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.

January 20, 2022

 

Pharisee or Sinner?

 

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

How many times have we seen this verse on social media? People begging for Christians to bow down and pray for God to heal our land from this awful disease called Covid. People asking God to restore Himself to leadership in this land. People demanding that God restore Donald Trump to the presidency. People living in comfort crying out for God to increase their prosperity.

 

The one thing we haven’t seen a lot of are those same people admitting their own sins. They’re too busy pointing their fingers at the sins of others to acknowledge that maybe they should change their own hardened hearts before they demand the same of others.

 

If Christians truly lived as Jesus lived, our country wouldn’t need social media posts demanding our will from God. We’d be too busy praying and serving, extending kindness and grace and a helping hand. But that might cause us to get our own hands dirty. It might make us admit we’re wrong in our judgements of people we do not know.

 

In Luke 18, Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector both going to the temple to pray. The Pharisee was thanking God that he wasn’t like other sinners. He was praising himself for fasting and tithing. The tax collector would not even lift his eyes to heaven as he begged God for mercy on himself, a sinner.

 

Which are you? Are you the Pharisee who is so busy praising himself that he has forgotten how to humble himself before God? Or are you the sinner who names himself as such as he bows before God Almighty? Reread 2 Chronicles 7:14. Are you the haughty Pharisee or the humble sinner? Your words and actions reveal your answer.

September 12, 2021

 

Ugliness and Jesus

 

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. -- Proverbs 12:15

 

At least he now knows Covid is real. There’s nothing quite like a hospital stay, complete with breathing trouble, achiness and fatigue, to convince someone that the virus they once said didn’t exist truly is real. Unfortunately, it didn’t change his heart or his attitude.

 

I simply can’t reconcile the anger and hatred, the ugliness, that comes from his mouth with the faith he so loudly proclaims. It goes so much farther than Covid and a vaccine. It’s about recognizing that we aren’t always right.  And it’s about understanding that ugliness and Jesus don’t really belong in the same sentence.

 

How often do we hide behind our beliefs and use Jesus to try and justify ourselves? He wants no part of it. Jesus tells us to love. He tells us to forgive. He tells us to do good to those who seek to harm us. Except sometimes we’re so busy being “right” that we miss Jesus.

 

The Pharisees missed Jesus. They were so busy being right that they missed the Messiah. They clung fervently to their power and their own holiness, raising themselves above the lowliness that Jesus embraced. We haven’t learned that lesson yet, have we? We’re still looking down on people who don’t see Jesus as we do. We’re clinging to our verbiage rather opening our proud hearts to the possibility that we could be wrong.

 

Anger begets anger and hatred begets hatred. What comes from the heart truly reveals the person who lies within. What does your heart reveal about you? What “belief” do you need to cast aside so that you might embrace the truth?

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 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.

February 11, 2020

Does His Walk Match His Talk?

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. – Matthew 7:15

Do you believe everyone who claims to be a Christian actually is a Christian? It’s not a trick question. A simple yes or no will do.

Most of us realize that not everyone who professes faith actually is a person of faith. Jesus warned us about such people. But sometimes it’s hard to see past a person’s proclamations and really look at their actions. We prefer the lie because it makes our lives so much easier when perceived actions align with what we desperately want to know as truth.

Let’s make one thing clear. Only God knows the hearts of each of us. Only He truly knows if someone is saved by belief in Jesus or is just playing a part. It’s not about being “good” or “smart” or “successful” as judged by worldly standards. It’s all about Jesus. That’s something really basic that we sometimes brush aside in an effort to see the best in people.

Here’s another truth: someone who truly believes shows that belief by changed actions. No. Our actions don’t save us. Only Jesus does that. But faith changes us from the inside out so others should see a difference in our words and our behavior.

I don’t understand how people who loudly proclaim their Christian faith can look at President Trump and proclaim him as a man of true faith. His words line up perfectly with what we believe except his actions repeatedly tell us something else.

