November 7, 2024

                         Trump Is No David

After removing him (Saul), he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out my will.’ – Acts 13:22

The excuses have begun. People who voted for evil are comparing Donald Trump to King David. We all sin. David was certainly no exception. But the difference between the two men can be found in their hearts.

In 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan confronted David over his sin with Bathsheba. David had not only committed adultery, but he had Bathsheba’s husband murdered. The LORD forgave David when he admitted he had sinned against God. 

David paid for his sin. The son Bathsheba conceived died. Nathan also told David that because of his sin, God had decreed that the sword would never leave David’s house. And it didn’t.

But let’s get back to David’s repentance. He accepted responsibility for his sins. Trump merely blames everyone else. He never takes responsibility for anything. Trump is nothing like King David.

Perhaps the important question for those already making excuses for Trump is why they feel the need to do so. He won. Our country has turned away from God and embraced evil.

I believe that God will work through this horrific time and show His Glory. Just as He did after Christians put Hitler into power and made excuses for him. I also know that the days ahead will be horrific. Will God’s people finally rise up against a would-be dictator and put God back on the throne? I don’t know.

Those of you who voted for Trump made a choice that was yours to make. Don’t now try to justify turning from God by throwing out Scripture. There is no justifying what you’ve done.

September 8, 2024

         Do Not Be Deceived

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

– 1 John 1:8

“I did nothing wrong,” the candidate proclaimed.

“It’s all a hoax.”

“Fake media.”

Do you really need me to list more comments or even to name the candidate responsible? Yet this is the man conservative Christians are holding up as their standard bearer.

Some have even gone so far as to proclaim Trump as “anointed” by God. They are “preaching” for a political candidate and making excuses for his behavior – both past and present behavior.

If Trump were truly chosen by God, there would be no need to make excuses for him. He would admit past sins, ask forgiveness and change his forward path. God is quick to forgive a contrite heart.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We are ALL sinners. There is no hierarchy when it comes to sin. But God does have expectations for His people.

John writes: If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:10

Our nation has had some truly devout Christian presidents. Jimmy Carter comes immediately to mind. After his re-election defeat, he turned his attention to living out his faith. He taught Sunday School and he worked building houses with Habitat for Humanity.

We are all free to choose the political candidate that best reflects our values and our concerns and desires for this great nation. But do not fool yourself into believing that a man who has repeatedly violated Biblical principles is serving God. No. That man is only serving himself.

July 21, 2023

 

We Are All Pharisees

 

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.’

– Luke 18:11

 

How many times have we read the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and condemned the Pharisee for thinking his sins weren’t as bad as the tax collector’s sins? How many times have we been the Pharisee by justifying our own sins while soundly condemning the sins of others?

 

Ouch. Most of us live pretty good lives, at least according to ourselves. We try to be good people. We don’t go around shooting people or robbing others or blatantly telling lies. We help those we think need it. We pray sometimes. We may even read the Bible. But we still don’t get it.

 

I’m struggling now to show grace and mercy to someone who is committing adultery. I see the heartbreak he has inflicted on his wife and children. It drags on and on as he tries to discover what will make him “happy.” I honestly would like to throttle him. I suspect God would like to throttle me sometimes too.

 

No. I haven’t committed adultery. But I have judged the sins of another. I have condemned what is not mine to condemn. I have failed to show love and grace, mercy even, as I have held onto my anger. My sins are great.

 

The hard truth is that we are all Pharisees. Pastor Adam Hamilton described himself as a recovering Pharisee who sometimes falls off the wagon. That is true of all of us. We are quick to point fingers, gossip, and condemn the sins of someone else all the while justifying our own sins.

 

I am not excusing his actions. But I also refuse to excuse my own. I pray that God will open both of our hearts so that we may be healed. That’s where he’ll find “happy.” That’s where I will find it too.

July 16, 2023

 

Are You Willing?

 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

 

I was reading a devotional the other day about those who refuse to confess their sins. You know them. They refuse to take responsibility for their actions. They are forever pointing fingers and blaming others for their decisions. They don’t change because they don’t see the need to do so.

 

It really hit home with me because I love someone who is doing just this. He has destroyed his family and, likely, will eventually destroy himself because he won’t admit that he did something wrong.

 

We tend to think of people like this as drug addicts or thieves but that’s not always the case. Sometimes it’s someone who commits adultery. It might be someone who can’t manage money and bankrupts themselves and their family. It could be someone who always lies just because they can.

