In Cuba, nothing is bigger than baseball, not even the cigars. Nothing, that is, except Castro.

Recently, the 74-year-old dictator, grabbed an aluminum bat and walked to the plate in an exhibition game against Venezuela. When Castro approached the batter’s box, the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez left his first base position to take the mound.

His first pitch didn’t even reach the plate and Castro kept his bat on his shoulder. The next pitch was a strike, but Castro missed. A couple more balls and an attempted bunt later, the two heads of state were locked into a full count.

Castro watched the 3-2 pitch blaze through the middle of the strike zone and listened as the umpire called him out. “No,” Castro said, “That was a ball.” And he took first base.

President Chavez said nothing. The opposing team said nothing, and the umpire said nothing.

Castro was right, it wasn’t Chavez’s day. But not because of his pitching. It is hard to get a batter out when he has the power to overrule the umpire’s calls.

In God’s economy, dictators can’t either. Everyone will face God’s ultimate judgment, and when we do, His word will be final.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10 NASB)

A University of Manitoba Assistant Professor who tried to constitutionally challenge stop signs was ordered to pay a $59 traffic fine after he walked out of the courtroom. Rod Yellon, who had received a ticket after allegedly rolling through a stop sign in March of 1998, tried to have the proceedings adjourned for a ninth time claiming he had been injured in a traffic accident a month before his latest appearance. Yellon had previously delayed the proceedings claiming his mind had been sucked into a black hole and he had forgotten the date. Another time he claimed a repetitive strain injury to his hand prevented him from preparing for his trial.

Yellon filed paperwork claiming stop signs were too vague. He argued stop signs, unlike other traffic control devices, "don't have any standards and frequencies of calibration, performance and testing." He had also planned to call a "perceptual psychologist" to testify police could not have judged that he rolled through the stop sign because they were also moving at the time.

The judge continued with the trial though Yellon had walked out. The two officers who issued the ticket were called to testify. In a matter of minutes, the judge had heard enough to convict the professor. Yellon has until April to pay his fine.

—http://www.canada.com, February 19, 2002, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Guilt can never be covered by excuses. When the judge hears the evidence and pronounces punishment, the matter is final.

1 Peter 1:17 NIV "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear."

A recent article in Reader's Digest poked fun at some labels that manufactures put on their products that state the obvious. Here's some of the labels they cited:

At the risk of stating the obvious today, every one of us will die and one day stand before God and give account for the way we've lived our lives. There will be no exceptions.

Galatians 6:7 KJV Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

In his book, What’s so Amazing About Grace, Phillip Yancy tells about the history of the effects of a single sin on four generations. Daisy was born in 1898, the eighth of ten children. Her father was a mean, abusive drunk who kicked his wife out of the house. All ten children cried, begging their father not to put their mother out, but he wouldn’t budge. He sent her away, saying he never wanted to see her again. In time, most of the children were farmed out to relatives or went to live with their mother, but Daisy stayed with her Dad until she was old enough to leave home.

Finally, her dad “guttered out” and stumbled into a rescue mission where he had to “earn” his dinner by listening to a sermon. When the preacher gave the invitation, he went forward to accept Christ because it seemed the “polite thing to do.” But to his surprise, the sinner’s prayer took. His life began to change. He sobered up and began seeking out his children, begging them for forgiveness for the way he’d treated them. At first, they were suspicious of the old man, thinking he was just trying to get into their good graces so he could hit them up for drinking money, but to their surprise, he was sincere and they all forgave him. Everyone, that is, except Daisy. Like he’d said to her mother, “she never wanted to see him again as long as she lived.” Even though he lived just eight houses from her for 5 years, she never visited him and never forgave him.

Daisy swore she would never be like her father, and she never was a drunk, but she had the same unforgiving, abusive spirit. She was harsh with her six children and was verbally abusive with them—especially with Margaret. Margaret swore she would be different than her mother, and she was never abusive, but she was unbending and harsh with her four children, but was especially harsh with her son Michael, kicking him out of the house saying, “I never want to see you again…”

She got her wish. For twenty-six years, they never spoke. Michael doesn’t have any children, but he has gone from one relationship to another and Yancy says that he has said that he “never wants to see his wife again.”