I also don’t understand how these same people can look down on those who don’t support Trump and question our faith. Some go so far as to say Democrats are atheists and only Republicans are true Christians. They don’t see their black and white judgements as contrary to biblical teaching. They don’t see the holes in their own faith as they look down on the poor, the elderly, the immigrant.

Here’s another truth: Neither political party gets it all right or all wrong. We can only pray and vote the convictions of our heart. But to praise a man who lies, degrades women and walks and talks with an arrogance that belittles anyone who disagrees with him? His words may proclaim Jesus but his actions repeatedly tell us something different.

April 18, 2019

What Does Your Heart Say?

“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” – Matthew 15:18

Have you ever found yourself obsessing over something or someone? Maybe your laser focus is on doing whatever is necessary to advance in your job. Maybe you’re adapting yourself and your life to someone else’s ideal. Maybe you’re pretending to be happy when your heart lies shattered inside.

Listen to your words. Listen to the words of those around you. Not the surface platitudes that fill the void once held by silence. Examine the off-the-mark comments. Pay attention to your own subtle putdowns. Recognize the things, the words, the actions, that cause you stress.

You can do everything right on the surface but the heart always reveals itself. Do you snidely consider someone’s awful haircut? Do you look at someone else’s sin and pat yourself on the back because that’s not your particular sin? Do you lament what you don’t have again and again and again?

We are good at pretending. All of us are. We pretend to be what we’re not in order to gain the acceptance of those we value. We lift ourselves up so we can look down on others, hoping we will end up being better than we are.

Words reveal what lies deep in our hearts. What do your words say about you?

November 28, 2018

Are You Guilty?

They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. – Psalm 78:18

Do you ever test God? Are you sure? Do you ever get angry with God because He isn’t doing what you’ve asked, giving you what you think you deserve, providing your requests in a timely manner?

We all know the story about the Israelites who crumbled and complained so much that God refused to let them see the Promised Land. They wandered around for 40 years, waiting for all the complainers to die, before God would let them see what He had promised them.

How often do we miss blessings because we’re so busy making demands of God? How often do we behave like ungrateful children who, instead of being thankful for what we have, increasingly insist that God give us more and more and more.

I love the NLT version of this verse because it talks about the heart. We can do and say all the right things but remember that God looks at the heart. There’s no hiding what you really think and feel from Him.

When you’re secretly jealous because your friend got a new car or a job promotion, God knows. He hears the silent whine of your heart as you wonder why you can’t have those same things.

God knows when you’re nice to someone to their face but in your heart you’re criticizing them for their weight, how they’re dressed, how their children behave. God hears the ugliness that good manners have taught you not to reveal publicly.

God hears you gossip about people. He knows the lies you spread. God sees the selfishness that rests deep inside of you. God hates the pride, the arrogance, the deep certainty that makes you believe you are better than others, deserve more than others, know more than others.

The Israelites had forgotten all that God had done for them. They’d forgotten the oppressive years under the Egyptians. They’d forgotten how God had parted the Red Sea, allowing them to pass safely, before the water drowned their enemies. They’d forgotten how God had cared for them. They were just too focused on what they didn’t have, what they believed they deserved, on their own momentary discomfort. Are we any different?

God loves each of us equally. It’s something we really can’t comprehend because it’s something we’re incapable of doing. God also wants good things for each of us. It’s not about good deeds or worthiness. We will never deserve anything good from Him. Still, God wants to do good for each of us.

What does that look like? The Israelites decided it looked like water and meat. But that was just momentary. Once they got what they wanted, the demands didn’t stop. We’re no different. We want and want. Then we get it and, a short time later, we want something else. We’re trying to fill ourselves up, buy happiness and contentment, with things that will never satisfy us. Will we ever learn?

It all comes back to the heart. Our hearts. Your heart and mine. That’s what determines our joy. That’s where we find our contentment. When Jesus is all we need, we become satisfied and at peace.

Life will always have challenges and obstacles to overcome. We’re on a journey to the Promised Land and the terrain is rocky and uncertain. But we can be joyful. We can choose to see the good, to be satisfied, to trust God to see us through to the end.

