Smoke and Mirrors

 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

– Luke 9:35 

Slot machines and music concerts may draw big crowds in Las Vegas, but magic acts like Penn & Teller, Mat Franco, and Shin Lim are sometimes the hottest tickets in town. Their clever illusions and sleight of hand are designed to trick the eye — and all while deceiving the audience that it’s possible to make an elephant disappear into thin air. The crowd knows there must be a trick, yet they still want to believe the incredible. Meanwhile, the magician never reveals the truth: the secrets behind their hocus-pocus.

Revelation reaches a much higher level when one's eyes are opened to a spiritual truth that changes everything. For Christ-followers it happens when God shows us we’ve taken the wrong path in some area of life. Then there's the ultimate eye-opener: when non-believers awaken to the fact that Jesus is more than a teacher or prophet — He’s God’s Messiah. 

"I am the way, the truth and the life,” Christ declares in John 14:6. “No one comes to the Father except through me."

It’s then that God’s light shines through. They realize they’ve broken God’s perfect Law … and they need Jesus as their Savior. Unfortunately, most of the world still chooses to remain deceived amidst the utter darkness of its existence. Consider Pontius Pilate’s rhetorical question to Christ in John 18:38: 

“What is truth?”

The Truth that Pilate questioned is a Person rather than a concept. Moreover, He’s quite near to those who seek Him. As Christ-followers, we can access Him through the Bible, prayer … and even wise counsel from fellow Believers. And that’s also why we should have less trouble than others with discerning what’s right and wrong — even though millions have already redefined good and bad to create their own morality and truth. So, amidst this increasingly murky backdrop of deception, let’s look at our own reflection and ask ourselves:

Do our words, thoughts, and deeds have substance … or are they just smoke and mirrors?

Membership Has Its Privileges

So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” 

-- Luke 7:22

In 1987, American Express launched the Membership Has Its Privileges advertising campaign, which revolutionized the credit card industry by shifting its marketing focus from a transactional payment tool to an exclusive lifestyle club. The campaign’s commercials depicted wealthy cardmembers enjoying exotic vacations, upscale dining, and VIP event access. Their underlying message was that American Express cardmembers — unlike the general public — qualify for exclusive perks and an elite lifestyle. 

American Express recognized the attraction of exclusivity, which starts early and extends long into adulthood. For example, were you one of the popular elementary school kids who was always picked first for the kickball team … or were you the odd-man-out nearly every time? And if you grew up in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, were you always wearing the latest pair of designer jeans or Air Jordans?

Here's some good news, particularly for those of us who were never crowned king or queen of the high school prom or lettered on the varsity football team. And it covers something much more important and lasting:

God — the most powerful and loving Presence in the universe — has invited you and me to join his royal family. Once we put our faith in Jesus as our savior, we become an adopted son or daughter of our Creator, who also happens to be the ultimate loving Father (“Abba”). And as God’s children, we’ll enjoy an amazing inheritance for eternity.

It’s an offer that seems too simple and good to be true, but it’s not. In fact, Jesus welcomes, heals, and restores — regardless of our social status or background. And we don’t have to wait until we die to enjoy some of these perks and benefits. One is the privilege of knowing God within a personal relationship. Through prayer, we can come to him directly with our joys, needs, and sorrows. It’s this close bond that helps us overcome the obstacles and challenges we’re guaranteed to face in life.

This amazing offer is open to all. But it’s also exclusive because only those who put their faith in Christ alone will be welcomed into the Kingdom. It’s a crucial reminder that membership indeed has its privileges, and Jesus long ago paid our entrance fee. Now it’s up to you and me to respond: “Yes, Abba!”

Why We Serve

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

– Luke 6:35

In 1942, the U.S. Government premiered the first film from a series called Why We Fight. Produced by legendary Hollywood director Frank Capra, these powerful motion pictures were designed to educate America’s armed forces and the public about the causes of World War II and the principles on which our nation stood. 

Fast-forward to 2026, and Christ-followers are still fighting powerful adversaries. For example, the media is actively promoting cultural narratives that oppose the faith — and all while attacking those who refuse to accept unbiblical perspectives, lifestyles, and initiatives. Likewise, many government leaders and bureaucrats are either looking the other way, or they’re helping to spread the corrosive messaging. What was once evil is now considered good, and what’s good is now considered evil. 

While darkness and confusion seem to reign these days, let’s not be discouraged. After all, life in God’s kingdom operates differently than the kingdoms of this world. Let’s consider Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 5:16 to some of his earliest followers:

“Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

What does he mean by light? It’s really that inner Power that God grants each Believer for exhibiting his goodness through word and deed. That light might appear in the form of helping an elderly neighbor by running a much-needed errand … or volunteering to manage a co-worker’s project when they’re struggling to finish an earlier assignment. Or it might involve cleaning up a community park or visiting residents at a local assisted living center. The possibilities are endless.

Believers are called to be Jesus’ hands and feet on earth while we wait for his return or that day when he calls us back home. Until then, let’s remember that serving others makes us more like our Savior, which is another good reason to follow in his footsteps:

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” Jesus explains. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."

With apologies to Frank Capra, the question for Christ-followers isn’t why we fight. Instead, it’s why we serve.

The Fixer Upper

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

– Luke 5:31-32

Although home renovation is hardly a new concept, the related house-flipping industry has more recent origins. The principle behind flipping is to buy a foreclosed or otherwise distressed property at a bargain-basement price, fix it up quickly, and then sell it for a big profit. For example, the Magnolia Network’s popular TV series The Fixer Upper follows Waco, TX-based Chip and Joanna Gaines as they renovate the worst homes in the best neighborhoods. The results from their shared efforts are nothing less than spectacular. What were once useless eyesores are transformed into cherished homesteads.

