Spiritual Advantage with Sam Stone

I am sure you’ve heard that Time Magazine named President-Elect Donald Trump the 2024 Time Person of the Year. He is the only person to have been selected twice.
Let me clarify before I continue. I just want to prepare you for the upcoming year and new administration so you won’t feel tortured for the next four years. We must discern what God wants us to do, whichever side we are on.
I am registered Independent. I don’t vote for the primaries; I don’t vote within a party line; I only vote in the general elections after doing extensive research, contemplative prayers, and spiritual discernment. Paul said,
“Those who are spiritual discern all things.” (1 Co 2:15a).
I believe Christians should make decisions based on discernment rather than party affiliation because that was what Jesus was. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the parties of the first century, equivalent to the Republicans and Democrats of our time. Humans are wired that way—some lean left, and some lean right. Birds of the feather flock together!
As you read in the Bible, Jesus did not belong to any side but was crucified by both sides. Jesus made decisions based on spiritual discernment. If you ask me which party I belong to, I belong to the Spiritual Party because that’s what my Boss belongs to. So, when discussing politicians, I am not endorsing any affiliation.
I know many of us are in the same situation. A late elder told me she registered as a Democrat but voted across the party line based on her discernment. She and her husband were independent, so I said, “Why didn’t you register as Independent.” Then she explained that there was no option to register as an independent in those days. You only have two boxes to check—Democrat or Republican.
So, she and her husband decided to register for each party—she registered as a Democrat, and he registered as a Republican. When elections come, she and her husband pray carefully, research thoroughly, and vote based on their discernment. Sometimes, they vote for the opposite sides.
You have heard that every election is a choice between the lesser of two evils. Those who think they are choosing between an angel and a devil don’t understand humans’ sinful nature.
Now, back to the Time Person of the Year. For the past four years, the media have portrayed Trump as an evil man. But now, after he won, some media personnel rushed to the Mar-a-Lago to kiss his ring; you might have heard that in the news. They were shameless. Of course, they have to look after their bottom line.
On the other hand, many Americans value the country over their egos. As Americans, we root for our team to win, but when victory is decided, we unite and root for the country. Many countries in the world look forward to our failure. If we stay divided, our enemies will win. Our founding fathers named this country “United” States of America with this vision. Jesus said,
“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” (Mt 12:25).
Jesus’ last prayer on earth, in the Garden of Gethsemane, was that his people would live in love, unity, and harmony. As Americans, we should root for the success of our democratically elected leaders so that our nation won’t lay waste but continue to be a beacon of light in the world. The election is done; the advent of Trump is here. Whether you like him or not, it’s time to harmonize for the nation’s sake.
To be in harmony, we must sacrifice our egos and practice grace. Grace is love in action. I know it’s not easy. Looking around the world, you see that egos rule and divide nations. This week, we saw a nation collapse, and the dictator fled. As Christians, we must be different.
The nature of ego is division, and the nature of grace is harmony. As humans, we often give in to our egos, but deep inside, we know that Someone above is watching us. There will come a day of reckoning. But those who have overcome their egos and live in love and harmony have no fear of judgment day because they know God will judge based on love, as we read in Mathew 25.
John the Baptist entered the scene in the first century of Israel to warn people about their ego-driven lives and divisions and inform them about the advent of Jesus the Judge. His proclamation made people reflect on themselves. Some came to him for the baptism of repentance and bear fruits, but some continued their ego-driven and divided lives.
As Christians, we don’t fear the advent of Jesus and his judgment because we are forgiven people living with a clear conscience. So, we celebrate the coming of Christ. Still, we must frequently reevaluate our lives to ensure we live by higher values and bear the fruits of the Spirit, which is actualized by grace. That’s why we attend church every week, to recenter our lives and surrender our egos.
Advent is a season of reflection (which is why we use purple for the season). Based on the scripture lesson on this Third Sunday of Advent, let us prepare our hearts and minds to welcome Jesus the Judge by reflecting on whether we are bearing fruit worthy of repentance. So, let’s begin!

In England in 1535, King Henry VIII condemned Thomas More to death for treason, mainly for refusing to say that the king was the head of the Church of England. More was imprisoned, waiting for his capital punishment.