Look at your heart. What does it say about who you really are?

September 2, 2018

Actions Reveal Heart

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” – Mark 7:14-15

One man loudly proclaims his faith in God. He let’s everyone know he attends church. He even talks about the Bible. Yes, he loves to talk about Christian morals and values.

Unfortunately, his words don’t quite reflect his actions. He has had numerous affairs and is now on his third marriage. He routinely lies. He condemns anyone who dares to disagree with him and “leads” others by bullying and threatening them.

Another man also says he’s a Christian. He quietly attends church, though not with any regularity. He refuses to engage in religious debate. He doesn’t respond when naysayers insist he isn’t really a man of faith.

He works diligently to help the poor, the sick, the immigrants. He is quick to do handyman projects for his elderly neighbor, throw a football with a fatherless-child, or buy a meal for a man out of work. He is a man of integrity, a man who tries to do good even when it costs him friends and allies.

Which of the two men is truly a Christian? Is it the man who loudly proclaims his faith but lives as someone who doesn’t know Jesus? Or is it the man who refuses to boast of his faith but spends his days quietly doing good and loving people the way Jesus would?

None of us can ever truly know another man’s heart. Only God can look inside and see what’s really there. Our only true indication comes from the actions of those around us. What we see is a reflection of what’s inside.

We love to look at the outside and judge, don’t we? We see someone who regularly attends church and proclaim that he is a fine Christian. We ignore his racist rantings, his derogatory comments about women, and his tightly clenched fist when it comes to the poor.

We commend the woman who organizes food for a bereaved family. We consider her faithful service with children. We look at her husband, her children, her grandchildren and “know” that she is a fine Christian woman. We look past her tendency to gossip and spread rumors and lies. We laugh about her excessive spending habits. We brush aside how easily she judges those who don’t have designer clothes or a fine house.

What would happen if we considered the heart rather than loud proclamations of faith? What would it mean if we looked at actions rather than words before we proclaimed someone a “fine Christian”?

Being a person of faith, living a life for Jesus, isn’t about the surface. It’s about the heart. We go through the motions but do we feel it deep inside? Are we truly changed by what Jesus has done for us? Or are we merely answering questions correctly without ever trying to live a different life?

It’s an uncomfortable thought. We like to stay where we are, with the people we know, in the place that makes us feel safe. But true safety only comes in the arms of Jesus and He has never called us to stand on the sidelines while so many people are lost and hurting.

The sad truth is we don’t want to get dirty. We don’t want to change. We don’t want to look in the mirror and see our own sins glaring back at us. It’s just so much easier to stay on our lofty pedestal and point fingers at those who don’t quite measure up to our standards.

Do you spend your days judging others or humbly begging forgiveness from God? Do you waste time gossiping or do you spend that time praying and studying God’s Word? Faith isn’t about what you proclaim; it’s about what you do. Faith isn’t about textbook answers; it’s about your heart. Your actions reflect what’s inside. What do your actions say about you?

August 31, 2018

Words Reveal the Heart

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

– Luke 6:45

On the surface, she is a good person. She is a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She volunteers at church. She works hard at her job. She is a go-getter who gets things done.

Then there is the rest of the story. She is an arrogant bully who uses whatever means necessary – gossip, lies, political backstabbing – to get her own way. Even at church, where such things should never be in the equation, she is known as a bully. Ouch.

Do you know someone like her? Are you that person? Do you display an attitude if people don’t agree with your suggestions? Do you get angry and talk bitterly behind someone’s back when they choose something different? Are you a win-at-all-costs kind of person?

It’s as though we’ve developed a disconnect between living as Jesus and living to get what we want. In Jesus’ name, of course. We believe that it doesn’t matter how we reach our end goal. We justify our behavior as being okay because it’s for a worthy cause. It’s not okay.

I recently watched this woman turn to ice and struggle to even speak because she was so angry. The reason? Someone else decided to place a combination lock on a cabinet rather than the key lock she chose. What difference did it make? More people would have access to supplies without having to track down a key. It made sense. But it wasn’t her idea and she was furious.

