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.

September 12, 2024

                                   Don’t Wait

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

-- 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Death is everywhere. A woman lost her husband to a sudden illness. Parents grieve for a young man gone too soon. Teammates, friends and family members walk around in shock. We are so unprepared.

Yet, why are we so shocked? Death comes to all of us. It’s the one guarantee of this life. We don’t know when. We don’t know how. But death will one day knock on our door and demand its price.

Are you ready? Do you know Jesus? He’s the One who defeated death. When death arrives, it will be too late to decide.

The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians not to grieve the way those who don’t know Jesus grieve. While goodbyes are painful, we have the hope and reassurance that the goodbye isn’t forever. We’ll see those we love, those who know Jesus, again one day.

And there it is. Those who know Jesus. It’s not enough to be a good person. It doesn’t matter how much money you have in the bank or how much property you own. It doesn’t even matter how much your family loves you. All that matters in that moment of death is whether you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

“I’ll take my chances.” How many times have I heard somebody say those words?

“He (or she) was such a good person. I’m sure he’s in heaven.”

“He attended church regularly. I never saw him read the Bible or even participate in a Bible study but I’m sure he was good. He went to church after all.”

News Flash: Attending church doesn’t punch your card to heaven. Nor does being a good person. And rolling the dice on your chances is a sure ticket down below.

The only question that matters is whether you love Jesus. Have you accepted Him as Lord and Savior? Have you accepted His gift of salvation? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth, lived a perfect life, died a horrific death on the cross, and is now raised from the dead and seated at God’s right hand? Don’t wait until your day is done to examine your heart.

And don’t wait until it’s too late to have hard conversations with the people you love. They may not hear you. They may brush aside your questions and your prayers. That’s their right. But at least try.

The only way through unbearable grief is knowing that our separation is only temporary. Don’t wait until death calls your name or the name of someone you love.

August 1, 2024

                                              Love or Hate?

If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal.

– 1 Corinthians 13:1

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to a church that was fighting within itself. He was trying to teach fellow believers how to get along with each other.

We’re so familiar with this passage because it is frequently used at weddings. That was never Paul’s intention. I suppose it’s easier to think of this as being a wedding instruction rather than an admonition directed at the infighting we see today in our churches and in our country.

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

It seems these days that I am always blocking things on social media that I don’t want to see from people I don’t even know. It breaks my heart that friends I care about, people I believe are good people, think it’s okay to share untruths and hate-filled diatribes against those who disagree with them.

Our country has turned on itself. We are so busy pointing fingers at each other, demanding that someone else turn back to God, that we’ve missed our own sins. We have failed to take the plank out of our own eyes.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. – 1 Corinthians 13:6

What is truth? Truly. Do you know? Have you read the Bible for yourself? Have you spent time in prayer asking and listening? Or are you merely passing on what someone else has told you? Are you holding on to hate and justifying yourself by proclaiming that it’s your opinion?

As people of God we are called to love, regardless of whether we agree with someone or not. We are called to be kind, even when someone else isn’t. We are called to be humble, not rude or self-seeking. Do others know of your faith by your words and actions?

Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love – but the greatest of these is love.

– 1 Corinthians 13:13

July 28, 2924

 What’s Your Excuse?

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. – Hebrews 10:24-25

They always have an excuse. You know who I’m talking about. They’re traveling. They’re tired. They don’t like the topic. They’re at the beach. Or the mountains. Or, really, anywhere that doesn’t involve church.

Some people joke about the Christmas and Easter people. Throw in a dose of Mother’s Day. Except it’s not funny. They’re missing something important. They’re missing fellowship with other believers. They’re missing opportunities to learn and grow closer to Christ.

Sure. Some people say they’re good because they watch the service online. (And please know that this is not directed at those who physically can’t attend church anymore.) It’s easier to watch a service online than attend in person. But it’s not the same. There’s no connection there. No pun intended.

We find time to do what’s important to us. Is Jesus important to you? You may believe in your heart but if you’re not gathering with other believers on a regular basis maybe it’s time to do a heart check.

July 14, 2023

 

Wealth is Uncertain

 

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. – 1 Timothy 6:17

 

We live in a country where financial abundance is the norm. We don’t always feel that way, especially in these days of rising prices. But it’s true. The United States is a wealthy country filled with financial blessings that many in the world don’t enjoy.

