November 6, 2024

                             Rejecting God

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

– 1 Samuel 8:6-7

Evil prevailed yesterday. Dishonesty and greed and arrogance won. It is a struggle to try and understand how God would allow such a thing to happen.

After much prayer, the Holy Spirit led me to 1 Samuel 8. Then I understood. My heart remains broken. I will never look at many “Christian” friends the same. I’m sure they would say the same about me. Satan’s victory has left a lasting scar.

Samuel was growing older. His two sons were to judge God’s people but they weren’t like Samuel. They turned aside for dishonest gain, accepted bribes and perverted justice. That’s what the Bible says.

God’s people demanded a king instead. This upset Samuel and he took it to the LORD. God told the people what would happen but still gave them the king they demanded. Feel free to read further about King Saul. Oftentimes what we think we want, is not at all what’s best for us.

God told Samuel that the people were rejecting Him and not Samuel. Yesterday people who claimed to follow Jesus rejected Him, choosing instead an idol and their own selfish ambitions over honor, mercy, kindness and love.

Does it still break my heart? Absolutely. I clearly see the destruction that awaits. But, unfortunately for us all, some people must learn lessons the hard way.

I think back to Hitler, a man Trump has said he admires. The German population at that time was about 99 percent Christian and only 1 percent Jewish. The Christians overwhelmingly supported Hitler. It allowed Hitler to gain great power and murder many, many innocent people. Do you believe the concentration camps were horrific? Do you believe such a thing can never happen again? It can. Really. It can.

Trump has vowed retaliation against those who spoke against him. He has said that Liz Cheney should be shot. That the “fake” media could be shot and he would be okay with that. The Bible clearly says that vengeance belongs to God. I doubt Trump knows or cares about what God says.

The American people made their choice yesterday. May God have mercy on us all.

November 2, 2024

                 What’s In Your Heart?

“You have heard it said to our ancestors, ‘Do not murder,’ and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.”

– Matthew 5:21-22

Surely I’d misunderstood. I watched the clip again. No. I hadn’t misunderstood. Donald Trump really said it.

He said that Liz Cheney, former congresswoman from Wyoming, should be shot. Her great sin? She opposes Trump and has vowed to use her influence to keep him from being elected again.

Why am I surprised? This is a man who incited the January 6th assault on the United States Capitol. He says he admires Hitler. And he vows revenge on anyone who disagrees with him.

I will likely never understand how Christians can support such a candidate. I hear all the excuses. They claim they aren’t voting for the man but rather for the values and policies he represents.

How can anyone support a candidate who thinks that those who disagree with him belong in jail or in a coffin? That’s not from Jesus. That’s not about love or mercy or kindness.

I am appalled by Trump. I have been for quite some time. But what saddens me most are those people who attend church every Sunday and still believe Trump’s words and actions are acceptable.

One day we will all be judged by what’s in our hearts. What’s in yours? Do you think that those who disagree with you deserve death? Do you spew out ugly names toward those who believe differently than you do?

Donald Trump continues to divide our country and our churches. He does this because we allow it. Jesus said to love people. The Bible even tells us to love our enemies. We are to pray for those who persecute us.

I pray for Donald Trump’s soul. I also pray for you and me and for our great nation. Will we stand up for what Jesus truly said? Or will we fall to Satan’s lies?

Following Jesus isn’t about attending church on Sunday mornings. It’s about what’s in your heart. Your reaction to Trump’s words reveal what’s truly in your heart.

October 28, 2024

                    Claim Your Faith

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.– Joshua 24:15

 It’s easy to throw out words, isn’t it? It’s not so easy to live out our faith – especially when it might cost us more than we are willing to give.

God’s people wanted to serve Him. But they wanted to serve other gods too. Today we would label those other gods as money, power, prestige, self. We might choose to serve our church, our pastor, our political leaders. And let’s not forget comfort, financial security, and all our many possessions.