When we find ourselves getting overly upset about small things, maybe it’s time to do a heart check. When we become furious because someone doesn’t do things exactly the way we think they should be done, maybe it’s time to rethink our motives. Pride comes immediately to mind. So do control issues.

Who’s in charge of your life? Who’s in charge of your heart? If the answer is anyone other than Jesus, then you’ve got a problem that impacts everyone around you. As Christians, we’re called to live for Jesus. Our words and our behavior should reflect that.

The hard truth is that we’re not always going to get our own way. And that’s okay. The hard truth is that not every idea we have is going to be well received by others. And that’s okay. The hard truth is that not everyone is always going to like how we do things. And that’s okay.

Life has taught me to let go of the small things that don’t really matter in the end. I’ve learned to let things roll off my shoulders when they don’t make a difference to Jesus. Consequently, I’ve grown stronger in standing up for things that really do matter. I’ve become someone who won’t back down when it comes to Biblical truths and decency.

We’re on the same team, you and I. We’re Christians trying to live as Jesus’ light in a dark and trying world. It’s when we lose sight of that, when we try to make it about us, that we end up spewing out anger and bitterness that have no place in God’s Kingdom.

So, the next time you get ready to have an attitude with someone else, look in the mirror first. You might find that the real problem lies in your heart.

June 21, 2018

What Does Your Heart Say?

“Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” – Mark 7:15

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

– Mark 7:21-23

What would you do to save your child’s life? Would you move? Would you scrape together all the money you could to afford something different? Would you break laws, take chances, risk everything, so your child could be safe?

Be honest. It’s just between you and God. Tell Him what you would do to save your child from death, torture, a life of crime and violence. Now tell parents from another country that they shouldn’t dare do that for their children.

The immigration issue in the United States is awful. There are no easy answers. Should our country protect its borders? Absolutely. Should people enter legally rather than violating our laws? Without a doubt.

Unfortunately, there’s more to the story. These are human beings with thoughts and feelings. They are people who, in many cases, are filled with fear and a desperation few can understand.

According to news reports, the average time for a person to come before an immigration judge is two years from the time of application. That works great if you’ve got the time. But what happens when the cartel tells your child that he now works for them and if he says no he will die? Do you hang around and wait for his death? Do you tell him to join hands with a life of violence? Or do you flee with a hope deep in your heart that God wants something better for your family?

I don’t have any answers for our country. No one seems to be able to solve this mess. Maybe we should start with being Jesus to people who are hurting. Maybe we should extend mercy and grace and compassion to people who are desperate. Maybe we should love before we judge stories we’ve never heard.

We are further traumatizing children who have been through so much. Can you imagine what it’s like to leave everything you know, fearing for your life, not knowing when you will eat or have clean clothes, only to reach safety and find yourself ripped apart from your parents? How can we call that okay?

Some argue that we’re trying to keep murderers and rapists and other violent criminals from our country. That’s obviously a good thing. But how many fit that description? Really. It’s far more likely that most of the people are good, decent folks. They aren’t criminals. They’re desperate people reaching for our crumbs and we are denying them without even trying to understand.

Maybe we need to expedite the immigration process. How many judges does it take to reduce the two-year wait? Yes, it costs money. But how much money are we spending on housing people in locked facilities? Isn’t it better to hear their cases and make decisions based on facts?

There is just so much hate in our country right now. Much of it comes from people who claim to know Jesus. I am appalled at the venom spewing from their mouths. Surely, they understand what the Bible says about love, about judgement, about mercy. But their lives don’t reflect it. Their words don’t reveal love.

Jesus says that evil comes from our hearts. What is your heart saying to the world?

June 9, 2018

What Are Your Priorities?

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:21

What is an idol? The dictionary says it’s who or what you love, reverence or admire above all else. We know that God doesn’t tolerate idolatry. He said to put no one above Him. But we do it all the time.

