August 12, 2021

 

Some Fuel Discord

 

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.

– Romans 16:17-18

 

Beware of people who tell you exactly what you want to hear. We know the truth of this and, yet, we do it anyway. We want so badly to believe that our beliefs are true and honorable that we ignore God’s truth in a vain attempt to justify our hearts.

 

I dislike Donald Trump. I always have. It’s not personal. I’ve never met the man. But I can’t justify his lies, his arrogance and his commentary. Yes. I know. Only God knows the heart so we can never truly know what lies within. That said, I do believe James when he said that there should be evidence of faith.

 

Holding a Bible and throwing out a few words doesn’t mean someone truly knows Jesus. Faith isn’t a political mantle one can put on to gain votes and discard when it’s no longer convenient. Faith is the firm foundation by which we live our lives. True faith should be evident to everyone.

 

Faith, however, isn’t always politically correct. Faith tells us it isn’t always about us. Faith tells us to be good to the poor. Faith tells us to love our enemies. Faith calls us to a life that is neither easy nor comfortable. It calls us to put others first and that is something we simply cannot do.

 

Some people will always seek to divide. They find joy and power in listening to people argue and fight. They paint themselves in shiny armor, the hero of a story being written. The truth is distant and troubling. They are spawns of the devil, determined to divide God’s people and conquer the hearts of many for the one filled with darkness.

 

This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about honesty and integrity. It’s about what the Bible actually says rather than what we wish it would say. Every time you look to a podium, holding that person up as savior, you have blasphemed the true God. Every time you defend a lie, ignore a truth or spread falsehoods, you show the darkness within your own soul.

 

Anger and hatred abound among God’s people. Trump repeatedly has fueled that discord. Look around. Everyone you see is made in God’s image. Stop talking and start listening – to God. Draw near to Him while your heart might still be saved.

February 14, 2020

Look to Your Hearts

And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. – Luke 21:17

Everyone likes to be liked. Everyone wants to be accepted and valued. I am no exception. But what happens when God calls you to something that will likely turn your world upside down and cause people to hate you? Eventually, you do it anyway.

For a long time I have felt torn by the increasing chasm between the views loudly expressed by “Christians” and what the Bible actually says. We have become a society good at choosing parts and pieces of Scripture to “prove” our own way of thinking. We use God’s Word to slay others and do it “in the name of Jesus.” In so doing, we miss the point. We miss His point.

Love others. Love your enemies. Love foreigners. Love. Again and again we are told to love people. Again and again we see Jesus helping others without bothering to inquire if they deserve it. Because, honestly, none of us deserve His help. None of us deserve grace and mercy. His gives it freely anyway.

We are just so hard-hearted. We pray for our will to be done, refusing to consider that maybe it is us who have gotten it all wrong. We are so busy being “right” that we fail to look beyond ourselves to actually hear God’s voice.

God’s Word covers so much more than abortion and homosexuality but some groups would have us believe that those are the only two issues that matter. We don’t want to hear about the poor. That might cost us money. We don’t want to read about welcoming foreigners because we don’t want to be around people who aren’t exactly like us.

We hold in high esteem those who are filled with greed, reckless ambition, and selfish motives. We call them successful. We fill our hearts with worthless possessions that make us feel good about ourselves. And we cling to what we claim as ours, refusing to acknowledge God’s ownership over it all.

The truth of our lives isn’t pretty. We are guilty and obstinate in our harsh words and finger pointing. Look in the mirror, oh Pharisees. See yourselves clearly. Your loud proclamations of faith mean nothing when your hearts are so clearly filled with selfishness and evil.

November 20, 2018

What Does Your Life Say?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2

The discussion turned to what others see in us as we go about our daily lives. We are Christians, people who claim a faith that lives inside of us and directs our steps. But it is our actions, not our words, that preach what we truly believe.

John Wesley, who founded the Methodist denomination, lived his faith. He died a pauper because he gave away almost everything he earned. He wasn’t always the most well-liked person because he refused to go along with the establishment. When he saw a need, he attempted to find a solution. People don’t like change, especially when change might cost them something.