More’s friend came to persuade him to say what the king wanted him to say for survival. More refused because it was against his beliefs. His friends pleaded him, “You don’t have to believe it; you just have to say it.” Thomas More refused to compromise his integrity and paid the price with his head.
What would you do if you were in such situations? Would you compromise your integrity to save your life? Or would you betray your conscience for survival?
Do you know Americans lie on average 11 times a week? That’s according to APA (American Psychology Association). No data shows how many lies people from other countries tell, but I believe Americans are more honest comparatively.
Many immigrants say Americans are pretty naïve. They are so easily deceived. American tourists are the easiest targets for scammers worldwide because we trust people readily. That may be because Christian values govern our way of living. “In God, We Trust” is the slogan on our currencies.
Still, research shows Americans are not 100% honest. Lying seems like part of life, and we often make excuses to justify lying. The Burmese say,
“Without lies, words are not smooth.” (mutha maba, linga machaw). ~Burmese Proverbs
It means that without lies, it’s hard to make your speech interesting, poetic, or persuasive. It also means you need a little lie to get your message across. It seems to glorify lying as an art. No wonder we call scammers “con artists.”
In English, we also have the term “white lies.” It means a type of lie that does not harm anyone. Is it true that a white lie does not hurt anybody?
After some research, I’ve discovered that every fib harms the fibber. Every lie we tell lies to ourselves. According to Akira Kurosawa, the maker of Rashomon,
 “It’s human to lie. Most of the time, we can’t even be honest with ourselves.” ~Akira Kurosawa
A white lie may not harm others, but it does compromise the liar’s well-being. Studies have shown that a person’s integrity can affect their immunity. After the pandemic, we have learned the value of strong immunity—physically, psychologically, or spiritually.
According to biologists, the moment someone lies, their brain releases stress hormones, such as cortisol, weakening their immune system. We often say, “Lier, lier, pants on fire!” Their pants might not be on fire, but their immunity is on fire.
That’s how lie detectors work. The machine can sense the subtle signs of stress on our nerves when lying. Some people can cheat the lie detector, but they cannot cheat their health. So, honesty is truly the best policy not only for our character but also for our well-being.
It proves that we are not created to lie. We are created in God’s image. When we lie, our body resists it, feels uncomfortable with it, and punishes us for it by degrading our health.
There are two kinds of stress—overt and covert. Overt stress is obvious; you know it when you have it. But covert stress is more insidious. We might not feel it, but it silently kills us from the inside. It will eventually show up on our lab reports during a checkup. Sometimes, it could be too late to reverse it.
Lying is just one of many things that compromise our immunity. Anger, grudges, guilt, discord, manipulation, and other things the Bible calls sin can stress our systems and compromise our integrity and immunity.
It seems we don’t even need God to punish us for our sins; our body is punishing us already. If it is human to lie, how do we redeem ourselves? However, Jesus said that what’s not possible with humans is possible with God. He said,
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:17).
The truth is that Jesus did not come to punish us but to save us from our plight. The immunity boost is just a fringe benefit once we take care of our integrity by confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness. Then, our bodies stop rebelling.
We are on the Second Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming. So today, let us explore how to prepare the way for Christ’s coming into our lives by optimizing our integrity and boosting our immunity based on this week’s scripture lesson. Let’s begin!

During my college years, I gathered with some friends every Saturday morning at a tea house to enjoy our morning tea and talk. One day, a friend showed up with bandages over his head, arms, and legs. He had a nearly fatal motorcycle accident. He said he wished he had died that very moment because he was sure he would have gone straight to heaven since he had been well-behaved in those days.
He had been attending church regularly, volunteering, and giving to charity. He was sure God would welcome him, saying, “Well done, my son. Welcome to heaven!” My friend was disappointed that he did not die because now he had to keep behaving as if good behavior was challenging for him.
I wasn’t sure if he was joking because we all know that our admission to heaven depends not on our deeds but God’s grace. Thank God! However, my friend’s concern is not baseless because Jesus repeatedly says he wants to see us awake and working when he returns. The Lord said,
“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find at work when he arrives.” (Mt 24:46).
If salvation does not depend on our work but on God’s grace alone, why would he expect to see us working? Shouldn’t we all goof to heaven? Does it mean grace is not free? Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that grace is free but not cheap. He said,
“The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.” ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
How do we understand grace is free but not cheap? Grace requires gratitude to complete, but how do you thank God, who doesn’t need anything from us? I’ve learned that you thank God by gracing forward.