In this teaching, Jesus admonishes us not to store up treasures on earth. He told us to focus on heaven. That’s where the real treasure is. But, well, there’s just so many awesome things on this earth and we don’t want to miss out.

Sometimes our idol is an object. It can be a house, a car, a phone. It can be a job, a volunteer organization, a ministry. And it can be a child, a spouse, a friend. It is anything or anyone we put before God.

People are quick to tell me I don’t understand because I don’t have children. They’re right to some degree, just as they don’t understand what it’s like to not have something you once desperately wanted.

But I do understand this: God loves your children more than you could ever love them. God is love. And no matter how hard you try to protect and guide them, you are human and you will sometimes fail. Can you put God first and place what you love the most in God’s hand? Can you trust His love for them?

Sometimes we cherish treasures that will never fill us up. Have you ever had lunch with a friend or family member that repeatedly responded to texts or checks Facebook while you are trying to have a conversation. You don’t feel valued, do you? You may even do the same thing to others. It sure cuts down on the personal connection, doesn’t it? It really lets us know how valuable they find us or how valuable we find them.

Do you know someone who has sacrificed everything, including their family, for a job or a house or a volunteer organization? What matters most is what shows up in how you spend your time. In other words, don’t tell me you care. Show me with your time and attention. What is your priority?

It’s the same with how we see God. Do we view church as a chore or do we see it as a glorious opportunity to worship God Almighty with other believers? Do we spend undivided attention getting to know Him or do we put that off for another day? Do we place our relationship with God above all other relationships or do we try to fit Him in when it’s convenient?

Stop for a moment and consider your thoughts, your words, your actions. If someone looked your way, would they see Jesus in you? Would they know without your loudly proclaiming it that you value Him above all else? Priorities show in how we live our lives. Make sure that yours show others the light of Christ.

May 4, 2018

Why Won’t God Answer?

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

– Isaiah 59:1-2

“Why won’t God answer my prayers?” Her voice was quiet, the weight of sadness heavy on her shoulders. Unshed tears watered her eyes.

It does seem like God is ignoring us sometimes, doesn’t it? We pray and pray and pray and still it seems that God won’t respond. Nothing. No word. No sign. No indication that He’s even heard us.

We wait and wait and wait. The time of decision is at hand and still we wait. Where is God? You desperately want to do His will but how can you know what His will is if God won’t tell you?

There are many reasons why He doesn’t respond to our prayers. Maybe it’s because we have unconfessed sin in our hearts. God may be waiting for us to acknowledge our own inequities and change our behavior, our words, our hearts, before He acknowledges our prayers.

David asked God in Psalm 139 to search his heart and point out anything that might be wrong. We can do the same. Sometimes we harbor sin without really being aware of it. God will show us if we ask. The rest of it – confession and repentance – rests with us.

Other times God simply wants us to wait. His timing and ours rarely seem to be following the same clock. We get anxious, ready to move ahead. God wants us to feel His peace where we are. There is a lesson in the waiting. Look for it.

And sometimes God wants us to take a step forward in faith before He’ll clearly show us the way to go. This is a hard one. We want to know the path before we cut ties with the past. Where’s the trust in that? Is God nudging your heart in a certain direction? Pay attention to His still, quiet voice.

In the study Breathe, Priscilla Shirer talks about a season with small children and an overwhelming travel schedule for ministry. She and her husband prayed and prayed and they felt God calling them to step back and take a Sabbath. It took a while. They had commitments booked out for about two years. But they set a goal.

Here’s the thing: They didn’t know what that Sabbath would look like. They didn’t have a plan. But they trusted that God would take care of them and lead them where He wanted them to go.

They followed God first. Then the call came from Lifeway asking Priscilla to join their team as a speaker at large events. God wanted her to stay in ministry, just in a different way that was better suited to her young children and that particular season of her life.

When God seems distant ask yourself if you have really listened for His voice? Or have you been waiting for Him to answer the way you think He should? Sometimes we keep praying about something because we don’t like what God has told us. That’s not a comfortable thought, is it?