 

In our own world, there’s a hierarchy that believes those with more wealth are “better” than those who have less. It’s a class system that has long existed and likely isn’t going away. The wealthy believe they have the right to run things. The middle class want part of that power. And the poor long to be middle class or wealthy.

 

James warns us not to treat people differently if they are affluent. (James 2:2-4) Yet we do it anyway. It’s expected. Certainly, the wealthy expect it.

 

The wealthy count on their money to always take care of them – except when it can’t. This is Paul’s warning as he writes to Timothy. Tell the wealthy not to be arrogant. Money can’t be counted on to save them. Did I hear a few of you scoff at that?

 

It all sounds good until bad investments or a downturn in the economy, wipes everything out. It is a wonderful concept until a family squabble liquidates an inheritance. And it seems like the best thing until money can’t buy a medical treatment that will cure cancer or other medical issues. Then all the money in the world won’t help.

 

Solomon had wealth and wisdom but he still sinned greatly. Why? He let others – mainly his many wives – lure him away from following God. Anything that entices us away from God is wrong and will only lead to disaster.

 

Money is not wrong. It’s not evil. But loving and trusting money more than God will lead to ruin. It leads to arrogance and self-serving desires. Use the gifts God has given you to do good. Know that God alone is responsible for your blessings. Trust God because only He can save you.

July 13, 2023

Trust God More Than Money

 

For the love of money is a root of evil of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:10

 

As I write this, the Powerball jackpot has gone to $875 million dollars. How many of you have purchased or plan to purchase a ticket? How many of you dream about all you could do with money like that?

 

Most of us, if we’re honest, answered yes to both questions. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s when winning, when achieving financial success, becomes our obsession that our lives get out of whack. We’re so focused on the wrong things that we miss the right things.

 

Many people misread and misquote the Scripture above. Money is not evil. Having an abundance of money is not evil. It’s the love of money that’s evil. It’s a lure that draws us away from God and away from doing the right things.

 

We have a tendancy to depend on money, rather than God, to get us through. Certainly, we need money to survive. Money buys food, shelter, gas to drive to work, clothes to wear, school supplies for our children. The list goes on and on. I am not criticizing the desire to be able to provide for ourselves and our families.

 

It’s when we put money on a pedestal and count on it rather than God that our lives turn away from God and toward evil. We trust money more than God and nothing should usurp God.

 

We tend to “trust” God when all of our other options have gone away. We turn to God when we have no other choice, when we have used up all of our resources. What would happen if we turned to God first? Perhaps we would relinquish the sin of worry and be filled with the peace God gives us when we trust Him.

 

It’s okay to want financial security but learn to trust that God will provide all we truly need.

 

 

September 8, 2022

 

Blindness

 

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:7b-9

 

What was Paul’s thorn? Many have debated it. Some have concluded Paul’s thorn was his vision. They determined this because Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus. He was blind for three days. His sight was restored but did he have lingering issues? We don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us.

 

No matter what, Paul continued to boast in the goodness of God. He preached the gospel despite much hardship and condemnation. His faith never wavered.

 

As my own eyesight deteriorates, I wonder if I will be able to continue with such a deep, unwavering faith. It’s easy to cling to faith that remains unchallenged but it is in our darkest moments that we truly learn how deep our roots have grown.

 

I turn the pages of my worn, large-print Bible and I see marks again and again from a time some years ago. Loneliness and fear had gripped me and I cried out to the only One who truly understood my pain. His faithfulness sustained me and He blessed me in ways I never imagined. He is, and will always be, the God who stayed and brought light to the darkness. I cling to that now.

 

None of us can predict the future. We make plans but we have no way of knowing exactly what awaits us in the hours and days that lay before us. And, yet, Paul gives us an example of what it means to boast in the Lord even as we suffer in the flesh. Because He is so good and so faithful.

 

I don’t know what thorn you’re facing today. I don’t know whether it’s a physical ailment, an emotional heartbreak, financial stresses or any number of other things. Life is hard sometimes. But remember who you belong to. Remember that He is faithful. Remember that God will sustain you always and forever.

