry, I promise not to do that again.” The look in his eyes made me feel bad I had spoken harshly to him.

With each passing year BoBo got feebler. He had arthritis which in the winter made it more difficult for him to get around. On cold days it took a little more effort for him to get up and he would hobble around for a bit before working out the kinks. If it got unusually cold we would let him inside, but most of the time he slept in the garage. In the summer he liked sleeping under the shrubs in the front yard where it was cooler.

BoBo was more than just a dog, he was a good listener. I could tell him secrets and I had no fear that it would be repeated. When I thought out loud BoBo would look up at me like he understood. I could share with him “stuff” out of my past and he never thought less of me. He had unconditional love for me and I for him. I only wish, no I pray, that someday I can be the wonderful person BoBo thought I was. I am gonna miss him. I will miss his bark. I will miss his friendly greeting every time I pull in the driveway. I will miss his twinkling eyes when I talked to him. I will miss the love he shared expecting nothing in return…but receiving in return loving attention.

A true friend is hard to find, easy to love, sees the best in us when we are at our worst, impossible to replace and can never be forgotten. Yep, that describes the kind of friend  BoBo was.

I will miss my friend.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

A HERO LIKE NONE OTHER

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / 1 Comment

I have always been a John Wayne fan. My father was a John Wayne fan. The man was an American hero. He was and is an icon. When he came on TV you stopped everything to watch this giant of a man “whoop-up-on” the bad guys. Heroes like John Wayne, though, aren’t supposed to die in real life and certainly not in a movie.JohnWayne

Over the weekend I watched again Wayne’s last movie, “The Shootist” (1976). Wayne plays an aging gunfighter named John Bernard Books who discovers he has cancer. Not wanting to experience the agony of a prolonged and painful death, he plans his own death. In his final two months he carefully plots out his final gun battle that will allow him to settle scores with a few old enemies, while at the same time finds him dying in his “trade” of a notorious shootist or a gunfighter.

Wayne’s final gunfight always brings me to the edge of my seat. Every time I watch “Shootist” I expect a different outcome, but it always ends the same. While he “gets” all the bad guys, he himself is killed just as he planned it. My eyes always become moist when I see the young lad, played by Ron Howard, who idolized the gunfighter, cover the face of the deceased Books with a coat. Heroes aren’t supposed to die, and especially not John Wayne.

We are living in a day when there is a lack of heroes. Heroes are seemingly vanishing from the American landscape. Ones we label as fitting the bill quickly come and go. Others appear for awhile then sink beneath the waves of moral failure and scandal. Where can I find a true hero in the hour in which we live?Jesus_Christ1

Found in the pages of the Bible I find a Hero who came and did battle with sin, death and the devil. Jesus left heaven’s glory, took on the form of a man, and went toe to toe with everything life and the Evil One could throw at Him. Nailed to the cross it looked as if evil and death had won. However, on the third day heaven’s Hero arose from the grave like the Mighty Champion He is. His victory was not just for Himself but was for all who embrace Him as their Hero. By faith in Him His victory becomes my victory; our victory!

Because my Hero, Jesus Christ, overcame sin, death, and the devil we, too, can. He shares His triumph with us. I find in Christ an eternal Hero. He will never let me down, nor will death ever rob Him from me. Do you know Him today? If not, look to Him now. He is all the Hero you will ever need.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan.

THE GREATEST EVENT SINCE CREATION

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / Leave a comment

It was 45 years ago that man first stepped on the moon. I remember as a seventeen year old gathered around the TV with my parents on July 20, 1969, watching the historic moment. As Neil Armstrong made that first step upon the moon by a human being he said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  MoonCrossII

Armstrong’s journey to the moon In Apollo 11, along with fellow astronauts Buzz Adlrin and Michael Collins, took four days to reach the 250,000 mile destination. Twenty minutes after Armstrong made his historic step, his crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, joined him on the moon’s surface. Over half-a-billion people around the world watched spell-bound as the two men spent some two hours bounding in the light gravity, hitting a golf ball, and planting an American flag.

Upon the Apollo 11 returning to earth then President Richard Nixon stated of their remarkable accomplishment, “This is the greatest week in the history of the world since the Creation.” While it was truly a historical and remarkable event, I disagree that it was the greatest event in the history of the world since Creation.

The greatest event, the most unique event in human history was when the Creator of the heavens and the earth stepped from eternity into time clothed in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ’s birth, life, death, and His glorious resurrection have left an impact upon human history that time cannot erase, but time only increases. The cross of Christ towers over history as the eternal plus sign of the universe. Christ is to us just what His historic cross and His resurrection is – hope for sinful humanity. All that Christ was in eternity past and eternity present was put into what He did when he stepped foot upon planet earth.

The crowning chapter of Christ’s earthly ministry and his atoning work on the cross was His resurrection from the dead. What His birth promised, the Resurrection declared fulfilled. Christ forfeited His life on the cross, and arose for the dead to give our forfeited lives new life. His conquering resurrection has opened the door to the possibility of new life for all who will enter and receive Christ as their Savior.

