September 7, 2024

    Hatred Begets Hatred

Hatred stirs up conflict,

but love covers over all wrongs. – Proverbs 10:12

Hatred begets hatred.

Again and again Christians post ugly things on social media about candidates they don’t like. They call them names. They spread lies. And they proclaim that anyone who disagrees with them doesn't really love Jesus.

Really!? I have snoozed and blocked, reported and prayed for so many people. Please understand that I really don’t care what your political views happen to be. We are all different. That’s a good thing. But I draw the line at hate-filled commentaries spewed out in the name of Jesus.

I look around at our children. Some face bullies. Some are the ones who bully other children. I hear the name calling and the ugliness. Do you? Maybe you’re the parent or grandparent comforting a child you love. Maybe you’re the parent or grandparent making excuses for your child’s attitude and words.

Kids aren’t born with ugliness in their hearts. They learn it from adults. They learn to be mean and judgmental. They learn to tell lies and make excuses.

They can also learn to be kind, compassionate and forgiving. They can learn to respect the opinions of others, especially those they disagree with.

The next time you shout at that “stupid” driver, pay attention to your words. The next time you spread your “opinion” of the political candidate you oppose, listen to yourself. The next time you make fun of someone who is different from you, consider how you would feel in that same situation.

Kids learn from what we do and say. What are they learning from you?

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 12, 2021

 

Separate Politics, True Faith

 

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” – Matthew 12:25

 

We have turned our faith into a political debate. We divide amongst ourselves based on political ideology rather than love of Jesus. We’ve chosen to pick out parts of the Bible that “apply” to us and our beliefs and ignore the rest. Do we really believe that God will stand for our selfish ignorance?

 

We excuse politicians for bad behavior simply because we believe deep inside that their policies are good for our bank accounts. We ignore the hate-filled Facebook posts by people we like maybe, just maybe, because it’s what we want to say. We condemn the poor, blaming them for our own economic woes. We judge and we judge and we judge.

 

We do everything, it seems, but love others unconditionally. We do everything but lend a helping hand. We don’t want to get dirty. We don’t want to give up our time or our money or our churches for anything or anyone we aren’t comfortable with. We want to surround ourselves with those who look like us, speak like us, are economically comfortable like us and who believe like us.

 

We call out those who defend the rights of the underdog, calling them atheists and liberals and dreamers. We focus on one or two issues and call ourselves conservative Christians when the reality is that our lives are anything but a reflection of Jesus.

 

Who are you? Perhaps you’re the one who puts yourself on a pedestal and demands that your way is the only way. Perhaps you are the modern-day Pharisee demanding that those who love Jesus follow your rules and ignore everything else the Bible says is true.

 

Don’t mix true faith in Jesus with political views that ignore the needs of everyone. Faith and politics aren’t the same thing. Trying to weld the two together is a disaster we see unfolding before our eyes.

February 15, 2020

Seek God

When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. – Isaiah 1:15

They demand the prayers of many as they circle the wagons of righteousness. They are defending against evil or so they loudly proclaim. For it is in their next breath that they clutch tightly to what they “own” and the lifestyle that brings them comfort and security.

They wonder why God hasn’t changed their circumstances. They plead with God to protect them from the evil of Washington politicos who disagree with their version of faith. They cling to lies that will protect themselves rather than seek God’s true will.

God’s will is never comfortable. He doesn’t call us to the easy or to the view of many. God calls us to the light. His light. We are to be beacons in the darkness. Instead, we seek darkness and call it light.

Learn to do good.

Seek justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans.

Fight for the rights of widows. – Isaiah 1:17

We make excuses. They need to work. They should make better choices. We aren’t responsible for children who belong to others. If someone is in jail, they deserve to be there. We don’t have time to volunteer. We couldn’t possibly mentor a fatherless teen. It’s not our fault they’re having a hard time.

Really? It is our responsibility to do good where we can. God hasn’t called us to qualify who deserves our help. God doesn’t need us to judge and determine who is worthy. Asssll the financial gifts God has given to us are to be used to help others.

It’s not that God doesn’t want good things for us. He gives us blessings again and again. But God expects us to hold those things loosely. God expects us to show mercy and compassion to everyone.

