September 21, 2024

                 Don’t Excuse Lies

There are six things the LORD hates,

seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

– Proverbs 6:16-19

Does a lie ever justify itself? Is it okay to excuse a person for lying when he explains its purpose? Is it okay to stir up strife to further your own agenda?

A candidate running for vice president of our country now admits he lied about Haitian migrants eating people’s pets. He explained that he just wanted to draw attention to the migrants who are being located into different communities in our country.

JD Vance has done great harm with his repeated lies. Springfield, Ohio, has dealt with bomb threats against their schools. The tension and fear torments residents, including the Haitian migrants who are here legally. They have sought refuge in our country because of the violence in Haiti. Now this?

The ripple from Vance’s lie, which Trump has also told, has spread to other towns. This week a meeting over the Haitian migrants in my own town packed a local church. A church? The media wasn’t allowed in. I didn’t attend.

The police chief did speak to a reporter. He said the migrants haven’t caused any trouble beyond normal percentages throughout the community. (All groups – white, black, hispanic, etc. cause some trouble from time to time.) The Haitians seem to be hard-working people who simply want to build a life here.

Hatred and fear born of a lie. We’re so afraid of taxing our resources by people who “shouldn’t be here.” Have we forgotten that God can multiply anything that we give to Him so that we have more than enough?

It’s appalling to me that a church would host such an event. I am furious that political candidates would continue to stir up hatred and fear to further their own political ambitions. And I am more than disappointed that Christians fall into the mob mentality and blindly follow and excuse evil.

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

– 1 John 4:20-21

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

– John 13:34-35

Are you stirring up hatred or are you reaching out to others in love? Don’t claim to follow Jesus and demand that people made in God’s image be removed from your community. That’s not love. That’s not what Jesus would do.

September 8, 2024

         Do Not Be Deceived

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

– 1 John 1:8

“I did nothing wrong,” the candidate proclaimed.

“It’s all a hoax.”

“Fake media.”

Do you really need me to list more comments or even to name the candidate responsible? Yet this is the man conservative Christians are holding up as their standard bearer.

Some have even gone so far as to proclaim Trump as “anointed” by God. They are “preaching” for a political candidate and making excuses for his behavior – both past and present behavior.

If Trump were truly chosen by God, there would be no need to make excuses for him. He would admit past sins, ask forgiveness and change his forward path. God is quick to forgive a contrite heart.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We are ALL sinners. There is no hierarchy when it comes to sin. But God does have expectations for His people.

John writes: If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:10

Our nation has had some truly devout Christian presidents. Jimmy Carter comes immediately to mind. After his re-election defeat, he turned his attention to living out his faith. He taught Sunday School and he worked building houses with Habitat for Humanity.

We are all free to choose the political candidate that best reflects our values and our concerns and desires for this great nation. But do not fool yourself into believing that a man who has repeatedly violated Biblical principles is serving God. No. That man is only serving himself.

July 16, 2023

 

Are You Willing?

 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

 

I was reading a devotional the other day about those who refuse to confess their sins. You know them. They refuse to take responsibility for their actions. They are forever pointing fingers and blaming others for their decisions. They don’t change because they don’t see the need to do so.

 

It really hit home with me because I love someone who is doing just this. He has destroyed his family and, likely, will eventually destroy himself because he won’t admit that he did something wrong.

 

We tend to think of people like this as drug addicts or thieves but that’s not always the case. Sometimes it’s someone who commits adultery. It might be someone who can’t manage money and bankrupts themselves and their family. It could be someone who always lies just because they can.

 

It can also be someone who is abusive. How often do abusers blame their victims? How many times do rapists say it wasn’t their fault?

 

Jesus offers us a lifeline. He beckons us forward to confess our sins. He promises to forgive us and help us to be different, to do different, if we will only draw near to our Savior. It might be the hardest thing we ever do. It will also be the best thing we could ever do.

 

In my loved one’s case, he’s still pointing fingers and blaming others. He’s angry and lashes out at those around him. He wants to be “happy” but he’s the unhappiest he’s ever been. No one can reach him. Jesus waits but for now He’s on the sidelines.

 

Do you know anyone like that? Maybe you are that person? Does anger consume you? Is everything bad that happens always someone else’s fault? Are you putting yourself before everyone you claim to love?

 

Jesus waits. He’s ready to help you. But first you have to confess your sins. You must accept responsibility. You have to lay down your pride and admit you don’t have all the answers. Jesus has the answers. He alone can free you and heal you. Are you willing to let Him?

