Now What? Grace . . . .

Last week I had a post about grace (Grace Abounded) and how God’s love for us is so powerful and amazing that His grace will abound more than we’ll ever expect. This week I want to continue talking about grace as I reflect on the mid-term election results. Results that has left me thinking now what? How will I respond to stepping up in a Christ honoring way?

The past few weeks I’ve been reading through the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a prophet of God while living in exile in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. God sent him to the people of Israel with a message of His judgement and restoration. His message included the consequences of their disobedience, idolatry and sin. But it also gave hope for future redemption. The book is also considered a prophetic book with allegorical language and visions. God isn’t talking about America in this Old Testament book but I think I can still glean some truths that will help me answer my ‘Now what?’ question.

Now what? Now is the time to move forward with grace. As I explored this word I began to understand that this is one of the keys to making changes. The Bible Hub reminded me that grace is often defined as, “the unmerited favor and love of God toward humanity.” It goes on to explain, “The term ‘grace’ is derived from the Greek word ‘charis,’ which conveys the idea of kindness, favor, and goodwill. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ‘chen’ is used, which similarly denotes favor and kindness.” Grace is part of the foundation of our Christian theology.

Our salvation cannot be earned through our own effort. It is a gift from God, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We know that Jesus was the personification of grace, “And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Grace plays a big part of our Christian walk, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). And, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

We can see from these Scripture passages that grace has significant transforming power that we have received from God, live with and are required to extend to others. The Bible Hub’s conclusion on the topic of grace says, “Grace remains a profound and transformative aspect of the Christian faith, reflecting God’s infinite love and mercy. It is the foundation of the believer’s relationship with God, offering hope, strength, and assurance of eternal life.”

What now? Now is the time to not seek revenge. Do I want our President and his administration to pay for what they’ve done? Yes. They broke the law and disregarded the Constitution and need to be held accountable. Do I struggle with this on a spiritual level? Honestly, I do. I’ve been brokenhearted, angry and frustrated that they’ve taken what Jesus did for them and all mankind and twisted it into cruelty and hatred. As I’ve struggled and prayed for these emotions I am thankful that the Lord led me to read through the book of Ezekiel. It is within the pages of this book that I’ve realized I have to make some heart changes.

A heart of revenge and glee at watching things fall apart is not what should be in my heart.

Ezekiel 18:21-23 & 32 says, “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²² None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live.²³ Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? . . . For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

2 Peter 3:9 also reminded me that, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

My response to these scripture passages is to continue to pray for each person to turn their lives around, repent of what they’ve done and truly come to know Jesus of the Bible and not Jesus of Christian Nationalism. If God doesn’t wish anyone to perish and allows extended time for them to come to know Him, then we should be willing to take this extra time to pray for them. To not allow our hearts to get hardened towards them and wish them ill will.

What now? Be honest with what’s been going on by calling it out. Don’t allow Evangelical Christian leaders to continue to misguide us into the idolization of political ideologies and our President.

Ezekiel 13:3-7 says, “Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! ⁴ Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. ⁵ You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. ⁶ They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. ⁷ Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?” Verses 10-12 say, “Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, ¹¹ say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. ¹² And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?‘”

“Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins”. Our President and his administration are not prophets but they have acted like jackals/foxes in their cruelty and greediness. The Enduring Word Commentary says of this, “The idea is of animals that burrow among the ruins, helping nothing, adding nothing, and delighting in the destruction.”

” . . . they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash”. They constantly talk about spreading peace. They say God’s blessing is coming along with this peace if we conform and obey their ideologies. Yet, none of them ever talk about repenting from their destructive and harmful actions. What they’ve built has no foundation. It’s like trying to cover up a moldy crumbling wall with paint. A wall that will be exposed for what it is as soon as something comes to test its strength and worthiness.

What now? Reverse Christian Nationalism ideologies with true Biblical thinking.

Christian Nationalism/MAGA movement has caused much spiritual blindness within its own movement. In Ezekiel 8 Ezekiel saw in a vision what was going on in the temple that was causing much harm to the people of Israel, “He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. ⁴ And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley. ⁵ Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north.’ So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. ⁶ And he said to me, ‘Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations'” (verses 3-6). God was showing Ezekiel that sin and idolatry were being practiced within the Temple.

Ezekiel 10:3-5 continues to say, “Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ And he glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord.⁵ And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.” This cloud was the cloud of glory. The Enduring Word Commentary says of it, “It is hard to define the glory of God; we could call it the radiant outshining of His character and presence. Here it was given some visible representation in the cloud.” There are many incidences in Scripture that talk about this cloud. It stood beside the people of Israel when they wandered in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22). God spoke to them through the cloud (Exodus 16:10). It was present at the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:34-35).