What are you praying for today? Are you asking God to do your will or are you asking Him to open your heart to His will? God hears the prayers of those who truly seek Him. Are you?

October 4, 2018

What Feeds Your Frenzy?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

We like to talk about addictions. Well, at least we like to talk about addictions that belong to someone else. We would never be addicted to anything. Not us. We know better.

Are you sure? There’s more than one type of addiction. It doesn’t have to be drugs or alcohol or gambling. It’s possible to be addicted to sex, drama, video games, center stage, political news.

What’s not so obvious is seeing ourselves in the mirror. We get so caught up in the frenzy that we don’t realize we’ve got a problem. Until we end up incredibly unhappy, even isolated, and we don’t know how we got to that place.

I have a sweet friend who is addicted to Fox News. I know. Maybe you like the news channel. It’s certainly possible to watch it without being addicted to it. She spends every waking moment tuned in. When she’s not focused on it, she’s watching shows like The View that leave her extremely agitated and upset. She is growing more and more unhappy with life and the condition of this world.

I’ve tried to help her. It makes me so sad to see her withdrawing more and more from the things that used to make her happy. I’ve encouraged her to turn the television off, to read her Bible, to have lunch with friends, or go for a walk. Anything to get her away from what upsets her so.

She can’t let it go. Or she won’t let it go. She’s becoming a Christian radical – does such a person exist – where she is obsessed with what she thinks others are doing to God and our country.

You probably know someone like her. It’s like a sickness that has invaded our country. We’re so busy defending God that we’ve forgotten He doesn’t need us to defend Him. We’re so busy promoting our own agendas, fueling our own anxiety, that we forget God is in control.

Why are we so worried? Don’t we trust God to handle whatever is happening in our nation, in our churches, in our hearts? Or do we just enjoy getting upset about things we can’t control?

My friend wasn’t always this way. She was sweet and kind, a devoted prayer warrior, an encourager. She loves Jesus. She does. I’m just not sure she trusts Him. Why? Because how can we get and stay so upset, how can we say we’ve turned issues over to God, and still get so angry and depressed every day about the same things?

We are in charge of what we focus our minds on. We can choose to fill our thoughts with Scripture. We can choose to think of the good and trust God to handle the good and the bad. Or we can let Satan fill our minds with rubbish, words of defeat, and news designed to fuel our anxiety.

The choice belongs to you. Are you going to hold on tight to your addiction or are you going to give it to God and trust Him with the outcome?

September 10, 2018

Do We Defend the Victims?

“The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:40

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

– Matthew 25:45

Our faith is most revealed in how we treat people who aren’t like us, people who disagree with us, people who are marginalized, people who can’t do anything for us.

Do you call people “stupid” because they disagree with you? Do you view people who are from a different country as “thieves” or “terrorists”? Do use throw out racial slurs toward someone who looks different than you? Do you make off-color jokes about someone of the opposite sex? Do you laugh and go along with anyone who does any of the things I’ve mentioned?

You are a bully. You are fueling hate. You are not living Jesus. Are you sure you even know Him in your heart?

Harsh words. I know. It’s past time I stood up and called it what it is. I don’t care how many times you praise Jesus. If you’re also calling people names just because they’re different than you or putting people down because they see issues differently, then you are a hater and Jesus has no part in your life.

I have tried to stay out of the political fray. Most of my friends are staunch Republicans. Many of them strongly support Donald Trump. I do not. I never have. It’s not about politics for me. Trump is an arrogant bully. He always has been. I will likely never understand how anyone could support and, thus, condone his behavior.

Trump calls people who disagree with him all types of names – and his supporters applaud his words. Trump seeks to destroy anyone who tries to thwart his agenda – and his supporters applaud his actions. Trump doesn’t care about democracy or diplomacy. He cares only about himself and that’s truly dangerous.

I know. He talks about God. Sometimes he goes to church. But please reread the book of James. What evidence do you see in Trump’s life that he actually lives for Jesus? Works and words may not save us but they surely reveal the heart.

What has prompted me to voice my opinions? What has made me realize I can no longer remain silent in order to keep the peace in my own life? A 16-year-old girl died last week. Suicide. Because she was ruthlessly bullied by kids who think it’s okay to destroy someone who is different, someone who is weaker, someone they can hurt with words and threats and cruelty.