We’re not called to any of that. We are called to serve God. We are called to follow Jesus. Hatred, revenge, greed – none of those things have any part of Jesus.

We are afraid. We’re afraid we won’t have enough money. We’re afraid “illegals” will steal our jobs and our homes. We’re afraid the government will demand our guns and destroy our way of life. We’re afraid of many things and we’re fighting to control it all.

We are justifying evil and claiming Jesus at the same time. And we wonder why our nation is in such turmoil. We can’t believe people are turning away from God. We don’t understand how our actions and our words are leading people to believe that God is evil when He is really only love.

We put our idols, and our fears, above the One true God. We choose to follow evil even as we proclaim that we will follow God.

We are at a crossroads. Will you follow idols? Will you allow fear to dictate your response to the evil we face? Or will you trust God? Will you truly follow Him?

We all have choices to make. Claim your faith and live it.

October 26, 2024

 Vote for Jesus

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

– Matthew 24:10-11

Don’t you care about unborn babies? What about our values? We’re not voting for the man but rather for the Bible.

Seriously?

Those are some of the comments made by people I know to defend their votes for Donald Trump. They don’t like the man but they’ve convinced themselves that he’s the best one to stand up for Biblical values.

I care about unborn babies. I care about their mothers. And I care about the babies who are already born. That’s why I am so opposed to Trump.

I want a country where girls, and women, can live their lives without fear of derogatory comments and prejudice against their sex and looks.

I want a country where boys understand that talking about another man’s private parts – publicly, no less – has no place in any conversation.

I want a country where leaders are condemned for lies and bullying, for threats against anyone who criticizes them and for applauding violence and labeling it a “love fest.”

Those are the Biblical values I support. I can’t simply turn a blind eye to a man held up as an idol. I can’t ignore arrogance and comments praising Hitler and Putin.

Will Kamala Harris be a good president? I hope so. She seems to care about people and that’s something Jesus would do.

We are called to care for orphans and widows, for the poor and the foreigner. That’s Biblical. That popular comment “God helps those who help themselves” isn’t in the Bible. Instead, time and time again we are told to love people and help them, sacrificing our time and money if necessary.

We don’t want to hear that.

Please stand up for Jesus. Cast your vote against a manipulative liar who only cares for himself.

October 25, 2024

          Death Strikes Suddenly

Jesus wept. – John 11:35

“It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it’s what you leave behind you when you go.”

Those words from the song Three Wooden Crosses have echoed in my mind these past few days. James Smith was a friend, a former boss, a really good, kind and compassionate man. He was devoted to his wife, his children and grandchildren. He didn’t talk a lot about his faith. He simply lived it.

How does a man so filled with life suddenly move to heaven with no warning? When I got that phone call, I kept telling the caller that she had to be wrong. Not James. Surely not James.

Those of us privileged to know him are stunned. Heartbroken. Grief-stricken. And, yet, all the words we’re using to describe him echo the same sentiments. His legacy, which reaches far beyond his family, will live forever.

If you needed someone to laugh with you, James was right there. If you needed a defender, he was the first to step up. If you needed a sounding board, he had two ears that were always available to listen.

His priorities were right in line with his values. I’m not sure how many performances of Nutcracker he sat through over the years. Or how many swim meets he attended. Add class activities and beach fun. He was present in the lives of his grandchildren and he was just as excited for the last event as for the first one.

He rocked babies and gave away brides. He mourned his Daddy and took care of his Mama. He was someone you could count on. His extended family depended on him and he always showed up.

Was he perfect? No. None of us are. But he had his priorities in the right order. He loved Jesus and he loved Barbara, his wife of 44 years. He loved his family and friends.

I look around today and see people lusting after tomorrow with a gaze that never sees today. I see hearts that judge people based on possessions, while neglecting the seeds that grow into tomorrow.

James planted seeds. He planted seeds of kindness, integrity, compassion, honesty. He fertilized us all with hope and laughter. And the gift of his presence.