Sadly, no one in the Temple could see this cloud of God’s glory except Ezekiel. They were too blinded by the images of their idolatry to see God. For years I’ve watched Christian Nationalism slowly become an idol. That idol turned into the MAGA movement. A movement filled with false teachings that led many to believe political activism was more important than the Gospel message. False teachings that taught that the goal of the Gospel was to make our country great again through Culture Christianity. False teaching that teaches that not all people of every nation are equal even though Matthew 28:18-19 tells us to share Jesus with people of all nations. False teaching that taught that cruelty was okay if it got rid of their enemies. False teaching that excuses the words and actions of a people bent on destroying lives for their own personal gain. This false teaching has blinded eyes from seeing God’s glory.

What now? Repent, Redeem and Reconcile.

Remember what Ezekiel 18:23 says, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” Verse 32 says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” My bible study notes of these verses, “Verse 23 is echoed in this final, grand summary, called by some the most important message in the whole book of Ezekiel.” The most important message in the whole book of Ezekiel is that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. He desires all men to turn to Him and have eternal life. If God is a merciful God then we should be merciful people. If God desires us to repent of our sins and turn to Him then we should desire the same thing for everyone.

Colossians 1:20 says, “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” The Bible Hub summaries this verse as it, “Unveils the sweeping triumph of Jesus Christ: the Father works exclusively through the Son to restore every realm marred by sin, bringing earth and heaven into true peace by the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross. This is not a vague optimism but a concrete, historical, and complete reconciliation that guarantees the eventual renewal of creation and the eternal peace of all who place their trust in the crucified and risen Lord.”

Now what? Now is the time to remember that God’s message in Ezekiel included more than the consequences of Israel’s disobedience, idolatry and sin. It also included hope for a future redemption. Those of us who have been redeemed and carry this hope need to share it as Jesus taught us to share it. Not as Christian Nationalism tells us to share it.

Now is the time to hold our political leaders accountable for what they’ve done. To make sure the checks and balances stay in place so that the erosion of our Constitution and government stops. Now is the time to pray for our leader’s hearts to come to know the Jesus of the Bible and not the Jesus of Christian Nationalism.

I find it very sad that our President has no concept of who Jesus is even though he and others claim that he is just like Jesus. His interview with Ross Douthat was eye opening to this truth and showed us where his heart is. I copied the transcripts to the last part of this interview that you can view HERE.

Lastly, don’t let your takeaway be about God punishing our country and its leaders. Let your takeaway be how these leader’s ideologies blinded many from the love of Jesus and the truth of His Word. Let your takeaway be to remember why God extends His grace to us.

President Trump’s ’60 Minutes’ Interview

This post is part of the Now What? Grace . . . post and should be read first.

These are transcripts from the ’60 Minutes’ interview with Ross Douthat. There was a lot to focus on but the one thing I keyed in on was the last part of the interview.

Ross Douthat asks President Trump: “You have survived multiple assassination attempts. One came very very close to you. I imagine that that had some kind of effect on how you think about mortality. What do you think happens when you die?”

President Trump: “Well, I hope I missed. No, [laughter] I mean I mean to you. No, but I really hope I understand. I mean to I think I’ve done a good job.”

Ross Douthat: “What do you think happens to Donald Trump when you die? Well, again, not your memory yourself.”

President Trump: “Um, you mean where I go?”

Ross Douthat: “Exactly.”

President Trump: “Well, I’m a religious person, so in theory, I go to heaven.”

Ross Douthat: “Do you think you’re going to heaven?”

President Trump: “Uh, I hope so. I don’t want to go to hell.”

Ross Douthat: “So, I watched you at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. And Erica Kirk, his widow, got up, and gave some very moving remarks about Christian forgiveness, how you have to forgive your enemies, right, and your opponents, and you followed her and you said, and I know this was a little bit of a joke, but I think facts come through jokes. You said, quote, ‘I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them.’ Let’s say you pass away. You’re entering the next life and all you have to do to enter paradise is feel love and forgiveness for James Comey, Nancy Pelosi, anyone who you have expressed hate for over the years. Do you think you can do it?”

President Trump: “Well, then I wouldn’t be real, would I? I mean, if I said to you, sure, the easy answer to that, oh, yes, I could forgive.

Ross Douthat: “No, I don’t think it’s an easy question.”

President Trump: “I found them to be extremely dishonest people. Very bad people. Very bad for our country. I love our country far more than I can love people and people like that.”

Ross Douthat: “Is the answer no?”

President Trump: “The answer is no. I want to be honest.”

Ross Douthat: “Before the judgment throne of God before the judgment?”