Four generations. One sin. The son learned it from the mother who learned it from her mother who learned it from her father. Over a hundred years have passed and the sin flourishes and wrecks havoc in the lives of the old drunk’s descendants.

To think that I might have to suffer because of something my great grandfather did seems unfair. But what absolutely terrifies me is to think that my great grandchildren could suffer because of something I’ve done.

For more information on What’s So Amazing About Grace, go to http://www.freshministry.org/books/grace.html

Exodus 20:5 NASB “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,”

One jury found O. J. Simpson "not guilty" in the murder case of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and another jury held him "liable" for the same crime. How could that be? There were different standards of proof. In the first trial, the standard was "beyond a reasonable doubt," while in the second trial it was "more likely than not."

When we judge ourselves, we often compare ourselves to others and we find ourselves "not guilty." But God's standards are different. They are pure, and they are just.

Col. 3:25 "For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."

Timothy McVeigh's lawyers attempted to stay his execution because 4,000 pages of documents were withheld. They felt it was important for them to examine all the evidence to see if they could find a reason why McVeigh shouldn't die for his heinous crime. District Court Judge Richard Matsch denied the request, and McVeigh was put to death as scheduled

—http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?category=Canada&story=/news/2001/06/07/mcveigh010607 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

One day, we will all stand before the JUDGMENT throne, and there will be no appeals. And we will give account for what we've done.

Rev. 20:12 KJV "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

In an effort to avoid fines and an outstanding traffic warrant; 36 year-old Kimberly Du allegedly sent a letter to local authorities stating she had died. Her bad driving habits eventually exposed the lie and landed the Iowa woman in jail, when authorities realized she was still alive.

Court papers allege Du sent a letter to court authorities in December, purportedly from her mother, stating she had died. The letter included the printout of a death notice reportedly taken from the website of a local newspaper. The judge threw out Du's warrant when he received the notice and thought the case was closed. The lie fell apart when courthouse clerks discovered two new tickets issued to Du for speeding and driving with a suspended license, issued a month after her supposed December death.

The subsequent investigation found the obituary had never actually appeared on the newspaper's website, and Du's funeral had never occurred. Du is now in jail facing up to two years in prison for allegedly forging her mother's name on the letter to the court.

—http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/NEWS01/603010357Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 4:13 (CEV) "Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell him the truth."

A judge recently sentenced Amy Duckworth to eight years for trafficking cocaine into prison to her husband. She will serve six months in prison and the balance on probation. This may sound like a routine case, but it isn't. Mrs. Duckworth used two Bibles to smuggle the drugs into her husband's cell.

Her statement at sentencing is telling. She said, "When I committed this offense, I wasn't thinking about my children."

All of our actions have consequences. This one had them on Mrs. Duckworth and on her children.

—http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2006/08/08/ap2934745.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

1 Kings 15:3 (HCSB) "Abijam walked in all the sins his father had done before him, and he was not completely devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been."

As Michael Drennon, 26, walked away from the Wachovia Bank in Bensalem, Pennsylvania with $2500.00 in his pocket, I'm sure he hoped the police wouldn't track him down for robbing the bank. Unfortunately for him, he'd written the note he handed the teller on the back of one of his pay stubs and the FBI had an easy time tracking him down.

—http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051020/ap_on_fe_st/pay_stub_robbery Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Galatians 6:7 (NAB) "Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows,"

An over-zealous German police officer slapped a parking ticket on the windshield of a fellow officer's patrol car while his colleagues were setting up a radar trap for unsuspecting motorists. The radar police had parked his car on the wrong side of the road facing oncoming traffic, which is a violation of the local traffic laws.

Officer Hans-Joachim Schneider told a local newspaper why he gave other police officers the ticket. He said, "Traffic regulations apply for everyone."

—Reuters, Radar Police Stumped by Parking Ticket, February 3, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Col. 3:25 (NASB) "For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."

