DayBreaks for 4/11/23: The Significance of the Napkin

Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed. – John 20:6-8

God bless Peter and John! Without their boldness to crash their way into the tomb, we would have missed this sort of detail!

There is debate about the condition of the linen cloths. Some suggest that they were still in the shape of a body, but were empty…as if the body of the deceased had passed right through the fabric. Others think they were just piled up on the floor. But I’m getting distracted, because whatever the condition of the cloths was, it is the napkin that is far more interesting!

The napkin, we are told, was “folded up”. It wasn’t just cast aside in a separate heap on the flood, but had been folded. What was the meaning of that for Peter and John, and does it have any relevance for us today? I think it is mind-blowing!!!

In Jewish culture, when the master and his family would sit down for a meal, the servants waited on them. Here’s the fascinating point of cultural relevance: if the master was done eating, he would simply wad the napkin up and let it fall to the floor or place it wadded up on the table. But, if the master folded the napkin, it sent a very specific message to the servants. It meant “I’m coming back. I’m not done.”

When Peter and John saw the folded napkin, it says that John “believed”. What did he believe? I think it was the folded napkin that told him, “I’m coming back. I’m not done!” Perhaps it was that simple sign that caused John to remember the words of Jesus that he was “coming back” from the dead. And he believed.

What does it mean for us today? It also means that Jesus isn’t finished. He’s coming back. And if we are wise, we will be as the servants prepared for the return of the master. Jesus wasn’t finished in the tomb and he’s not finished in the world.

Let’s anticipate his return with great expectation and excitement!

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you that you are coming back and for giving us this simple reminder of your return. Thank you for not being finished with us, for not washing your hands of this mess called humanity. Thank you that you were not “finished” forever in the tomb! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2023 by Galen C. Dalrymple, all rights reserved.

DayBreaks for the Week of 2/13/22: When Cats Bark Like Dogs

Matthew 5:13-14 (NLT) – You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

There was a mother mouse who decided to teach her children about the world. So she gathered all of her little mice and set out for a walk. They walked down the hall and turned to the right. Then they went down the hall and took another right. And suddenly they found themselves in front of the family cat dozing in the sunlight. The mother mouse was scared. But she didn’t want to give in to her fright. So she signaled to the children to be very quiet and to follow as she began to tip-toe quietly and slowly past the sleeping cat. Just as she was about to get past the cat, the cat’s eyes popped open, and raised its paw.

The little mice were petrified. What would their mother do? Well, just as the cat’s paw started to come down, that mother mouse looked the cat right in the eye and started barking like a dog. And do you know what? The cat was so startled and frightened that it jumped up and ran away! The mother mouse, wiped her brow, shook a little, and then turned to her little mice and said, “Children, I hope you learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes it’s good to know a second language!”

It’s the same way with us. It’s good to know a second language. Salt and light are the languages of God; the language of Grace; the language of hope and love. And when this language is translated into action it becomes the most beautiful language ever spoken. We’re called to be salt and light and to speak the language of God as we live our faith. We’re called not just to speak the Word, but to live the Word as our primary language!

If your language is more like that of this earthly realm than the heavenly one, how will to world ever know that you know Jesus?

PRAYER: Let us live Your Word constantly! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2023 by Galen C. Dalrymple, all rights reserved.

DayBreaks for the Week of 12/19/22 – When God Put His Son in Our Arms

Luke 2:25-32 (NLT) – At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

“We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a highchair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, ‘Hi.’ He pounded his fat baby hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

“I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty, and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.

“We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. ‘Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,’ the man said to Erik.

“My husband and I exchanged looks,  ‘What do we do?’

“Erik continued to laugh and answer, ‘Hi.’

“Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, ‘Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.’

“Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.

“My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

“We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. ‘Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,’ I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s ‘pick-me-up’ position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.

“Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder. The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

“I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, ‘You take care of this baby.’

“Somehow I managed, ‘I will,’ from a throat that contained a stone.

“He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, ‘God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.’

“I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, ‘My God, my God, forgive me.’

“I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, ‘Are you willing to share your son for a moment?’ when He shared His for all eternity. How did God feel when he put his baby in our arms 2000 years ago?

“The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, ‘To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.'” – Author Unknown

You and I are the smelly, dirty man in this story. And wonder of wonders, God has entrusted his son to us.

PRAYER: Thank You, Father, for entrusting Your Son into our arms so long ago and even yet today! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2022, Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 12/12/22: The Impact of Just Three Years

Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ’s 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men, who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity.

Jesus painted no pictures yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from him. Jesus wrote no poetry but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by him. Jesus built no buildings but St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome and Notre Dame in Paris are some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, Jesus composed no music still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth.