God always hears our prayers. God always answers our prayers. But we hear from Him in His timing, not ours. And we hear from Him what He thinks is best and not what we have asked Him to bless.

When you feel God’s silence, hit your knees and look inside. What are you missing that God wants you to see? Clean your heart and open it wide. Wait. God is right there.

March 17, 2016

God Gives Us A New Heart

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. -- Ezekiel 36:26

One of the hardest things to do after being hurt is to pick up the pieces of your heart and go on. It’s easier to wallow in bitterness and anger, cutting yourself off from others and, hopefully, not opening yourself up to being hurt again.

Some people don’t seem to have that problem. A sweet friend was devastated last year by a divorce she didn’t want. She cried that she hadn’t just lost her husband; she’d lost her best friend. It was a tough time.

Fast forward six months: She got married last week. Seriously. She met someone and it was love at first sight and she’s now married. I am amazed by her courage. Only time will tell if she was wise or foolish, but she took a chance and I admire that.

I’m not that much of a risk taker when it comes to relationships. I tend to burrow into myself. I’ve had too many broken hearts that came from too many bad choices. I tend to give people too many chances and look at the good instead of seeing the bad. And then it blows up in my face.

These days I prefer spending time with God and people I know I can trust. But sometimes I wonder if my heart has become too hard to take a chance. I don’t want that to happen. I know it isn’t a guarantee against never being hurt again. I wish it was but life just doesn’t work this way.

Here’s the thing about God: He’s good about giving us fresh starts. He’s good at mending broken hearts and making them new again. God is good at mercy and forgiveness and gives us grace when we least deserve it. God is good that way.

Me? Not so much. I can’t forget the past. Can you? When someone has wronged you, can you forget? Forgiveness for us is hard and ongoing. I wish sometimes I could be more like God. When He forgives, it is like it never was. I don’t want to remember. I don’t. But I do. I think I always will.

But I don’t want a hard heart either. I want to feel that new spirit beating inside of me. I want to love and take risks and remember what it was like not to have a broken heart.

God says He restores His children. I am holding on to that.

January 29, 2016

Search Your Heart

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." -- Luke 6:45

Several of us are participating in a Bible study on prayer. We are spending a lot of time looking inward at motives. How often do we tell ourselves we are doing something for someone else when in reality we are doing it for ourselves?

Let’s look at it another way: Someone at church mentions a prayer request. Prayers are good and powerful, especially when done collectively. But what happens when the questions start? Everyone is curious and pretty soon that prayer request has turned into a gossip session. Did the questions come from true concern or not? Will God bless those prayers? Maybe it all started as a genuine need but when and where did it cross the line?

Let’s consider another case: When you do something good for someone are you doing it because you truly want to do it for them or because you want to be recognized for doing good? It all comes back to motives. Maybe the truth is actually both. You want the recognition and you want to do good. Which do you think will most honor God? Yeah. To God be the glory, not you. Wrong motives are never a good idea.

Most of us want to do the right thing. We want to be good people. But that human part of us also wants recognition. We want to be in control. We are selfish. Arrogant. We “know” that we are right as we pray for others to come to our way of thinking.

Look at your heart. Search it. Be very sure that your motives are pure. Doing the “right thing” is always the wrong thing when your heart is wrong. Don’t try to bluff through it because it will blow up in your face. God knows. He sees. The heart always, always reveals itself.

January 10, 2016

Choose To Do Good

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. -- Galatians 6:7-10

“A man reaps what he sows.” How many times have you heard that phrase thrown out? It usually comes when someone (maybe us?) is judging someone else and that person is getting what we believe he deserves. We forget that others could say the same of us.

It’s what happens when we lose focus on what’s really important in life. It’s what happens when we forget about mercy and kindness and love.

Who has never made a mistake? No one. Just Jesus. That’s it. But we like to categorize things. We value ourselves more than others and we show that by cutting them down in a vain effort to build ourselves up.

We become that proud couple bragging on their new son-in-law. They go on and on about his money as though it’s really important. Does he know Jesus? Does he attend church? Volunteer? Is he kind? Compassionate? None of that seems to matter. It’s his bank account they look at. They are not alone.