The Christian faith is grounded and built upon the truth that God has acted and continues to act in and through the One who died upon the cross and arose from the dead. Christ’s rising from the cold dark tomb is God’s exclamation point and seal of approval on the work of Christ. The two fold act of the cross and the resurrection is, as P.T. Forsyth says, “Our faith’s center of gravity.”

By Christ’s resurrection, sin and the devil lost their chief servant – death. We have the promise of final victory based on the victory already won by Christ’s resurrection. Sin, death, and the devil will not win at last because they failed to win the only time they ever could have gained the upper hand.

Because Christ arose from the dead all persons by faith in Him are partakers in His victory! His resurrection proves that LIFE, not death, is God’s final word to us.

Oh, let us rejoice – HE IS ALIVE! As a result of the greatest event since Creation, when our Creator in Jesus Christ walked on earth, His resurrection power is ever available to every Christian to empower us as we journey through life.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

LET JESUS DO THE FIGHTING

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / 1 Comment

Not long ago I was talking to someone who was frustrated over being tossed to and fro by the winds of life’s circumstances that had all the markings of being masterminded by our Great Adversary. They remarked, “I wish I could put on a pair of boxing gloves and fight the devil.” My response to them was, “Don’t you fight him, let Jesus do the fighting. Our battles belong to the Lord.”  BattleLords

Why in the world would we want to take on someone we are no match for when we don’t have to? Jesus is our Elder Brother, our Mighty Warrior, who is wiser, more powerful, more capable, and more equipped to fight our battles than we are. Because we are in union with Him by faith, we don’t have to fight our battles alone, He will fight them for us.

The Bible gives us many examples where the Lord fights for us in those instances when the Enemy of our faith seeks to come against us. Moses told the Israelites not to fear the Egyptians. His words still ring true, “The Lord shall fight for you” (Exodus 14:14). This promise is repeated again in Deuteronomy, “Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you” (Duet. 3:22).

Joshua, shortly before his death, assured the people, “For the LORD your God, he it is that fights for you, as he hath promised you” (Joshua 23:10).

Once when Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was going out to battle a prophetic word was delivered unto him, “Thus says the Lord unto you, ‘Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of their great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s’” (2 Chron. 20:15). Jehoshaphat was told to “stand still and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord…fear not, nor be dismayed…For the Lord will be with you” (2 Chron. 20:17).

Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave the people heavenly assurance with these words, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles.” (2 Chron. 32:7-8).

Too often we want to take matters into our hands when our Adversary, like a roaring lion, seeks to pounce upon us. We are no match for lions (physical ones or spiritual ones), so we are told simply to “submit ourselves to God; resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7). We resist the devil by submitting our battles to the Lord when the enemy seeks to come against us. The Reformer Martin Luther put it in terms that are clear and understandable when he stated, “When the devil knocks on the door, don’t you answer it; let Jesus answer the door.” Excellent advice.

Whether it be a temptation that continues to hound us, a trial that seeks to undo us, or a testing that seeks to sideline us, just surrender the battle to the Lord and let Him begin to work on our behalf knowing that “this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4). He can turn our struggles to strength; our confusion to confidence; our fear to faith; our disaster to deliverance; and our worry to worship!

Let us surrender our fights to Him and God will show up for us in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. His strong arm can turn what seems to us an impossibility to possibility. Paul, as he approached the end of his life, spoke of enduring many persecutions and afflictions, but triumphantly adds, “But out of them all the Lord delivered me” (2 Tim. 3:11). He will deliver us, as well, if we yield our battles to Him.

What is your battle today? Surrender it to Jesus. Victory awaits, just let Jesus do the fighting for you.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

TRUE FREEDOM

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / 4 Comments

At the end of a seemingly uneventful summer day, Britain’s King George III wrote the day’s activities in his diary: “July 4, 1776. Nothing happened today.” Oh, how mistaken he was! Something did happen that day. Fifty-six brave men pledged their lives to each other and signed their names to the Declaration of Independence. The United States of America was born. FlagAndCrossjpg

As the nation pauses on July 4th to celebrate its 238th birthday, we must ask if we are keeping alive the fires of freedom and respect for life and human dignity inherent in the ideals of our Founding Fathers. Are we still standing for the principles on which they stood and upon which this nation was built? We should think, not so much about the freedom from tyranny that our ancestors won, as about the chaos that freedom can bring to those who do not use it wisely. When we begin to dismiss all moral restraints from our lives and society, as we see taking place across our land today, we are headed for trouble and eventual collapse.

John Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and our second President, wisely wrote in 1798, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” Yet in the day and hour in which we live we continue to cut the cords of morality and spirituality and expect to experience Heaven’s blessings. Instead of blessings we have become enslaved by a misconception of what constitutes freedom.