Police in Stockholm recently arrested one of their own officers and charged him with armed robbery after the 36 year-old-man robbed a bank and then investigated the crime himself. Authorities say the officer apparently robbed the bank, and then came back an hour later to investigate the case. He told reporters at the time that police had no clues.

Authorities did not disclose the exact amount of money, but described it as sizable. Police say they confronted their fellow officer after becoming suspicious of his recent spending activity. He confessed and later pleaded guilty.

—Reuters, The Cop Without a Clue, February 1, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Galatians 6:7-8 (NASB) "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life."

For Ken Lay and his family, the long court battle is over. Enron is a faint memory. Ken Lay is innocent. All records are wiped cleaned. Forget the four month jury trial and the guilty verdict. Forget the bench trial and the guilty verdict. Forget the sentencing. Forget the appeals. Stop looking for the $40 million in damages of the $600 billion in losses; Lay is no longer guilty!

How could this be? What has changed? Ken Lay died on July 5 of a heart attack while vacationing with his wife in Aspen, Colorado. On Tuesday, October 17, US District Judge Sim Lake issued an order siding with Lay's attorneys who argued that since he was dead he could not appeal. Judge Lake vacated the conviction and dismissed the indictment against Ken Lay. Since Lay is dead, all charges are dropped and his slate is wiped clean. Clean, but as far as I'm concerned, clean with an asterisk.

—USA Today, October 18, 2006, page 83. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and John Elder.

When your heart beats its last time, earthly affairs change, but the indebtedness beyond remains. Unfortunately for Ken Lay, his attorney's arguments and a US District Judge's order have no place at the throne of judgment. The wages of sin must be paid.

Psalms 9:7-8 (GW) "Yet, the Lord is enthroned forever. He has set up his throne for judgment. [8] He alone judges the world with righteousness. He judges (its) people fairly."

Justice can only be served if evidence is untainted and the judge is pure. According to the House of Lords, Parliament and the British Bar, neither happened in the conviction of Krishna Maharaj who, according to the Florida courts, murdered two business rivals in October 1986 and is now on Florida's death row. The prosecutors, Maharaj's attorneys say, withheld evidence that was favorable toward their client. The Judge in the case, Howard Gross, was disbarred for bribery in another case. Maharaj's attorneys want his conviction overturned and a new trial for their client.

I don't know if Maharaj committed the crime or not, but it didn't surprise me to read of corruption in the court system. It is a worn-out theme.

Ultimately, everyone will be judged by a Holy God. No evidence will be suppressed. He who knows everything will judge the world. There will be no appeals, no evidentiary hearings, no high powered attorneys, just us and God. He will separate us like a shepherd separates sheep and goats.

Matthew 25:32-34 NIV "All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. [34] "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world."

When Census 2000 workers knocked on America's doors to gather information, they found some Americans friendly, some uncooperative, and others downright hostile. David Patterson, a worker in rural North Carolina reported that all one guy did was yell obscenities at him—David never got a chance to ask his questions.

Why would some American's behave this way? Walt Williams, who ran the University of Washington's "Trust in Government" project in the mid-90's says it is because people feel that the government is "watching them and knows more and more about them."

Patterson met one guy who certainly fit that description. When he answered the door, he was wearing a "Confederate States of America" belt buckle and refused to answer the questions, saying the government is untrustworthy.

The idea of "someone watching" gives most people the creeps. Who wants their indiscretions known?

God is watching, and He knows. To the believer it is comforting to know that God is watching over them, but to the unbeliever, it must be an unbearable thought to know that God knows.

Matthew 12:36 NASB "And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment."

Josh grew up in the church and was active in his youth group growing up. Like many children who were raised in a Christian home, Josh adopted the faith of his parents. But that all changed when he turned 30.

Josh fell in love with another woman and left his wife. When he told his family about his decision, his mother couldn't stop "preaching" at him about his sinfulness and his sister outright told him that he would go to hell because of this sin.