“God cannot be mocked.” That phrase keeps echoing in my mind. It always seems to come back to the heart. What does your heart tell you? Do you choose to gossip and spread lies and put others down? Or do you choose to do good despite the costs? God knows. You can’t hide your heart from Him.

We all reap what we sow. Choose to sow kindness and compassion. Choose to sow God’s love in this dark, dark, world. Choose to do good despite the costs.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Tithe From Your Heart

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” -- Genesis 4:6-7

Why do you tithe? Really. Of course, I’m assuming that you tithe. We’re supposed to. The Bible is pretty clear about giving back to God a portion of what He has given to us.

My question, though, is more about motivation. Do you tithe because the Bible tells us to give back to God? Do you tithe because the church needs electricity and the pastor needs to eat? Or do you tithe because it’s expected?

Sometimes we get lost in all the reasons and forget the basics: We tithe because God has blessed us and, in return, we give back to Him a portion of what He has given to us. It is a moment of honoring God for all He does for us. It is acknowledging that without Him we have nothing. We are nothing. It is showing respect and honor to our Creator.

The contemporary services at our church started a new practice today for collecting tithes. Instead of having ushers pass baskets, offering containers are placed at the front and back of the fellowship hall where we meet. After the sermon, the band begins to play and we have the opportunity to place our tithes in the containers and, if we desire, stop and pray at the kneeling benches up front.

The difference is subtle but real and poignant. It is a reminder that our offerings are for God. How He uses that money is for Him to decide. But our hearts are honoring Him.

At least, they should be. God doesn’t want us grudgingly giving anything back to Him. He wants our love and respect. He wants hearts filled with gratitude for the many blessings He brings to us.

Why was Abel’s offering to God acceptable and Cain’s was not? Perhaps it has to do with the heart. God can see past the outward signs of obedience and look into our hearts to see our true motivation.

Does that mean we’re forever condemned if what we offer God isn’t done with love and a glad heart? No. We have the opportunity to change our attitudes and be restored to God. Jesus saw to that.

But God also didn’t condemn Cain forever, even after Cain murdered his brother Abel. God punished Cain but He also made sure that no one would harm him. Cain went on to have children who would do wonderful things. (see Genesis 4:20-22)

Our tithes shouldn’t be a burden. They shouldn’t feel like an obligation. We are merely giving back to God a portion of what He has graciously given to us. Show your gratitude. And watch your blessings grow.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Life’s Moments Reflect Your Heart

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. -- Colossians 3:17

They probably considered themselves to be tough negotiators. They probably saw themselves as being honest and forthright. But what others saw was ugliness and hatefulness.

They view themselves as being part of society. They attend the “right” church, live in the “right” neighborhood, socialize with the “right” people. They probably think nobody notices how much alcohol they consume. They probably think nobody sees how shallow and worthless their faith really is.

Two people I have known from childhood were shopping for a large purchase. They were replacing their eight-year-old vehicle and came to see what the newest model of that vehicle was all about. They didn’t like it and that was okay. What followed was not.

They could have just said “no thanks” and walked away. They could have been nice and kind. They could have kept their opinions to themselves. They didn’t. They chose to use words to wound. They chose to tear down people rather than be kind.

And when they left, the people who heard them didn’t comment on the vehicle. They talked about the ugliness in the couple’s hearts. Is this what they show people everywhere they go? If this is what a Christian is, why would anyone ever want to know Jesus?

Perhaps the real answer goes back to the heart. How can Jesus live in a cruel heart? I don’t know. It’s a question I’ve struggled with for what seems like a lifetime. I want to believe that when someone claims Jesus as Lord and Savior that He lives within them. Unfortunately, the proof reflected outward just isn’t visible.

Only God knows our hearts. Perhaps tough patches and bad days make us lash out at others in ways that are unfair and unbecoming. But moments of our days reflect our lives. What do people see when they look at you?