We see this same thing happening in our world today. I’m not really sure how one political party gained the reputation for being the “Christian” party and the other gained the reputation as being for those who don’t believe. As I’ve said before, neither political party gets it all right or all wrong when it comes to following God’s Word.

It doesn’t stop us from pointing fingers and getting angry at others for believing differently that we do. I’ve watched people I once thought were Christians who lived their faith fall into ugliness that comes when people are more concerned with their wallets than with their hearts.

I get it. I do. No one wants to work hard so that someone who refuses to do anything can partake in material blessings. But that’s where we take the wrong fork in the road. We aren’t called to fix or judge others. We are called to love, to work hard as though we are working for God, and to be generous with our time, talents and possessions. But, like the belligerent 2-year-old who refuses to share, we throw a tantrum and just say no.

I have a once sweet friend who has allowed herself to get so caught up in national politics that she has now become someone I don’t even know. It’s not about differing political views. I could care less about that. It’s that she is all about hate and possessions, condemning what she doesn’t know or understand, and spreading lies because it “sounds right.” I’m not the only one who sees it. A few have called her on it publicly. But she can’t see the change in herself as she pushes forward with her “opinions.”

People don’t see Jesus when they hear her or read her words. They aren’t drawn to Him because there’s no kindness or love, no mercy or compassion, in anything she says or does. She goes through the motions but her heart has hardened. It’s really sad.

We were never called to be like the world. Jesus repeatedly told us how to be different: love your enemies, do good to those who seek to harm you, share everything, put God before self or even your families. But those words of our Savior make us uncomfortable. We want to pick and choose which to follow. It was never meant to be that way. We were never meant to be that way.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:23-24

I wonder how many of us pray this verse? I wonder how uncomfortable the response from God might be? Are we willing to hear Him? Are we willing to look deep into our hearts and make the changes necessary to truly live like Jesus?

Many people know Jesus because of what they see in us. What type of message are we sending? What type of lessons are we teaching? Make sure your actions line up with the faith you claim. It won’t be comfortable but it surely will be worth it in the end.

August 1, 2018

Are You a Pharisee?

The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” – Mark 2:24

Our pastor recently explained that the Pharisees weren’t priests. They were lay people. Folks like you and me. They were doing all they could to keep the Jews, Jews by forcing them to follow man-made rules.

The Pharisees fought hard for what they believed was right. But were they right? They were so focused on their rules, and their power, that they missed the Messiah. Do we miss Him too?

I am reminded immediately of sweet friends who have turned radical in this hurtful political climate. They are conservatives – which is fine – who believe that only they are right and everyone else is “dumb,” “an idiot,” “un-American,” and on and on. In their hearts they think their beliefs justify their commentary.

Newsflash: Jesus isn’t a Republican or a Democrat. Both parties get some things biblically correct and some things biblically wrong. That’s a sad truth that neither side wants to admit.

The Pharisees hated Jesus because they couldn’t control Him. Jesus was the authority and He spoke like it. He came and undermined their laws. He told them things not everyone wanted to hear.

Have you ever been the lone voice against the crowd? It’s not a fun place, is it? Unfortunately, right doesn’t always get recognized. The crowd gets so focused on what they want to believe that they miss the message right in front of them.

Some of the most hateful people I know are active in their churches. They are loud vocalists on Facebook, sharing derogatory story after derogatory story. They aren’t interested in truth. Facts mean nothing to them. If someone says something they agree with, they share it.

Why? They are fearful of what they might lose. Just like the Pharisees, they have an agenda and it’s not following Jesus. He’s just an excuse. Unfortunately, His beliefs and theirs aren’t always compatible. That’s true of both sides of the political debate. We are all so busy being right that we miss Jesus.

As much as we love Jesus, we don’t always want to do what He says. We don’t want to love our enemies and we surely don’t want to do good to them. We want our neighbors to only be Americans who look just like us. We want to keep our money for ourselves or, at least, only use it to help people like us. We want freedom but we define it in different ways. We aren’t willing to compromise, to listen to the other side, to even consider that maybe we don’t have it all right.

And we wonder why our kids are killing each other. We wonder why God doesn’t seem to be around. We demand He be put back in our schools and government even though the first place He needs to be invited back into is our homes and our hearts.