President Trump: “No. I think they were very bad people and uh I dislike I can use the word hate. I do hate some of my enemies. I think they’re they’ve been terrible. Look what they put me through. The weaponization. I You have  . . .”

Ross Douthat: “Mr. Mr. President, Mr. President, you have had the most charmed and remarkable life of any American in my entire lifetime. And you are telling me that before the judgment throne of God, you couldn’t find it in your heart to forgive some of your enemies?”

President Trump: ”Uh”

Ross Douthat: “After all that’s been given to you. Come on, help me out here.

President Trump: “I mean, it’s such an easy answer. All I have to do is say yes, I can.”

Ross Douthat: “I again, I don’t think it’s an easy answer.”

President Trump: “Can I be honest? I probably cannot do that now because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will.”

Ross Douthat: “Lots of presidents are remembered with a single line. He freed the slaves. He won the Cold War. A 100 years from now, while you’re working out your situation in purgatory, what is the line that your presidency is remembered with?”

President Trump: “That I made America great again.”

Trump’s answers are very telling. He feels he’s a “religious person” so in theory this means he’ll go to heaven when he dies. He knows he has the power to forgive but he refuses to do so. This leads me to believe he is uncertain about eternity and has no willingness to forgive because he has no understanding about what Jesus did for him at the cross. How can Trump extend grace, mercy, love and forgiveness for the people of the country he serves if he has never experienced it first through Jesus?

Grace Abounded

 “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21

Romans 5:20 is causing me to do a lot of pondering. As I read this verse the one thing that kept on going through my head was, “but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”.

Let’s take a deeper look at the passage where these verses reside to get a better understanding of what Paul is saying.

What is the ‘law’ in verse 20? The ‘law’ is the ‘Law of Moses’. The Bible Hub explains it as, “The Law of Moses, also known as the Mosaic Law, refers to the body of divine commandments given by God to the nation of Israel through His servant Moses. These laws are primarily found in the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch or the Torah, which include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Law of Moses serves as the foundation for the religious, moral, and civil life of the Israelites and is central to understanding the covenant relationship between God and His chosen people.” The ‘law’ is referring to part of the Bible that is a vital part of the history of God’s need of redemption. A need that was ultimately fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

Why did God need to have the Law of Moses? We see why in the passage where our two verses end, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come” (verses 12-13). The result of Adam’s disobedience was that sin and death entered into the world and has had a lasting effect on mankind (Genesis 3).

What did God do because of this? “¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (verses 15-17). The consequences of Adam’s sin was that many died. But the consequences of Jesus’s free gift is grace. Because of Christ’s obedience at the cross we are given the free gift of eternal life free from the condemnation of sin and death.

Our passage goes on to say, “¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (verses 18-21). In this passage, ‘where sin increased, grace abounded all the more‘ means that this grace is ‘super-abounded’ over our sin. His love for us is so powerful and amazing that his grace will abound more than we’ll ever expect. How amazing is that that we can’t out-sin God’s grace?

I like how the Bible Hub sums up Romans 5:20. It “teaches that God introduced the law to expose and quantify sin, making our need undeniable. As sin multiplied, God’s grace super-multiplied through Jesus Christ. The verse reassures believers that divine grace not only meets but overwhelms human rebellion, securing forgiveness and imparting power for a transformed life.”

How amazing is this fact about God’s grace? For those of us who know the Lord I pray that we will praise and thank Him for this precious gift. If you don’t know Jesus I encourage you to click HERE. Read through the scripture passages and carefully consider what Jesus did for you.

Wrestle with God by His Promises

“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. ⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” Psalm 119:49-50

“When we hear any promise in the word of God, let us turn it into a prayer. God’s promises are his bonds. Sue him on his bond. He loves that we should wrestle with him by his promises” (Sibbes, cited in Spurgeon).

“But God – let us speak with reverence – when he gives a promise, binds himself with cords of his own making. He binds himself down to such and such a course when he says that such and such a thing shall be. Hence, when you grasp the promise, you get a hold on God” (Spurgeon).

I came across these two quotes in the commentary I often use. I have never thought of God wanting us to wrestle with Him by His promises. I love the visual of how God binds us with His cords. When we grab ahold of one of His cords of promises we get a hold on God. This passage opens with the reminder that God NEVER forgets His Word. It is His Word that He wants us to cry out back to Him in prayer.

When we pray God’s promises back to Him we remember that we can trust and hope in Him. We also remember that within our affliction His promises give us life. And because of this we can feel God’s comfort even within our affliction. Spurgeon said of this, “The worldling clutches his money-bag, and says, ‘this is my comfort’; the spendthrift points to his gaiety and shouts, ‘this is my comfort’; the drunkard lifts his glass and sings, ‘this is my comfort’; but the man whose hope comes from God feels the life-giving power of the word of the Lord, and he testifies, ‘this is my comfort.'”