June 18, 2022

 

Rules

 

He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.” – Acts 10:28

 

The Apostle Peter was a Jew. He followed the laws he’d been taught and, yet, God called him to something else. First, God showed Peter that it was okay to eat meat Peter had always been taught was unclean. Then, God showed Peter that it was okay to eat with and fellowship with Gentiles. And because Peter followed God, many became believers and were filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

A family I know has been torn apart by the issue of homosexuality. It’s caused such division that the father refuses to speak to his son. This devout family is so focused on its beliefs that it can’t see God’s heart. And the son? Well, he’s now questioning God’s love too.

 

Is homosexuality a sin? I’ve heard all the arguments both ways. I am familiar with the verses. I know it is condemned by the Bible, just as I know the Bible condones slavery and the inferiority of women. In fact, the Bible at times contradicts itself. It speaks so clearly about slavery and yet Paul says this in Galatians 3:28:

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

People say they want to go back to the sexual ethics of the Bible but I wonder if they’ve ever read the book. I have – in several different versions. I have no interest in polygamy, fathers selling their daughters into slavery, or powerful men forcing women to be concubines and worse. And those are just a few things.

 

So, what about homosexuality? I don’t know. Does God condemn sexual rituals to false gods? I believe that He does. Does God condemn powerful men forcing young men into prostitution and worse? I believe so. But does God condemn two men or two women from a loving relationship? I’m not so sure about that.

 

Jesus told us the two greatest commandments. Do remember them?

 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40

 

Love God and love your neighbor. It seems fairly simple to me. I don’t know about the issue of homosexuality. That’s for God to sort out. But I do know that God didn’t call me to judge. God has called me to love.

 

How much better our world would be today if we would remember that.

July 15, 2021

 

Do You Welcome Others?

 

I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

– 1 Corinthians 9:22b-23

 

We are quick to criticize, ostracize, and exclude others because they are different. The teen who isn’t into sports doesn’t have a place in a youth group filled with sports enthusiasts. The young mom with a special needs child doesn’t find inclusion amongst the moms with children who have no challenges. The single woman, or man, doesn’t fit into a congregation filled with couples. The newcomer gets a small smile and a back as others catch up with friends. Does any of this sound familiar?

 

It happens in churches everywhere every Sunday. It happens in your church. It happens in my church. We are so focused on ourselves, our friends, on those “like” us that we miss opportunity after opportunity to join with others who walk a different path with Jesus.

 

It’s easier to stay with those we know. It’s more comfortable to surround ourselves with the familiar. But that isn’t what Jesus called us to do. We are to love everyone. We are to love those who are unlovable. We are to sit with the hurting, the lost, those who have made mistakes and those who are alone.

 

A dear family once left our church because their teen didn’t feel comfortable in youth group. His great sin? He was more interested in drama than sports. Or the single person who wasn’t greeted at all.  Or the family who unknowingly sat in “someone else’s seat.” And let’s not forget the mom with two young girls who skipped Easter services because she couldn’t afford new dresses for her children and didn’t want them ridiculed for that sad fact. I could go on and on.

 

Paul became like those around him so that he could share Jesus with them. He wasn’t a hypocrite. He merely understood that people who are loved and accepted as they are become far more likely to open their hearts to Jesus. When we close ourselves off, when we fail to reach out and love people as they are, we let them know that our words of faith have no place in our hearts.

July 22, 2019

The Road Ahead

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

– 2 Corinthians 4:18

We cling tightly to the things of today, don’t we? We may want adventure and fun times but mostly we want our lives to stay the same or, at least, grow in a way we can see and embrace.

God doesn’t work that way. He understands that it is in the storms of life that we grow closer to Him and, thus, more like Jesus. If it weren’t for the storms, we would never truly realize how much we need God.

There’s a difference between knowing in your mind that we all need a Savior and knowing in the desperation of a dark night that He is the only One who can heal your shattered heart.

God meets us where we are. It’s such a simple statement. We don’t realize how profound it is until we’re the ones He meets. God is there is the silence of an ICU waiting room in the middle of the night. God is there when people spew lies at you and you don’t think your shattered heart can ever heal. God is there in the hopelessness of job loss, divorce, illness, and a million other things that can happen over the course of a life.