 

It can also be someone who is abusive. How often do abusers blame their victims? How many times do rapists say it wasn’t their fault?

 

Jesus offers us a lifeline. He beckons us forward to confess our sins. He promises to forgive us and help us to be different, to do different, if we will only draw near to our Savior. It might be the hardest thing we ever do. It will also be the best thing we could ever do.

 

In my loved one’s case, he’s still pointing fingers and blaming others. He’s angry and lashes out at those around him. He wants to be “happy” but he’s the unhappiest he’s ever been. No one can reach him. Jesus waits but for now He’s on the sidelines.

 

Do you know anyone like that? Maybe you are that person? Does anger consume you? Is everything bad that happens always someone else’s fault? Are you putting yourself before everyone you claim to love?

 

Jesus waits. He’s ready to help you. But first you have to confess your sins. You must accept responsibility. You have to lay down your pride and admit you don’t have all the answers. Jesus has the answers. He alone can free you and heal you. Are you willing to let Him?

July 4, 2023

 

Change What is Acceptable

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. – Psalm 33:12

 

We are in political season in the United States. It seems as though we are always in political season. We’ve got national races, state races and local races. Many candidates offer themselves as the “Christian” candidate. Does such a person even exist anymore?

 

We pick and choose the issues that best suit us. We are against abortion but refuse to show financial compassion for widows and children. We vow to keep foreigners from our land even though God told us to welcome them. We condemn others for their sins but refuse to acknowledge our own sins.

 

Should I continue? We speed – which is breaking the law. We drink to excess – though the Bible tells us not to. We commit adultery with our hearts and sometimes our bodies – though both clearly violates the Bible. And with every step we take, we make excuses rather than accept responsibility.

 

We see it in the political arena again and again. It’s as though we choose our candidates based on which sins we are most likely to justify. We all sin. It’s just a matter of which sins are most acceptable.

 

Today I’ve seen this verse thrown around repeatedly. We all know we should ask God to bless our nation. We all know we should live according to His Word. We all know that government and politicians need to do different. But what we don’t seem to know is that change begins with us. When we change our behavior to more align with Christ, we change how we view the sins of others.

 

Honesty. Integrity. Kindness. Compassion. Those are all attributes of a Christian. So why are those things so often missing from the political arena? That will only change when we change how we view the lies and ugliness from all politicians.

February 27, 2023

 

Love Like Jesus

 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -- John 13:34-35

 

What does love look like? I’m talking about the love Jesus had for us, the love He commanded us to have for others. When you consider that kind of love, what do you see?

 

Do you see the man who’s been unfaithful to his wife? Who is still being unfaithful? Do you see the woman who’s too busy gossiping to parent her children? Do you see the young woman with an “easy” reputation? Or the teenage boy who bullies those smaller than himself? What about the man with unethical business practices who brushes it all aside as “just business”? Do you see love when you look at these people?

 

The truth is that if those people look and talk like you and have solid economic status, you probably do. It’s easy to love those who are like us. It’s easy to ignore their sins and accept them. We may even agree with that businessman who believes that misleading people is okay so long as it’s not illegal.

 

Let’s look at another question: What does love look like when you don’t particularly like the other person? What does love look like when a baby cries incessantly throughout the worship service? What does love look like when you’re in a hurry to leave and an elderly person is blocking the way?

 

A few years ago, I asked my cousin why she and her husband stopped going to church. I was horrified at the reason. They were told that their adult daughter who had Down’s Syndrome was no longer welcome. This was a “child” who loved church with her whole heart, who tightly held the Bible she couldn’t read and listened intently to the pastor’s sermon each week. But because she sometimes “commented” on his words while he was preaching, she wasn’t welcome.

 

Love isn’t always easy. Sometimes it means accepting someone who makes us uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s loving someone in the midst of their sinful ways. Sometimes it’s extending the same grace and mercy Jesus has extended to us.

 

Who are you judging today? Who have you cast aside because of their “sin”? Who have you failed to love as Jesus loves us?

August 24, 2022

 

Casting Stones

 

When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:7

 

We’re all familiar with the story of the adulteress woman. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought her before Jesus. They had already condemned her and, no doubt, stood ready to stone her to death. That was the law after all.

 

We’re good at following the law, aren’t we? At least when we’re the ones pointing the accusing finger at someone else. It’s just way easier to look at the sins of others rather than those that are within us.