We like to compartmentalize our lives. We are Christians on Sunday mornings. We might be Christians when we do volunteer work or write a check. But true faith comes when we live as Christ has called us to live in all the other moments of our lives. It comes when we make business decisions, when we go through the drive-thru, when we coach Little League. It is in those moments when Christ either shines through or He doesn’t.

Everyone has a bad day every now and then. We all say words we’d like to take back and do things we’d like to erase. But a pattern of a life not reflecting Jesus -- no matter where we hangout on Sunday mornings -- is a life that is lost. Do your words and actions reflect your faith?

Friday, May 4, 2012

Words Reflect Relationship With God

O Jerusalem, cleanse your hearts that you may be saved. How long will you harbor evil thoughts?

-- Jeremiah 4:14

“Pretty is as pretty does.” That’s what my great Aunt Murl used to say all the time. What she meant, of course, was that your words and actions determined whether you were really “pretty” or not.

So many people are content to preach to others, to pronounce judgment, to make accusations. Yet those same people refuse to look inward and see their own darkness. I guess it’s sort of like being so focused on the speck in someone else’s eye that you miss the plank in your own eye.

Words easily reflect the state of the heart and the soul of a person. They tend to overshadow actions and, sometimes, even intentions. Because they hurt.

“Why are you being so mean to her,” one woman asked another.

“Because she’s just so ugly,” came the reply.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Look at her! She’s ugly.”

“So you don’t like the way she looks and that somehow justifies treating her badly,” I ask.

Laughter. And not from me.

Because it wasn’t funny. It wasn’t right. And, honestly, it wasn’t even true. She was just using it as an excuse for her own nasty behavior.

This woman tells the world she is a Christian but her words say something different. She’s condemning someone else, but really she’s condemning herself. Her words reflect a dark heart and Jesus lives in the light.

Most of us know people like this. They show up for church on Sunday, smile and make nice, then go home badmouthing everything and everyone. Then they spend their week doing as they please, forgetting all about the God they claim to serve. Until the next Sunday, when they once again make an appearance at church.

When Jesus comes into our hearts, when we give our lives to Him and vow to serve God, our hearts change. And when our hearts change, so do our words. What do your words tell the world about you? And, more importantly, what do they say about

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Cry Out With Your Heart

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. -- Romans 10:10

Are you just going through the motions? Are you a believer in your mind and, sometimes, in your heart? At least when things are going well and you’ve got time to think about it.

But what about those other days? What happens when life seemingly turns against us? Where is your faith when your health fails, your job ends, your child dies? That’s the true test of faith -- is your faith only in your mind or do you carry it in your heart?

Yesterday a dear friend got a devastating diagnosis. She faces surgery and then a wait to see how far the cancer has spread. That will determine her treatment and her chances for seeing her grandchildren grow up. Her family and friends are devastated. She is at peace, as strong and sure as her faith.

I want to have faith like that. Some days I think I do. Then I grow tired and worn and I wonder how I’ll have the strength to carry on. I don’t have to. Because when I’m too weak to do anything but collapse, that’s when God carries me.

My friend knows that. She’s faced down death before. She surprised her doctors and survived when they thought she would die. She’s buried her husband and one child. She’s known deep grief and great joy. She lives her faith every day. She’ll be okay no matter what happens.

An elderly man recently received a horrible diagnosis as well. He was faithful to attend church and Sunday school. He socialized with his church friends. He struggles now. He’s upset with God. He goes back and forth between pretending he’s fine and pushing God away with all the energy he can muster.

Two people. Two different reactions. Both Christians. The difference may be in the heart. It’s the difference between living your faith and holding it close in your heart and living your faith with your mind. Because faith isn’t about logic or fairness. It’s about God and trust and belief.

It’s easy to tell others how we would react under similar circumstances. We don’t really know. We pray we never know. But life is uncertain and we can only ever be certain about God.

So cry out to God when life starts shifting in scary ways. Hold on to the Rock when everything around you is uncertain. Draw closer to Him. Cling to Him. Hold on to the only One who can carry you through whatever it is you’re facing.