His unique contribution to humanity is the salvation of the soul! Philosophy could not accomplish that. Nor art. Nor literature. Nor music. Only Jesus Christ can break the enslaving chains of sin. He alone can speak peace to the human heart, strengthen the weak, and give life to those who are spiritually dead.

It is one thing to talk about the impact of Jesus on the world, but the far more important question is: how have you let him impact you? Why was his impact so great? Because he was not just another human, but Lord of all Creation!

As great as his impact when he came as a babe in a manger has been, when he returns it will be even greater. We need to be ready!

PRAYER: Father, we thank you for Jesus and pray that we’ll be wise enough to not just let him impact our lives, but to be Lord of our lives!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2022, Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 10/30/22 – What Price Integrity?

Romans 12:17 (NLT) – Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.

“It is well known that hospitals charge for medical supplies far in excess of what the products would cost at drug stores, but an August New York Times investigation of “saline drips” vividly demonstrated the disconnect. Though Medicare reimburses $1.07 for a 1-liter plastic bag of salt water (supplied by a subsidiary of Morton Salt), White Plains (N.Y.) Hospital charged patients’ insurance companies like Aetna and United Healthcare $91 per bag.  Other hospitals decline to charge per bag, listing only “IV therapy” of, for example, $393.50 for hooking up the drip.” [New York Times, 8-27-2013]

I worked in the high-tech business world for a long time.  I understand that businesses need to make a profit to survive and provide living wages to employees so they can feed their families.  And I also understand that unless someone has seen the inner workings of a business from the financial standpoint, that most people don’t realize all the hidden costs that companies must cover, and as a result, many people think that companies are ripping people off no matter what they charge.

And some are, as is clear from the quote above. 

What’s this about?  It’s not about castigating medical companies or businesses, churches, or non-profits.  God will judge each and every one someday.  It is about us personally.  At what price are we willing to sell our integrity?

People have been asked questions such as: “How much money would it take for you to mislead someone about your product?”, or “How much money would it take for you to be unfaithful to  your spouse?”, or something along those lines.  And as it turns out, rather shockingly, people seem to be willing to compromise their integrity for a lot less than one might expect. 

What has happened to us?  What has happened to me?  When did our integrity get put on the market for money?  Sometimes it isn’t even money – just a bit of undeserved recognition because we’ve not been fully honest, a bit of praise or fame.  Even just a bit of attention! 

Integrity ought not to have a price tag.  What we give up to gain a few dollars isn’t worth it.  Don’t give up your integrity in order to sign that deal, to make a few extra bucks, or to create a false image of yourself.  Let your integrity be inviolable.  If you lose your integrity by shady dealing, it will come home to roost and you will be left in shame. 

PRAYER: Jesus, You never compromised in the slightest in order to gain some advantage.  Help us to believe that maintaining our integrity is always the best pathway to choose, no matter what we are offered in exchange! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2022, Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 10/2/22 – Ultimate Things

Sin is a bad word, carrying all kinds of baggage in our culture.  There are many who would prefer that the word disappeared from Webster’s Dictionary.  There are also many others who believe that sin is a concept that was created by strict, angry men who somehow got out of the wrong side of the bed one morning and had a fight with their spouse the night before and were therefore angry about everything in the world at one time. 

Sin is a very generic term, but a Biblical one.  Sin wasn’t a concept humans dreamed up, but something which God has defined. 

When we think of sin, we imagine all sorts of horrid and horrible acts: murder, rape, robbery, debauchery, illicit physical relationships, cheating, swindling, character assassination by slander and gossip, genocide, bombing civilians with chemical weapons, suicide bombers who slaughter and maim indiscriminately.  And, indeed, those things are sin.

When we think of sin in those terms, we can tend to let out a sigh of relief and think that we’re doing pretty well in our spiritual life, that we’re not such sinners after all.  And when we think that, we’re playing right into Satan’s hands because he loves it when we think we’re doing well in our attempts to be holy and righteous. 

Take for example what Tim Keller had to say about sin: Sin isn’t only doing bad things, it is more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry. – Tim Keller 

It is easy to make “good things into ultimate things.”  I’ve done it, and I’d be willing to bet that you’ve done it, too.  ANY good thing, except for God Himself, can be made into an idol that will distract us from Him…anything!

What “good things” are you tempted to idolize?  Relaxation?  A spouse or loved one?  Your children?  Sports and recreation?  Church work? 

Think about it.  Repent of it.  And then let’s all stop thinking we’re doing so good in our walk!