Yes. God is also there in the good times. He celebrates births and marriages and new homes and dream vacations. He applauds our successes and cheers us on. But do we really feel His Presence when everything is going good? Do we truly appreciate what He does for us when life is going exactly as we planned?

Life on this earth will always be filled with peaks and valleys and all those days in between. It’s tempting to lose sight of why we’re here. It’s tempting to believe that we’re in control and everything will always be like we planned. We aren’t in control and life won’t stay the same.

So fix your eyes on what lies ahead. Stay focused on eternity. It helps put today’s struggles and achievements in perspective.

July 19, 2019

Keep Believing

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

She struggles physically and emotionally. It’s hard to find hope in a cycle that seems to never end.

She is haunted by past mistakes that have led her to this place. She has changed. The alcohol is gone. But her children remember. Adulthood hasn’t lessoned their trauma. One seems destined to repeat her mother’s story. The other tries, and fails, to hide his anger.

Have you been there? Maybe not the same circumstances but the same hopelessness? We find our hope in God but sometimes it’s just hard. It’s hard to keep believing. It’s hard to know He sees. It’s hard to see how anything can ever be different.

And then one day it is. One day the pain is a little less. One day laughter erupts again. One day you look around and are amazed at the miracles God performed while you were so caught up in your pain that you failed to see.

Don’t give up. Don’t give in. God loves you and has great things planned for you. Keep holding on. Keep praying. God knows what you need and in the right time He will provide.

September 24, 2018

Who Do You Pray For?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. – Ephesians 6:18

Who did you pray for today? You did pray, didn’t you? I certainly hope so! Prayer is not only how we talk to God, it’s also how we listen to Him.

Maybe you’re one of those who treat God like a vending machine. You know what I’m talking about. You want, want, want. No matter how much you get, you want more.

Oh, you’re grateful. Always. But it’s never enough. You’re never satisfied because you’re trying to fill yourself up with stuff rather than with God Himself.

But I digress. Let’s get back to prayer. How often do you pray for yourself? And how often do you pray for others? Because if your prayers are all about you, then you’ve got a problem. That’s something our pastor pointed out yesterday.

We are to pray for others. We are to pray for healing and for God’s Spirit to fill them up. We are to pray for guidance and comfort and so many things. People desperately need us to intercede for them, just as we need others to intercede for us.

What they don’t need are prayers for our will to be done in their lives. We’re really good at telling God what He needs to do, aren’t we? So, we try to “fix” others with prayer. We offer God plenty of advice He doesn’t need on how to get people in line with how we think they should be living their lives.

Oops!

Motives have a way of revealing themselves when we go before God in prayer if we’ll listen to what He is saying to us. God is good to point out our flaws, our self-interests, our agendas. Sometimes it hurts. It’s a necessary hurt.

God knows best. He always does. We don’t have to tell Him what we think in order to lift someone up in prayer. We can ask for healing – knowing that the healing might happen here on earth or it might come with Him taking the one we love home to heaven. We have to trust Him to know what’s best. That’s hard.

A sweet friend once said that the hardest prayer she ever prayed was asking God to do whatever was necessary to save a family member. She understood that some people must go through great heartache to reach a point of surrender to Christ. She understood that her prayer might be for brokenness for someone she loved. She prayed anyway, trusting God to know best.

How about you? Do you trust God to handle issues without your input? Do you trust Him to wrap Himself around those who are hurting? Do you trust Him enough to lift up someone in prayer without telling God what to do?

We are called to pray for others, not to know all the answers. When in doubt, pray. When someone is hurting, pray. When the Holy Spirit brings someone to mind, pray. Just pray – and trust God to know what’s best.

September 8, 2018

Who Gets Hurt?

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

– 1 Corinthians 3:3-6

People like to squabble, don’t we? We don’t care if it’s college football, political ideology or the type of music played during worship services. We’ll have an argument, not because we particularly care about the issue, but because we’re determined to be right.

Being in control makes us feel confident. Our opinions are always right. We don’t want to compromise. We don’t want to share the glory. It’s all about us anyway.

Oops. No. It’s not all about us. It’s not about us at all. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about giving glory to God. We lose sight of that when we’re pushing ahead to get our own way.

