Convictions

Broken…

The word of the day…covering so many different things at this point, and yet doing none of them any justice whatsoever.

Senseless…

Speechless…

Breathless…

Ridiculous…

We claim we love our fellow man, but that sometimes depends on the color of his skin or his situation, right?

We claim we love our fellow man, but that depends on his social status and bank account, right?

We claim we love our fellow man, but that depends on whether he agrees with our opinion, right?

We claim we love our fellow man…

But what does that depend on for you? When will we take a stand? Jesus stood with the marginal, he didn’t destroy them, he loved them. To him, there was no Greek and no Jew, no male and no female, no rich or no poor…why?

Because his mission was to come and seek and save that which was lost, not qualify them into groups and claim that one group didn’t qualify based on race, social standing, or wealth. Jesus died so that we didn’t have to, Jesus died so that they didn’t have to, He died to give us a chance for redemption…

So, when did we begin to feel that it was okay for us to take their lives in our hands and lay down judgment for their perceived sins? When did it stop being “Thou shalt not kill,” and become, “But he deserved it.” Did he?

Church, when will we stand for those who Christ stood for? The weak, the wounded, the hungry, the cold, the broken, the outcast…they all have a seat at his table, so why not ours? We have become nothing more than the Pharisees and Sadducees of our day, casting out judgment because someone doesn’t look like the rules we made, while ignoring what the scripture says…

What does the Scripture say?

“Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent and the just, because I will not justify the guilty.” – Exodus 23:7

“Be Holy, for I am Holy.” – Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:16

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” – Colossians 3:12-14

What do we do? We are told we can’t take a stand for the marginal because we will face adversity…so what? Do what is right…do what is just…do what Jesus did, because it is through us loving like he loved that we can turn heads and awaken the souls of man.  His Spirit will do the work if we allow that Spirit control of us. How many more have to die before we finally stand up? How many more will have to face an earthly judge who knew nothing about them but maybe their last 5 minutes?

How can we find courage?

How about from the first church? They faced the adversities of the day, and they kept on, even if it meant their own fall.

It takes courage to stand up against the crowd; unshakable and uncommon courage will be our strength to stand against the masses and declare that we will stand on God’s Word and against injustice.

Jesus said, “This is my command to you, love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than to give one’s live for a friend, you are my friends if you do as I command you.” – John 15:12-14

Acts 18:9 tells us, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” If your convictions as a Christian weigh you down over injustice, then do something. Speak out, do not let it sit within you.  If you are grounded in God’s Word and it rips you apart based on that Word, then say something, because a conviction includes your values, your commitments, and your motivations. If all of those scream injustices, stand up…fill the gap.

Our convictions determine our conduct, and if we are guided by the Holy Spirit, those convictions will cause us to stand and act!

Howard Hendricks said, “A belief is something you will argue about. A conviction is something you will die for!”

Jesus died because of His conviction to right the wrong caused by sin…why are we now so willing to give sin the right-of-way in the world today? His conviction brought salvation while our lack of conviction pushes others away.

It starts with calling a spade a spade…

It starts with calling out the wrongs…the sins…the injustices around us…

It starts with us, because no one else can act on the convictions you have. No one can stand on your convictions, they are yours; and, if guided by the Holy Word of God and Holy Spirit, they are the convictions that we as the Church must stand on as well, and dare i say, maybe even die for.

Do not get this wrong…not just any conviction because of what you heard your neighbor say, but biblical conviction should lead us to right the wrongs if we can. Look to the Word of God for guidance, stand firm on that Word, and, “Do not be afraid. Keep speaking. DO NOT BE SILENT.”

How Should We React?

I’m not sure how to even begin this discussion…

Social issues around us in this world seem to come and at times we just do not know the words to say.

This is one of those times…

Like so many times before…

We are left speechless by the anger and hatred that we see around us. We are disgusted by the arguing and divisiveness of some who feel that they must argue everything that happens around.  We are broken when we see another life taken in what may or may not be a senseless act of violence.  We cry for the families, we cry for justice, we cry for a fix…we simply cry.

There are many reactions to things that happen.  There are many times that Racism, Sexism, and many other isms enter our conversations and break us without warning….so how can we address those in a sensible and humble way? How do we address them and still keep our faith? How do we address them without joining in the arguing, back-biting, and anger?

Look to Jesus…

It is ok for us to start conversations…but is it ok for us to take justice into our own hands?

The simple answer? NO.

When we take justice in our own hands, it leads us into anger, resentment, and ultimately sin. It may not be our place to react violently or aggressively.  In fact, if we do, more often than not we stir up anger and resentment in others which leads to a number of issues that become name-calling and arguing.  The social media danger is that we become brave, and a little thoughtless, behind a keyboard. We think that because we are not face to face with someone that our words and response will not have result other than a back and forth…

“In your anger…do not sin.”

Oh…what are you posting out of anger? Cursing? Demeaning? Slander?

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come from your mouth.”

When we are angry, we lose control at times. Most of those times we justify our statements with statements like, “They started it,” or, “I couldn’t help it, I was just so angry.” Again, anger and frustration are not a license to sin, in fact the instruction is very clear, “In your anger, DO NOT sin.”

How do we overcome this evil with good? We pray.  We allow God to work in the situation and we continue to pray for our enemies.  Pray for those who persecute, you and others. Pray for those who are going through the hard time.

I’m not saying sit back and watch it happen, say something, call authorities, help get someone involved, but justice isn’t ours to serve.

In fact, to take it a step further…what would Jesus do? Well, what Jesus did was take it to the cross.  He died for those who are being mistreated and, believe it or not, for those who are doing the mistreating. It could be your sensible and Christian influence that will allow the Spirit of God into the situation to work on the heart of others. God can do so much where we feel helpless, but it starts with you bringing Him into the circumstance.

We can see God move in a mighty way, but the first step is to react in a right manner and not cause more struggle because of our ungodly behavior.  Please think about it.  Please pray about it.  Please love one another as Christ has loved you.

Pray Without Ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.”

These words are amazing…and the idea is much more difficult than it may sound.  How do we pray without ceasing?

Life happens…it’s hard sometimes. That is understandable, and life sometimes seems to get in the way of our prayers.  We find ourselves too busy to slow down and pray…

So, how do we find the time, especially in a difficult time like this?

For some, time may have been given to them due to circumstances surrounding them; for others, time has been taken away by a busier schedule than expected. But are we using the time we have wisely?

Prayer is our lifeline to God.  Prayer is our way of communicating with the Creator.  Prayer is our way of making our needs known (not that God needs that, but he needs us to understand them before we can receive them).

So how do we find time? Make it your life.  Not just part of it.  Make it all of it.  Praying without ceasing seems to lead to the idea that the line of communication is open continuously.  There is not a need for us to feel we have slighted God because we have been in constant contact with Him. Begin your day by greeting Him, take the conversation into the shower, the drive to work, and even into the office. Continue talking with Him over lunch, through the afternoon, and the drive home.  Continually talk with the One who knows you better than anyone else.

This will ensure that your line of communication is not lost somewhere in translation. God wants to hear from you, this is why He opened the line 24/7. This is why we are instructed to pray without ceasing.  Continuous prayer will ensure that we are doing what we can to follow the path that He is setting before us, because our minds will be continuously on Him.  We will be seeking for His answer and searching for His truth.

Life can be about prayer, as well as other things, it doesn’t have to be a show, but try it for a time and see if it doesn’t help your focus to become more intent on the One who can deliver you from the struggles of this life. Pray Continually. Don’t let the world drag you down, continue to pray to the One who holds the world in His hands.

I do hope that we can all settle down during this time and find rest in knowing that the Creator of the world loves to hear from His children. That we as His own can be in constant contact with the One who knows us intimately; and that we can cast our cares upon Him, because He truly cares.

Don’t let things drag you down…open that line of communication with Him and pour out your heart. There is blessing in getting to know the One who holds tomorrow in His hands.  There is peace in getting to know the Father who will never leave or forsake His children.  There is hope in knowing that we are always just a prayer away.

What is so GOOD about Friday?

Is Good Friday really that “Good”?

I have been asked this question many times, and many times I can go into a number of different conversations as to how good, or bad, this day may be.  With it coming up this year, it has gotten me thinking, along with everything else that is going on around us…what is so good about Friday?

Initially, let’s look at it this way…

What is Good Friday? Good Friday is typically the Friday prior to Easter, celebrated around the time of the Passover.  It is commonly celebrated as the observance of the day that Christ was crucified.  But why is it called good?