PRAYER: There are many good things in this world, Lord, that captivate us and which can lead us into idolatry at the same time.  Send Your Spirit to search us and reveal to us those areas of sin where we have allowed “good things” to become “ultimate things” and help us to understand when we put such things on the throne that only You should occupy!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2022 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 8/22/22 – Not My Shame

From the DayBreaks archive: I took my wife out for lunch yesterday and as we were sitting there at Boudin bakery (we love their sourdough bread bowls), I was watching people come in and out.  People come in such a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.  And as I watched them, I was struck (for about the millionth time in my life) by the fact that they all carry around their own consciousness all day long and no one else can see it.  They carry concerns and joys, pains and relief, despair and hope, love and hate – to name just a few emotions and thoughts. 

Not one of us can see inside their heads or hearts to know what is going on there.  And, if they hide what is there, we cannot tell.  There may be some who have studied human behavior and could make an educated guess based on little tell-tale signs, but for the most part, we’re clueless about what is going on with others.

Maybe we need close friends with whom we can be vulnerable…yet safe.  Someone that we can share what’s happening between our ears and the beats of our hearts.  We need fellow humans who can help us navigate the rapids and falls of life’s river that flows inexorably onward toward a common end. 

More than that, though, we need One who knows ALL about us.  One who will judge us by our hearts and not our shortcomings – just as He did with David long ago. 

There is a song by Fernando Ortega (possibly my favorite Christian musician) called Shame that has these words in it (excerpted):

Though I am weak
Sometimes weary
In times of trial
I hide my face
In the balance
Judge me wholly
Please don’t judge me
By my shame

I have tried to
Live life humbly
Not a coward
Not in vain
When my weakness
Overcomes me
Remember me
Not my shame
Not my shame

I am weak
Sometimes weary
Sometimes small
I hide away
When my hours
Are all accounted
Please don’t bind me
To my shame.

What a blessing it is to know that Christ has borne our shame, that He knows our innermost hearts, hears the unspoken words and thoughts that zing around inside our craniums…and loves us the same!

PRAYER: Lord, we can consume ourselves with our thoughts of failure, guilt and shame!  Remind us when we do that You have lifted that off us past, present and future because you are our closest friend! In Your name, Amen.

Copyright 2022 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 8/14/22 – No Other God

Exodus 20:1-3 (NLT) – Then God gave the people all these instructions: “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me.”

I have recently been reading a very thought-provoking book titled Discipling Nations by Darrow L. Miller.  It is fascinating as it dissects prevailing world views (secularism, animism, Christianity, and Islam being the major ones dealt with).  The more I work with Medical Ambassadors International the more aware I become of the vast differences in worldview and how they affect nearly everything in our lives…not the least of which is religion and ethics. 

For example, the modern mantra is a call for tolerance.  This was largely promulgated by those holding a post-modern worldview that says tolerance means showing equal respect to all moral and metaphysical ideas.  They hold that being tolerant towards people who disagree with us is a virtue.  Is it always that case, though?  Is tolerating false ideas and evil social practices that lead to wickedness, cruelty, injustice, and oppression really a virtue?  Would we really think it a virtue to tolerate those who propagated Nazism and the Holocaust, communism, and socialism?  Even the World Bank has conceded that not all moral ideas and practices have the same consequences.  Typically, the poorest nations are the most corrupt nations.

It is worth noting what Plato (a pretty smart guy, all things considered) observed in Republic, when he told his fellow Greeks that it is impossible to even begin to build a just society without getting rid of the foul stories of their gods and goddesses.  A people cannot be better than their gods.

This is why, perhaps, God said what He did in Exodus 20:1-3.  Is what God said popular?  No.  It isn’t very tolerant, right?  It is not a question, however, of tolerance, but of truth.  Why did God say what He did?  Because He knows that people cannot be better than their gods and goddesses.  If their gods, like those of the Greeks, engaged in revels and orgies and the like, people will tend to imitate their gods.  If their gods are materialistic in nature, we will be given to materialism ourselves.  But if our God is GOD, we will be a holy and righteous people and society.

What is your God like?  It’s an important question because it will determine what you are like!

PRAYER: Lord, how many substitute gods have I\e placed before You?  How many lies of world view have Your people surrendered to?  Clear our minds of the foolishness that we have come to believe that we may believe only the Truth that proceeds from Your mouth!  In Your name, Amen.

Copyright 2022 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 7/03/22 – Lies, Chaos and Truth

On the unusually cold morning of January 28, 1986, the Challenger space shuttle blew apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. But according to some conspiracy theorists, six of the seven crew members still live among us.

Some of the examples are:

Captain Richard “Dick” Scobee, is now the CEO of a Chicago marketing-advertising company called Cows in Trees.

Pilot Michael J. Smith is professor Michael J. Smith of the University of Wisconsin.

Mission Specialist Judith Resnik is a professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Payload Specialist (and “Teacher in Space”) Christa McAuliffe now only uses her first name, Sharon. She has an almost entirely different face than that of Christa’s, and is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University College of Law.

Payload Specialist Gregory Jarvis is the only person that the conspiracy theorists believe died, because they couldn’t identify a double for him.