I have discovered that Grace is like electricity with inflow and outflow to complete a circuit. A lightbulb can not lit up by only the inflow of the electric current. It needs two wires—an inflow and an outflow to complete the energy circuit. We are just like lightbulbs. Grace makes us shine when we grace it forward. Jesus said,
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” (Mat 5:8).
That means the outflow makes the inflow possible. Jesus used several parables to teach this profound mystery, such as The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. In that parable, a man owed the king a massive amount of money, equivalent to more than a billion dollars of today’s money, which he could not repay in his lifetime, but the king forgave him out of mercy because he bagged him for more time.
However, on his way home, he met a man who owed him a small amount of money. He sent him to prison for not paying back immediately. The king heard about his mercilessness and revoked his grace.
This story reveals that grace is like electricity; the input doesn’t work without an output. If you receive grace and don’t grace it forward, the grace you receive returns to where it came from. Grace is free but not cheap because it requires you to pay it forward to complete the circuit.
It does not mean grace has strings attached, but it’s just how it flows. On the other hand, Jesus said that the servant who is found goofing would be severely punished.
“He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt 24:51).
It sounds scary. I think that’s why my friend was afraid of dying when goofing. He doesn’t want to join the hypocrites. None of us do. The word “hypocrites” comes from the Greek word with a similar pronunciation: ῠ̔ποκρῐτής (hupokritḗs), meaning “stage actor” or “pretender.”
Hypocrites are like weeds that pretend to be like wheat. They look identical until harvest time. When harvest time comes, they stand tall and light because they don’t carry the weight of the grains. They are just pretenders or hypocrites. They don’t grace it forward. They cheapen grace. Jesus said,
“At harvest time, I will tell the reapers, ‘Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Mt 13:30).
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming. It’s a season to think about the coming of Christ, particularly the second coming, which will be the harvest time. He will separate the weeds from the wheat, the hypocrites from the real Christians who grace it forward to complete the circuit of power.
When you grace it forward, your life becomes fruitful. So, today, we will explore how to maintain a fruitful state based on this week’s scripture lesson so that we will not appear as weeds or hypocrites when the Lord comes. Let’s begin!

Napoleon famously said, “The word impossible is not in my dictionary.” His can-do spirit helped him make incredible achievements in history. In my dictionary, I want to delete the word “unacceptable” because I’ve discovered that acceptance is love in action, and it’s essential to developing our spiritual intelligence or Spiritual Quotient (SQ).
To be successful or live a good life, we need IQ, EQ, and SQ. Your SQ (Spiritual Quotient) is measured by your ability to love and accept people.
First, we must learn the difference between approval and acceptance. For example, my children may do things I disapprove of, but I must accept them because I love them. Approval is based on law, but acceptance is based on love. Approval is based on the head, but acceptance is based on the heart. That sounds simple enough but not easy to practice.
Jesus wants us to love even our enemies. Many people confuse loving our enemies with approving their actions. No, Jesus wants us to “accept” our enemies without “approving” their behaviors. Otherwise, we could end up demonizing people and justifying violence.
We all have encountered people doing things that we disapprove of. Sometimes, it’s just a minor issue, so we can easily forgive and forget about it, but there are times when people may go above and beyond our tolerance threshold, and we say, “It’s unacceptable.”
In such cases, we muddle the line between approval and acceptance because our strong emotion overrides our ability to see the person apart from their behavior. Jesus wants us to love the person despite their behavior. I know it’s a tall order.
Some people have a lower tolerance threshold than others. They are quick to stick a Scarlet Letter on someone they disapprove of.
Talking about the Scarlet Letter, I am sure most of you have read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s American Classic, “The Scarlet Letter,” or have watched one of the movie adaptations. The story reveals that everyone wears a Scarlet Letter—outwardly or inwardly, legally or secretly—even the holiest man in town has a secret Scarlet Letter beneath his clothes.
The story reveals human nature, keeps us humble, and warns us against hypocrisy. Understanding this human nature would allow us to separate approval from acceptance.
To effectively resolve human conflicts, we must first accept one another. But most people got it backward. They don’t accept others until they approve of their behaviors. Acceptance must be unconditional because that’s what “agape love” is about, the kind of love Jesus taught.