Every Christ-follower can relate to this illustration. Like run-down properties made new, we become born again once we accept Jesus Christ through faith as our Savior. We start over at that point with a clean slate with God — now ready and able to do good works to advance his Kingdom. All our failures and sins (past, present, and future) have been forgiven. And it’s all because Jesus willingly paid that heavy price and died in our place on the cross.

As new Christ-followers we become transformed in the way we live, the way we see the world, and the way we look toward the future. But like a weather-worn house with a bad foundation, the renovation takes time … and it’s on the Master Builder’s timetable. Ezekiel 36:26 offers us this amazing promise:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

God — like those home pros we watch on TV — enjoys transforming the worthless into the worthwhile. And he tends to accomplish his plans in some unlikely ways and places through some even more unlikely people.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” our Creator proclaims through the book of Isaiah. “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Liberty or Death

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will  baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” 

– Luke 3:16

Americans enjoy countless rights and privileges protected under federal, state, and local laws. And the First Amendment of the Constitution even guarantees our freedom to worship God as we see fit. But if we look at things through Jesus’ perspective, no one (of any nationality) has any real freedom. The truth is that we’re all slaves! 

Regardless of what’s written in our Bill of Rights or President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, everyone without exception is a slave to someone or something. They might not have literal chains around their ankles. But as Jesus puts it so bluntly:

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

This type of sin represents bondage to the world’s values, and it comes in many forms. It might be slavery to money and possessions, pleasure, fame, career — or even religion. But whatever its form, it boils down to substituting false, man-made gods for the One and Only True Creator.

Christ-followers are also slaves. The big difference, however, is that they willingly choose to give up the temporary things of this world for the true freedom gained from an eternal relationship with the Savior.

“Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey,” writes the apostle Paul, “whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Paul’s question reveals that our choice is one of liberty or death: following Jesus or following sin.

Is this a difficult decision? Let’s remember that our earthly possessions aren’t really our own, and we certainly can't expect them to last. We can lose our jobs unexpectedly through a layoff, and our homes and property can be ruined through a natural or man-made disaster. Serious health issues can arise at any time. And let’s face it: the mortality rate for everyone is 100%.

The fact is that one day we WILL lose it all in one way or another. And unfortunately, most people will choose to do it through their slavery to sin. But there’s a far better and more satisfying choice: bondage to a very kind master through acceptance of Jesus’ generous offer of eternal life.

"Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever," Christ assures us. "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

 

Hope Personified

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

– Luke 1:32-33

One of the great things about the English language is that a single word can mean so many different things. For example, we might say that we love going to church, we love pizza, and we’d love for our football team to win the Super Bowl.

The same is true for the word hope. We hope that food and gas prices will decline. We hope we’ll make it to the office on time. And we also put our hope for eternal salvation in Jesus. After all, He’s the fulfillment of God’s promises … and the Savior for all people.

Christ-centered hope isn't anchored to empty promises. During his brief time on earth, Jesus cured the sick, raised the dead, forgave sins, and became a living sacrifice to pay the price for all the wrongs of the world — just as God had planned it at the foundation of the world. Christ’s resurrection from the grave — just as he had predicted it — proved his mastery over death. And 2,000 years later, the Savior’s words continue to change lives and render hope. 

Jesus’ status as hope personified is a certainty that every Believer should embrace. But sometimes that’s easier said than done because there are situations where we can't see the big picture. We don’t know the life-changing people and circumstances that God will place into our existence. And we also don’t have his vantage point of knowing what’s around the corner and miles up the road. Moreover, it’s hard for us to see a greater purpose in our lives when we're going through the pain of unemployment, lingering illness, family issues, or even death. But God is in control. And for those who trust and follow him, he offers this assurance:

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you,” says our Creator. “Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

To borrow the title of an old-time Gospel song, this promise is nothing less than Blessed Assurance. We know without a doubt that God — through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross — has taken care of our past, present, and future. So, in a world marked by tragedy, sorrow, and uncertainty, we can still find hope for today … and tomorrow.

 

Follow the Leader

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” 

– John 15:5

Imagine that it’s nighttime, and it’s raining so hard that you can barely see over your car’s hood. The fog and mist have rolled in. And you can’t risk slowing down or pulling over to the roadside. It’s a multi-vehicle accident just waiting to happen.

So, how can you make it safely to your destination? 

When it’s raining cats and dogs, sometimes the best move is a serious game of Follow the Leader. That means following the dim red taillights of the vehicle ahead of you and matching the driver’s every turn. When he taps his brakes, you do, too. And if he bears right, you don’t ask questions. That’s because you know he can see what’s up ahead. Danger awaits if you try to make it on your own. So ultimately, it’s a matter of trust.

Isn’t that also true for every Christ-follower — as well as the pastors, elders, and teachers who lead them? Jesus asked his disciples to follow him into storms, hostile crowds, and towns full of unbelievers. Those were hazardous situations. But like that lead driver on the highway, Jesus could see what was ahead. And he led those who believed in Him to experience life in its fullest.

That was fine 2,000 years ago. But what does it mean to follow Christ in the 21st century?

Simply put, Believers should imitate Jesus. That means following His example of communion with God through regular prayer, Bible reading, worship, and gathering with other believers. We can also mimic our Savior by being a friend to the weak and helpless, sharing our material blessings, and being an advocate for justice. And that barely scratches the surface.

If you’re of a certain age, maybe you wore a What Would Jesus Do (WWJD) bracelet or had the bumper sticker on your car. And it’s still the BIG question — more so now than ever considering these stormy days of social, economic, and political turmoil. Indeed, what would Jesus do? 

There’s only one way to find out. Let's follow the Leader!