June 23, 2023

 

The Blood of Jesus

 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

 

Who is a so-called “good” Christian? What does it look like for flawed people to follow a good God? Can we ever get it right? Can we ever reach a point where we can indeed judge others on their faith journey?

 

The United Methodist Church has suffered hundreds of disaffiliations in the district to which I’m a part of. Some churches have gone without any bitterness or harsh words. Others have gone – or stayed – with a battle that left all who participated wounded deeply in their desire to be right.

 

Disagreements happen among believers. And while the Bible warns us against division amongst ourselves, it’s something we do on a regular basis. We are so focused on being right that we lose sight of love and grace.

 

There are those who are determined to pull sentences from the Bible and use them as weapons with which to judge others. The more someone else makes them uncomfortable, the harsher the criticism. Aren’t we all guilty of that?

 

Recently a pastor I’ve known for years decided to leave the UMC and return to a previous church. His decision rests between he and God. Still, I can understand the bitterness of those left behind. On Sunday, they had a pastor passionate in his stated desire to remain in the UMC and by Wednesday he was resigning to leave the UMC. It’s just one more reason why we don’t put our faith in humans.

 

But what really pushed my button was the response of a young woman in the newly disaffiliated church where he’s headed. She took to Facebook to rant about those who felt the need to make comments about his leaving the UMC church to which he’d been assigned. She even called out those “Christians” – and, yes, she put the word in quotation marks – for saying anything beyond congratulations. In her mind, anyone who criticized the pastor wasn’t really a Christian.

 

Whoa! Wait a minute! Let’s step back and look at the facts and the obvious disappointment that comes when someone you trusted with your Biblical teaching has suddenly changed course.

 

No. People shouldn’t have gone to Facebook to voice their displeasure. As I said, his decision rests between him and God. No one else. God looks at the heart and He alone will judge the motivations at play.

 

But in failing to acknowledge the pain of others, this young woman raised a red flag over her own life. She ignored the lies, half-truths and fearmongering that led to her church’s disaffiliation vote. She swept under the rug her own flaws and her own quick temper to point out the flaws of others. Anyone else remember that Scripture? (Matthew 7:5)

 

We are all so busy being right that we’ve forgotten who we are – and who we are not. We don’t know the hearts of others, including other Christians. We don’t know the motivations. We don’t know if they are saved by Jesus or are still lost. We don’t.

 

What we do know is that James tells us salvation should lead to good works. We aren’t saved by good works but salvation should be evident in who we are and what we do. We should strive to show Jesus to others in how we live.

 

There are no winners when God’s kingdom divides itself in a misguided attempt to be “right.” None of us are “right” without the blood of Christ. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. Perhaps if we spent more time remembering that and less time judging people we disagree with, all of us could indeed show others the light of Jesus in our lives.

July 16, 2022

 

Beloved

 

We love because He first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

 

It’s amazing what an adult remembers from childhood. The words that can stick and replay more than half a century later. A psychiatrist – my Mother’s doctor – told me I’d always have a difficult time with relationships because I didn’t have a model of what love is. Powerful words for an already broken teen.

 

He was right in so many ways. An unwanted child has no concept of what love and acceptance looks like. But he wasn’t counting on Jesus. Maybe that psychiatrist didn’t know God’s love.

 

But God Almighty met me in that dark place and placed His Spirit inside of me. And that made all the difference.

 

Was I miraculously healed? No. Did I struggle at times? Without a doubt. I was broken in ways that only Jesus could put back together. But He did put me back together. I do know what love looks like – and it was nothing like my childhood.

 

I have stumbled more times than I can count. I have made countless mistakes. I have repeatedly chosen people who said all the right things and then betrayed me because I didn’t know that I deserved more than the crumbs of affection I was given.

 

But Jesus never left me. Ever. When all the world condemned and cursed me for not being enough, Jesus stayed by my side. He held me close. He showed me what true love looks like.

 

Don’t ever settle for less than what you deserve. You are a child of God, beloved beyond anything you could imagine. When the dark world closes in and seeks to destroy you, hang on to Him. Jesus will never let you down.

February 9, 2022

 

Slow Down

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

– 1 John 4:7

 

“I don’t belong here.” Those were my first thoughts as I waited for the nurse. I was just getting a shot. That was all. But as I looked around, all I saw were people with chemo drugs running into their veins. My heart swelled up with compassion and, honestly, with thankfulness. I know how easily I could have been one of them.

 

Timing is everything. How often have we heard that? My cancer was caught early. Their cancers were more invasive, further along, maybe the type that is aggressive. What my cancer would have become had it not been for an early diagnosis. What it could become should it ever return.

 

We talk a lot about being kind. We know kindness is a Fruit of the Spirit but, honestly, we get so caught up in our lives, our own agendas, our own timetables, that we push past those who are struggling. We don’t know what others are going through and deep inside we really don’t want to know. Our lives are filled to overflowing and we don’t want the burden of carrying someone else’s sorrow.

 

Jesus carried our sorrow. He died for our sins, which includes our selfishness. We know life isn’t about us but we so desperately want it to be. We know we’re supposed to love others but that requires time and attention and compassion. How can we manage it all?

 

The Bible tells us to love others. It doesn’t tell us to focus on the cares of this world. It tells us to slow down and focus on what’s important. People are important. Sometimes all anyone really needs is a hug, a card, a heartfelt prayer or simply to be seen. When was the last time you really looked at someone and saw their heart? Slow down. Pay attention. Love others like Jesus loves you.

January 18, 2022

 

Love

 

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

– Romans 12:18

 

To get a vaccine or not? To accept the presidential election results or not? To welcome illegal immigrants or not? The list never ends. We are a country at odds within itself.

 

God’s people have been ugly and vocal. They have reigned down criticism and aligned themselves with one side or another. Everyone knows what is best. Just ask them. Except they are all so focused on themselves that it is impossible to truly see God in them.

 

Ah, there is the true problem. Seeing God. It’s impossible to truly see Him when you are hurling angry insults at people who disagree with you. It’s impossible to truly hear God when your ugly words are aimed to tear apart anyone who dares disagree with you. It’s impossible to love like Jesus when your eyes are filled with hatred toward anyone who disagrees with you.

 

We have become a nation filled with arrogant people who have lost sight of God. Oh, we shout His name. We quote scripture and serve diligently. But our hearts? Well, our hearts don’t even know His name.

 

The saddest thing for me in the last couple of years hasn’t been Covid. It hasn’t been election results or isolation or illegal immigrants. The saddest thing has been listening to people I truly believed were God’s people ranting at those who don’t share their viewpoints. The ugliness is appalling. And for what end?

 

It’s possible to share different views without turning hateful and mean. It’s possible to live under the banner of love and service and still disagree. If you’ve got ugliness in your heart, I wonder if you truly know Him. It becomes less about your opinion and more about your arrogant belief that you are like God.

 

Hatred and God cannot exist in the same heart. Why? Because God is love. (1 John 4)

August 11, 2021

 

Words and Actions

 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

– 1 John 3:18

 

We know exactly what to say. We’ve got the answers memorized so completely that others just know our hearts are true. But what happens when things don’t go according to our plan? How do we react when we don’t get our own way?

 

I look around and it breaks my heart. We hurt God so deeply with our hardness. We judge others harshly and call ourselves justified. We condemn their actions while putting ourselves on a pedestal of light. Hypocrites. We are hypocrites.

 

Neither political party is either all right or all wrong. How quickly we side with one or the other, pulling out verses to support our cause while ignoring the whole truth. We simply don’t want to love and do good to people unless they are like us, believe as we believe, and agree with everything we say. How sad.

 

If you are condemning abortion and condemning the poor, then this applies to you. Both are wrong. Is that just my opinion? No. It’s in the Bible if we look at it’s entirely.

 

The same is true of many other issues. We condemn homosexuality but we have no issues with divorced people remarrying. We don’t label them as adulterers because they are like us. We understand and extend grace. We refuse to even contemplate that God created the homosexual just as He created the divorcee.

 

We insist one is a choice and the other a mistake. How do you know? You don’t. But it forms a convenient excuse for not loving the very people God has called you to love.

 

What would happen if we actually starting seeing people as they are? We are all created in God’s image and He desperately wants us all to accept Jesus’ sacrifice and be saved. Honestly, we’d rather some people not join us in heaven one day and that truth speaks volumes about the condition of our hearts.

 

Your mouth may preach the loudest sermon anyone has ever heard, but if your actions don’t live that truth then your words are empty of the Spirit and, therefore, useless.

May 26, 2021

 

Love People

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

– 1 John 4:7-8

 

We are a nation at war with ourselves, so busy pointing fingers that we fail to see the sin in our own hearts. Do you call yourself a Christian? Do you love Jesus? Truly? Then where is all that hate coming from?

 

I am so tired of hearing people claim to “love everyone” because that’s what the Bible says to do. They’ll tell you that quick. They are just empty words that don’t influence their own hearts nor anyone else’s heart.

 

“It’s just my opinion.” Hollow words offered up when a Christian is criticized for being so ugly. Evil hearts don’t come from Jesus. Hatred has no part in loving Him.

 

We have forgotten that it’s okay to like people who are different from us. God made each of us to be unique. Different colors, different nationalities, different opinions. Why do we have such a difficult time accepting people just the way that God created them?

 

And why do we think God needs our help to judge and condemn them, using the Bible as a weapon to hurt and to harm instead of to teach and heal. Let me remind us all that the Pharisees were the religious elite but they were so busy being “right” that they missed the Savior standing directly in front of them.

 

Love people. It’s not always easy but it’s what we are called to do.

February 9, 2020

What About You?

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. – 1 John 4:11

He rarely makes a political comment. It’s just brings too much controversy. But he made an exception. The wrath was quick and vicious. Why can we no longer have a civil conversation about politics? Why must hatred always rear its ugly head?

We turn politicians into idols. We allow ourselves to be drawn away from Jesus, all the while telling ourselves that we’re doing His will. Hatred is never Jesus’ will.

Others insist that they love everyone then they turn to ugliness if someone disagrees with them. Didn’t we learn anything from Jesus’ time on this earth? Haven’t we understood His teachings about love? Thank God Jesus didn’t treat us the way His self-titled followers treat those who disagree with them.

Don’t be misled to believe that only one political party loves and honors Jesus. None of us get it all right or all wrong. It’s impossible to truly to defend the innocent – such as an unborn child – and condemn the very immigrants God told us to welcome. It’s not about laws; it’s about heart. God looks at the heart.

I really don’t care what your political beliefs might be. Many of my close friends and I disagree on political issues. So what? Love remains. Respect remains. Discussion remains. We are only able to love and grow in our faith when we can truly hear and be open to opinions that differ from our own.

Do you think this doesn’t apply to you? That’s what the Pharisees thought. They were so busy being “right” that they missed the Messiah. What about you?

January 18, 2020

Who Are You in Christ?

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! – 1 John 3:1a

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – Romans 15:7

We get so caught up in labels, don’t we? This person owns her own company. That person teaches school. The man over there works on the military base. It all sounds good – until it isn’t.

She stays home with her kids. He refuses to work. He is obese. She is lazy. Their kids are out of control. Did you see what she wore? Did you smell his breath?

Gosh but we can be mean. We call ourselves justified but there’s no justification for judging circumstances we can’t possibly understand. There’s no justification for putting others down in a vain attempt to build ourselves up.

Oh, no! That’s not so, we explain. Really? Are you saying you don’t feel a little bit better about yourself, a little more secure in your position, in your life, when you look down on someone else? I’m not buying it.

Those arrows hurt. They cause us to question who we are. They remind us that no matter how much we accomplish or how hard we try, there will always be someone who does it a little bit better.

I am so thankful that our identity doesn’t come from the things we do or don’t do, from how we look or who we know. Our income or our address or the car we drive don’t factor into our worth.

We are valuable because of Jesus. Our identity – our true identity – comes from Him. Jesus thought we were good enough to die for. Jesus reached out His hand and, with His blood, calls us blameless. And because of this God looks at us with love and beckons us into His Presence.

Don’t let this world beat you down. Don’t believe the lies those daggers shoot at you day after day. You are loved. You are cherished. You are more than enough. When life gets tough today, rest in that.

November 7, 2018

Love Like Jesus

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. – 1 John 4:20

As I write this, the election polls are still open. I have no idea who will win any of the many offices up for grabs. But I do know one thing: The hatred and finger pointing has already commenced.

In every race, someone is going to be disappointed and someone is going to be happy. It’s part of the political process. One winner. That’s all.

We’re privileged to have the opportunity to vote. We live in a free country. Many have died to give us this right to express our opinion. I vote. Always. I believe strongly in what my Mother used to say: If you don’t vote, don’t complain. You’re part of the problem.

What I can’t understand, though, is why we can’t seem to talk with one another anymore. We point fingers. We argue. We call each other names. But we don’t talk. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to have a civil conversation.

The great statesmen in Congress seem to have died or retired. Every politician, no matter the political party, appears to be out for number one with little to no regard for what’s best for our nation. They’re so busy trying to get reelected, to get their name in the news, to put more money in their pockets, that they forget Congress was supposed to be about serving the people.

We the people have certainly fueled that. We are blasted daily by shows that argue opinions and call them facts. We are faced daily with inaccurate “news” that we don’t bother to verify before sharing and blasting it everywhere.

And we point fingers. We call people names when they don’t agree with us. We don’t want to share life with those who disagree with our political views. We’re just so arrogant in our opinions that we’ve forgotten how to listen.

Why in the world would you hate someone who disagrees with your political opinion? Do you hate someone who doesn’t look like you? Do you hate someone who is of a different faith? Sadly, for many the answer is yes.

It doesn’t have to be that way. I have friends who disagree vehemently with my beliefs. I feel the same about theirs. We discuss issues. We’ve learned to share information and listen without taking it personally. We’ve learned to value our friendship enough to be civil in our disagreements.

I think what bothers me the most about the hateful comments I hear – from both sides – is that so many of those comments are coming from people who claim to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. How can you hate those created in God’s image? How can you claim to truly know Jesus when your heart is filled with such ugliness?

God is love. That’s what John tells us in 1 John 4:8. So if He lives inside of us, how can we hate? How can we let political disagreements turn into something so ugly.

I don’t know how you voted yesterday or even if you voted. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make either of us better than the other, or wiser, or anything else. We are all God’s children. We are all created in His image.

So act like it. Instead of hatred, show grace. Instead of evil, show mercy. Instead of arrogance, show humility. Instead of ugliness, show kindness. Stop hating people because they disagree with you. Instead, love them like Jesus would do.

August 30, 2018

Just Love People

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8

When did we get to be so mean? We pass off our words as “our opinion.” We defend our right to “our choices.” We say whatever we want without ever considering the impact it might have on others.

As Christians, we should know better but, apparently, we don’t. In fact, we’re the ones usually leading the charge.

We have no problem these days with calling someone stupid when they disagree with us. We have no trouble slinging lies out to defend ourselves when someone dares to disagree. We get angry and march off with our grudges if someone refuses to do things our way.

It’s not about us. We’re supposed to know that. But it seems as though we’ve forgotten as we focus on “me” and “I” in this fast-paced, cutthroat world.

Jesus loved people. He loved them where they were. They cleaned up their acts, so to speak, because He treated them with kindness and compassion. They were moved by Jesus because He reached out to those society had cast aside.

Today we cast those same people aside and claim we’re doing it “in Jesus’ name.” Today we turn ugly in political discussions and insist that we’re defending the Bible. Today we point fingers and draw lines without showing the slightest compassion or mercy. We’d do well to remember that the only time Jesus truly got angry was at the Pharisees for their rules that excluded or harmed those who were the least.

We talk about kids who bully other kids and we wonder why bullying has increased so much. We need only look in the mirror. Kids hear the anger in our voices as we condemn those who disagree with us. Kids hear the way we ridicule how some people dress or talk or where they live. Kids hear how we put others down and they seek to do the same.

Suicide rates are up. Mental illness rates are up. People go and go and go until there’s nothing left and they fall apart. We struggle to keep up the frantic pace in a world that is way too focused on money and prestige. Whatever happened to helping each other? Whatever happened to encouraging others when they’re going through a tough time?

We become shocked when someone falls apart. We didn’t see it coming. We have mass shootings. We have horrific things happen. And we’re surprised. Why? We are a world of hurting people who have no where to go for kindness, acceptance and love. They don’t have Jesus because we’ve forgotten that we’re supposed to be His hands and feet on this earth.

The next time you feel a “smart” comment about to erupt from your mouth, just swallow the words. The next time you get ready to criticize someone, think something good about that person and shove the criticism aside. If it isn’t good and kind, just don’t say it. Don’t repeat gossip. Don’t be part of the problem.

Imagine how the world would change if we truly lived as Jesus has called us to live. Then be the change that ignites a nation back into loving those Jesus has called us to love.

May 3, 2018

What Does Faith Like?

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. – 1 John 2:15-17

It’s possible to talk about loving God without actually loving God. That was the message from the guest pastor at our church. Who can argue with that truth? Surely, we all know someone who says all the right things and then lives his life in all the wrong ways?

And that person is never us. Ever. We love God. We love Jesus. We love the Holy Spirit. Just ask us. We’re good people doing the best we can. Just ask us.

Here’s a basic truth: God has not called us to the American dream. He has called us to do greater works than Jesus did on this earth. Jesus called us to go about the Father’s business. The Father’s business is not the great American dream.

Someone right now is throwing out the words of Jeremiah. Yes, God has good plans for us. Yes, God wants to give us hope and see us prosper. But what, exactly, does that look like?

For many Christians that looks like a big house and new cars. It looks like a nice vacation every year and dinners out at least once a week. It looks like dance lessons and Little League and all the things our children enjoy. It’s that new phone, that boat, that remodeled kitchen.

But does any of that look like our Father’s business? If we’re honest the answer is no. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have all those things and many, many more. It’s just that those things should never be our priority. And those things, those activities, should never keep us from doing the things and investing in the things God has called us to do.

Ouch.

Satan tells us we deserve everything our hearts desire. He entices us to want more and more, better and better. When is enough really enough? We’re never satisfied because we are seeking to fill ourselves up with stuff rather than the purposes of God.

We think we know what service means. We count the seats that are filled in our sanctuaries rather than by the lives changed through discipleship. We measure our worth by our budgets rather that the lives touched through outreach. Are we fruitful people? Do we really know what that means?

Lives that are devoted to loving God and serving people as Jesus did look different than lives cruising through with barely a glance at His truth. We can say all the right things but do our lives really reflect the faith we claim? Are people changed for having known us, for watching how we live? Or are we just one more example of excess in a world full of hypocrites?

God knows your heart. He knows mine too. What does He see inside? Think about it.

April 16, 2018

We Are Family

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! – 1 John 2:1a

Do you ever think about your church as your family? Yesterday our pastor pointed out that family is exactly what we are. That can be good and not so good.

Because we’re family, we all function differently in relationship to other people. Think about it for a moment. There are likely some people in your church who are like parents or grandparents. Some are like siblings. Still others are like children or grandchildren to you. We may not consciously think about it that way, but it is.

As a family, we sometimes fuss and fight. One member has a bad day and takes it out on the rest of the family. They, in turn, take it out on others. It soon spirals out of control. We end up taking our anger and frustration out on those who love us the most.

It doesn’t take long before we’re more focused on the negative, the wrong, rather than all the things that are right. I wonder how many people have let something small escalate into leading them away from their church.

I also wonder how many people have used anger to justify talking bad about someone else. We are so focused on how we’ve been wronged – or, at least, perceive we’ve been wronged – that we tell everyone about it. We want others to feel the same way we feel. We want others to believe the same things we do. Truth is irrelevant. Our goal is to persuade others to our viewpoint, harming the one we’re angry with in the process.

Another way people get hurt in church is because others don’t listen. We really don’t want to hear anyone else’s problems. We cling to what we once knew about a person rather than looking with fresh eyes onto the person who stands before us. We don’t have a problem receiving grace, Pastor Ryan Martin said. But we sure do have a problem giving grace to others.

A couple recently joined our church. Someone soon noted that they had a past. Don’t we all. I refused to listen to the details. I don’t care. They have changed their lives, become new in Christ. None of us live perfect lives. We all need grace and acceptance and another chance. Church should be where we find it.

We also push people away from church, from Jesus, by not including them. Recently, I was looking for a seat at Wednesday night dinner. A sweet woman called out to me and beckoned me to her table. I was so grateful. Thankful.

You see when I hadn’t been attending that church long, I had something totally opposite happen. It was one of those Sundays when everyone shows up with their families. I was asked to move more than once to make room for a family to sit together. I still remember looking around and thinking that there was no place for me at that church. I was about to leave when someone noticed and called me over to sit with he and his wife. That made all the difference. If I’d left that day, I likely would never have come back.

We are family. We are. All the good and the bad, all the laughter and the tears. We come together to celebrate and to grieve. It’s not a perfect relationship because we aren’t perfect people. Still we try. We extend grace and receive it. We speak truth when it hurts and we embrace it when we need to. Family. God’s family. That is who we are.

January 16, 2018

Get Advice From God

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1

I have developed a really sensitive button over the last few months. It comes from having way too many people give way too much “advice” based on their desires for my life. Some would call them busybodies. Or nosy. Or people with too much time on their hands.

I struggle to remind myself that most of them have good intentions. It is a struggle though. How do they expect me to respond when it seems as though most of them don’t think I’ve capable of making my own decisions and refuse to  respect my choices?

Don’t get me wrong. We all need advice sometimes. And we all need to surround ourselves with wise people. But what none of us need are other people trying to run our lives because they’ve failed so miserably at their own. Nor do we need people trying to force us to do something that will benefit them. All for us, of course.

When I need advice do you know who I turn to first? God. Yes. That’s right. I pray to the Holy One who has all the answers. He’s my confidant. He’s the One who knows me better than anyone else. And He’s the One who truly knows what is best for me.

Have you ever tried telling someone who is giving you unsolicited “advice” that you are praying about it? That never goes over well. People who are truly prayer warriors, who truly seek what God’s will is for your life, won’t spend their time telling you what to do. They don’t give their unwanted opinions. They don’t assume they have all the answers. And they recognize that God knows best.

I have one friend who desperately wants a beach house. She dreams about it. That’s her ultimate goal. Unfortunately, her husband detests the beach so it’s not going to happen. Guess what she wants me to do? Buy a beach house because it will make “me” happy.

I have another friend who never misses an opportunity to tell me to sell the cows. I like the cows most of the time. I grew up around cows. I helped my Dad with them. In recent years, I mostly was the one who cared for them. It is a connection to my Dad. I don’t want to sell them. I don’t expect anyone else to understand that fact. I do expect others to respect my decision and to stop talking about it.

What is someone insisting that you do for “your own good”? One friend laughing tells how her daughter got upset with her when she refused to quit her job to keep her grandchildren so her daughter could work and the kids wouldn’t have to be in daycare. Her daughter’s reasoning? Well, you don’t need the money. Yeah. Belt-tightening can be a good thing, especially if it’s someone else making the sacrifices.

I’ve learned over the years to run things by God. Maybe He does want me to do something, or not do something, someone else is advising. Or maybe the issue isn’t about me at all. A good tipoff is when I offer to pray about it, and the person insists I don’t need to do that.

Always seek wise counsel from God. Those who love Jesus and truly have your best interests in mind will understand and respect your final decision. The ones who don’t understand and respect your decision, well, maybe a little distance would be the wiser course.

January 15, 2018

What Kind of Witness Are You?

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:18

He means well. He does. He is a man of God, determined to help others. He sees needs and he speaks. He’ll help. He’ll organize a group. It’ll get done.

Except it never gets done. He’s moved on to something else, to someone else’s need. It wasn’t intentional. It’s just that there are so many people who need help and there really isn’t enough time or workers to do it all.

So he makes promises he’s not going to keep. Again. He’s a good man. He has good intentions. But his witness, well, it’s not so great.

He would be appalled at that statement. He reads and studies his Bible. He prays. He attends church faithfully. But to those just outside of his orbit, the ones who are in need, the ones who hear his promises and then wait expectantly for help that won’t come, well, they don’t think so highly of him or his God.

Ah. There you have it. God. This man proclaims his faith and good intentions with his mouth but he doesn’t follow through with his actions. And that nullifies his witness for God. If they can’t depend on a man of God to do what he says he will do, then maybe they can’t depend on God to do what He says either.

You and I both know that God is trustworthy. He always keeps His promises. God never, ever lets us down. That’s not the case with humans. We let people down all the time. We are forever making promises we can’t keep because we want to make people happy. Well, maybe it’s because we want to make life easier for ourselves.

There is a sweet woman at our church who has just the brightest smile. She has good intentions too. She also has a reputation. Oh, don’t believe anything she tells you, others say. She always volunteers but she never actually shows up, they confide. Oh, she’s not dependable. Yeah. I found that out.

There is no need to volunteer for something when you aren’t going to do it. Think ahead. Is the timing inconvenient? Are you juggling too many things already? Is it just not something you would enjoy? Whatever the reason, it’s okay. Just don’t volunteer. Learn to say nothing or to say no. Really. It’s more important to be honest upfront than to make a promise you aren’t going to keep.

Of course, it’s easy to point fingers. We are quick to spot the hypocrisy in others. We climb onto our lofty perch and point fingers at those below. It’s way harder to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: What have I promised that I didn’t do? What have I committed to do and then decided I just didn’t have time? What good intentions have I pushed aside for something more urgent or for someone I see regularly?

We are all witnesses for Christ. All of us. As the saying goes, you may be the only Bible some people ever read. So what are they reading when they see you? 

June 6, 2016

God’s Love Frees Us

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. -- 1 John 4:16

The words were proudly honest. She didn’t know God loved her. She couldn’t grasp it. Her past wouldn’t let her. Satan’s lies blocked this truth.

I didn’t know what to say. It was a classroom setting and comments were everywhere. But her truth explained so much. All of a sudden her life made sense. I’d been there.

Self-destruction is a horrible thing. It’s roots run deep, planted in childhood for both of us. When you are told over and over again that you aren’t worthy, that you aren’t loved, that you aren’t smart or capable or good, then you believe it. Because that’s what children do. They believe the lies adults tell them.

God’s love releases that. It reveals those lies and tells us a different story. It’s not about us. It’s not about what has been or what will be. It’s about a God who loves us because He is love. We can’t quite grasp that deep, unwavering love.