We are teaching our children it’s okay to be a bully. Every time we open our mouths and call someone a name because they view issues differently, we teach our kids it’s okay to down someone who likes a different type of music. Every time we laugh at someone who dresses differently or lives in a “bad” part of town, we are teaching our children to do the same. It’s your actions that carry the weightiest lessons. You can tell your children not to bully many times but if they see you do it, they’ll learn to do it too.

And if you continue to condone a political figure who bullies others, then you are teaching your children it’s okay to bully others too. Stop looking through your rose-colored glasses and start standing up for what is right. Stop talking about Jesus and start being Him in this world!

August 12, 2018

Are You Right?

“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” – Jeremiah 4:22

The other day a usually sweet young woman tried to explain something to me. I listened. I did. Then I tried to explain to her that she was wrong and why she was wrong. She became so upset with me that she was almost yelling. It would have been comical if it wasn’t so sad.

Here’s a simple truth: We are rarely as smart as we think we are and other people are rarely as dumb as we think they are. Let that soak in for a moment.

Sometimes we are so busy being right that we miss learning something new. Sometimes we are so set in our beliefs that we miss the truth staring right at us.

Look at the Pharisees. They knew God’s Word. They were well-versed in Jewish law. But they were so busy keeping the rules and looking down on others that they missed the Messiah. What are you missing? Be careful how you answer.

God was furious with His people because they didn’t know Him. They really didn’t. They went through the motions of sacrifice, all the while doing evil. And they somehow believed it was all okay with Him. It wasn’t.

Sometimes I see and hear the actions of others and I wonder if they heard anything the pastor said on Sunday. Maybe they didn’t think it applied to them. It does. Just like it applies to me and you. It’s not about us. It’s about God. Be honest. Do good. Put Him first. It’ll all work out.

Because when we invite God into whatever we’ve got going on, it does work out. When we get out of the way and ask Him to control the situation, He works it out for our good and His glory. And when we set our own agendas and try to manipulate a situation to fit our desires and what we think is right, it always blows up in a really nasty way.

Read your Bible. You’ll see that truth playing out again and again. God won’t tolerate disobedience, especially when it’s done in His name. Church is no place for selfish motivations and backstabbing maneuverings. Of course, we could say the same about life. Can you imagine how the world would change if God’s people always behaved like God’s people should?

We are so busy pointing fingers at everyone else that we miss the plank in our own eyes. We’re supposed to work together, to respect each other, to listen and learn and grow in His Word. We can’t see that.

Oh, we claim we do. We’re happy to tell you how things are supposed to be. I’ve had people quote the Bible to me and become really upset when I ask them to show me where the quote actually is in the Bible. Do you know why? Because the “quote” wasn’t there. They were passing on things they’d heard without bothering to read and study God’s Word for themselves.

I am not perfect. I make mistakes daily. So do you. But when we seek God’s Presence in all we do, when our hearts try desperately to do His will and to bring honor to His name, it shows up in our relationships with others. We find ourselves extending grace and mercy. We come to understand that we don’t have all the answers. He does.

The next time you get upset because you “know” you’re right and someone else is wrong, take a deep breath and hold your words. Ask God for insight and wisdom. You may not be as right as you think you are and they may not be as wrong as you think they are.

August 1, 2018

Are You a Pharisee?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 23, 2018

Are You A Hypocrite?

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

‘These people honor me with their lips,

But their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;

Their teachings are merely human rules.’

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” – Mark 7:6-8

It’s the hypocrisy that bothers me the most. It’s not about politics or whether someone is a Democrat or Republican. That’s irrelevant to someone whose citizenship is in heaven.

I have trouble understanding how someone can proclaim Jesus Christ with one breath and in another defend someone who publicly lies on an almost daily basis. How can he be from God when he ignores God’s laws? How can he serve a Risen Savior when he has yet to repent for past wrongs. Indeed, he doesn’t seem bothered by them at all.

Most of the time I remain silent. There is no discussion with those who strongly support our President. Their anger and belligerence astounds me. Whatever happened to honest debate? Whatever happened to civil discussions? Neither seem to exist anymore.