 

How many times have I heard someone – a self-proclaimed Christian – throwing this scripture out to condemn someone or to justify their own unforgiveness. Jesus told her to go and sin no more, they say righteously. And, yes, Jesus did say that. But it’s important not to gloss over the rest of the story in order to get to your weapon of words.

 

Jesus told the one who was without sin to cast the first stone. Are you without sin? I’m surely not. In fact, no one who walks this earth is without sin. But that doesn’t stop us from casting stones, does it?

 

Our world has so much darkness in it right now. We blame everyone else without bothering to look within ourselves to the sins in our own hearts. We are arrogant and justified in our own eyes, failing to understand that our sins turn others away from the saving grace that Jesus offers to all of us.

 

The next time you’re tempted to condemn someone else, check yourself first.

May 15, 2018

When Ugliness Takes a Fall

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. – 1 Peter 2:23

His mugshot was grainy. Dull. His expression was one of shock and disbelief. He’d skirted the law many times, hurting others and lying. He’d spewed ugliness, assuming he would never get caught. Until one day, he was.

There was no satisfaction in it. Not for me, anyway. Only a deep sadness that he still hadn’t changed. That’s the way of evil. It gets worse until one day goodness stops it cold.

It would be easy to gloat or cheer or let my heart be filled with satisfaction. I don’t know if the arrest has caused him to rethink his behavior or if he’s still blaming everyone else for his choices. Only God knows the truth of a person’s heart.

My hope is that his present reality causes him to reevaluate his choices, to turn toward Jesus, to invite Him into his heart. God loves this man just as much as he loves you and I. We forget that sometimes when our only focus is exacting revenge on someone who has harmed us.

It isn’t always easy to pray for our enemies but that is His calling on our lives. We are to do good to those who harm us. He tells us to love everyone, even those who have hurt us deeply. It isn’t an easy road but, then, His way rarely takes the easy path.

Sometimes it’s through grace and mercy, the same grace and mercy God shows to us, that others can clearly see Jesus. Don’t rejoice in the tribulations of others. Instead, pray that hardship will finally draw them home.

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?

December 18, 2018

Light Exposes Darkness

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” – Luke 8:17

But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them. – Ephesians 5:13 (NLT)

Each of us has darkness that lies inside of us. We pretend it’s not there. We ignore the truths rather than face it and let light destroy it. But in the end, it still finds a way to reveal itself.

We are sinners. There’s just no way to get past that on this earth. We can’t ever be good enough, wise enough, blameless enough, to enter God’s Presence on our own. That’s why we so desperately need Jesus.

We try to pretend that we’re good enough. God knows our hearts. He knows we’re trying. Except we somehow find a way to pick and choose where we’ll do better and where we’ll keep on being who we are.

Sometimes the sin is great. Sometimes the sin is gathered together with many parts, none of which seem too bad, until the great multitude reveals a pattern of darkness. We don’t blame ourselves. It’s this society, this world, this media, that leads us to things we wouldn’t otherwise do, see, or hear.

Except we are to blame. We make choices, then attempt to justify ourselves. We allow our sin nature to control us and that, in turn, leads us places we never really intended to go.

It’s the excuse pattern that allows us to fudge a little here or a little there. It’s that wink that lets us think we’re sliding by without any consequences for doing what we know is wrong.

I’m always amazed at how we do what we know is wrong. We watch a movie or television show that we know has inappropriate content. We blame Hollywood for our choice. We listen to music with lyrics that idolize drinking and wild parties and sex without marriage and we blame the record labels. We do whatever we can to get that raise, even if it means telling lies or putting someone else down. It’s a game we didn’t create but we participate in it just the same.

After all, it’s all about us. It’s about what we want. It’s about what’s best for us and for our family. It’s about making choices that entertain us and help us get ahead. It’s about looking at the world through eyes that only see what we want them to see.

Except the light has a way of penetrating through the darkness, exposing the heart of an issue. It reveals our true motives. The light tells the world, and us right along with it, what we truly believe. What do you believe?

Do you truly believe God loves everyone? Then why do you put others down in a vain attempt to build yourself up?

Do you truly believe all people are equal? Then why do you think you’re better than people of other nationalities?

Do you truly believe things don’t matter? Then why do you race to keep up with or surpass the things your friends and family purchase?

The light exposes darkness. It tells the real story of your values and your faith.

December 14, 2018

The Stench Tells the Truth

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

– Romans 7:15-16

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. – Galatians 6:7-8

Yesterday I once again had the opportunity to deskunk a dog. Actually, this time it was two dogs. I have lost track of the number of times my oldest dog has been sprayed by a skunk. This time he led his baby brother into the fray.

To be honest, this time the skunk got the worst of it. He lost his life. That doesn’t generally happen. But the rest of it was a repeat performance of the worst kind.

He knows what’s coming. No matter how many times he rolls in the grass and dirt, the smell remains. No matter how many times he tries to rid himself of the foul odor, it stays deeply present in his long fur.

That’s how it is with us. We sin and we pay the consequences for those sins. We say the wrong thing and people turn away. We do the wrong thing and people remember how deeply our actions hurt them. We don’t show up when we should and people understand how little we truly care.

We end up smelling foul in a way we never intended. We end up with consequences we never expected. But we should have expected them.

I have warned my dog again and again to stay away from skunks. He doesn’t listen. Experience hasn’t taught him anything. And, I suppose, it’s a whole lot better than when he takes on a snake. That almost gives me a heart attack. I try to see the positive in a bad situation.

But it doesn’t change the reality. Both dogs were confined to the backyard while I prepared a special concoction designed to rid them of the stench. They had to endure its application, wait for it to do its magic, then rinse and repeat. It’s December. It’s not a good time to be outside wet. It had to happen.

We face the consequences of our actions too. We can point fingers at others, we can make excuses, we can tell ourselves the odor doesn’t come from us. None of that makes it true. We reap what we sow. When we sow distrust and lies, we bear the consequences of those actions. When we sin, we feel the pain that comes when our sins are exposed.

Most of the time we know better. We understand somewhere deep inside that what we’re doing is wrong but we do it anyway. Just like my dog, we hope we won’t be found out but there’s just no chance our actions won’t reap consequences. It’s something to remember before we go where we know we shouldn’t be.

November 16, 2018

Open Your Eyes

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

– John 9:39-41

Does it ever occur to any of us that we could be wrong? Do we ever seek the Bible’s wisdom for what it truly says rather than searching for words that will “prove” what we already believe? What would happen if we truly followed Jesus rather than picking and choosing the parts of Him that feel comfortably in line with ourselves?

Jesus didn’t come to conform to our “wisdom.” He came to save us from ourselves, from the sins that fill us, from the hardness of our hearts. But He left us with a choice. We can choose to follow Jesus or ourselves. There is no room on His path for both of us.

We are quick to point out that the Bible condemns homosexuality. We aren’t so quick to say that it also condemns divorce. Why would we? In our country, an estimated 40-50 percent of all couples will divorce. We don’t want to condemn ourselves so we choose to ignore what the Bible really says.

We are quick to condemn abortion as murder. We don’t want to support the child. That’s someone else’s responsibility. We don’t want to welcome those who are cast aside for their mistakes. We want them to pay again and again under our condemning eyes.

Obviously, abortion is wrong. So is casting aside an unwed mother. Remember: Mary was an unwed mother too. Before she and Joseph married. Before anyone understood about the Holy Spirit and the Messiah, she was a teenager with a growing belly in a world that would have destroyed her for her “sin.”

We cling tightly to our money, refusing to share or tithe as we should. We ignore what the Bible says about money – and it says a great deal about money – choosing instead to “believe” that everyone must support themselves. It is ours, we insist. Others aren’t worthy, we explain. Except the Bible doesn’t talk too much about worthy or ownership. It talks about gifts from God and sharing our blessings. Judgment isn’t ours to dispense, even when it comes to the money God has graciously given to us.

Oh, and let’s not forget the immigrants. We don’t want them. Period. We may expound our beliefs and justify ourselves but it’s just not biblical. The Bible tells us to welcome the foreigner because we once were foreigners. We are to extend kindness and compassion. But we hold what is ours tightly and refuse to show mercy.

There is no easy walk in our world today. It’s like a tightrope that keeps moving except, well, it doesn’t. The Bible is full of words that contradiction what we believe and what we say we believe. It’s impossible to truly love Jesus and stand only for some of what He says and ignore the rest.

Are we blind? Absolutely. But our blindness is a choice. We have the answers before us but we choose to ignore their truth because it’s uncomfortable and it just might cost us something we hold dear. Our money. Yes, it might cost us our money. It might force us to show kindness to people we don’t like. It might ask us to welcome people who aren’t like us so that we can show them that Jesus loves everyone and welcomes them into His arms.

Open your eyes. See your sin. Make your choice.

October 31, 2018

God Loves Us Anyway

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

My youngest dog can’t seem to help himself. He knows what he should and shouldn’t do. He does. But he repeatedly does what he shouldn’t and, then, expects grace and mercy when confronted with his sin. He sounds a lot like you and I, doesn’t he?

I wonder how many times God has looked down and shook His mighty head as I repeated the same mistake – over and over and over. I’m sure He has wondered if I would ever get it right. And, yet, God has given me chance after chance and He has always forgiven me and taken me back into His arms.

We love that grace and mercy, don’t we? We are grateful to Jesus for dying for us. We are thankful for second and third and tenth chances. But we aren’t always so gracious when it comes to the mistakes others have made.

I get it. Forgiveness is hard. Moving past a wrong is difficult. Forgetting is impossible. Until we remember that we’re to offer others what God has given to us.

It doesn’t mean we all get a pass on repeating the same mistakes again and again. Life comes with consequences. In my dog’s case, that means time with a muzzle to remind him that it’s not okay to destroy something like his sister’s bed. For you and I, the consequences vary. But make no mistake about it, there are always consequences.

Sometimes it means that we don’t receive the blessings we otherwise might have gotten. Sometimes it means that the journey is longer than it needed to be or harder than it should have been. Sometimes we hurt people and sometimes they hurt us.

The path laid out before us is narrow. We glance to the right or left and, before we realize it, we’ve veered off course. We pray and seek God’s will, focus once again and Jesus and we’re headed down the right road. Until we stumble again.

What really breaks my heart is the realization that sometimes I grieve the Holy Spirit because I don’t make right choices. God has done so much for me and I owe Him a debt I could never repay. I want to do His will. I do. It’s just that sometimes I stumble. Sometimes I do the wrong thing.

Yet, God loves us anyway. Just like I love my little dog. This is his forever home. And I know that my forever home is with God. Thank you, Jesus! I don’t ever have to wonder about where I’m headed or whether I’ll be welcome. I already know the answer. I hope you do too.

September 17, 2018

Words Can Heal or Destroy

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. – James 3:6

Who are you? What’s your name? How do you identify yourself? What do others call you?

Our pastor made a really interesting point on Sunday. James understood firsthand the dangers of condemning someone without cause. He knew what happened when others referred to someone with names that were really just lies. Think about all the names his brother was called. Consider the lies from the Pharisees. Yes. James understood the cost.

Condemnation is referring to someone by their problem or their sin and not their name, our pastor said. They are “liars,” “trash,” “stupid.” They are “drug addicts,” “homely,” “fat.”

We call people by what we see as their sin. And that, in turn, is how they come to see themselves.

Pastor Ryan Martin said there are two truths about sin. The first is that every sin we commit is the direct result of us believing a lie. The second is that all sin is the result of idolatry.

When we condemn someone with our words we tell them they aren’t worthy. They aren’t worthy of us and they aren’t worthy of God. And they start to believe those lies we spew at them. It’s a sick kind of game. Sin begets sin.

And it becomes like a god to us. We can make ourselves the god. We can make our sin – say vaping or gossiping – our god. It becomes more important than anything or anyone. It becomes more important than God.

There is a shame that comes with the harsh words others direct at us. We get down on ourselves. We forget how wonderful we are. We forget we were created in the image of God Almighty. We forget we are loved and chosen and special. We forget everything but the condemnation in the words directed toward us.

Words can create life or they can destroy it. What about your words? Do you talk bad about people? Do you try to turn the opinions of others against someone you don’t like? Do you build yourself up at the expense of others?

Or maybe you’re the person who always finds something good in others. Maybe you’re the one who gives a genuine, specific compliment to another person. Maybe you’re the one who refuses to spread, or even listen, to the ugliness some try to share.

Each day is filled with choices. Make your words be words of healing and hope.

August 20, 2018

Fix Yourself First

“And when the people ask, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.’” – Jeremiah 5:19

We want to put God back in our schools. We want to put prayer back in our public meetings. We want to place carved images of the Ten Commandments on public property. We are convinced that doing these things will lead to a revival in our country. We know that doing these things will decrease violence, drug abuse, gang activity, and general unlawfulness.

But will any of those things change your heart? Will any of those things put God back in your home? Will any of those things cause you to rearrange your priorities so that God is first at all times, no matter the cost or sacrifice?

We want our world to change for the better but we don’t want to be part of that change. We call for others to do things. We pray “thy will be done” when we really mean “my will be done.”