Jesus has shown us the ultimate acceptance on the cross by forgiving and seeing humans as redeemable. He expects us to love one another the way he loves us. That’s a huge challenge, but when you can widen the gap between approval and acceptance, you are on the way to spiritual maturity, as Jesus expected.
Based on this week’s scripture lesson, we will explore Jesus’ teaching on what’s lawful and loveful and how to read the Scarlet Letter A differently. Along the way, we will discover how to raise our SQ—Spiritual Quotient—to live a joyful, meaningful, and fruitful life. Let’s begin!

During a TV interview, a reporter asked Bill Gates, saying, “Mr. Gates, Microsoft products have been illegally copied and distributed in China. How are you going to deal with that problem?”
That was over twenty years ago when the software was convenient to duplicate. In those days, most people in China couldn’t afford to buy Microsoft, so they bought cheap, illegal copies from the black market.
I was curious about his answer, but to my surprise, Bill Gates replied magnanimously, “China is still developing. If they steal technology, I’d rather have them steal mine than others.” He seemed confident that Microsoft would survive the theft and turn the thieves into customers.
Today, his magnanimity pays off. After decades of using bootleg copies, the Chinese have fallen in love with Microsoft and prefer to buy it as they can now afford it. Today, Bill Gates has captured a market four times larger than the United States because of his magnanimity.
Conversely, many good software products have disappeared because of their pettiness. Even if you have the best product or the greatest idea in the world, your attitude can become a stumbling block to your progress.
The dictionary defines magnanimity as “having a noble spirit and being generous and kind, especially towards someone who has wronged you.” It came from the Latin root words “magna,” meaning great or big, and “animus,” soul. So magnanimity means “great soul.”
In the Fruit of the Spirit, the Greek term ἀγαθωσύνη (agathōsynē) is translated as “generosity” in NRSV and “goodness” or “nobility” in others. I discovered the best translation of this word is “magnanimity” because it covers all three meanings—generosity, goodness, and nobility.
Why is magnanimity important? It elevates your life. It prevents you from the pettiness that hinders your success. Dr. Steven R. Covey calls it “scarcity mentality” instead of “abundance mentality.” Magnanimity is an abundance mentality that attracts abundance.
Based on this week’s scripture lesson, we will explore how Jesus taught us to cultivate magnanimity to become salt of the earth rather than a stumbling block to the souls. Let’s begin!

When I first came to America, I noticed many governmental organizations are named “services:” The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US Postal Service (USPS), the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and others. Conversely, many other countries prefer to use the term “authority” rather than “service.” We do have a few departments that use “authority,” such as the Port Authority.
However, times have changed. If you have dealt with some of those “services,” you don’t feel you are being served. For example, do you feel served when you receive a letter from the IRS? “Wow, I am so glad the IRS sent me a letter. It’s so nice of them! They are so good with math!”
Some departments act like authoritarians and dictators. Some officers are outright rude. A few years ago, I took my father to the immigration office in Newark for an appointment. It was a cold and windy winter morning, but we had to stand outside in line for hours to get in.
My father was over seventy at that time and was not very healthy. I was concerned that he might faint. When we eventually got inside, we saw a vast, warm, empty lobby that could hold ten times the people still lining outside. I thought they kept people out because there was no room to wait inside. It reminded me of dictatorship rather than service.
To American standards, it’s fair to say that those immigrants were treated less than animals because we treat animals much better, but they could do that because those people didn’t have a voice. Power corrupts. Maybe it was just Newark. I tweeted a complaint and was surprised to receive many comments saying they agreed with the situation.
I don’t know if my tweet had any effect at all. The good news is that the immigration service at Newark has improved significantly in recent years, but I am glad I don’t have to go there ever again after becoming a citizen. It was a mockery of the term “service.”
As a nation deeply rooted in Christianity, we practice the “servant leadership” exemplified by Jesus. He said,
“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mk 9:35).
He set an example by washing the feet of his disciples. Based on this principle, Government officers are supposed to be civil servants. It’s an excellent concept, but unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent power from corrupting them.
We all know that “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” No matter how we name our organization and mission, power can make us forget our service mentality. Authority can be intoxicating. How can we stay humble as we climb the ladder of power?