Initially there is a conversation that in ancient circles it was called “God’s Friday” and over time was corrupted to be “Good Friday”. While that may have some factual basis, we can ask the question, “What is so good about Good Friday?”

Many argue and say that it could be called “Bad Friday” or something of the like, but I would encourage you to think about the meaning of what we celebrate. This was a day that God showed His great love for mankind…the day that God saved the world through the blood of Christ.

What is so good about Friday?

Well given that the suffering and death of Christ may be difficult to view as good; his suffering involving beaten, scourged, mocked, whipped, and eventually killed by crucifixion…how can it be good?

The results of the death of Jesus can be good…even great! Think about what Paul wrote to the Roman Church, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Peter also puts it this way in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

What is so good about Friday?

Friday was a necessary part of the plan to save the world.  The day that Christ’s own words in John 3 became truth in that, “The Son of Man must be lifted up so that all who look on him may be saved.” (John 3:14-15). Today, I ask you…what is so good about Friday?

Is Friday good for you? Are you saved by the blood of Christ? As we approach this Easter season, please remember that Christ died so that we could have life…and not only that, have it abundantly!

God Bless, and Happy Resurrection Day!

Why is this so Difficult?

Something to think about: Why is it that we are having such a tough time right now?

For every one who thinks this is a small thing of worry, there is another who is worrying that exposure to the wrong person could be fatal.

For everyone who believes that everything will be ok, there is another who is worried about where their next meal will come from.

For every one that is not taking serious the warnings that are being made, there is another who is anxious and scared for what tomorrow will hold.

The toughest thing in all of this is that the seriousness of the situation depends on the perspective that each of us have. We have different views, different agendas, different worries, and different explanations of everything that is taking place.

What is so hard about this? It is in times like this that it becomes so hard to see past our own perspective to see just how difficult this may be on someone else. In some cases, because we are selfish and we only worry about how it affects us. In other cases, because we do not know the perspective someone else may have.

This is why it is so important for us to stop and think about what we are putting out there for others to see. What brings knowledge and understanding to one is also the cause of fear in another. What we intend to be helpful in hopefully understanding the circumstance better may cause more confusion for another.

This is also why we must be careful in our attitudes toward differing opinions. There are so many differing sources out there today that we can all come up with a good argument for our opinion, but that doesn’t mean that any of those is correct or incorrect.

It means that we must remember that for each one who has no worry about how this will play out, there is another worried about every little moment that goes by because of their elderly parent, their auto-immune compromised family members, or their own health issues.

We are all watching the situation from our own uniquely placed seat…which means we all have a different view of the action. I encourage each of us to take a step back and rather than spend time arguing about the situation…pray for a solution.

Pray for the single mother with two kids who is worried where the next meal might come from.

Pray for the man who has a 78 year old father with COPD who could find himself on death’s doorstep if this virus were to compromise his already broken body.

Pray for the child who wishes to be at school because it was the only normal they had.

Pray for the lonely, the broken, the compromised, and the weak; pray for the strong, the proud, the worrier, and the warrior.

We are all in this together, no matter the perspective, and we will all get through this together. We just have to be careful not to destroy those who are fighting beside us in this battle.

Pray for one another ….
Respect one another ….
Love one another ….

“This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand…Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” – Ephesians 6:13, 18

If My People…

Social Media has become the new normal…for most everyone.  Churches are now broadcasting their services online in the wake of the situation we are facing…and as social media begins to become ever more important, so does the need for us as Christ followers to be the example. But how?

One post I have seen making its way around over the past few weeks has been is a small section of scripture in 2 Chronicles 7…and what caught my attention is the hope that we can have in this account of God’s conversation and promise to Solomon. It begins in v. 12:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a temple of sacrifice. If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

We all know this from how it typically gets shared on our social media and in our conversations, however, with a few of the words missing…

“If my people, who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, then will I hear from Heaven and heal their land.”

Just doesn’t fit the same…sure the promise of the second version seems to sound a whole lot better for us as individuals…no sacrifice…but please hear me during this time of great uncertainty in the world…we must recognize that we need to take this whole section to heart at this time.  The comparisons to this present year are uncanny….”If I close the sky so there is no rain” … Australian Wildfires; “If I command the grasshopper (or commonly Locust) to consume the Land” … African Locust Infestation; and finally, “If I send pestilence on My people” … COVID-19 …

Is this talking about these exact events? I do not believe it is exactly, but given the similarities and the knowledge we have that History repeats itself…we can rest in knowing the next verse can apply to us as God’s people. However, it must be as a whole…not partial…

If My People, who are called by My name … US

Will Humble themselves and pray … drop the dividing lines and pride and be unified in prayer

SEEK MY FACE – Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God – Matthew 6:33

AND (not or, or maybe, etc) TURN from their WICKED Ways! – REPENT OF SIN

THEN – this is the key word…meaning all of this must happen before the next phase can be accomplished…

Will I hear from heaven and FORGIVE THEIR SINS and Heal their land….Forgiveness must come before the healing!

See how this works? TOGETHER…

There is not one part of this statement from God that can work alone in the lives of His children…we must SEEK Him for Repentance; we must REPENT to be forgiven; and the FORGIVEN find His HEALING in their lives. Why? Because there are no hindrances to the Grace and Mercy he can offer. They’ve been removed by dropping our pride in HUMILITY and repenting of our sins…we can get through this together…

We just need to pray! (oh…and take some time to ourselves)

Trusting God Through the Pain

Trusting God…

Much easier said than done, and I for one don’t do it near as much as I should…He has never let me down, never gone back on His word, NEVER given me anything that would harm me, and to beat it all…He sent his son to this world, to live the same life that we live (only perfectly), and then-and here’s the kicker-to take the sin, ALL OF IT, on His own shoulders and bear it to the most unbearable end that anyone could ever think of…all of this so that you and I could spend eternity with HIM!!!!

Who is this God?? He is the Creator of all, the true Master of the Universe!! Who is this Man??  He is Jesus, the savior of the world, the one-and-only Son of the almighty God, and the only one who could pay the debt that we have amassed through our sin…SO, knowing this…why is it so hard to trust in Him?  Why do we find it so painful to give up things for the furthering of His kingdom?

I feel that the answer lies within our hearts…where we hold on to the things of this world so tightly beacuse they are the comforts of life, the things we’ve come to know and love, the things that we believe in because we see them.  It is much easier for us to put trust in the things we can see and touch, rather than to trust in the unseen.  It hurts because we don’t like to lose the things that we hold dear, but sometimes that is what we are called to do…to step out on faith, out of the comforts of life, and through the open door placed before us where the only thing we have left for us is to trust in God to get us through.

We do this by seeking His face, striving to stay in His will, and pushing ourselves to let God make us what he wants us to be…so the challenge is before us…before me, and before you.  Are you willing to let God make you the best you that you can be?

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Eating Crow

If you’ve ever heard or used the term “Eat Crow” then you likely know where this is going, but it may not be exactly what you’re thinking…

That being said, I must first start off giving an apology to any, and every, one that I have ever offended by spouting off out of frustration before allowing God to form my thoughts into encouraging and worthwhile statements; meaning, I realize, and have come to realize that I have said a number of things that have caused regret in my life; saying things I have heard or reacting before giving myself time to even assess a situation, or if I have said something that wasn’t intended the way it was taken,  I am quite sorry.

This apology is extended to anyone who I have caused any type of heartache and difficulty to…no matter what it is or why…I ask for your forgiveness…

I say this, because for us to move forward in life we must find redemption…and over the past few weeks I have come to realize a need for myself to self-evaluate and truly examine the heart of the issue…my heart in the issue.

That being said…I also realize that we need not beat ourselves up over things that we realize were mistakes once the moment is passed…and believe me…we have all done this…we have all eaten crow at some point in our lives.

We are not unlike some of the closest to Jesus, however; just look at the story of Peter…How much Crow did he have to eat after telling Jesus that he would not deny him?

Take a lesson from Peter, or Paul…Or maybe look at Job, David, Noah, Adam and Eve…in fact, many of the Biblical accounts of those who we consider saints of the Scripture made mistakes, but it was through those mistakes that God developed them into who they became.

It is with this in mind that I have been thinking and praying on three verses out of the book of Ephesians:

“Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3, CSB)”

We must bear burdens, not cause them.  We must take account in our own lives for our own actions.  Live worthy of the calling you have received…or, as the KJV puts it, the vocation to which you are called. The only way we can move forward in life is with a unity of the Spirit, bonded in peace…let’s face it….Crow really doesn’t taste that good, so what do you say we remove it from our diets?

Distracted Living

Let’s face it…almost all of us have a cell phone.

Lately I have been noticing something more and more in my own life, and honestly, I have seen evidence of it around also…that is the increased usage of cell phones, more specifically, smart phones.  They’re all the rage…they’re in just about everyone’s hands from 10 to 90, and the reality of it is that it has our attention.

Many of us (myself included) feel lost without our phone attached to us in some way…we almost can’t function without our phone.  We spend more than 4 hours a day focused on that small screen looking up news, texting, calling, browsing social media, and more.  A recent study showed that the average American adult uses the cell phone 4-5 hours a day and sends and receives around 1,000 text messages daily…

Where this really started to hit home for me is that I have realized that my phone usage has begun to be such a part of my daily routine that even my prayer life has taken a hit because of this modern marvel.  This began to bother me, because Prayer should be something that we are focused continually on.  In fact, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul tells us that God’s will for us in Jesus is to, “Rejoice always, Pray continually, and be thankful in all circumstances.”

When we begin replacing these things, they begin to suffer…we begin to allow these things to take a back seat to posting that new Facebook status or Instagram post. No matter how many times we post something and say, “#Blessed” or “#Thankful”, it isn’t the same.  We must rejoice always and be in constant conversation with God…that is His will for us in Christ.

It also tells us to be thankful IN, not for, all circumstances…that means we may be going through a difficult time, but that isn’t time for us to take it to Facebook and let everyone know how awful our neighbor is or how bad we have it…it is a time to hit our knees and pray, being grateful and rejoicing that God has given us an opportunity to see Him work in our lives.

Let’s drop the distracted living, put down our phones, and turn to Christ.  If we want to see things improve in this world, we must take steps to remove the distractions that take our focus off of Him and allow Him to lead us….it’s hard to see where He is leading you with your head down in your phone.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life…no one comes to the Father except by me.” – Jesus (John 14:6)

Biblical Answers: Anger

Let’s face it – Anger seems to be a part of our everyday lives…

There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t find ourselves facing at least one moment in which we have the choice before us to become angry, or at least frustrated with a circumstance or situation. Can we honestly say that we have never been angry?

I think that each of us would be lying if we were to say that we have never been angry at some point, in fact, I would venture to say that we have all had a moment in which we acted out of anger and left ourselves hurting and embarrassed about how we maybe even handled the situation; but that being said, I want to explore this by first asking the simple question: “Is anger a sin?”

Short answer is NO.  A better answer would be to go to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Be Angry, and do not sin: Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. (4:26-27, NKJV)”

In essence Paul is saying, it isn’t a sin to be angry…go ahead and get angry, it is what you do with your anger that becomes the sin, so do not sin in anger.

Anger happens, situations don’t always go to your liking, but it doesn’t mean that you have to react in a sinful way to the anger you feel.  Jesus himself got angry, he entered the temple and witnessed the thieves that were taking advantage of the worshipers…but he did not sin in his anger, he did react, and corrected them with his words and actions.

This is a lesson for us; does it mean that we should flip the tables? In some senses, yes, we have to flip the tables on evil and rebuke the spirit that causes our anger, but we do not have to fight sin with sin.  Paul continues in the statement to say that we should not let the sun go down on anger, do not let it fester within you…release it before the day is over because the longer you hold on to something the harder it is to avoid sinning in the process.

“But how can I not continue thinking about it when I’ve been wronged?”

Well, that is a good question, but the better question I have is this, “Why would you not want to let it go?” When we sit and allow our anger to fester within us, we are giving place to the devil to plant temptations in our hearts…plotting revenge because we feel that we have to respond in a way that is worthy of the hurt we feel.

The quickest way to avoid sinning in your anger is to control your feelings and avoid anger if you can – Proverbs 16:32 says to us, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” If we can control our anger and avoid the desire for revenge, we will find ourselves in a better mindset and releasing the feelings of anger before they become an issue.  The quicker we can say NO to the feelings of anger, the happier and more content we will feel.

Do not sin in anger. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Do not give Satan a foothold.