We harden our hearts toward foreigners and those who don’t look like us. We brush aside those who face financial challenges, being quick to blame them while tightly holding on to what we have. We aren’t going to share. Nope. No way. They can work hard and get their own stuff.

We like our stuff. We cling to it as though we’ll have it forever. We act as though now is all there is. We believe that no one is more important than self. Well, maybe family so long as they exalt us.

We don’t see anything wrong with our behavior. We don’t recognize the double-standard. We’re so busy condemning abortion and homosexuality that we miss love and mercy, grace and compassion. We judge what isn’t ours to judge. We cast out people that God loves. We call ourselves justified. Our sins call us condemned.

Except for the blood of Jesus. We’re quick to point that out. He saved us and we’re headed to heaven – along with everyone we like. We can’t imagine that God wants to save murderers and rapists, white-trash and foreigners. We act as though God couldn’t possibly want anyone who isn’t like us. Does anyone else see the hypocrisy? Jesus ate with tax collectors, fallen women, those who were poor and cast out. The Pharisees were furious. Jesus didn’t care.

But we care. We want all the perks of being Christ followers without all the dirtiness of associating with “sinners.” We want all our toys, our electronics, our nice cars, our big houses, without having to sacrifice anything for the Church or orphans or widows or foreigners. We are like young children yelling “mine!” even though everything really belongs to God.

Some people don’t believe the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is relevant today. I would invite them to read Jeremiah. This great prophet warns God’s people of His coming wrath but they didn’t believe him. They couldn’t understand how God could possibly let His people be captured by Babylon. They kept thinking God would change his mind, even when they refused to change their hearts and their behavior.

Do you want to fix our country? Do you want to turn it back toward Christ? Then start at home. Pray without ceasing. Live with compassion and kindness. Share freely. Give to God first, trusting Him with all your needs. Be His light in this dark world. Stop waiting for someone else to lead the way. Start where you are. Change your heart. And watch how powerfully God shows up to change your life.

August 16, 2018

Who Do You Talk About?

Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. – James 5:16

Who have you talked about today? Oh, come on. Be honest. It’s only between you and God and He knows the truth anyway.

We love to talk about people, don’t we? We love to pass on the “news” and hear all the details that are really none of our business. Does it make us feel better about ourselves? Does it help us avoid focusing on our own problems?

We’re all guilty. We are. We’d rather talk about someone than spend time in prayer about them and for them. In fact, oftentimes gossip masquerades as a “prayer request.” It’s a common way of talking about others in a small-group church gathering. Stop it! God knows the details so you don’t have to repeat them. Simply ask your group to pray for someone and leave it at that.

We often consider ourselves justified. We get angry at someone and we go around telling “our side” to anyone and everyone who will listen. We stir up trouble. We tear apart relationships. We wallow in sin.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. – James 4:11

We like to justify ourselves, don’t we? We claim a faith we don’t live but we don’t have a clue we aren’t living it. We stay so focused on fixing others, judging them, telling others about their “sins” that we miss our own sins.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

– James 1:26

What would happen if Christians started praying for people instead of talking about them? How would your life change, how would your heart change, if every time you thought badly of someone you prayed for them instead? How would your words change if you stopped sharing anything except what would build someone else up? How would our world change if we stopped fighting about our differences and prayed for unity?

Some of the most hateful people I know are “prayerful” Christians. They are so busy pointing fingers and commenting on the flaws of others that they miss the point. They miss Jesus’ words about loving others. Or, if they “heard” them, they mistakenly think He meant to love only people exactly like themselves.

Our pastor reminded us Sunday that John Wesley had three rules of faith. The first was to do no harm. That means never sharing a falsehood about someone else. It means not airing your personal grievances about someone to everyone who will listen. It means learning to control your loose tongue.

The second rule was to do good. If someone harms you, treat them with kindness. If you can help someone who can never repay you, do so with a smile and with gracious words. Go the extra step. Be kind. Be merciful.

And abide in fellowship with God. In all things and at all times, seek Him. Words can never be recovered once they are spoken. They carry a lasting impact long after the fuss has disappeared. They destroy far more than we realize.

Pray for people. Don’t talk about it. Just go into a quiet room and pray. Focus on fixing yourself and trust God with the outcome of all the rest.

July 3, 2018

How Deep Is Your Faith?

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” – Luke 7:47

It’s an odd assortment of people in the class. There are those who have much and those who have little. There are those who are young and those who older. And there are those who have overcome much and those who have overcome little. Who has the greatest faith?