Sometimes, I am glad I don’t have a job that gives me much power and authority. I don’t know if I could handle it and not be corrupted by it. But we all aim for greatness to make a difference. So, today, let’s explore the secret to attaining greatness without losing your souls based on this week’s scripture lesson. Let’s begin!

I was reluctant to name this message "How to Change the World" because I could imagine many people might think I was bloviating. I know I am nobody and have no qualifications to speak on such a grand topic, but I believe it’s a matter of age. The older we grow, the more cynical we become.
Let us be children for a moment because when we were young, we had all kinds of imagination and ambition to make a difference one day. But as we grew up, we gradually felt those dreams became unattainable.
Maybe that is why Jesus wants us to become like children and rekindle those imaginations and ambitions. So, let us momentarily pause our doubts and cynicism and unleash our childlike creativity to entertain the possibility of changing the world.
Jesus did change the world for good and taught his disciples how to make this world a better place to live. The world has never been the same since the moment he was born and it will never be the same unless we stop extending his great commission. To be a Christian means to be a world-changer.
Even Richard Dawkins, the renowned atheist, recently declared that he is a cultural Christian because he can no longer deny the influence of Christianity on the advancement of human civilization. Wherever Christianity thrives, civilization flourishes. History has proven it, and no reasonable person can deny it.
Of course, some religious people have done some damage in history. It’s nothing new. Even the Son of God was crucified by religious people. However, the atheist would like to cherrypick history to excuse their unbelief.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali recently asked Richard Dawkins, what do atheists contribute to the advancement of human civilization? Nothing! They only know how to tear things down, leaving a void in civilization to decay and allowing evil to thrive.
The question is, what role do you play in this world? Do you still maintain your childhood dream of making this world a better place until your last breath, or have you given up those aspirations?
We all want to improve the world, but the question is how. Having good intentions is not enough because people can make things worse with their good intentions. That’s why we need to know how to change the world “the right way.”
In today’s scripture lesson, Jesus revealed his way to change the world, but his disciples didn’t get it and couldn’t accept his method. Like most people, they believe we change the world from the top down, but his way is from the bottom up.
We are two months away from an important election. Most people’s minds are on changing the nation or the world from the top down by electing the right person. However, WWJD (what would Jesus do)? If you get the message from this passage, you will think about this election differently, and you will know your role in changing the world Jesus’ way. Let’s begin!

There once was a king who sought advice from a sage about how to govern his kingdom so that it would enjoy peace, progress, and prosperity and be free of crimes, violence, and wars. The sage said, to govern your kingdom that way, you must govern yourself first. As the Son of God said,
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mt 3:66).
The king said, “I know, but the kingdom of God is too far. I don’t have the vehicle to go there.” The sage said, “As a king, if you don’t have the vehicle, who will have it, and who can attain the kingdom of God?” Then the sage added, “The vehicle to the kingdom of God is simple: a humble spirit.” As Jesus said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:3).
Poor in spirit is an Aramaic idiom for a humble heart. The sage implied that the king couldn’t attain the kingdom of God, not because he didn’t have the means to seek it but because he was full of himself.
This reminds me of another parable.
A professor hiked up to the high mountain to ask the sage to impart his wisdom to him. He introduced himself as one of the most accomplished professors in the country’s best university. The sage asked him to slow down and sit at his tea table and began serving him tea.
The cup became full, but the sage continued pouring tea into it, and it began to overflow and spill onto the table. The professor laughed at the sage’s clumsiness,
“Oh, old man, don’t you see the cup is already full? You can’t fill it anymore.”
“You are right,” the sage replied. “When the cup is full, you can’t fill it with anything. Please come back when your cup is empty.” With that, the sage turned away the professor, implying he was not ready to learn because he was full of himself.
I often wonder how often we approach God and ask God to give us what we want without leaving room for God to provide. The king wants to develop his nation without developing himself. The professor wants more wisdom without humility.
In today’s scripture lesson, Mark recorded two incidents Jesus encountered that revealed the secret to answered prayers. It’s an open secret that everyone knows but fails to put into practice. The secret is humility, but it’s easier said than done. Even the great Benjamin Franking admitted that he failed in this aspect.
Today, we will learn how Jesus answered the prayers of two situations so that we can improve our prayer life as well. So, let’s begin!