Posts by Justo Dorantes (Page 4)

If school isn’t already out for you, it soon will be. For most who read this, formal “school” has been out for a long time! (Years? Decades?) But is school ever really out for a Christian? The very word “disciple” means a learner/follower. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be learning His will constantly. Paul told Titus that the Christians in Crete should “learn to maintain good works” (Titus 3:14). The same apostle told Timothy (in Ephesus) that the…

I believe there should be more than one “Memorial Day” each year. It seems that to most Americans it’s just another “Official Holiday,” the “unofficial start of summer,” the end of the school year, a cookout. Sure, there is the passing mention of those who have fallen in defense of our country. There are stories on the news programs and in the newspaper and more flags than usual might be seen. But it doesn’t seem like it is enough or…

When God made mothers He made a very special creature indeed. • The unconditional love God gave mothers for their children is probably the closest thing on earth to His incredible love for us. • The gentle tenderness a mother expresses in handling her newborn child is so reminiscent of the tender loving care God promises to the faithful. • The sincere sympathy mothers show for hurt elbows and hurt hearts is not unlike the compassion God has for us.…

One of the beauties of being the devil is that you don’t have to be logically consistent. To some, Satan whispers that they don’t need God, that they are sufficiently wise, capable, and righteous all by themselves. He tells others that they’re too rotten for God. They have done too much, wandered too far, sinned too greatly. Surely, if such a one as they started going to church, the Holy One would turn His nose up in disgust! The word…

The central event in the history of mankind is the resurrection of Jesus. Without it, death is the victorious enemy of all mortals. Without it, death comes, and all our dreams, aspirations and future plans come to a screeching halt. It all ends. When Job faced this problem, his heart was full of questions. Job looked at his life and said, “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a…

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was so brutally beaten before He was crucified? Was it just to fulfill O.T. prophecies? While His scourging and other persecutions did satisfy the ancient predictions of God’s spokesmen, I’m quite certain Pilate and his torturous underlings didn’t know or care one whit about them. However, last Sunday, while partaking of the memorial commemorating His death, and as I reflected on the pre-crucifixion brutality He endured, something dawned on me… Though I’ve never looked…

Nightmares can really be scary. Ask old king Nebuchadnezzar. On more than one occasion he was bothered by his night visions and could not take comfort. The fourth chapter of Daniel is a case in point. That night things were well in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar retired for the evening feeling very confident, but he awoke frightened and troubled. He had a dream about, of all things, a tree. In his dream, a tree grew to great height. Its leaves were healthy…

Sunrise. A glimmer of light on the horizon. I can see it; but only if I am up, in a good position and the weather is sufficiently clear. Wherever I am, it comes and is soon “gone”. That majestic sunrise, however, keeps right on moving, becoming sunrise after sunrise for the next folks in line to the west. The sunrise never stops, and it never has since God put his “greater light” in its place on the 4th day of…

War, it is a word that brings dread and despair. We don’t like to use it, and we do not want to think about it affecting us. However, even though it is a word that we do not like to use, or even hear, we tend to have a pretty good talent for waging war. Just about every generation of our nations’ history has been involved in some conflict in the world and has been affected by war. Most of…

Horst Schulze, former president of the Ritz Carlton Hotels company, is known for his masterful ability to create a culture of first-class service. Under his leadership, his companies have received some of the highest awards their industry gives. When asked, “How did you build this culture,” Horst can literally give you hours of discussion on the things that shape an environment of friendly, helpful service. Part of establishing that culture involves teaching every employee that it is “your responsibility” to…

It’s funny how difficult it can be to wake up for worship, and yet how easy it is to wake up super early for our favorite hobbies. It’s funny how a cold and cough can keep us from going to worship, yet the same cold is hardly even noticed when a day of fun is planned. It’s funny how treacherous the road conditions look when Bible class is the destination, and how passable they appear when a social event is…

There sits what could quite possibly be the softest, cutest, and most lovable stuffed animal ever to exist. You insert a couple of shiny quarters and the exciting 20-seconds countdown begins. The claw begins to move at your command. You check your angle on the prize from the front, then from each side. You meticulously adjust the claw so it lines up perfectly. Satisfied, you push the shiny red button and the claw begins to drop. Time seems to slow…