In our nation we need to look at some of the ugly results from the misuse and abuse of freedom: abortion, erosion of the definition of marriage, rampant crime, alcoholism, drug abuse, deadly violence in our schools, moral perversion, child abuse, and the list goes on. Do not those things stem from a distorted concept of freedom? Sadly, it will lead people to become weak and enslaved. When freedom becomes a license for people to disregard moral and spiritual values, dismissal from society the God of the Bible, a shifting of responsibility for our actions and an entitlement mentality, then it is no longer freedom, but bondage.

Peter speaks of the outcome of those who misuse and abuse freedom. He wrote, “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:19). Freedom separated from the twin-tracks of the Lord’s moral restraints and His life giving principles leads to a moral and spiritual train wreck. George Washington declared in 1796 at his Farewell Address that the twin pillars of faith and morality are the secret to  “political prosperity” and “human happiness.”  That has not changed.

True freedom is not a license to do as we please with disregard to God and our fellowman. True freedom is found in living as He intended us to live,  serving “Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life” (Lk 1:74-75).  When we forget that truth we are abusing freedom. And it is only in Jesus that we have the power to truly live free; to live in His power that enables us to live in the freedom of  His holiness and righteousness. Jesus said, “If the Son of Man make you free you shall be free indeed” (Jh 8:36). True freedom is found at the foot of the cross, which alone needs to be our nation’s true magnetic North. Instead of removing the cross from the landscape of our society, we need to run to it as fast as we can and kneel in repentance.

Independence Day is a time we pause to remember those brave men and women who made the choice to shake off the shackles of political tyranny. It resulted in freedom flowing like a might river throughout the thirteen colonies. Let us remember this when we see the flag we love waving in the sky. And let us seek to follow in the steps of those brave Americans who died so that it could fly. But above all, let us remember towering over the unfurled USA flag stands the Christ of the cross who alone can give us freedom and power, even in the face of the spiritual and moral declension, to live as we ought to live in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

And “if the Son of Man make you free you shall be free indeed.” Now that is true freedom.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan

A WIN FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

/ Dr. Daniel Merritt / 2 Comments

I thought I heard the cheers of our Founding Fathers when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of religious liberty in the Hobby Lobby Case. The decision dealt a blow to the overreaching hand of the current administration who wants to dictate to citizens that government mandates triumph over one’s religious convictions. This current administration has been chipping away at religious freedom, at least for the Christian faith, at an alarming rate. The Supreme Court has at last made a decision that has slowed down the anti-Christian and secularization train of the government.  relgliberty

It will be interesting to see the ramifications of this decision, but the Supreme Court ruled that closely held corporations can be true to their religious objections to abortion inducing contraceptives and opt out of the governments mandate to provide these contraceptives for women. Why should anyone have to provide contraceptives for others anyway? If they want them let them go purchase them for themselves. The government has no right  to tell me or anyone else they must provide contraceptives for others. But such is the ideals of the current socialistic agenda.

The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom, but the government wanted the Supreme Court to rule you can hold religious beliefs but if your religious convictions conflict with the government then governmental mandates trump your religious beliefs. That goes against the very principles on which this great country was founded. One who is truly dedicated to their faith doesn’t divide their deeply held convictions into the sacred and secular. A person of faith doesn’t hold deeply held beliefs then checks them at the door when they report to work on Monday morning. That is what the government wanted the owners of Hobby Lobby to do.

What the current anti-religious administration doesn’t understand is that one who deeply embraces faith it is more than privately held beliefs, but their faith influences their everyday lifestyle and extends into their workplace. We have seen in recent years a government that wants to have a sterilized society free from religious expression in everyday life. This current administration wants one’s faith to be subjected to what the government deems is best for society. They believe in freedom from religion not freedom of religion as the Constitution guarantees.

One whose life is shaped by faith cannot relegate their faith to just private practice, but such faith shapes their public practice as well. Faith is more than a private matter; it shapes one’s worldview, their morals, their decisions, their conscience and their lifestyle. Thankfully,  the Supreme Court ruled that one doesn’t have to surrender their conscience at the altar of an overreaching government.

Those who seek to suppress religious liberty can deny it all they want, but this country was built on a Judeo-Christian foundation and belief in the sacredness of life and that a Higher Providence rules in the affairs of man and we are to be subject to Him. Our Founding Fathers never meant for one of faith to have to choose between living their faith in private and public and surrendering those convictions to the government. Thankfully, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of religious liberty and sent a message to the government that a person of faith doesn’t have to sacrifice their beliefs at the altar of  godless governmental mandates.

Let us thank the Lord the Supreme Court got it right this time and upheld the freedom granted us by the Constitution. Thank God for those Christians who took a stand and didn’t knuckle-under to the anti-constitutional government mandates. As we approach the 238th birthday of this great nation let us endeavor to follow in the footsteps and embrace the convictions of those 56 brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence, who did so in order that we might live out our faith not just in private but in the public arena.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan