January 14, 2018

Jesus Christ Sits on the Throne

Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:11-12

Last month a Democrat defeated a Republican to become Alabama’s next U.S. Senator. Facebook was filled with conservative Christians who truly believed the world was about to end. The hate and disgust coming from their tongues was appalling.

The Republican party can’t save us. Nor can the Democratic Party. Donald Trump is not on the throne, Jesus Christ is. Why then do so many Christians place their faith and their hope in men, and women, who are just as flawed as the rest of us?

More importantly, perhaps, what does that say about their faith? About the faith of all of us? Do we believe that God can and will only work through one political party or one president? Do we limit His ability to work by our own narrow views of what is right and what is wrong?

Unfortunately, I live in a state where people only consider the political party when deciding how to cast their ballots. They don’t look at the person. They don’t consider the issues. They don’t check their “facts” before sharing them for all the world to see. And, yet, they see those of us who vote differently as lesser Christians.

Our pastor said recently that we are all hypocrites. He’s right. We all hold others to higher standards than we hold ourselves. We look in the mirror and see justified. We look at others and see condemned. Much like the Pharisees, I might add. How very sad.

They are not bad people. They simply can’t see beyond themselves. They don’t see a big God who can do all things. They don’t consider that they might be wrong at times. They don’t comprehend that a label doesn’t make a man any more than it breaks him. We are all sinners and we are all placed here to serve a glorious God.

How do we do that? By worshipping at the throne of a particular political party? By determining that salvation comes from a certain man, agenda or vote? What message are we sending to nonbelievers when we lament the end of God in the USA because one man, or one political party, was defeated by the other?

I trust that God works all things for our good and His glory. I believe that God is powerful enough to accomplish anything through anyone at any time. My allegiance is to Jesus Christ. My salvation comes through Him. It is not of this world. I am not of this world, merely a traveler on my way home.

I don’t know what the future holds. None of us do. I will pray for our elected officials to be filled with God’s wisdom and discernment. I will ask that He guide them in all they do so that His will, not my own, is done. Whether your candidate wins or loses, Jesus Christ remains on the throne. He alone is our Savior. Remember that.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Don’t Value What Doesn’t Matter

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. -- Acts 4:32

It’s that time of year again. It’s that time when the finance committee at church starts talking about money, about tithing, about trusting God. Have you tuned out yet? That’s what most people do.

We trust God. We do. We trust Jesus with our salvation. We trust Him to answer our prayers. We plead with Him for healing and blessings. But we don’t tend to trust Him with our finances. That’s off limits. We prefer to keep that to ourselves and decide how we’ll spend it. Or not.

There are few issues as volatile as money or possessions. We don’t want to share. Ask any small child. They’re happy to share -- when they’re done playing with it and when they’re good and ready to share. Not before. Don’t even think about taking it before then.

We adults are no better. We value our possessions and our bank accounts. Some of us are generous, but on our terms and in our timing. We don’t want anyone standing up there and telling us what a blessing it is to give more to the church, to charity, to someone we’re not sure deserves it.

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. -- Acts 4:34-35

We tend to think of ourselves as superior to others. The more money and possessions we have, the better we feel about ourselves. Do money and possessions make us better people? No. In fact, sometimes just the opposite is true.

We look down on those who have less and that’s just plain wrong. Max Lucado once spoke of a friend in another country. The man works harder, perhaps, Lucado noted, harder than he works. Yet his family lives in a small hut with a dirt floor. It wasn’t about working hard. Or being smart. Or making wise choices. It was about circumstances and a life sometimes determined by where you live more than anything else.

Our hearts grow hard when we think of handouts to the poor. We are conditioned to believe that those in need aren’t worthy to receive our help. We blame them for their circumstances, and sometimes we are right. But God gave us another chance so why do we refuse others the same opportunity?

It all comes back to holding on to that money and those possessions. None of that matters, not in the scope of eternity. I wonder sometimes about those who think it does. It must be exhausting trying to hold on to something that you’re destined to lose sooner or later anyway.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Pray To See God’s Will, Not Your Own

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” -- Acts 4:12

Tell me about your religion. What first comes to mind? Do you hurry to describe the building where the church meets? Are you quick to point out the style of music? Do you talk about the types of people who attend? Or is the first word that rolls off your tongue the name Jesus?

I decided to check the dictionary definition of “religion” just to see how it was officially defined. Here’s what it said: 1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life; 2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine; 3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by.

Interesting. So if religion is our belief in God, in our own set of values, what is the most important thing? Or whom is the most important one? Jesus. Because without Jesus Christianity and our faith, our beliefs, our religion, doesn’t exist.

We humans are forever seeking something to fill us up. Those of us who are fortunate to know Jesus have come to understand that only He can fill that void inside of us. Others are lost until we share with them. Oh, they may sense that God exists but they really don’t understand the One True God until they know Jesus.

Jesus is God’s attempt to reach humanity, Pastor Rob West said recently. Jesus shows us God’s heart, God’s love and God’s grace. Jesus is the bridge between God and sinful humanity. His sacrifice reunites us with God.

It is that simple and that complex. Because we want to make it so much more complicated. We want to talk about buildings and style of worship and money and good deeds. We want to proclaim His vision to the world, whether we truly understand it ourselves or not.

Politics always manages to bring out the best and the worst in us. Okay. Usually it brings out the worst in us. We loudly proclaim our personal views and give God credit for them, regardless of whether those views fit with His character or not. We are concerned for our own pocketbooks first rather than caring for the poor, the sick, the elderly.

Our religion defines who we are as people. It dictates our values, our morals, our political choices. The challenge then becomes distinguishing between our personal beliefs and those that truly belong to God.

This political season take time to search the Bible for answers, not necessarily to support your already established views but to truly seek God’s Word and His Will. Then pray not for God to agree with your will but that He would align your political views to agree with His Will.