I don’t know your political beliefs. I don’t even care what they are. When I try to determine what is right or wrong, I seek truth from God’s Word. That’s not an excuse to shift words and pull things out of context to justify my beliefs. It’s an effort to really hear what He says. Honestly, I don’t always like what He says but that’s what true faith is all about. It’s putting what God says above what I think.

The next time you’re tempted to turn belligerent or get angry because someone disagrees with you, take a deep breath and consider their words and yours. We don’t have to agree in order to be kind. And sometimes we aren’t as right about what God says as we want to believe.  

July 7, 2018

Who Are You?

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ.… You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

– 1 Corinthians 3:1, 3

Are you a Democrat or a Republican? Maybe you’re an Independent? With what brush do you label yourself? And with what brush do you label others?

In Alabama, we have long judged people on the basis of their college choice. Alabama or Auburn? It is a sometimes ugly feud that dates back long before I can remember. College football reigns.

Increasingly, I’ve seen the same thing in our political views. It’s way beyond our state’s borders and appears to permeate our nation’s core. We judge people based on the box they check rather than the whole of their person.

I’m really not sure how it happened. Somehow, we began to believe that Republicans were Christians and Democrats were heathens. And we behave accordingly. We used our broad brush to condemn and antagonize those who should have been our comrades.

It’s as though the Republican party chose two issues and loudly proclaimed that anyone who didn’t agree with their ideology was not a true Christian. And all the Christians just lined up in mob form and proclaimed the same.

On the other side, the Democrats chose other issues and loudly proclaimed that anyone who didn’t support compassion and a helping hand was not a true Christian. And all those Christians lined up in mob form and proclaimed the same.

The truth is that where we stand on political issues has nothing to do with our salvation. Jesus told us clearly that He is the only way. Belief in our Risen Christ is all we need to be saved. It’s not about works or political opinions. Don’t forget that.

Beyond that, neither party has it all right or all wrong. But we’re so busy pointing fingers and spreading hate and discord that we can’t see the work of Satan in our midst. He is dividing God’s people and we are allowing it. We are so focused on being “right” that we’re missing God’s message of love.

Sure, there are serious issues before us now. But we can be kind as we debate those issues. We can understand that Christians don’t always get it right. And we can acknowledge that sometimes we’re the ones who don’t get it right. Ouch.

Paul was admonishing the Corinthians for their infighting. They were taking sides. Who supported Paul? Who supported Apollos? What difference did it make? Paul reminded them that it was really all about Jesus. We need that reminder today.

The church in Corinth eventually ceased to exist. Did the Christians destroy themselves? Aren’t we doing the same thing?

Peter tells us that love covers a multitude of sins. If we focused on our part, if we loved without reserve, how much better our world would be. If we stopped trying to be right, how much stronger our faith would be. If we ceased to paint people with a broad brush, labeling them based on politics rather than heart, how much more like Jesus we would be.

May 25, 2018

Show Me Your Values

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

– 1 Timothy 4:1-2

It’s election time in my conservative state. Let’s get out the vote! And let’s be sure to vote for a Christian with conservative values who will defend our rights. That’s what they all say.

I know little about any of the candidates besides what appears publicly through their advertisements and the media. I guess I’ve become a bit of a cynic. Don’t tell me how deep your faith is. Show me. In this season of my life, I’ve learned that those who preach the loudest usually are the ones most apt to take advantage of someone. I know it’s a generalization but it’s just something I’ve witnessed again and again.

When a candidate tells me he’s qualified for office because he’s a conservative Christian, I don’t shout “hallelujah!” and race to the polls. I don’t believe Jesus was a conservative or a liberal. I doubt He would side with the Republicans or the Democrats. I think Jesus would tell us that sometimes both sides get it right and sometimes both sides get it wrong.

What I see are a bunch of power-hungry individuals who are out for their own good and the good of their bank accounts. Some may actually believe they can be the change. But backroom deals are truth. To get anything done, you’ve got to work together. You can’t do that when you think you’re always right.

One conservative Christian loudly proclaims his faith and his Republican status. He also believes – truly – that blacks won’t be in heaven. He wears his racism as proudly as he does his “faith.”