John 8:7 NIV "When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'"

In the movie about Johnny Cash, "Walk the Line," there is a scene in a country grocery store where Reese Witherspoon, who plays June Carter is shopping for a fishing pole. After a conversation with some adoring fans she encounters another woman who has something to get off her chest. She says, "Your ma and pa are good Christians in a world gone to pot." Reese smiles and says, "I'll tell them you said that." The saleswoman continues, "I'm surprised they still speak to you after that stunt with Carl Smith. Divorce is an abomination. Marriage is for life." Instead of striking back, Reese replies, "I'm sorry I let you down, Mam," and walks away.

—"Walk the Line", Scene 16: "A World of Judgment" 54:55 to 55:40. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

We live in a culture that thinks this saleswoman is representative of the Christian community. They think we are mean-spirited, closed minded bigots. We must live life in such a way that others can see Jesus in us. We must be salt and light, not doom and criticism.

Matthew 5:13-16 (HCSB) [13] "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. [14] "You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

At one time or another, all of us find ourselves the recipients of undeserved criticism. The best way to handle it is with a soft answer.

Proverbs 15:1 (KJV) "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

During the 2008 season, Ohio state coach Jim Tressel suspended punt returner Ray Small for one game “to start with.” This meant that Small could not play against No. 12 rated Ohio State. Team spokesperson Shelly Poe said the suspension was due to a “repeated violation of team rules.”

Small’s father, Ken Small, said he is mystified why the coach suspended his son. “They’re intentionally trying to blow his career,” Ken Small said.

Ray Small has been in and out of Tressel’s doghouse for the past two seasons. His Father said the latest suspension stemmed from missing or being late for some classes and meetings. He also said part of his son’s problems was parking tickets.

Ken Small cited several other recent legal transgressions by Ohio State players. A player a year ago was arrested for propositioning a female police officer posing as a prostitute. Officials arrested at least two players for driving under the influence of alcohol.

“He had a couple of incidents, but he never got caught smoking marijuana before the national championship game. Or he never got a DUI, or picked up a prostitute. He was just late,” Ken Small said. “And the punishment is you can’t even go into the (practice) facility?”

Ray Small’s dad Ken feels like his son should be graded on the curve by Coach Tressel. After all, his transgressions are not as great as they could be, or even as serious as the transgressions of some of the other players. Coach Tressel disagrees and in this case, it is his opinion that matters..

-- USA Today Friday November 7, 2008 page 11C Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

God doesn’t grade on a curve either. All people will pay for their sins regardless of how big or small they are.

Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

The novel Hold Tight The Thread, by Jane Kirkpatrick is an historical fictionalization centering on the lives of real people living in the Pacific Northwest during the 1840s. The book explores the forces acting on individuals due to the interplay of French, Native American, English, and American cultures during the colonization of the Washington Oregon area. While we can never know the exact thinking and conversations of these people, historical data and imagination provide insight into a topic intriguing every generation through the eyes of those who lived two centuries ago. A simple conversation between and husband and wife opens a window on how we often judge each other based on what they should or should not do.

Marguerite Venier Gorbin struggles with living up to the example set by her mother. Marguerite’s mother is an expert in every aspect of pioneer life, and she feels overlooked and neglected. Marguerite longs to have her mother come to visit her family, offer advice on parenting, and most of all, show approval of Marguerite’s work with the children she is raising. One night while speaking to her husband, JB, Marguerite says she feels her mother should take more time for her. JB says if Marguerite would ask, her mother would make time for her. Marguerite then says she believes she should not have to ask. With that comment, the battle over the power of the “shoulds”in life begins.

JB observes, “All that should happen in a life is that the sun should come up and night should follow day. A should that is not the brother of something natural has judgment written on it. It would be nice if everything went as we wished, but this desire that all things go the way we want is wasted. Shoulds weigh heavy on a head.”

Marguerite responds with a series of questions, “But if I’ve asked your sons to do something, and they know how to do it and it’s a realistic request and they don’t, shouldn’t they do it? Shouldn’t you make them do it? Shouldn’t a son honor his mother?”

After some thought, JB responds, “This should word is a hammer,” he said, “meant to pound you down. It keeps you from finding out what else you could do if you weren’t shoulding someone else, wanting them to change. Your mother should do what she thinks she is called to do, whether it pleases you or not.”