Some people grow up attending church. They accept Jesus as their Savior and really never venture far from what they know. Faith is just a part of who they are. They don’t question it. They pray eloquent prayers and live the life they were told to live.

And then there are those who grew to faith in adulthood. They came kicking and screaming, making mistake after mistake, until they finally hit the bottom of the pit. There they met Jesus. They came to understand that He was their only hope for a different life, a better life. They grasped His hand and clung to it tightly. Every day is a struggle. Every day they hold tightly to a faith that is so real they can almost touch it.

Whose faith is greater? That faith which has never been challenged or the faith that has weathered a storm and found its way into a safe harbor?

It would be wonderful if no one ever had to suffer. That’s not reality. That’s not the world we live in. One of the saddest things to see is someone who has done everything right on their faith journey, fall apart when the storm hits. And it will always hit.

There is the woman who buried a son, almost lost another, and then buried her husband. She was raised in church and has lived a “good” life. She has known the desperation of deep grief. She knows the strength that comes from the promises of Jesus.

Another man built an almost perfect life with his wife. They had two beautiful children who, in turn, married and presented them with grandchildren. They worked hard. They were faithful servants of the Lord. Until she got sick.

I wasn’t sure his faith would survive. The loneliness tried to consume him. The questions were relentless. How can someone do everything right for Jesus and then suffer an unbearable loss? Jesus warned us but we didn’t think it would happen to us.

Only God knows our hearts. He knows how deep our faith truly goes. Has it been tested in the fire? It will be. Does anyone ever leave this earth without knowing deep grief, illness, brokenness?

Those who have suffered much have a grace about them. They understand loss and fear and being held closely during an overwhelming storm.

Those who have made too many mistakes to count and still found love and forgiveness from their Savior extend mercy quickly. Their hearts are open. Their hands extend to those in need. They understand how easy it is to fall onto a path you never planned to take. They understand how hard it is to get back up and try again.

The Pharisees condemned this woman who honored Jesus with expensive perfume and her tears. They couldn’t understand the depth of her gratitude. Can you?

June 27, 2018

Let It Go

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:18

A few weeks ago, former President Bill Clinton and author James Patterson made the media rounds as they promoted a book they’d written together. Guess what all the reporters wanted to talk about? That’s right. Monica Lewinsky and the scandal.

That scandal happened in the late 1990s. Clinton has apologized repeatedly. I watched one reporter demand answers again and again, refusing to let it go. It wasn’t until Patterson intervened that the reporter moved on. The reporter shamed himself, not Clinton.

Clinton can never undo the wrong that he did. He can apologize and seek to lead a different life. He’s done both. So, what is it about us that refuses to let it go? And why are so many Christians still throwing it in his face all these many years later?

You’re probably ready to cite all of Clinton’s sins. You feel the need to remind me of the extramarital sexual encounters, the lies, the age difference. You “know” that I just don’t understand the magnitude of what he did.

What you don’t understand is the magnitude of what you’ve done. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. How would you like it if your past sins, those you have apologized for, kept being thrown in your face? How would you feel if your attempts to change your life were met with constant reminders of where you’d once been?

We are such a vengeful people. We are so judgmental and full of righteous anger. We hold grudges and slam those who fail to meet our standards. We hang on to wrongs long after they should have been cast aside.

And we do it selectively. Why is it that a sin by one person is roundly and publicly condemned while the same sin by another person is quietly forgiven and excused away? Does no one else see the double-standard?

And why do we hold others up to a perfect standard no one can ever achieve, while letting ourselves slide because we see our sins as somehow “lesser” than those of others?

Did Clinton lie? Absolutely. Have you ever told a lie? Be careful you don’t tell another one as you answer. If you’ve ever told someone a dress looked good on them when it didn’t, you lied. If you’ve ever made up an excuse to not do something because “you didn’t want to hurt their feelings,” you lied.

Have you ever broken the law? Sure, you have. Every time you drive even one mile over the speed limit you have broken the law. It’s not about degrees of sin no matter how we want to insist that it is. Sin is sin.

Sure, some sins have consequences that will forever haunt us. Clinton’s sins obviously fit that category. But as people of faith, who are we to judge him? Jesus clearly stated that those who judge will, in turn, be judged with the same measure. Do you really want to be judged the way you judge Clinton and others? Are you really ready to stand before Almighty God and explain yourself to Him?