One thing that I have witnessed again and again in different churches is the political maneuvering that goes on behind the scenes. We lobby fellow church members to have the carpet changed to the color we’ve chosen. We “bless someone’s heart” even as we tell others they don’t have good sense when it comes to decorating the Fellowship Hall.

We get so focused on what we want that we miss loving others. We’re so intent on being right that we forget it’s much more important to include others than to have our own way.

The women knew exactly how they wanted it to be done. It was to be done the way it had always been done. They’d been decorating tables for funeral meals, bridal showers and church fellowship for years. They were tired but they soldiered on. No one could do it like them.

Until another woman joined the church. She had plenty of experience with arranging flowers and centerpieces. She carried a bright smile and she was always willing to help. It might have worked out if she’d stayed silent and just gone along with those in charge. When she dared to do something different, they let her know with harsh words and bruising assessments. She cried. They didn’t seem to care.

Is anyone surprised that she’s no longer a member of the church? Does anyone even care that those same ladies with the biting tongues are now too old and frail to do the things they valued so much? They retained control, they hurt someone who didn’t deserve their hateful words, and all to control a task that was always temporary.

Where was Jesus in all of that? He wasn’t there at all. He wasn’t invited. He wouldn’t have fit in anyway. Jesus was all about welcoming everyone to the table. Those ladies were all about exclusion.

Sometimes I see people fussing about things that just don’t matter. They get so upset about worldly things, about power and control and pride. We really cling to our pride. We place it high above kindness and mercy and inclusion.

We are all only servants here with one purpose: to bring glory to God. We are to care for His people and do good where we can. And we’re to get along with each other, refusing to let Satan divide us with pettiness.

The next time you get ready to tear someone down for disagreeing with you, think about it before you fling those words out. They can’t ever be taken back. They harm others and, in so doing, they hurt Jesus. Is that what you really intended?

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.

July 6, 2018

Are You Ready?

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

– 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

The sound shattered the morning stillness. I turned in time to see rubber flying and a sleek sports car jerking first one way and then another as the driver tried desperately to control it. A blown tire, successful efforts to keep the car from rolling and then a crash into the side of the store.

It was over in seconds. That’s exactly how long it takes for your life to change course forever.

Miracles happened. The normally busy intersection was void in that moment of other vehicles. The crowded store just happened to have no one parked on the side where the car hit. The wall of the store held up, smashing the front of the car but not allowing it to enter the building where unsuspecting shoppers went about their day.

No one died. We are thankful. Injuries can heal. Cars can be repaired or replaced. Another day will dawn. There is still time.

But what if the end result had been different? What if you had been the one driving? What if those seconds were your last on this earth? Are you ready? Are you sure?

We always think we have more time. We always believe that horrible things happen to someone else. We always plan like tomorrow is a guarantee. Until it isn’t.

Paul warned the Corinthians that all could change in an instant. That’s how Christ will return. There won’t be a warning. Two will be at work and one will be taken and one will remain. There won’t be time to get right with God, to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, to change behavior, hearts, and minds.

This letter contained so much wisdom. Paul tells us that love is patient and kind. He warns against the division amongst themselves. They were so busy fighting each other that they were missing the point. They were missing Christ.

It sounds a lot like Christians today. We are so busy pointing fingers at other Christians, spewing hatred toward others, and protecting our “rights,” that we miss the common core. We miss Jesus.

God knows your heart. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many times you quote the Bible if you don’t live it from your heart. It doesn’t matter how earnest your prayers if your only goal is to mold His will to your own. And it doesn’t matter how much you value yourself if you look down on the broken, the lost, the hurting, and refuse to help.

The church in Corinth didn’t survive. Will we?

June 20, 2018

Don’t Twist God’s Words

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. – Romans 13:1

Attorney General Jeff Sessions used the Bible, quoting the Apostle Paul, to justify the Trump Administration’s policy to separate children from their parents as these desperate people cross the border asking for help and a better life. Shame on him!

Should the world have remained silent while Hitler slaughtered Jews? Should Colonial American have remained attached to Great Britain instead of fighting to create this country? Should Daniel have stopped praying because the king ordered that no one pray to anyone but him? That’s exactly the logic Sessions uses in his comments.