--Hold Tight The Thread, Jane Kirkpatrick, Waterbrook Press, 2004, pg 242. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Matthew 7:3-5 GNB You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,”when you don't see the log in your own eye? You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.

A trend in the justice system is moving judges to impose shame upon violators of the law. Like the pioneer days of stocks and scarlet letters these judges are sentencing minor criminals to public humiliation. In Bedford County, Pennsylvania for example, one woman was required to sit on the street holding a sign that read, “I stole from a 9 year-old on her birthday! Don’t steal or this could happen to you!”

In Ohio two teens who broke into a church on Christmas Eve were required to march through town with a donkey and a sign reading, “Sorry for the Jackass Offense.”

According to Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, “there is a difference between shame from a punishment and shame as a punishment.” Most criminals feel a sense of shame that they have failed to live up to society’s standards.

--USA Today, November 17, 2009, P. 13A. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Our responsibility is not to shame people, but to lead them to the one who took their shame from them.

Hebrews 12:2 (NASB) “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Denver, Colorado has a new interstate that circles half of the city. It is a toll road. The E-470 toll road is now cashless. Tolls are recorded “either because motorists have a transponder or by photos taken of a driver's license plate, which generate a bill in the mail.”

--http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_12749078 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

With video and computer technology, the state of Colorado can now track the driver across the landscape of eastern Denver. They know where you are and how fast you drive. They know how many times you pass a certain tollbooth and then they send you a bill they expect you to pay.

Paying a toll is one thing, paying for sins we commit is quite another. If you drive on E-470, the government knows. Their knowledge is limited. God knows everything we do, and we will reap what we sow.

Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV) “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (8) The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

To many baseball fans, George Steinbrenner was the emperor of the “evil empire.” He fired more people than most will ever hire. But to Rick Cerrone, former P.R. Director of the Yankees George was someone entirely different. He says, "Not a lot of people know this, but he would hear of a story, read about someone in the newspaper who was having a hard time, and he would find them and help them, without getting any credit. He picked up random people's medical bills. He was a very magnanimous, generous person."

--http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/13/steinbrenner.profile/index.html?hpt=C2 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jeff Langley

I would have never thought this about Steinbrenner if I hadn’t read Cerrone’s quote. I’m reminded that I often am guilty of pigeonholing people and judging them unfairly. Am I the only one, or do you struggle with the same thing?

Many publications prepare copy for high profile news stories ahead of time, speculating on how the story might play out. Though this is common, a few British publications made the error of actually publishing news that turned out to be false concerning the acquittal of American Amanda Know by an Italian Court. The Daily Mail, and The Sun mistakenly released the news that Knox had been declared guilty moments before the court set her free. The story in the Daily mail actually described in detail responses from Knox and her family that never took place. The Sun only released a headline declaring that a jury had found Know guilty but quickly retracted it.

When questioned about the error, The Daily Mail claimed the incorrect article was only posted for 90 seconds. They promised to look into what happened because some commentators allege the story was posted much longer. A source from the paper said they used quotes that were given by a prosecutor in advance. Some commentators think the publications heard the judge say Knox was guilty of defamation and incorrectly concluded he was going to find her guilty of murder as well. A couple of other British tabloids jumped the gun with the incorrect news, but only one, The Guardian printed an apology. That paper posted, “For clarification, this entry said Knox had lost the appeal on this specific charge Apologies for the error.”

--Amanda Knox initially declared guilty by Daily Mail, The Sun, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/amanda-knox-initially-declared-guilty-by-daily-mail-the-sun/2011/10/04/gIQAXtrlKL_blog.html; October 4, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Regardless of the what the world says, Jesus has declared his children, not guilty, once and for all.

Romans 8:33-34 (CEV) (33) If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? (34) Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us.

The longest living human on record in the modern era was Jeanne Calment of France. She lived to be 122 and died in 1997. The New England Centenarian Study at the Boston Medical Center studies aging and people who live past 100.

The Gerontological Society of America reported that the number of Americans living to age 90 and beyond has tripled in the past three decades to almost 2 million and is likely to quadruple by 2050.