Another Christian conservative demands that everyone get a job, keep their word, and do for others. I want to say, “You first,” but I don’t. I tell myself not to judge but it’s difficult to hold my tongue in the face of such blatant hypocrisy.

Then we’ve got the other side. We’ve always got the other side. The liberal Democrats who think everyone should be guaranteed a wage and who don’t fully comprehend that every good thing requires a payment.

We’ve got Democrats who blame everyone but the perpetrator and demand change before we actually enforce the laws already on the books. Where is accountability?

The truth is our country is in crisis because two different sides can’t come together and work toward a reasonable solution to the problems we face. We’re too busy being “right” to actually understand that sometimes we’re wrong.

Some of the strongest people of faith I know, people who actually live as Jesus would to the best of their ability, are liberal Democrats. And some of the biggest hypocrites I know, self-serving people who say one thing publicly while living something else privately, are conservative Republicans. The opposite is true as well.

We’re all just people when it comes down to it. We all need a large dose of Jesus and a whole lot less of ourselves. Don’t tell me who you are, show me. I don’t need a lecture on values. I need to see what your values really are by how you live your life.

January 26, 2018

Cloak Comments With Grace, Mercy

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. – Proverbs 31:8-9

Immigration is an issue. Always. The children of those who came to the United States illegally has become a push point for many. We live in a land where skin color continues to be an issue. We want to “choose” who can come based on their country of origin rather than who they are as individuals.

Welfare is another major point of disagreement. Misinformation is everywhere. Illegals get thousands while seniors get so little. Seriously? It’s just so much easier to believe lies than to look for the truth.

That misinformation fuels hate. We have left compassion and kindness and love behind. And we do it all while holding high the banner of Jesus. Does anyone else see the absurdity of it all?

Jesus was filled with compassion and mercy. He gave grace to all. No. He didn’t condone sin. In fact, He said to go and sin no more. But He did extend forgiveness. We’ve forgotten that.

We deserve better, we tell ourselves. They did wrong, we remind them again and again. We behave as though all the money and all the land in this country actually belongs to us. It doesn’t. Everything comes from God. Where is He in all this?

Years ago I lived in a state with a wonderful program for job skill training for people receiving welfare. It was awesome. The problem was people, especially women, weren’t moving forward and keeping those jobs. It caused quite an outcry.

At least it did until someone wisely investigated the situation. They found that when the job training ended and the job began, childcare benefits ended. No one at a minimum wage job can afford housing, food, medical care and day care.

Of course, the outcry rose that “they shouldn’t have had those children if they can’t take care of them!” Who can argue with that? But the reality is that the children existed and needed care. So the state extended benefits at a graduated level. As the pay level rose, the benefits decreased until the worker was fully self-supporting. It was a win-win for everyone.

I don’t have answers to this current debate. I don’t think anyone really does. But if you want to use Jesus’ name in all this, be sure to cloak your comments with grace and mercy not greed and judgement. Every time you use His name to condemn the poor or the outcast, you are condemning yourself. Think about that for a while.

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.

Helping Others

"Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Luke 10:37b

This quote ends the parable Jesus told about the Good Samaritan. Most Christians are familiar with the story. Robbers attacked a man as he traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest came along and, seeing the man, passed by on the other side of the road. A Levite did the same. It was the Samaritan -- a mixed race viewed as inferior by the Jews -- who stopped to help. He bandaged the man's wounds, placed the victim on his own donkey, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day the Samaritan paid the innkeeper to look after the man, promising to reimburse the innkeeper for any extra expense.

The priest and the Levite looked down from their lofty perch as God's chosen people and viewed the Samaritan as inferior to them. Yet it was the Samaritan who showed the kindness and compassion that is a mark of Christianity.

Our country is in a heated debate over health care reform. It pits the Republicans -- who frequently claim the Christian mantle for themselves -- against the Liberal -- and supposedly immoral -- Democrats. The leading industrial nation in the world can't afford to provide health care for the working poor. How sad is that? How can anyone claim to be a Christian and yet cross to the other side of the road and walk on by?

I don't have any answers when it comes to health care reform beyond the obvious need. It's way past time for the Republicans to get off their high road and get down in the trenches to help Democrats formulate a workable plan that would make Jesus proud. Jesus would take care of the working poor. Will we?