But it is in the grasping that we are set free. When we fully realize and accept this wondrous gift, we have no need to destroy ourselves so that we turn into truth the lies the enemy told. We can stand in the light and know that wherever we are we are loved and cherished. We are enough.

This sweet woman has a history. Don’t we all. It’s isn’t an awful one but to her it is. She sees the effects on her now grown children. She realizes her struggles have led to choices and here she is. What now?

A person filled with God’s love makes different choices. A person filled with God’s love lets go of a past that cannot be changed and focuses on a now that is beautiful and filled with possibilities. A person filled with God’s love understands that the opinions of others really don’t matter because Jesus has washed them clean.

A sweet friend tells about one really bad decision she made years ago. It cost a great deal, not only for her but for her marriage and her child. She regrets that decision but it can never be undone.

She has forgiven herself and she knows God has too. It’s the people on the outside, those who have no business with an opinion at all, who even now throw it in her face. The lies of Satan can be relentless. God’s love has overcome them all.

God is love. It really is that simple. He is more than enough to fill us up, to make us believe that today and the days to come can be different. He tells us we are worthy, worthy enough that He sent His Son to die for us. Rest in that. Believe it. Walk in freedom. You are loved.

May 21, 2016

Jesus Loves You

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. -- 1 John 3:1

Our family attended a small country church when I was a small child. It was a long time ago and something I barely remember. By the time I was in school, we’d stopped going to church.

What I do remember though is that my great aunt took time with me. There were no other children my age but she thought I was worth teaching. Maybe it was an effort to keep my parents going to the church. I’ll never know.

She taught me a children’s song. Even now the words and melody come to mind: Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

That song has comforted me more times than I could ever say. The words are a reminder that no matter what else happens in this life, Jesus loves me. That is something I can count on. He is someone I can depend on.

We all have stories to tell of the times we weren’t accepted, the times our feelings got hurt, the times we tried something and failed. No one goes through life without suffering in some way.

I spent my childhood trying to be invisible. At least at home. It was not a bad life. I was grateful for that. I just knew I wasn’t loved or wanted. I was fed and clothed. I had school supplies and a swing with chains I wore out again and again. It could have been so much worse.

The song echoed in my mind at night as I closed my eyes to sleep. It was a reminder that I was not alone and that somebody loved me. Jesus. I wasn’t quite sure who He was but I clung to the fact that He loved me.

A sweet friend is going through a devastating divorce. Her husband left her for another woman. We remind her that she is loved, by us and by Jesus. She is worthy. She is beautiful. She is a child of God.

I don’t know what you are facing today, what you have faced in the past or what tomorrow will bring. But know this: Jesus loves you. You are a child of God. Beloved. Cherished. Worthy of all things good. Hold on to that.

In the darkest of nights, when Satan’s lies rear up, remember who you are. He loves you. He really, really loves you.

January 15, 2016

We Are All Sinners

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. -- 1 John 1:8-10

The hardest part of forgiveness for me is forgiving people who refuse to admit their sin. I know. I’m a sinner too. I’m not claiming otherwise. But it is just so hard to forgive when others remain on their pedestals refusing to acknowledge the destruction they caused.

I am so grateful for what Jesus did for me. I am so aware that I am cleansed because of His blood. I don’t deserve it. I will never deserve it. And it is His desire that everyone come to know Him and receive the same grace and mercy. I want that too -- even for those who want to destroy me.

I also know that while my job is to forgive, God promises that vengeance belongs to Him. I am His child. I need to cleanse my own heart and get out of His way. I’m trying. It’s a daily struggle. I just have so much anger inside. Every time I think it’s finally gone, here it comes again. And that is sin.

The Bible tells us that our war is a spiritual war and we should put on our armor. I do that. I pray. I read and study His word. But the battle some days seems relentless and I am weary.

The truth is I want it all to go away and it isn’t going to without God’s direct intervention. I’m not in charge of anyone but myself. I can’t fix this. I can’t make other people admit that what they did was wrong. I can’t make them feel remorse.

My responsibility is for my own sin and God knows there’s been plenty of that in my lifetime. And there will be plenty more to come. I am far from perfect. But I try. I have heart to heart talks with God and tell Him what I’ve done wrong. And I ask for forgiveness. Because I am His.

I’ll keep trying to let things go and forgive those who seek to harm me. And I’ll remember that God is faithful and loving toward those who love Him. What He does with this mess, well, that’s up to Him. I’ve given it to Him and I know He’ll sort it all out and turn it to good. I trust Him. I really, really do.