-- USA Today, November 21, 2001 p. 7D; p. 3A Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

While living a long and healthy life is certainly better than the alternative, we should not put off preparing for life beyond life. Whether we live only 50, 70 or set the record with over 122 years, we all have an appointment with death. After that, we face the judgment. Something everyone should prepare for.

Hebrews 9:27 (HCSB) And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—

John Demjanjuk recently died. Mr. Demjanjuk had quite a life. Born in the Ukraine, he began WWII in the Russian Army. The German Army captured and imprisoned him. After that, his life story is in dispute. He migrated to the US in 1952 and lived an upstanding American life until Israel accused him of being “Ivan the Terrible,” a sadistic gas-chamber operator at the Treblinka extermination camp in Poland. The Israeli court convicted him and sentenced him to hang. Then the Israeli Supreme Court overturned the conviction when evidence emerged that he was not Ivan.

Then Germany asked for the United States to deport him to Germany on charges he had served as a guard at another Polish camp where he helped kill almost 30,000 Jews. The German court found him guilty. He had appealed this conviction as was awaiting a decision when he died.

--The Week, March 30, 2012 p. 46 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

While we may still wonder about John Demjanjuk’s guilt or innocence it has now be determined in the court of eternity. Standing before God, the court where there is no appeal, his situation is no longer in doubt.

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

What are you doing to prepare for the end? A man in Florida used a backhoe to build an underground survival bunker in his yard. He dug it large enough that he could bury a truck and trailer. He told police before they carried him off to jail that he was “preparing for the worst.”

There is a day coming when we will reach the end. We should be storing up treasure in heaven in preparation for that day. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 24:42 (NIV) "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

50 years ago, Richard Eggers put a fake dime into a laundry machine. The local sheriff arrested him and a judge sentenced him to 2 days in jail and a $50 fine. The Wells Fargo bank he works for has fired him after they discovered his criminal past. “The bank says federal regulation prohibits them from employing workers with criminal histories of financial impropriety.”

That rule, or at least Wells Fargo’s interpretation of the rule may seem excessive but it is good incentive to live a holy life. With Christ, forgiveness comes with repentance, in society, maybe not.--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Numbers 32:23 (HCSB) But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD; be sure your sin will catch up with you.

Jeremiah warns that a people who refuse to give God glory will reap the darkness of judgment. Today in England 78% of parents object to letting their children under ten play outside. Only 25% said they felt secure in their own homes. Is this a sign of reaping what we have sown? --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Jeremiah 13:14 (HCSB) I will smash them against each other, fathers and sons alike”—?this is? the LORD’s declaration. “I will allow no mercy, pity, or compassion ?to keep Me? from destroying them.”

God and Michigan State District Judge Hugh Clarke Jr. play no favorites. Clarke has a rule in his courtroom; no cell phones. When the judge’s cell phone unexpectedly rang during a court session Clarke assessed himself a $50 fine, reached into his wallet, and paid his bailiff on the spot. “I am not above the law,” Judge Clarke told The Wall Street Journal. “We operate by laws and rules, and people have to follow them.”

We are all subject to God’s laws as well. There is a penalty for breaking the spiritual laws. Thank goodness Jesus is able and willing to pay our penalty for us. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

On May 20, 2013 a category 5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma. The storm was devastating, leveling houses and business, including two elementary schools. The national weather service issued a Tornado Emergency at 2:40 pm. At 2:56 pm the storm struck. People had 16 minutes to respond. “16 minutes. For the people of Moore, Okla., that was the difference between life and death,” reads the headline in Time magazine.

There will be no warning except that already given when the Lord returns. The people of Moore had an extra 16 minutes to get ready. You and I need to be perpetually prepared to meet the Lord when he comes. Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 24:42 (NKJV) Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

Judging

In “Pearls and Pigs,” Al Weeks writes, “We all judge. We do it all the time. No problem. The only problem surfaces when we judge others without spiritual discernment.” —Jim L. Wilson

Matthew 7:1–2 (HCSB)¹ “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. ² For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

The police chief of a small community in northeast Oklahoma said he gave himself a $300 speeding ticket after he was caught on video. Sperry Police Chief Justin Burch admitted that he was driving between 75 and 80 mph. He posted an apology on the department’s Facebook page and admitted that he was not sure if he would have issued the ticket if he hadn’t been caught on video. Still, he said he would pay the ticket in full, and said he must “be held accountable.”–Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (CSB)“For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.”