It creates horrific injustice when someone takes the Bible out of context and uses His Word to justify their own cruelty. Most people don’t know the Bible well enough to understand the context of this passage.

Paul was writing to a very specific audience: Roman Christians. He was urging them to obey Roman law and pay their taxes. Nero was on the throne. He was truly an evil king. But the Romans were afraid the Christians would rise up in rebellion. Paul’s words encouraged the Roman Christians to get along with others and, as Jesus noted in His ministry, give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar.

Paul also talks a great deal about loving others.

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:10

Are we loving others when we separate parents from their children? Are they criminals for trying to enter our country through legal channels? Why are we traumatizing young children, who are screaming out for their mothers? When did we become a nation who believes this is right?

And to say it’s from God?! It defies everything God is. John tells us that God is love. This is nothing from God. This is horrific behavior from a government that has come to believe it can do anything without fear of repercussions.

In the Book of Acts, Jewish leaders commanded that Peter and John stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. They refused.

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:19-20

Later, they were warned again by authorities.

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” – Acts 5:29

Yes, we must make sure that those wishing to enter our country do so legally. But we must also extend compassion and kindness to those who have journeyed far, sacrificed much, with great hope in their hearts. They are desperate for what most of us received by mere chance of birth. We shouldn’t think ourselves better than we are because of that.

We must also remember the words from Leviticus.

“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 19:34

There’s that word again. Love. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the LORD our God and then to love others as ourselves. There is no love in the actions of Sessions and others. No one is above God’s law, including them.

This is not a debate among Republicans and Democrats, no matter how they may try and position it. This is matter of following God’s law before a policy set by man. It’s past time Christians rose up and said no more. Obey God’s law before man’s.

May 10, 2018

Does Satan Know You?

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of that house naked and bleeding. – Acts 19:11-16

Does Satan know who you are? That was the question posed in the Battle Plan for Prayer workbook. You’re probably thinking, “I hope not!” None of us wants to face an attack from Satan. But if Satan isn’t worried about what we might do for God, then maybe it’s past time we looked in the mirror and asked ourselves why not.

Spiritual warfare is all around us. That’s true whether we recognize it or not. What’s also true is the harder we push forward to serve Jesus and bring God glory, the more Satan wants to stop us. It’s just an unfortunate fact.

One primary way Satan attacks us is in our minds. Satan wants us to believe that God isn’t trustworthy, that He isn’t good, that God wants to deny us all those things we deserve. The devil will twist God’s words and dangle lots of stuff in front of us. His primary purpose is to make us turn away from God.

Don’t do it. Just don’t. Yes, God wants good things for us but that doesn’t mean He gives us everything we desire. It’s not good for us. Think about it this way: Would you let a two-year-old eat chocolate until he got sick? Of course not! You would let him have pieces in moderation so that the chocolate gave him joy and not a sick tummy.

God knows what is best for us, even though we might not always see it that way. He’s trying to mold us into the image of His Son. Sometimes that hurts.

It also forces us to come face-to-face with our total reliance on God. We want to do it all by ourselves. We give something to God – and then we take it back because God isn’t doing it the right way or isn’t completing the task quickly enough to satisfy us. Then our plans fail and we give it back to God. It’s an endless cycle.

We can do all things through Christ. It’s through Him that we accomplish the tasks God has placed before us. It’s not enough to claim faith; we have to believe and live that belief out loud.

Do you know why the sons in this passage couldn’t do anything to the evil spirits? Because they didn’t believe in Jesus. They said all the right things but their heart wasn’t filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s not words that save you. It’s genuine belief in our Risen Lord. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. There is no other way.

Satan knows that his time is limited. Jesus has already won the war. Satan is out to do as much damage as he can, while he can. It’s up to us to keep fighting in the Spirit.

I’ll ask you again: Does Satan know who you are? I hope he does because that means you’re living a life focused on bringing God glory.

March 13, 2018

The Gift of Your Presence

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The gift of your presence. That’s how one sweet friend explained it. She found comfort in the friends who had traveled more than two hours to be with her and her family as they said goodbye to her 8-year-old grandson.

No words could restore Connor’s life on this earth. Nothing anyone could say or do would change the bitter reality. It was the silent support, the tight hugs, the being there that provided the strength to get through the days and all those to come.