I have never liked Donald Trump. It’s not personal because I have never met the man. I just don’t care for high-profile playboys who flaunt their transgressions and condemn anyone who disagrees with them. I suppose that’s also why I don’t watch a lot of reality television.

I was amazed at how he played his role and ousted some good candidates on his road to the presidency. He is smart. He is also manipulative. It has served him well in the public arena.

What breaks my heart is how quickly Christians make excuses for him. We continue to bring up his opponent, though he became president long ago. His opponent is irrelevant when it comes to his behavior. We aren’t judged on the behavior of others but, rather, on our own behavior.

Are lies okay if you think he’s benefiting you in the area of business? Is deception okay if you think he’s making our country stronger in the military arena? Are degrading comments about women, bully tactics designed to keep opponents silent, and hateful commentary against anyone who isn’t “like” us okay? Apparently with some Christians it is.

We wonder why so many people are turning away from Jesus. We wonder why so many look down on Christians. We are so busy pointing fingers and defending someone whose actions we should condemn that we miss the point. We miss Jesus.

That’s what the world sees. They see a bunch of hypocrites where Jesus should be evident. Maybe we need to look deep inside. Maybe we need to make sure He’s really there.

July 14, 2018

Double Standards Anyone?

The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.

– Proverbs 20:23

Come to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

– James 4:8

Okay, let’s all get our excuses out. “Everybody else does it.” “Well, so-and-so did it!” “I was just going along with everyone else.” “Well, it’s not against the law.” “I can handle it.”

Did you think of a few more? I’m sure you probably did. When it comes to making excuses for our actions, attitudes and words, we’re quick to justify ourselves.

Except there is no justification for doing something we know is wrong, no matter how many people do the same thing. There also is no justification for judging two people by two different standards.

We judge people we don’t know based on standards we don’t uphold. We don’t see it that way, of course. We’re too high up in our opinions to actually try and listen and understand another point of view. We shut their voices out. We’re disgusted by their views. We’re so busy being “right” that we can’t see how wrong we are.

Do you want to start a fight on Facebook? Just mention President Trump’s past marital indiscretions. The defense that comes from good Christians? Well, look at Bill Clinton.

Indeed, let’s look. Does one person’s bad behavior justify the bad behavior of another person? No. It doesn’t. Nor does it justify the sad fact that people who condemned Clinton – understandably – now make excuses for Trump. It’s called a double standard.

We’ve used it for years in politics and in social circles. Someone who is poor and an alcoholic is called every kind of name. No compassion is offered at all. Someone who is rich and an alcoholic gets offered sympathy and rehab and a hush-hush about it. News flash: An alcoholic is an alcoholic no matter how much money is involved.

It’s why for so long children in middle-class and upper-class homes were over looked when it came to abuse and neglect. We assumed it couldn’t happen in “good” neighborhoods like our own. We judged based on economics and appearance rather than fact and heart.

We do the same to justify our own behavior. Everyone fudges on their expense accounts, so what’s the big deal? Well, it was just a little white lie to make someone look good. It’s a cut-throat world and you’ve got to “get” someone before they do the same to you. My child has worked hard and deserves to be on the team, in the performance, or in the group. Besides, I give a lot of money to your organization. That can go away, you know.

Does any of this sound familiar? You’d be furious at anyone who did these things to you. Why do you think it’s okay to do them to someone else? Where did we ever get the idea that it was okay to judge with a double standard? Certainly not from God.

June 4, 2018

Both Political Parties Are Wrong

Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud. – Psalm 123:3-4

It’s the day before Election Day. We have survived the ugly political ads, the nasty comments from friends, and the political signs that seem to multiply overnight.

You’re probably thinking it’s those nasty Democrats causing all the trouble. It’s fun to bash them and blame all our troubles elsewhere. But the truth isn’t so pretty. This is a primary election and those nasty words are coming from Republicans who also loudly proclaim their Christian faith and conservative values.

The truth is that neither party gets it all right or all wrong when it comes to Biblical teachings. Someone who is a Republican isn’t necessarily a “good” Christian. Attending church every Sunday doesn’t make someone a person of faith. And loudly proclaiming your religion doesn’t mean that behind closed doors you actually live it.

Two candidates running for office are a good example. One proclaims his faith. I just found out we attend the same church. I’ve never, ever seen him or any member of his family at any service or event. Maybe I missed him. Or maybe not. His opponent keeps his comments on the issues and says nothing about faith. I know his family. I know he is a man who slips into church without announcing his presence. I know his faith goes deep and it shows in his integrity. Who is the “better” Christian?

Some candidates who proclaim their faith loudly bash immigrants – both legal and illegal. They condemn the poor as lazy and blame the media for every exposed lie. We need to put God back in schools and government. That’ll fix everything. Just ask them.

But don’t ask them what the Bible says about welcoming immigrants because our ancestors were once foreigners in a foreign land. Don’t question them about Jesus’ comments on taking care of the poor, about guiding one another, about teaching our children right from wrong. Yes. Everyone should obey the law. And, yes, everyone who is able should work. But the issue goes much deeper. Who among us has bothered to research it? Who among us even attempts to show compassion and mercy to those who are in need? Who among us dares to be Jesus when doing so contradicts our political tag?

Others think it’s okay to kill unborn children. They consider that everyone has rights but not those in the womb. They remember that not too many years ago Christians used the Bible to “justify” racial discrimination. Some of them still do. They believe that putting God in “His place” will put everyone on a level field with equal opportunities. They try to deny our identity in a vain attempt to justify multiplying wrong.

Politics is about power, money and self. Does anyone run for political office to try and truly bring change? Sometimes. But it doesn’t last long. Compromise and working together are what bring change. Unfortunately, compromise doesn’t win elections.

How do we change this political climate? I don’t have a clue. I pray and vote for individuals. It’s not about a particular political party. It’s about God. It’s about honoring Him. Until we get that right, nothing else will ever change.

May 15, 2016

Love As God Loves

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

God is love. That’s what the Bible tells us. It’s not so much about how much He loves us, though He loves us more than we could ever imagine. It’s about how we are to love others as He has loved us.

There’s a huge debate -- I am being gracious here -- about which school restroom transgender students should use. Amid the appalled cries of woe, I wonder has anyone stopped to consider the feelings of the transgender students? Has anyone consider that they are already ostracized and bullied?

I don’t begin to understand what being a transgender person is all about. I don’t understand. And, yes, I’ve read the Bible -- several times. And that’s where I get that part about love and compassion and kindness.

When did we decide that it was okay to forgo those key elements of our faith when someone steps on our political toes? That’s what it is: politics. It’s not about the Bible, no matter how loudly we proclaim that it is.

We are told to pray for our nation. We are told to pray for those who disagree with us. I have to wonder how many of us really do that. Do you pray about these political issues or do you just loudly proclaim your hatred and disgust and tell yourself you’re protecting your faith?

It really is possible to disagree with someone’s lifestyle and still love the person. Let me give you an example: Your daughter and her boyfriend live together. You believe in purity until marriage. You disagree with her choice. Do you condemn her and refuse to associate with her? Or do you voice your displeasure but continue to love her just as much as before she made that choice?

If you’re unhappy with this issue, pray about it. Join others in prayer. God listens. Trust Him to handle it. God really doesn’t need us to defend Him or His Word. Really. He doesn’t. He’s quite capable of doing it Himself.

What God does want and expect is for us to pray for His Presence to heal our land. He expects us to love all sinners, regardless of their sin. God demands that we not judge lest we be judged by our own impossible standards.

I know this is all frightening. It’s just so more easier to surround ourselves with people we understand and people who believe as we do. But that’s not the reality of our world. It is possible to stand true to our faith, to love God with all our hearts, and to love ALL His children regardless of who or what they do. It isn’t always easy but it is possible.

So the next time you decide to get on your political high horse, take a few minutes and take it to God. Tell Him all about it, then listen to what He has to say. Love one another. Be kind. Show this fallen world who God really is.

April 19, 2016

Stop Pointing Fingers

"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand." -- Mark 3:25

For those who haven’t noticed, we’re having a fairly heated presidential race in this country. It’s particularly interesting to see Republicans -- typically the “Christian” party -- struggle. They may be about to have a candidate that doesn’t meet their standards. Oops!

It’s funny how that happens. When they were so busy fighting, with a gazillion candidates vying to be the one, another man stepped to the front of the line. By the time they realized it, well, it might be too late.

It’s what happens when a house is so focused on defeating itself that it’s not paying attention. Like us. Christians.

We’re good at fighting amongst ourselves. One of our biggest battles: Do you sprinkle or dunk when you baptize? Like it really matters. Because it doesn’t. What matters is the heart. Is your heart focused on Jesus or on rules?

Other issues -- serious issues -- divide us. Abortion. The death penalty. Homosexuality. All controversial issues. And when we are fighting over these issues we forget that we are to love one another. When we are disagreeing, we forget that we are all sinners and should love the person regardless of the sin.

It’s amazing that others -- those who aren’t Christians even though they may check that box -- can say what we don’t believe in. But they can’t always say what we do believe in. Sad that we are known for hate and polarization rather than for love and compassion.

We forget that as we are shaking our judgmental fingers at the unemployed, that it could be us one day. We assume laziness without ever knowing the story. Another judgment we aren’t qualified to make.

We’d send all the immigrants back. Did they break the law? Some did. Was that right? Absolutely not. Were our ancestors once immigrants? Unless you are full-blood American Indian, yes. Where is our compassion? It sure isn’t evident, even though the Bible tells us to remember that we once were strangers in a strange land.

As Christians, we are to be Jesus to a hurting world. We’re not. We are hard-nosed hypocrites so caught up in our own opinions that we can’t offer the love and compassion Jesus freely offers us. Then we wonder why our nation has fallen away from what we claim are our core values.

Yes, we need to pray for our nation. And we need to stop pointing fingers and change ourselves to be more like Jesus, trusting Him to take care of the rest.

March 5, 2016

The Scramble Comes Too Late

Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—

-- Ecclesiastes 12:1

It’s really interesting to watch the Republican party leadership scrambling as Donald Trump inches closer and closer to the party nomination. They never expected this to happen. They laughed him off. And now, well, there’s a rollercoaster coming down the hill and it may be impossible to stop it.

I’m not voicing an opinion on the best nominee. I’m just amazed that no one from the establishment understood how unhappy people are with the way they’ve been doing things. They rule both houses of Congress and yet they still blame the current Democratic president for everything.

Don’t we do that in our own lives? We go our own way, looking neither left nor right, because we are so intent on doing things the way we want them done. Then we act surprised when others don’t go along. We knew best, didn’t we? We were doing it for their own good, weren’t we? Nobody said anything was wrong, did they?

We surround ourselves with people like us, people who will agree with anything we say or do. Like the Republicans. One major complaint is that the party is now mostly men of a certain color and certain economic status. Unfortunately for them, that doesn’t fit the demographic of most of us.

So why is Trump succeeding? Because he’s brass and outspoken and rich enough not to care what anyone else thinks. He’s what others want to be.

Except he’s not a conservative Christian with the values we all claim. What’s the difference between claiming values and living them? The time to have started praying for a true believer to win the presidency was well before now. The time to start living our faith was before we ever went to the polls. We just assumed the best man, the one we wanted to win, would do so.

We expect God to do what we want without considering our own actions. Do we truly live our faith? Not so much for most of us. We’re all about us, whether it’s politics or regular life. And that’s not biblical at all. Politics in this country stopped being about God a long, long time ago. And that is the problem, no matter which candidate you support.

February 20, 2016

Faith Always A Part of Election

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ -- Matthew 7:21-23

Just when we’re all already tired of the presidential race, the Pope and Donald Trump are fighting. Really? Well, I suppose it’s just part of it these days.

One friend couldn’t believe that the Pope would insert himself into a political race for a secular office. No offense, but religion has been part of the campaign for that office for a very, very long time. As it should be, I might add.

President Obama has been condemned for years about his lack of Christian faith. Honestly, none of us know his heart. Only God knows a person’s heart. It’s all speculation. He’s accountable to God, just like the rest of us. We should be more concerned about our own faith, but that’s another topic for another day.

The Pope didn’t insert religion into the presidential race. Politicians routinely tell us about their Christian values. And they routinely do things that are contrary to the values they claim. We all do. It doesn’t excuse any of us.

Trump has publicly called himself a Christian. So when he takes a political stance that the Pope believes is in direct conflict with being a Christian, well, fireworks start. Trump doesn’t like it. I understand that. But as someone in a very nasty race for president, he should expect it.

But what about the rest of us. Do our Christian values really reflect in how we vote and what and who we support? No. They don’t. We vote based on what’s good for us. We support laws and policies that benefit us. And we condemn anything else.

We don’t do handouts. We don’t want people who came illegally. We have no compassion for the poor. We throw our elderly aside. And we can be cold and heartless as we seek to better ourselves at the cost of others.

Should the Pope have spoken up? That’s something that will be debated for a while. On the other hand, maybe it’s past time we started opening our eyes to what we say and what we do. Do we really want a Christian in the White House? Or do we just want someone who will make us wealthier that we already are?

November 16, 2014

Pray For Your City

 

Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city for which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. -- Jeremiah 29:7

 

The election is past but the fighting continues. Democrats. Republicans. With a little Tea Party thrown in the mix. We're so busy pointing fingers and "knowing" what is right, that we miss the point.

And the point in, you ask. What is God's will for this country? What will bring Him glory? Sometimes it seems that we are so busy telling everyone how it should be that we don't really consider God.

We say we do. We probably believe we do. But we condemn the poor, without knowing the facts. We call the unemployed lazy without knowing how many resumes they've sent out. We criticize health care without offering a solution that provides medical care to the working poor. It goes on and on. Did God really expect us to be so hard-hearted?

My Sunday school class has been studying the book of Daniel. In Chapter 9, Daniel prays to God, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. The 70 years of exile are coming to an end. Jeremiah spoke of this in Chapter 29. Yet Daniel knows that we all have sinned. But, here's the thing: Daniel didn't point fingers. He didn't make excuses. He didn't compare the Jews to the Babylonians. He simply admitted how God's people had failed Him and he asked for God's forgiveness and mercy.

There's a lesson in that for us. We point fingers at everyone but ourselves. We compare ourselves to others, always making sure that we look better than the other guy. We have so many excuses and none of them matter. We fail God. We have our own agendas. We seek our own will over His.

So today, take a moment to pray for your city, your country, your people. Ask God for His will to be done. Admit your own sin, and apologize for it. The apologize for the sins of those around you. No finger pointing. Just simple and true and front the heart. Then ask God for mercy and blessings so that He might be glorified.

Because that's what it is all about anyway. God. Not you. Not me. God. It changes the focus and puts it where it belongs. Thank you Jesus! Thank you! Your will be done.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Political Rhetoric Misses The Point

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave --just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -- Matthew 20:25-28

Okay. It’s official. I am beyond tired of the political rhetoric and I want us to all vote and go home. Oh, and shut up. I really want us to all go to our rooms and have a time out. Seriously.

This political debate raging in our country -- and I’m not talking about the debate Wednesday night between the two candidates -- has really gotten out of hand. Choosing one or the other candidate doesn’t mean either is endorsed by God.

We forget sometimes that Jesus is neither a Democrat or Republican. He’s not a member of the Tea Party either. The Son of Man came to serve. He represents God. So should any political leader we consider.

We get so caught up in the rhetoric and the sound bites that we forget what’s really important. We’re so determined to make a difference in our own pocketbooks that we can’t see beyond them. That’s true of both sides, by the way.

Certainly we should pray for our leaders. And we should ask God to choose the right candidate based on His standards and not our own. Because God looks at the things of the heart, not the outward appearance or the latest poll numbers.

But we also shouldn’t expect one man -- one very human man -- to fix everything all by himself. No matter who is elected, he must work with Congress, with other world leaders, with the public, to create the kind of country we all want to live in.

That means that everyone has to do his or her part. We keep looking to government to put God back in our lives when we really should be doing it for ourselves. Are your children learning about Jesus in your home? Are they learning to follow the Ten Commandments by observing you? What are you showing your neighbors and co-workers about Jesus?

It’s just so easy to fight it out with empty political promises from people we’ve never met. It’s not so easy to look in the mirror and admit that we aren’t doing our part to make things right.

I’ll be glad when the election is over and we can get back to normal, whatever that is. We’ll still be fussing and pointing fingers but at least maybe it won’t be so nasty. Our country doesn’t hinge on the back of one individual. We’ll get back to where we need to be when our citizens start focusing their individual lives back on God, the way our Founding Fathers always intended.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Pray To See God’s Will, Not Your Own

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, June 10, 2012

God’s Word Tells Us What To Do

And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’

“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.” -- Zechariah 7:8-12

Look around you. Everywhere you see and hear pious people bemoaning the state of our nation. The liberals are killing it, they proclaim. People should turn back to God to save it, they shout, certain they are voicing God‘s will.

Have they read the Bible? Really read it? Have they asked God what He wants or merely told God what they want to hear? Because what they proclaim and what I read in the Bible just aren’t the same thing at all.

I don’t have any answers to the illegal immigrant problem in our nation. I don’t know how to make people go to work or to find living wage jobs for those who do work. I don’t know how to make people care for their elderly relatives. I can’t force people to have compassion and provide opportunities to children without support and guidance.

I guess you could say that I don’t know much of anything. But I do know what God says. God says to show mercy and compassion. He warns us not to harden our hearts against His words, not to turn our backs on those in need.

And yet we do. Again and again. We “justify” our actions, our cruel words, our hard hearts. We tell people to get a job, and we quote Scripture that warns against laziness. We warn people to follow the law, and we quote Scripture that tells us to obey the laws of the land. We condemn sinners, and quote Scripture about how God has called us all to live.

We somehow seem to forget all those passages calling us to love and compassion and kindness. We ignore the words warning us against judging others. We skim past the words of Jesus as He extended forgiveness and a helping hand.

We forget that we are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all need God’s grace. And none of us deserve it. Not one. So why do we believe that it’s okay to place ourselves on a pedestal with rest of the world in a pit beneath our feet?

A dear friend, a deacon in a conservative Baptist church, told me he’s learned to quiet those criticisms in his own mind. He forces himself to imagine what it would be like to walk in the shoes of the person he’s judging and that changes his attitude right away. It opens his heart to love others as Jesus has called us to do.

Pious judgments turn people away from the very God who can save us all. Stop looking around for someone to blame for the state of our country and look in the mirror instead. Change starts with you and me doing what God has told us to do.

Saturday, August 27. 2011

Are You Patient and Kind?

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Paul didn’t write this passage of Scripture for weddings. I know. Shocking. Because that’s usually where we hear it and we assume -- incorrectly -- that Paul was talking about marriage and the love needed between two spouses.

Don’t get me wrong. Paul’s words are beautiful and certainly useful for newlyweds to hear and reflect on. But Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to deal with questions and fusses in the church in Corinth. He wanted the church members to get along with each other and love one another. Obviously, a few churches need to take that advice to heart.

But what would happen if all of us -- liberal and conservative, democrat and republican, Protestant and Catholic -- followed Paul’s advice? We might surprise ourselves by actually listening to the views of others. We might find that Jesus really is all we need to have in common to get along. We might find that showing love to everyone -- especially those with whom we disagree -- might lead to solutions rather than anger and bitterness.

I get really frustrated with the Obama bashers. I don’t like getting the e-mails or the posts on Facebook. There’s something really frustrating about people condemning this country’s president because they disagree with his politics. Whatever happened to praying for our leaders? Or seeing the good right along with the bad, because no one is either all good or all bad?

The next presidential race has already heated up. But right now Obama is the president. As Christians, we’re to respect our leaders. That’s biblical and has nothing to do with agreeing with them or not, or even whether they’re Christians. We forget that sometimes.

God calls us to live our faith. Hard hearts and condemnation only tears this country further apart -- and gives people a fairly good picture of what they don’t want to be. We’re suppose to use our lives to draw others toward Christ, not push them away.

Adam Hamilton, minister and author, suggests that we each substitute our own names for “love” in the passage above. So you would read it, “(your name) is patient. (Your name) is kind.” It takes the focus off of other people and their flaws and puts it back on you. Are you patient? Are you kind? Are you rude or self-seeking? Be honest. No one will know but you and God.

Getting along with people, especially those with whom we disagree, isn’t easy. No one ever said it was. But as Christians, God calls us to do it anyway. It’s called living our faith for the world to see.