Let it go. Trust God to work in that person’s heart. Be gracious. Show mercy. Accept apologies and changed behavior as the blessing it is. And, above all else, see people through the eyes of Jesus. Love them in such a way that makes them want to become the people God created them to be.

March 18, 2018

Are You Following Jesus or the World?

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

We love the world. Oh, we may complain about things, get upset with those who disagree with us, and lament the violence, but we love it just the same. We just want to take all the good and shove aside all the bad.

It doesn’t work that way. We get a strong dose of both on a regular basis. Why? Because so much of what we term “good” really isn’t. We just can’t help ourselves. We want it all anyway. And that, my friend, frequently leads us to the bad.

Think about the movies you like to watch. How many of them have violence or sex or bad language? You watch them anyway because they’re entertaining. In fact, you’ve probably watched so many of them that you’ve become numb to what you’re actually seeing and hearing.

Have you ever padded your expensive account because “everyone does it”? Have you ever helped yourself to extra supplies from your workplace because the company “has plenty?” Have you ever bad mouthed a co-worker or played “politics” to discredit a rival on your path to a promotion? It’s all sin. That everyone else might be doing it doesn’t lessen the sin.

Do you ever make excuses for your failure to tithe? There’s just not enough money to go around. You don’t approve of all the ways the church spends the money. You aren’t certain that charities really do all they claim to do. You make excuses and keep it for yourself, neglecting to give first to God even though you know that’s what the Bible tell you to do.

We all like our lifestyles, don’t we? We work hard and deserve to be rewarded for it. We look down on people who have less than we do, assuming they don’t work hard enough, aren’t smart enough, or have secrets in their closet that have caused them to have less than we do. We loudly judge what we don’t know in a vain effort to justify how wrong our lifestyles really are.

It’s not that God doesn’t want good things for us. He does. Sometimes the blessings He extends are material things. More times those blessings come when we loosen our grip on stuff and extend a helping hand to His people. We are to love and share and be an active part in building people up, in helping the less fortunate. We choose to ignore the true call of His Spirit to focus on the desires of our flesh.

The slow shift toward the world and away from God rarely comes in a swift decline. Rather it comes from the small choices we make each day. Every time we compromise we step a little closer to accepting sin as “normal” in our own lives. Every time we point our judgmental finger, we are looking more like a Pharisee and less like the Jesus we claim to love.

We have a choice. We can pull back from the world or we can go toward it. We can be the light, solitary though the flame may be at times, or we can join the crowd. The choice belongs to you. What’s it going to be?

February 21, 2018

Get Rid of the Anger

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. – Colossians 3:8

What is your button? What instantly makes you angry? What do you have trouble shaking off, putting aside, letting go and moving on from?

We all have something. It could be a snide comment from someone. It could be an unfair judgement from a person who has no business even concerning themselves with your situation. It could be reminders of leftover anger from situations long ago.

Most anger is normal. Contrary to what some believe, anger alone isn’t a sin. The sin comes when we harbor bitterness and chronic anger. Then it overtakes us and consumes us in ways that aren’t healthy for us and lead us to sin in other ways.

Anger and resentment can’t coincide with forgiveness. We are to forgive others because God has forgiven us. It has nothing to do with worthiness. None of us are worthy of forgiveness. It is about grace and mercy.

Forgiveness also isn’t about the other person repenting and asking for forgiveness. We can’t control what other people do or don’t do. We can’t control what they say about us or how they feel about us. We can control how we react. We can forgive and walk away.

Chronic anger is a result of deep hurt. That’s what our pastor said last Sunday. There’s so much truth in that. We lash out at others. We allow jealousy and anger to take control. We sin, then use our own anger in a vain attempt to justify our sin. It’s a vicious cycle and everyone gets hurt in the end.

Some people try to put salve on their wounds by attempting to control everyone and everything around them. They want to be in charge, no matter the cost. And make no mistake, the cost is great. No one wants to be controlled by others. While they might go along for a time, eventually that will erupt into something awful. We can’t run other people’s lives. It’s that simple and that complicated.

We must exercise self-control over our own lives. We need to get rid of the anger and resentment and jealousies that consume us. It doesn’t feel natural, does it? Don’t we have a right to rise up against those who have harmed us? Not according to the Bible. God is the One who takes care of revenge when His children are harmed. We’re to forgive and move on.

How can we possibly get past it all? By giving it to God. Again and again, I might add. God sees your struggle. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to heal you and allow you to move past the ugliness in your heart. Let go of the anger and bitterness and allow God’s peace to fill your heart.