The facts have repeatedly shown that Challenger tragically fell from the sky due to an O-ring failure after the ship was launched in unsafe temperatures.

In a recent article in Popular Mechanics, Professor Marta Marchlewska at the Polish Institute of Psychology explained the cause for such conspiracies. “People who say that astronauts are still alive refuse to accept that bad things accidentally happen to good people. So, there’s someone behind the disaster or it simply did not happen.”

The author of the article then summarizes: “A conspiracy theory tames the great chaos around us, which is the likely explanation for these implausible ideas. It’s easier to blame the imagined secret machinations of influential people, serving dark agendas, than admitting life can be a cruel beast.” – Stav Dimitropolos, “Why Conspiracy Theorists Refuse to Believe the Challenger Astronauts Died,” Popular Mechanics, (1-28-22)

What does this have to do with Christianity? Consider how easily people believe lies these days. People are tempted to believe a lie when the truth challenges our false beliefs. People want to believe that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people. People want to believe they we are able to be good – good enough in fact to “deserve” a place in heaven.

But not one bit of that is true. But, as followers of Christ, we have something far more trustworthy to tame the great chaos around us. We have the love and grace and mercy of God. We have the everlasting, eternal Creator on our side. We have the Truth – and it is the truth that sets us free – not lies. We have the knowledge of who is truly in control of the destiny of all things. We have his promises – which will always prove to be true. We have his Spirit to guide us into all truth. Why don’t we use it more? We don’t need lies.

PRAYER: Jesus, give us your Spirit to discern the spirits, to test what is good and true and pure and to reject all the lies of Satan! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2022 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/06/22 – Because the World Loves Darkness

NOTE TO READERS: Just a reminder that DayBreaks is now published only once a week.  

A great many of us American Christians get “wrapped around the axle” when it comes to what’s going on in our culture.  Mass shootings of children in schools, rampant drug abuse even among elementary age children, economic systems that feed the pockets of the wealthy but starve the hard workers, injustice, laws that blatantly fly in the face of God’s clear Word, the massive numbers of unwed mothers and dead-beat fathers, children growing up without healthy role models, churches that have forgotten why Jesus created them in the first place – these and many other things scare us and cause us to scratch our heads and wonder what’s happening. It’s not just America, but the world, too, as we’ve seen with the brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Once when out walking, my wife commented on what a beautiful world God created.  Being in a rather sober mood, I commented that yes, it is beautiful here, but around the world people are shooting and killing each other – often in the name of their faith, or for greed or power.  North Korea threatens South Korea and the US with “fire” that will destroy Seoul and Washington as they continue their nuclear program.  Iran has pledged itself to wipe Israel “off the map” once they have the capability to do so.  Human trafficking exists on a rampant scale, thrusting young children as young as 11 or younger into abuse the defies description.  So called cease-fire corridors to allow for humanitarian evacuations of civilians are shelled and bombed and women and children get killed. I don’t get it.  What, in God’s name, has become of us?

Well, you know, I’m not sure that anything has become of us.  There is a simple reality that the apostle John pointed out in the third chapter of his gospel that goes like this: John 3:19 (MSG) – This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.  Or, in the more familiar way of putting it: And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. – (NLT)

There it is, pure and simple.  We must not be surprised at what is happening – at least not if we believe what Scripture says about us.  The fact is that people love the darkness (evil, self-promotion and self-interest) more than the light (the things of God).  Why?  Because “their actions were evil” – and their actions, if the world gets dark enough, will seem normal and right or at the very least acceptable.

It’s easy to point the finger at “them”, isn’t it?  But in what ways am I loving the darkness more than the light?  In what ways are you loving darkness and evil and sin?  Don’t fool yourself about how holy and upright you are.  You are still human.  You still have a sin nature that has a strong root in you. 

Maybe it is time for us Christians to take a good, hard look at ourselves and really probe on the ways that we still love darkness…and then ask God to shine the Light of Jesus into those dark places in our hearts, to root out that darkness.  One thing is for sure: we can’t root them out ourselves!  We can’t even recognize them for what they are because we are deluded about our own faults and sin and goodness. 

Prayer is called for.  Repentance is needed.  The Spirit-walk is necessary.  Even as I write this, I know what some of those dark areas are in my soul and I fear to write what I have for I know my own weakness and how the darkness calls to me and how weak and prone to falling that I am.  Hypocrisy knows no bounds and it spares none of us.  Lord Jesus, have mercy on our souls!

PRAYER: Oh, Light of the world that reached down into darkness, cast Your beams into the dark, dank recesses of our hearts and minds to drive away our love of darkness.  Help us love the Light more than the darkness!  Spare us from what we deserve and grant us Your grace!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2022 by Galen C. Dalrymple.