As I write this, I am just back from a visitation at church. A dear older woman, a pillar in this church I love, died. She was 90. Age doesn’t lessen the grief of her family.

Sadness clouded the eyes of her daughter-in-law. “You understand,” she said, as she grabbed me in a hug. I nodded. It’s been almost a year since my own Mother died. It’s not something you get over. Grief is something to be endured until we are reunited again in heaven. That promise is something to cling to in the moments when the grief feels fresh and comfort far away.

I went because that dear family needed something I could give: The gift of my presence. Honestly, I didn’t want to go. I considered staying home. It’s still hard to be surrounded by mourners clothed in black and heavy-laden with sadness.

Why go? Because my understanding lets me reach out in a way others who haven’t walked this path can’t comprehend. It’s not that they don’t care. They do. It’s that they’ve never felt that depth of grief, that emptiness, that overwhelming sorrow.

So often people hang back because they don’t know what to say. You really don’t have to say anything. “I’m sorry,” carries more weight than a thousand words.  True compassion comes from the heart and carries a strength that lifts us up.

But first, before we can offer up mercy, we have to get beyond ourselves. We must truly consider others first. We must reach out in genuine love and not self-serving grandiose gestures. That type of comfort comes from God.

He is ever present with us and will meet our every need. Frequently, God uses people – you and I – to minister to those He loves. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. I’m sure you’ve heard that before. It’s true. It really is true.

In my own season of grief, I can’t remember all the details. Numbness has a way of dulling that which doesn’t matter. What I remember are the people who showed up. I am forever bound in gratitude to those who cared enough to bring food, place the call, give me a hug. I found comfort in the presence of those who cared enough to come and sit with me during this season of grief.

If you’re hesitant about stepping forward, do it anyway. When you don’t know what to say, just show up. And in the days and weeks that follow, remember that grief isn’t something that goes away when the last casserole dish is returned. Grief lingers and haunts our days. Be vigilant. Reach out. Give the gift of your presence.

March 4, 2018

Advocate For Those In Need

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 2:5

A sweet friend turned to Facebook with her rant. Her mother had fallen and broken her arm. After much pain and surgery, this dear woman was on the mend. Unfortunately, Medicare denied the claim. Her mother faced a huge medical bill because of this injustice.

My friend did what all caregivers and advocates do: She fought the bureaucrats and resolved the matter. It took numerous phone calls and most of a day to get it done. She was furious and rightly so. She also wondered what would have happened had her mother not had an advocate. She likely would have struggled to pay a bill she didn’t owe.

It happens every day. Caregivers generally spend hour upon hour monitoring bills, medical care and other such things. The loved one rarely has the ability – either physically or mentally – to monitor those things. Yet it must be done or someone will take advantage of them.

Those who don’t have someone looking out for them face an uphill struggle. They are at the mercy of what they do or don’t know and whoever happens to notice their vulnerability. It is a sad plight.

We aren’t much different. We are at the mercy of this fallen world. We stumble daily as we try to do “good” amidst all the temptations that surround us. We fail. There is no way we could ever get it all right.

But Jesus sits at the right hand of God. He advocates for us. He places His righteousness on us and declares that His blood covers our sins. We are saved by His sacrifice and His grace.

Can you imagine doing life alone? Can you even contemplate trying to get into heaven without Jesus’ help? It would be a failed mission. None of us would stand a chance. I am so thankful for what Jesus did!

And because of that I seek to help others who need assistance. I share Jesus with the lost and hurting. I reach out to those who are grieving, those who are sick, those who are alone. I want to do more. I need to do more. We are Jesus’ hands and feet in this dark world. How can we ever repay Him for what He did for us? We can’t – but we can try by loving those He loves.

Look around your world. Is there someone who is alone, someone who needs a friend, someone who is vulnerable? Pay attention. Reach out. Make the time to help. It might be something as simple as making sure that person has enough food to eat. Don’t assume that they do. The elderly frequently struggle to buy medicine, pay utilities and purchase food. Guess which one comes last? They are usually the last to say anything, the ones most likely to not know about resources available to them, the people who don’t want to bother anyone with their struggle.

It is our job as Christians to advocate for those God places before us. Don’t sit back and let someone else do what you’ve been called to do.