The Psalmist continues, “The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law. ⁵² When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord” (verses 51-52).

In time of trouble he chooses to not turn away from God’s Word. He remembers how God has handled past situations in his life and takes comfort from it. We can do this by remembering how God has comforted us in our past afflictions and challenging seasons. It’s often good to write down what God has done for us so we can go back and read through them to give us comfort in our current situation.

“Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning. ⁵⁵ I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law” (verses 54-55).

The Psalmist is expressing how God’s Word makes him sing with joy. It also gives him confidence. He also talks about remembering God’s name in the night. I know when we are in a season of suffering that the nighttime can feel the longest. It is in these moments that bring God’s Word to mind will also bring us comfort and peace.

“This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts” (verse 56).

The Psalmist ends this portion of Psalm 119 stating that because “This blessing has fallen to me” (ESV) or “This is my practice” (CBS), that all of God’s comfort, goodness and power are part of his faith and his to claim. He then states that he enjoys these blessings because he obey’s God’s Word (“I have kept your precepts“).

God’s Word is at our fingertips if we know how to use it. If we read, study and memorize it we practice hiding it in our hearts where we can access it whenever we need it. We can wrestle with God over it and we can grab ahold of God through it.

I have a few ways I do this. One is from Max Lucado’s method of pulling the weeds of untruths and replanting them with the seeds of God’s truth (Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life). Another way I like to do this is to breathe in God’s promises/truths and exhale whatever untruth is taking up space in your mind. This last one works when panic is setting in and your breathing is becoming faster.

Take the time today to write some of your favorite go to Scripture passages down on an index card. Carry these cards with you or leave them in a location where you can access them regularly. Use them when you need to remember God’s promises.

Accurate Biblical Thinking

I have rewritten this post a few times because I’ve said what I wanted to say about accurate biblical thinking so many times that I feel like I’m getting preachy. I don’t want the truth of needing to have accurate biblical thinking be swallowed up by my stand against what I consider the false doctrine of the Christian Nationalism/MAGA movement. But as the mid-term elections come nearer the urgency of having accurate biblical thinking gets stronger. The urge to pray for the hearts of those already in office and for those who will be placed into office gets stronger.

These are questions that have been taking up residence in my brain recently:

1. If we truly believe our nation was founded upon Christian principles then we should expect those in office to adhere to Biblical truth. We should expect those in office to not play Christianity and twist Scripture for political power.
2. If we believe Christian Nationalism is biblical then we should vote not by political ideologies but by what Jesus taught us about our enemies, the poor, sick, unprotected, the marginalized . . .
3. Could it be that what’s good for our nation on a political level may not aline with the Christian faith?

I’ve been more outspoken against our current administration because they claim Christianity as their own and say they are doing everything in God’s name. Yet, I don’t see the fruits of their claims. I understand the importance of separation of church and state. That what happens at a political level has to be what’s best for people in our nation and not just for Christianity. But those lines are blurred and the resulting destruction is not one I can sit back be silent over. Now the rubber is meeting the road and it’s time for me to vote and put to action what I’ve been speaking out against. Where do I draw the line? How do I break away from long standing political ideologies that I believe aren’t biblical?

I think it really starts with Jesus. How we live our lives with the knowledge of what Jesus did for us is the core of all we do, how we reflect Him and treat others. The only way we can know Jesus is through knowing His Word (the Bible). God’s Word is the key that unlocks everything. If we don’t have a firm understanding of it our biblical foundation could be weakened by worldly ideologies.

Nicky Gumbel, the author of my devotional, says about the Bible and Jesus, “Everything you read and understand about God through the Bible needs to be read through the lens of Jesus. He is the ultimate revelation of God. Your key to getting your life sorted out is Jesus. Your key to understanding the Bible is Jesus. Your key to understanding God’s character is Jesus. Your key to life is Jesus.”

Gumbel goes on to say, “Reading the Bible is, in some ways, like looking in a mirror with a very bright light: ‘The unfolding of your words gives light’ (Psalm 119:130a). The light reveals what is wrong with our life and what we need to have cleaned up. It reveals the things that cause a barrier between us and God. This barrier was removed when Jesus provided cleansing for your sins. Through Jesus, you can be confident that God’s face will shine upon you (Psalm 119:135).

What Gumbel says about reading the Bible alines with what I learned in my bible study this week. One day in this week’s lesson we focused on Romans 12:1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (ESV)

I grew up thinking, ‘do not be conformed to this world’ meant that God was telling me to keep my distance from those who don’t believe as I do. The emphasis was outward focused. But really this is an inward focused command. As Christ Followers we live in two kingdoms: God’s and the world’s. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul is helping us navigate these two kingdoms in a way that honors and glorifies God. Courtney Doctor, the author of my bible study on Romans, said in her video lesson, “It is not a question of to which kingdom we belong. It is a question to which kingdom we are conformed and adhere to.” WOW, that put everything into perspective because it places all the responsibility on how I’m being transformed through renewing my mind in God’s Word.

God’s Word also tells us to remain faithful to uphold its truth and not to be faithful to false doctrine. We can’t be faithful to both. There is no balancing of the scales on this one. The truth of God’s Word must out weigh false doctrine. Clarke says of this, “A man may hold all the truths of Christianity, and yet render them of none effect by holding other doctrines which counteract their influence; or he may apostatize by denying some essential doctrine, though he bring in nothing heterodox.”

Courtney Doctor said another thing that alines with what I’ve been wrestling with the past two years, “Evangelism doesn’t happen through our appearance of moral superiority and expressions of disapproval.” From what I’ve been reading and witnessing, the Christian Nationalism of today teaches that we must disengage and distance ourselves from those who do not conform to culture Christianity. It seems to be all about, “appearance of moral superiority and expressions of disapproval.” How often have we heard our current administration quote Scripture, surround themselves with praying priests/faith leaders, sing worship songs during meetings and read the Bible out loud? At the same time do everything the opposite of what Jesus, in the Scripture passages they’re reading and singing about, teaches them to do. It makes it seem to me more manipulative and performance based.

Christianity is not all about forcing people who do not believe in Jesus to conform to its practices. If not conforming to the world and being transformed is something that only pertains to Christians, then should it be something our political leaders be forcing upon our whole nation?

My bible study reminded me that God is a missional God. Here’s another Courtney Doctor quote that stood out to me, “God is passionate about worldwide proclamation of the gospel. His sights have always been set on the whole world (Genesis 1:28; Genesis 12:3; Exodus 19:5-6). His plan, from the beginning, was to create a people for Himself that included every tribe, nation, tongue, and people group. In other words, our God is a missional God. He is the One who seeks and saves. He is the One who goes to the lost. He is both the One who sends and the One who was sent. . . . Then Jesus said in John 17 that in the same way the Father sent Him into the world, He ends us. That’s our purpose. That’s why we are here. We’ve been sent by Jesus to join Him on His mission to proclaim the gospel in all the world. In Christ, we have been united, not just to His righteousness, but to His heart, His passion, and His mission. It’s our greatest calling and our ultimate purpose” (page 196 of ‘In View of God’s Mercies’).

If God tells me that it’s His mission to reach people of every tribe and nation then that should be my mission. If this is my mission then I can’t sit back and watch our current admonition strips our country of people of every tribe and nation. The later is the mission of an imperfect government and leader. A leader the Christian Nationalism/MAGA movement wants to be the conquering hero of our nation. The Jewish people also wanted the coming Messiah to be their conquering king. Jesus could have been that conquering king but He wasn’t. He didn’t come to save the Jews from any worldly empire to make them the strongest nation of the world. Titus 3:4-7 tells us a different plan, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,⁶ whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

If we are to conform to God’s Word and His kingdom by having accurate biblical thinking then we need to be renewing our mind by:

Being ‘constantly nourished’ on God’s Word, “In pointing out these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have been following” (I Timothy 4:6).

Being ‘absorbed’ in God’s Word, “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all” (I Timothy 4:15).

Paying attention to what we’re allowing into our hearts, “Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (I Timothy 4:16).

This post is not to tell you how to vote. It is a reminder that living in this world as a Christian is not an act of passivity. It is one of standing up for accurately handling God’s Word. To weigh all false doctrines and what others say against it. To be reminded that we do this from being ‘constantly nourished’, ‘absorbed’ and paying attention to what we allow into our hearts. It’s also a reminder that this world isn’t just about us and our faith. It isn’t our job to force people to conform. It’s the Lord’s job to lead people to Himself through the love and care of His servants (us). We need to leave room for the Lord to transform their hearts. We can’t allow our political climate to sideline the mission God has us on.

I pray for us all that we will face mid-term elections with much prayer and wisdom.

God Will Supply All Our Needs

“One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. ²⁵ A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. ²⁶ People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.” Proverbs 11:24-26

This week in my women’s bible study we had a discussion about giving. In the passage we were reading in 3 John it was talking about supporting missionaries and those working to spread the Gospel message. I admit that since the hubby has retired that my desire to give financially has not been as free giving. Where once we’d give whatever we felt the Lord was calling us to give to whomever He called us to support. It could be a dear friend or a complete stranger. We never once hesitated to give because we knew God would supply the necessary means to do so. Yet now that the funds are more in a fixed state my mind hesitates and goes down the ‘what if’ road.

In Philippians 4:14-20 we read an account of how others helped support Paul. He says in verse 14, “Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship.” He goes on to explain who has given to him and his work for the Gospel and says in verse 18, “But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied . . .” He tells them in verse 19 that through their giving that God will, “supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

As we discussed this I was reminded by some of the ladies that if God calls us to financially support someone that He will provide the necessary funds to not only give but to continue to care for our own needs.

The next morning I read through this passage in Proverbs 11 that fit into the discussion of giving. In this passage we see what happens when we’re generous compared to when we’re being stingy, withholding and hoarding.

“One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor” (verse 24).

When we are generous not only with our finances but time God can spread His work like the scattering of seeds. Seeds that will grow into a great harvest. Withholding generosity both financially and spiritually can lead to poverty not only for ourselves but also to others.

“A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water” (verse 25).

Being generous creates a circle of blessing. When we give others drink from the Living Water we also get watered by the Living Water. Other translations of this verse says, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (KJV). The Enduring Word Commentary says of this, “Rich is literally fat, and so translated in the King James Version (The liberal soul will be made fat). ‘Especially in countries where people have little to eat, the metaphor ‘to be fattened’ connotes wealth, abundance, full satisfaction, and health (cf. Deuteronomy 31:20).” (Waltke).

“People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it” (verse 26).

This is referring to people who refuse to sell hoping to manipulate the market. Thus making the cost of things more expensive. The Enduring Word Commentary says of this verse, “The principle is spiritual as well as practical. When we distribute instead of hoarding, blessing will come.” Our God is a generous God and He calls us to also be generous.

After looking through this verse we can conclude that those who are generous and rely on God’s faithfulness will find ways to enrich other people’s lives and find abundant living. We are called to be good stewards of our finances so that we can help others to flourish.

Since I’ve written this post the Lord has provided us a way to weekly touch other people’s lives. I don’t doubt that whatever the need is for the week that God will provide a way for us to supply it. After all, “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Life-Saving News

“For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.” Romans 1:14 (NLT)

I came across a few quotes that really spoke to me and made me realize I hold within my heart life-saving news but I don’t often share it with others.

The first quote is from Courtney Doctor from her, ‘In View of God’s Mercies: The Gift of the Gospel in Romans’ study, pg 26: “But have you ever heard someone say that sharing the gospel is ‘just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread’? It’s true. Think of that analogy for a minute. If you really were starving and you really had found a never-ending source of bread, would you – should you – have an obligation to tell other starving people about the bread? Yes! We all should feel that kind of obligation to share the gospel. As a carrier of the gospel, Paul had the life-saving news that spiritually dead, lost people needed to hear. So do we.”

I questioned myself if I really had what Paul said in Romans 1:14, “a great sense of obligation”, to share the gospel? Do I have that urgency and desire to share the amazing love I feel from the Lord? The peace I have even when life throws me things that would otherwise rip away my peace? The answer I knew was true is that I’m often more scared that when I do share Jesus with someone that they’ll reject me or get angry at me. And now I feel like what Christian Nationalism has done for my faith has made me embarrassed to call myself a Christian. How do I share what I know about Jesus with people who only see the Jesus of Christian Nationalism?

In all reality, those are excuses. Excuses that allow me to walk by spiritually lost and starving people and not give them a piece of the Bread of Life (John 6:25-59).

As I discovered this about myself I understood that I needed to do some scripture diving to speak truth to my convicted heart.

Paul used the word, ‘obligation’, so I thought I’d start with that word. Obligation is defined as, “Something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc.” (Dictionary.com)

We are bound to share the Gospel because the Gospel is meant to be passed on and not kept to ourselves. Jesus specifically said that we are meant to share it before He ascended back to heave after His death and resurrection, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

We see that Jesus calls us to go and make disciples (spreading the good news of the Gospel) to all nations. The gospel was for everyone regardless of nationality, social or political status, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Paul echoed the same obligation when he said this obligation was for, “people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.” In this letter to the church in Rome, Paul was dealing the lack of unity between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. The Jews thought of themselves as better than the Gentiles because they followed the Law of Moses and had the seal of God’s covenant through circumcision. In many ways this made them believe that they had a special, ‘in’, with God. But Jesus, through His death and resurrection made it possible for all to know Him and experience His saving grace, mercy and righteousness. There was and is no longer a division.

Why no more division? Because God loved the whole world, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16).

The second quote is by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God.”

WOW! That one really convicted me. Do I conduct myself in a way that others see the light of Jesus within me? Do I treat others in a way that makes them see Jesus?

My prayer for myself is to have a deeper desire to share the good news of the Gospel. To do so without fear or worry of rejection. People are spiritually starving and I’m in possession of a starter dough of this life saving Living Bread to share with others. It reminds me of Friendship bread. Have you ever been given starer dough for Friendship bread? It’s like a never ending source of this bread that you make and set aside part of the dough to give to someone else. Who, in turn, makes the bread and sets aside some dough to give to someone else.

Let us be the ones to start the never ending cycle of sharing the Gospel.

Mountain Climbing

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5

[NOTE: I originally wrote this devotional several years ago. I came across it again this morning when I was scrolling through my old cancer support group devotionals looking for one to share with you this week. As I read through it I realized that today, October 14th, is the anniversary of my first chemo infusion 26 years ago. This is not a date that is on my radar any longer but for some reason it is the date that God brought to my attention today.]

I have been going through a season of emotional challenges that have left me feeling off balance. I’ve been slogging through the Word daily but struggling to dig deeper than the surface. I am thankful that no matter how I’m feeling or how little I put into my devotional time, the Word ALWAYS speaks to me. It is the one thing that has kept me putting one foot in front of the other.

Throughout this month I was reminded about the time when God met me at the bottom of a very deep dark pit. The night after I found out that I had cancer on August 8, 2000.

The cancer diagnosis season can be longer than we wish it to be. August 8th was the day I had my biopsy and was told that it looked like I had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma instead of Hodgkin’s Disease. The difference? One was considered a fatal disease that mostly older people got. The other more treatable with a higher survival rate. It took two weeks before I got the official pathology report that confirmed what the surgeon saw. It took two months of tests to figure out what flavor of NHL I had. Two months of blood work, CT and PET scans and a bone marrow biopsy. All during a time when PET scans were not the norm. The only facility that had a PET scan machine was the UW. Oh, and insurance wouldn’t pay for it until it was approved by the UW. It took me a month of calling the UW and my insurance company trying to be the middle man when the two entities couldn’t figure out how to connect to each other. No connection = no scan = delayed treatment.

I eventually got it done (learning to be my own advocate) and got scheduled for my first treatment on October 14, 2000. I know the exact date because the night before I read through the above passage in Psalm 103 focusing on verses 3 & 4, “who heals all your diseases, who delivers your life from the Pit”. Next to this chapter I wrote, “Another reminder of God’s healing power”. At this point I had no idea if God would heal me from my disease. I knew a 32% survival rate was not that great of a survival rate. I knew many with my disease at this time in history did not survive past 7 years. I knew my cancer would probably come back in 2 years and be resistant to traditional chemotherapy. The odds didn’t seem to be in my favor.

The night before my first treatment was the night God reminded me of how He met me at the bottom of my dark pit back in August. He also reminded me that I had a 100% survival rate IN Him. 

Further down in this chapter He reminded me that we were going to climb this mountain together, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (verses 11-14).

God is able to help us climb our mountains because He knows us intimately, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth” (Psalm 139:13-15).

We will not be immune to the challenges of mountain climbing. In fact, He guarantees we will have to face challenging mountains. The good news is that He promises He will provide us with perfect peace as we climb. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.” The AMP translation says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world. [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]”

Tribulations and perfect peace can co-exist. Why? Because we can claim victory over them because Christ is the victor over all things. No challenging mountain is unconquerable with Christ. Let us go back to Psalm 103:19 to glean this exact truth, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all” (NASB). 

This doesn’t mean that mountain climbing is easy. We will face crevasses and struggle to find a good hand or foot hold to pull us up higher. Regardless of these things God will remain faithful to open our eyes to see the path before us one hand and foot hold at a time. I pray that God will show you the wait up the mountain this week. 

Our song for this week: You Will Make A Way. 

Embrace Your Calling

“He led his people out like sheep and guided them like a flock in the wilderness. ⁵³ He led them safely, and they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies. ⁵⁴ He brought them to his holy territory, to the mountain his right hand acquired.” Psalm 78:52-54

Has God ever placed you in a position that you didn’t really expect or want to be in? I remember when God called me to start a cancer support group and how I evaded Him for months. I didn’t want to lead anything thank you. It wasn’t in my wheelhouse so there isn’t a point to doing it. When God begins to show you His calling He’ll make sure you understand it’s what you need to do. Within this months of denying Him I had five lovely ladies be diagnosed with cancer. If that isn’t the door opening wider I don’t know what is.

I took a much needed season of rest from cancer support. My ladies were NEVER a burden but after 12 years I need time off from suffering. I never intended to return to cancer support but two years later the same thing is happening . . . ladies within my church are being diagnosed with cancer. I spent many months telling the Lord that I’m still needing to be in a season of rest. That I wasn’t ready to get back into all things suffering. It was at this time that the Lord led me to the story of Mojtaba Hosseini. This Hosseini was mentioned in my devotional. Nicky Gumbel said of him, “He is a young pastor who was imprisoned, aged 20, for running house churches in Iran. He was imprisoned alongside murderers and drug dealers. He spent long periods in solitary confinement, not knowing if or when he would be released. Mojtaba felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to share the good news of Jesus. So when the opportunity arose, he began sharing his testimony and the gospel with the other prisoners, proclaiming, ‘Jesus is alive.’ He said, ‘It doesn’t matter what situation I’m in. I can work in God’s kingdom wherever he places me. And at that time God placed me among the prisoners.'”

Okay, so here’s the thing, cancer support is NOTHING like being imprisoned alongside murderers and drug dealers. It’s nothing like being in solitary confinement. I’m balking at helping women dealing with cancer because I’m tired of seeing people I love suffer.

God planted Hosseini in the ministry He had chosen. It was unfair that he was imprisoned for running house churches. But look at where God had him . . . . he was in a place where he couldn’t be imprisoned again for sharing the Gospel message. In many ways he was safer sharing Jesus in prison than he was outside of prison.

Have you felt the calling to start or be a part of a ministry? Is fear of the unknown or lack of knowledge holding you back like it did me? My cancer support ministry is a very different from Hosseini’s in that many of the women who come understand that it is a biblically based support group. Many are Christ followers but some haven’t been and were able to hear about Jesus. I think of all the people out in the world who don’t know Jesus. They need us to be willing to be the hands of feet of Jesus in any way the Lord is calling us to be.

Something Nicky Gumbel said in today’s devotional that stood out to me, “You will never fully understand the good news of the gospel until you understand why you needed rescuing.” People need to understand why they need rescuing. And the only way that can happen is through us showing them the way to safety. I think of our scripture passage for today in Psalm 78. The verses before verses 52-54 give us an accounting of the rebellion of God’s people and all God did to redeem them (verses 40-51).

Within these verses we see that rebellion is the nature of sin. The people rebelled against God multiple times (verses 40-41). We also see how the consequences of sin grieves God and eventually leads to death (verses 40, 49 & 50). And yet God came to their rescue time and time again (verses 42, 52 & 53). Those of us who know Jesus fully understand why we needed rescuing. It is the reason why we can share the Gospel message with others. Nicky Gumbel said another thing that stood out to me, “Do not waste a single day of the precious life God has given you. Whatever you are called to do, however difficult your circumstances, you can enjoy your calling and complete the task with joy.”

My life will never be free from cancer so why waste a single minute of it not supporting others who are dealing with cancer? As soon as I gave in an inch and started laying out a plan for a new group EVERYTHING fell into place from the name to the scripture passage of said group. Once I did that I reached out to a few trusted friends to ask for prayer for wisdom in what I need to do with this new thought. Little by little the Lord continues to lead me back into cancer support and has even given me a desire to restart a new group. As soon as this desire grew so did the women I knew who needed the support group. I now feel some excitement at getting back to what I know is my calling.

What has God brought into your life that He can use for not only His glory but also to reach out to people who need rescuing?

The Name of Jesus

“For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—¹¹ and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Life, for me, is part amazing and part disheartening. I have a great life surrounded by loved ones and friends. I attend a church that has become like home to me. But I’m still struggling and greatly heavy hearted with what’s going on around the world and in our own country. The other day I was talking with a friend about a situation she was dealing with and the power of the name of Jesus came up. The next morning before I spend time with Jesus I listened to the song, “I Speak Jesus” by Charity Gayle. The lyrics reminded me of the conversation with my friend.

I did a little bit of scripture searching on the name of Jesus and came across the scripture passage in Philippians 2. We see from this passage that the name of Jesus is powerful. God highly exalted Jesus above every name so that nothing, no one, no power or situation surpasses Jesus. He is the focus of our salvation, obedience and worship. His name demands that everyone be in submission to Him and His lordship. This includes leaders, kings, all nations and peoples. It also includes the demonic world (‘under the earth’). No one is able to resist His final supremacy as we will acknowledge His authority.

The chorus to ‘I Speak Jesus’ says:

Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like the fire

His name is powerful to break every stronghold (Psalm 9:9), to shine through the darkest shadows of our trials (John 1:1-4), heals our brokenness (Psalm 34:18), and gives us new life (Romans 6:23).

I want to encourage you with this song if you are in a place of struggling: I Speak Jesus.

Click HERE if you want to know more about Jesus.