The coming days, weeks and years will be hard, especially for his family. There’s the new grandbaby he’ll never hold. And the graduation he won’t see. And let’s not forget the Nutcracker ballet and the swim meets and all the other things he will miss. He leaves a large void that none of us can fill.

But Jesus. Well, Jesus wept. And then He stepped up to fill that void as only He can.

October 11, 2024

                                                  Do Not Lie

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

– Exodus 20:16

Do not steal.

Do not lie.

Do not deceive one another.

– Leviticus 19:11

It happened again today. Another Facebook friend copied and shared “information” that was completely false.

It sounded good to people who want to believe the worst of President Biden and his administration. But it just wasn’t true. It was designed to make good people angry about the federal response to something horrific that happened to people in the path of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

Let’s be clear here: FEMA, the military and many, many volunteers have been in these areas from the beginning. Keep in mind that the catastrophes are wide-spread. There is much ground to cover especially in Western North Carolina where so many mountain roads are washed away.

My cousin who lives just outside of Asheville asked for everyone to share her message. She’s a Republican and absolutely not a Biden fan. But she said that FEMA had been on the ground from the beginning, making sure the homeless had somewhere to live, making sure food, medicine and other supplies were delivered to people who were stranded up the mountain near her home. She said night had fallen but she could still hear the whirl of helicopter blades as the work continued.

As for the $750 everyone throws out, that is just the beginning. It’s for basics. There will be more money to come. Do victims need to fill out paperwork? Absolutely! Otherwise anyone could come in, claim to be a victim, and get money intended for true storm victims.

No. Migrants aren’t receiving money intended for storm victims. It’s a separate fund. Money designated for victims of natural disasters can only be used for that purpose.

FEMA cannot come in and take your home. That’s been a big rumor. People in some cases have refused to evacuate because they’re afraid FEMA will steal their home. It’s a lie. Mother Nature may take your home, but FEMA won’t.

I could go on and on about the misinformation – lies – that have been told recently. As Christians, we have a responsibility to check the accuracy of information before we share it as fact.

Lies have become a daily part of the political landscape. It’s wrong. But what’s worse is that we not only allow those lies, we share them. We make excuses for the lies and the people spewing the falsehoods.

Look at your Bible. What does it say? Don’t lie. Don’t bear false witness against another. Are you sharing false information? Are you voting for a candidate that does that too? Shame on you. Lies don’t become truth just because you want your candidate to win.

September 27, 2024

                                       Help Others

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Compassion. Kindness. Prayers.

We will go through hard times. It might be a hurricane that takes away our material possessions. It might be power outages and damage to our home. It could be a broken heart caused by the death of a loved one or a marriage that falls apart. It might be an illness or accident that sends your life down a path you never chose.

Why? That’s the question we all ask. We know that God turns all things to good if we give it to Him. (Romans 8:28) But what does “good” look like? 

Sometimes it’s strength to get through whatever we’re facing. Sometimes it’s peace in the middle of whatever happens. And sometimes good looks like walking beside people who are going through what we survived.

There’s a certain kind of compassion that comes when you’ve been there. It’s not about empty words – however well meaning – or platitudes. It comes from the heart of someone who has made the journey.

God uses people like you and me. Someone from church called me after I was diagnosed with cancer. She had no idea I had cancer. She called about something else. We had a beautiful conversation about God’s faithfulness. She’d walked the road I was on. She understood.

As Christians we are part of a fellowship, a family, that helps others. We have our church family, of course, but we also have others to help. We are called to serve. That’s what Jesus told us to do.

Sometimes that looks like taking a meal to someone who is sick. It might be mowing someone’s yard or changing a light bulb. It could be providing transportation to a doctor’s appointment or including someone who is alone in your holiday celebrations.

And sometimes it’s simply showing up and walking beside someone who is in the midst of hard. Compassion. Kindness. Prayers. We hurt so that one day we might be able to help someone else going through what we once faced.