Officials from a cemetery in Bellevue, Massachusetts reported that flags were missing from the graves of veterans. When the new flags disappeared, cemetery workers asked the local police to investigate. What do you think was happening? My first thought would be that a subversive element was trying to make an anti-American statement.

That is not what the authorities found. After watching the cemetery, officers found evidence suggesting that a woodchuck was using the flags to line its burrow. Chief Richard Tara said a similar incident happened in New York in 2012, where police linked the disappearance of 75 flags to a woodchuck who lived nearby. —Jim L Wilson and Jim Sandell

http://www.klove.com/news/2018/06/19/Officials-Figure-Out-Why-Flags-Are-Missing-From-Veterans-Graves

South African officials made a gruesome discovery. They found the remains of three men along with a high-powered rifle, an axe, and some shoes and clothing. It appears that the three had slipped into an animal reserve to poach rhinos when instead they were eaten by a pride of lions.

Jesus warned us that we could be subject to the same judgment we use to judge others. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Cairo's International Garden Municipal Park’s zoo disputes that their two “zebras” are actually donkeys with painted stripes, even though Mahmoud Sarhan, posted images of animals on Facebook that resemble donkeys, not zebras.

According to a news report, in 2009, a zoo in Gaza did paint stripes on a donkey, “saying that it could not procure real zebras due to an Israeli blockade.” —Jim L. Wilson

Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

Arjanit Mehana said his elderly neighbor never liked his dog Simba, because the animal was a pit bull. He said Simba was always friendly, but the elderly woman called him mean and looked at him fearfully. Mehanna said the woman changed her mind when Simba helped save her life. He said one day he and the dog were returning home, when Simba suddenly started barking and pawing at the woman’s door. He tried to pull the dog back, but Simba refused to leave. He stepped to tighten the dog’s leash and heard the woman’s voice calling for help. She had fallen and broken her hip. She had been lying on the floor for two days without any way to call for help. He called for help and both of them stayed with the woman until help arrived. Mehanna said since then, his neighbor has had a change of heart about Simba. He said he hopes maybe Simba’s story will help other people reconsider their views about pit bulls.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”

Bodhi Johnson, who has a tattoo with the words “Only God can judge me” on his chest. In an attempt to avoid the judgment of others, he escaped from a high security prison in Queensland, Australia where he was serving six years for causing the death of another person. I have never understood why a criminal would think facing God’s judgment is a good thing. Ultimately, he will not be able to escape God’s judgment, which has an eternal punishment without the possibility of escape. —Jim L. Wilson

Keagan Elder, “Killer escapes Queensland prison farm,” accessed 11/2/19. https://www.qt.com.au/news/killer-escapes-townsville-prison-farm/3848660/

Firefighters often take extraordinary efforts to keep the public safe. Recently it involved breaking two windows of a car that was blocking their access to a fire hydrant. They couldn’t run the hose under the car and feared that running it over the car would cause even greater damage, so they did what they had to do to gain access to the hydrant.

In this case, the only consequences the driver of the car faced were financial. I could have been worse. What if the negligence resulted in loss of property or the life of others? —Jim L. Wilson

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/26/california-firefighters-string-hose-through-car-parked-fire-hydrant/2999403002/

For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.

For over a year the driver got away with driving in the HOV lane without a passenger. Perhaps it was because he had a lifelike mannequin, complete with a face mask seat belted in the passenger seat. When he was ticketed, it was because the CHP officer S. Sullinger couldn’t see if there was a passenger or not because of the tinted windows, so he pulled the driver over to confirm.

When the CHP posted the picture of the mannequin on their Facebook page, they praised the quality of the dummy, but said, “Nice try driver. Here’s your ticket.”

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap,