Happy Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's Day. A few voices raise their objections to the celebration of fathers, claiming that it only perpetuates harmful traditions that turn men into tyrants and forces them to be emotionally repressed in a role as breadwinner and protector. To that I say, “really?” with some scorn.
Dads need to celebrated. Sure, there are men who do not do a good job of nurturing their families. There are a few who abuse their place and misuse their influence. But millions are doing their best to fill a unique place in their family. I was blessed with a good father and Father's Day is happy occasion for me—a day filled with pleasant memories and grateful tributes to the man who was not perfect but was and remains a powerful shaper of my life and values.

God included this command among the Ten Commandments: "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, NLT)

Being a Dad is not a job for cowards, is it? It's hard to know when to be firm and when to be tender, when to put your arms around your child and when to apply discipline. It's difficult to know when to give directions and when to step back and let them learn on their own.

We begin the journey of fatherhood staring at the evidence of pregnancy in our wife and we wonder what in the world we've gotten ourselves into and what new challenges we face. Then in a moment when that tiny bit of humanity is placed in our arms, we are overwhelmed with love. How clearly do I remember that moment on February 10, 1977, when my first son was handed to me in a hospital room and I wept- tears that spoke of the love I felt and the terror of a whole new role in adulthood! A life depended on ME!

When that first day of school rolls around and they climb onto the school bus we suddenly realize that someday this child we love will leave us behind. By seventh grade, stormy moments make us think that tomorrow will not be too soon!

The teenage years are amazing for fathers who stay engaged. Herding cats comes to mind. Despite our best efforts, our kids often do what they want, sometimes rebelling simply because they can. Many dads spend those years wondering where they went wrong.

Then come the big decisions—college, career, marriage, and buying that first car. We feel pride, mixed with fear, because we know disappointment is inevitable. We don't want our grown children—the ones we still think of as "our kids"—to feel the same hurt we all know, yet we also realize that they will and they must if they are to grow in fully productive adults.

Here's one thing I've learned about fatherhood, for whatever it's worth:

Your child—whether four, fourteen, or twenty-four—doesn't need a man who knows it all or who is flawless. They don't need someone issuing decrees from some lofty throne of authority. That child – be she 4, 14, 24, or 44 - needs a coach—someone watching carefully over her, who prays for her, and helps to develop character, faith, and wisdom.

Dads who have an inflated sense of their own importance, who demand subservience, are fools! They bark out orders and demand things from their children that they themselves refuse to do.

They say foolish things like, "Who taught you to talk like that?" while cursing like a sailor in the garage when things go wrong.

They tell their son, "Go to church with your mother. It's important," and take off for another weekend at hunting camp.

They emotionally disengage from their children because "their Mom takes care of that stuff," and then wonder "Why doesn't he talk with me?"

Life Coach dads take up the hard work of showing the way.  They say, without pride, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Life Coach dads understand that values are more often caught than taught. They don't compartmentalize their faith. They allow their children to see not only their successes, but also their failures. They admit when they don't have all the answers. They demonstrate that they need mentors and that they need God. They show their children that doing what honors God is sometimes costly—but always right.

Life Coach dads model grace by practicing it. They are confessing their sins to God and admit their mistakes to their children. They love even when it is undeserved because they know their own need of God’s forgiveness and grace.

Life Coach dads teach generosity of spirit by giving themselves, their time, and their resources to others and to the Lord. They do not hold grudges, refuse to seek first place, and quickly forgive as they know they are forgiven.

Just about anyone can become a biological father. It takes courage, endurance, wisdom, and the daily help of the Holy Spirit to become a real Dad.

I am now in the stage of life where I stand aside, an occasional advisor to my own children whose successes have exceeded my own!  I did not do it all exactly right in years past, but by the grace of God they arrived at adulthood intact and now are productive members of their own communities. All in all, I breathe a prayer of gratitude – “Thank You, Lord, for being faithful to me, to them.”

A word from the Word says – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6) And from Hebrews –  “Our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (12)

Happy Father's Day.

Stay hopeful!

A long conversation with a friend yesterday circled around a much misused and misunderstood core doctrine of Christianity – the Second Coming of Christ. When I was a child hearing of Jesus’ return was not so much a source of hope, but a reason for fear. What I heard was “you better be ready or you will get left behind.”  In that era, many Bible-believing Christians chose to retreat from ‘the world’ into their own isolated communities as they prepared for a Great Tribulation.

The book, The Late Great Planet Earth (Hal Lindsey), as well as the apocalyptic writing of a man named Salem Kirban fueled feverish visions of the judgment to come when Christians were caught up in the Rapture to be with Christ.

The tragedy for me at least was that when the hype faded and the fever cooled what should have been a doctrine of great hope was ignored and marginalized. The speculation of teachers mixed with the truth of Scripture diluted a key truth into a mere curiosity.

In the letter of 1 Thessalonians Paul urges us to take hope from the promise inspired make a difference here on earth for God's sake even as we are steadied by the sure promise of our King’s return! The Blessed Hope of Christ’s ‘Kingdom Come’ will infuse us with courage and gives us reason to serve and love in Christ's name through dark times and great difficulties. Why?

Because we know that even death itself cannot steal our reward. Our destiny is not a grave. Even if our voice falls silent here on this earth in death, we will shout with the saints when we are gathered 'round the Throne of God! Each chapter of 1 Thessalonians closes with a reference to the promise of Christ's return.

The apostle tells us to stay hopeful because our Lord has not left us to fate. He is working out His will in us, building His kingdom through us, and will come for us in the moment chosen in the will of God, the Father. Paul does not see the return of Christ as a reason for fear or dread at all! He takes great hope from that promise. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, NLT)

Who among us has not felt a sense of despair at one time or another, when our lives seem to be without purpose, a random mix of good and bad days, victories and defeats?  We experience sorrow when we or a family member is laid low by disease, or when divorce destroys a marriage, or when economic security disappears because of circumstances beyond our control.

Sometimes the darkness is inside of us - a recurring depression, a sinful habit that threatens to overwhelm us, or fear of some undefined nature.

Paul reminds us multiple times in that letter of both the certainty of God’s justice and our own salvation.
1.  We “wait for His Son from Heaven… who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1.10)
2. “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes?” (2.19)
3. “May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” (3.13)
4. “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep (died) in Him.” (4.14)
5. “You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” (5.2)

Paul encouraged those first century Believers as well as you and me by assuring us that our Lord has not left us to fate. He is working out His will in us, building His kingdom through us, and will come for us in the moment chosen in the will of God, the Father. Paul does not see the return of Christ as a reason for fear or dread at all! He takes great hope from that promise.

Christian friend don’t let foolish speculation, complex prophecy charts, or even the long delay of the Promise to rob you of your hope - a hope based not on wealth, health, or sunny days- but rather on the coming Kingdom of God.

Pray for wisdom in dealing with the challenges, for restored perspective on current events, for the power of the Spirit to overcome the Enemy, and for faith to remain faithful!

The word from the Word is a call to faith. Hear it. Live it. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3)

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Are You Afraid of Questions?

Would you be shocked if I told you that there are days when I question the goodness of God? Most of the time I live contently and with faith. From my childhood my day-to-day existence has been formed around the basic assumptions that there is a God Whom I can trust, Who is active in the world and to Whom my prayers are addressed with real expectation that He loves and cares for me.

Moments come when, for reasons I do not fully understand, that faith comes under assault, when I wonder if God is cruel or loving, if He is involved or aloof, if He is ready to save or destroy. In those moments, I call to mind the fact that perspective matters! Look at the ground, you see rocks. Lift your eyes, you see mountains! If I take only the short-term view, seeing God through the lens of the moment’s trouble or disappointment, I might conclude that He cannot be trusted. If I look at life over the long-term, if I consider the testimony of the saints of the ages, faith grows.

There is an ancient story in the Scripture from the life of Elisha. The elite soldiers of Israel’s enemy were chasing the prophet and his servant. Finally, they were surrounded in a little village named Dothan. When Elisha’s servant went out in the morning and realized they were trapped he panicked. Elisha ‘saw’ the situation differently. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6)

That story helps me to understand that I too am surrounded by the goodness of God, that despite situations that seem overwhelming or that invite me to fear, a change of perspective will bring new faith. I am not speaking of wishful thinking or escapism into an alternate reality created in my own mind. We should pray, as Paul does, for the Spirit’s work, that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1)

IF we judge God by the limited wisdom of the human mind we are exercising an awful arrogance. That does not mean that we will never question, nor does it mean that we will find every bump in life’s road smoothed away. In my 70 years, I have endured seasons of loss, of disappointment, of failure. There are things in my life for which I have no present explanation. I could accuse God of being uncaring or forgetful – except for the Truth that the eternal Word reveals to me.

So, even when I weep, I pray for eyes that see beyond the moment, that I will live in the ‘knowledge of God’s will’ so that my life will be worthy of the Lord, full of spiritual fruit of holy and good behavior. In the same letter of Ephesians Paul prays that Christians “may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3)  

When faith allows me to take hold of God’s love in a way that is beyond human reason, there is a visible result in life – I will overflow with God’s ‘fullness,’ living in a supernaturally charged way that is incomprehensible to those without the Holy Spirit living in them.

Are you accusing God of forgetting you, mistreating you, or of being unfair? Pray for a change of point of view, asking to see all the way to Heaven! God is not afraid of your questions so go ahead and ask them, but not with bitterness, nor in angry. Come to Him as a broken-hearted child takes the sorrow of life to a loving Dad. Rest in Him, realizing that some things are simply beyond our understanding in this moment but that He is a good, good Father.

Here’s the word from the Word. As you read it, give thanks that the Spirit calls you
from darkness to Light,
from mere religion to eternal glory, and
then with a perspective of eternity guiding your thoughts learn to live like a King’s kid today.

"This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone… to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing.

The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less."
(Colossians 1:26-30, The Message)

Amen!

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I’m right, you’re wrong!

The smug smile on the well-known Christian leader’s face made me angry. Without a hint of humility, he proclaimed his superior understanding of the Bible, dismissing all who thought differently from himself as ‘ignorant’ and ‘incapable of true study.’ 

Arrogance is a deadly sin and can creep up on any one of us. The moment we stop trusting the grace of God shown in Christ and begin to compare ourselves to others, measuring our ‘holiness’ against theirs, evil gains a hold in us. If we start to think that our knowledge is without error, that we have gained a kind of perfection, or that we enjoy some special status with God a stinking thing called ‘spiritual pride’ begins to grow!

Hubris is a point of vulnerability in many Christian lives. What’s hubris?

It is “excessive pride or self-confidence, arrogance.”  We want to believe the wonderful things about ourselves that others say. A great compliment is encouraging. Many of us are tempted by the same sin that plagued the Pharisee who saw the sinner standing to one side of the Temple and ‘prayed’ – “I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.”

Spiritual growth and victories should be celebrated, but only with thanksgiving to God. Paul bluntly warned the proud Believers in Corinth that they were in danger – “if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! “(2 Corinthians 10) This is a word worthy of our attention.

None of us has completely mastered sin or managed every challenge in life well. We all have blind spots, broken places, and unfinished business in life. Arrogance will blind us to our brokenness. Nothing has cost me more regret than becoming too confident in my own wisdom and failing to listen – to the Spirit of God and the wisdom of counselors!

The story of Rehoboam, son of King Solomon, who came to the throne from a prince’s privileged life is a lesson to us. Everybody admired him, told him he was wonderful- and he believed it! After his coronation, the citizens of Israel asked for relief from taxation. Solomon’s expansion of the kingdom was costly.

Knowing the young king did not have the affection of the people that his father enjoyed, older counselors told him to listen to the people "but he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he’d grown up with who were now currying his favor." (1 Kings 12:8) Stupidly he told the people “If you think life under my father was hard, you haven’t seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I’ll beat you bloody with chains!”  (1 Kings 12:14) A short time later the nation divided, with the northern half rebelling and appointing their own king!

Success carries danger spiritual danger than a string of failures. When we win plenty of people will remind us of our amazing talents. Governments, corporations, and even churches falter when those leading them start to believe in their own ‘exceptionalism.’

Yes, we should study to understand. We should apply ourselves to know the Word and will of God, but the moment we trust our own wisdom, we lose touch with the revelation of the Spirit!

Yes, we can and should rejoice when we do well, when our lives enjoy the fruits of our efforts, however, we should acknowledge grace and God’s gifts. "Whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. … yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace." (1 Corinthians 15:10, NLT) 

There is a choice to be made, Peter says. The bold fisherman turned apostle had stumbled over his excessive self-confidence in his early life. From those experiences he advises us to “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV) 

Paul asks us to remember God’s grace, too. “Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). A key principle should guide us. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)

Are you walking pridefully, judging others lesser, believing in your own wisdom, filled with self-righteousness?

Go to Christ Jesus, who though Lord of Glory, choose the way of a Servant. Confess the sin of pride and be renewed in grace. True humility will make Him shine brighter through your life and will ultimately make you a much happier person.

Here’s a word from the Word. “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4, NIV)

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Your Love Broke Through!

Yesterday a friend showed me a vacation picture of a couple in Paris with iconic Eiffel Tower in the background. “Nice,” I said admiring the scene. She laughed and said – “It’s not real! It’s AI.”  

AI (artificial intelligence) is a mixed blessing that helps us write better, creates graphics for those of us without artistic skill, analyzes vast amounts of data for us in the blink of an eye, and so much more. AI can also dupe us, tricking us with fake images, false stories, and wrong conclusions.

Sorting out truth from falsehood is a problem as old as Eden. How easily you and I can be misled, wandering down the wrong road, chasing mirages. The Genesis story tells us about God’s directive to Adam. “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”  (Genesis 2) 

What happens next is tragic and world changing. The Serpent shows up with a whispered invitation based on a lie. “One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”  He twisted God’s directive, suggesting that they could not eat of any tree. Eve quickly corrects the Serpent - “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.  “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

Then he lies, inviting her to question God’s goodness. “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”  (Genesis 3)

That same lie has plagued humanity from that moment to now.
God points us to the good, the life-giving, the abundant life of love, joy, and peace discovered in obedience and faith, through Christ Jesus.
Evil whispers in our ears that He is keeping us from the best, hindering our happiness, that He is a tyrant Who does not care, or Who does not really understand us. IF we listen, we risk the same fate as the First Parents who found themselves ejected from the Garden and alienated from their Father/Creator.

An early Christian artist, Keith Green, penned lyrics that echo in my mind 50 years after first hearing them -
Like a foolish dreamer,
 trying to build a highway to the sky.
All my hopes would come tumbling down,
and I never knew just why.
Until today, when You pulled away the clouds
That hung like curtains on my eyes!
Well, I've been blind -
All these wasted years - and I thought I was so wise
But, then You took me by surprise.

Like waking up from the longest dream
How real it seemed,
Until Your love broke through.
I've been lost in a fantasy
That blinded me
Until Your love broke through!  (Copyright 1977 Keith Green)

Are you struggling to separate truth from error, delusion from reality? Are you at risk of losing sight of God’s best for you, substituting momentary happiness for real fulfillment?

You are not the first, nor will you be the last to be tempted! Evil finds the cracks in each one of us; unrealized hopes, rejection, pride, just wanting to be loved, a wish to be ‘known,’ some need unmet because our choices or those of another …  It’s a long list!

It is important that we refuse to hide in shame or guilt. When we find the shadows of excuses, we make ourselves even more vulnerable to the darkness. The basic Truth is this – God loves us and is reaching for us.

“Even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”  So, we look up, honest in our confession of both failure and hope and reach for Him. The Word says that “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”  (1 John 1)

There is no limit to His forgiveness, dear friend. By faith accept the invitation of Christ to ‘come home’ to the life He has prepared for you.

I love the story of the Lost Son and the Waiting Father that Jesus told to illustrate the great need and amazing love that meets us at that point of need. Luke 15 records the story of that son who took his inheritance, ran off to live wildly, and finally found himself broke, alone, and hopeless. He concocted a story about just wanting to live as a hired hand on Dad’s farm and started for home.

“And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So, the party began.”

Don’t be taken in by the lies of the Destroyer of lives.
Trust the Grace of God, shown to us in Christ Jesus.
Walk with God in worship, in regular times of meditation and prayer.
Associate with others who desire His love.
Quickly respond when the Spirit of God convicts you of error.

Here is a word from the Word, one rich in hope and promise. I pray for us that we will know the love of which it speaks, kept from temptation and led to life eternal.

“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. … When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”  (Ephesians 3)

Will you say “Amen?”

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“Son of Sam” will go to Heaven?

A man named David Berkowitz terrorized New York City 50 years ago, killing six people in a murderous rampage that lasted a year before he was arrested. This week the man nicknamed “Son of Sam” outraged many with a proclamation that he fully expects to go to Heaven when he dies. 

Berkowitz said, “I’m already free. Jesus, who is my Lord and Messiah, has already set me free from the power of sin and Satan.”

A man who survived after being shot by Berkowitz met the bold assertion of eternal life with angry words, including some a little too crude for this blog. He opined - “I sincerely doubt he is going to heaven. He is lucky he is not already in hell.”  https://nypost.com/2026/05/21/us-news/son-of-sam-killer-david-berkowitz-predicts-hell-go-to-heaven/

The scandal of God’s amazing grace is that even the worst of the worst are never beyond redemption no matter how offensive it may seem to our sense of justice. I can empathize with the man who suffered terribly, and, at the same time, I am grateful for the sacrifice of the Savior that reaches to the lowest and includes me!

In Matthew’s Gospel we learn the stories of the men that Jesus chose to follow Him. They were invited to be with Him, to learn His ways, and to hear His words. In just 3 years He would send them with the Good News to the ends of the earth.

Who was worthy of the calling? Who did He choose?
It was not the religious, the outwardly pure, or the society elites. He did not pick those who were well-connected or who held positions of influence. He chose ordinary men, even some that society considered outcasts! One of them was a person despised by general society. His name? Matthew!

"As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-14, NIV)

Matthew was labeled by the town because he cooperated with the occupation army of Romans as a tax collector. Many who held those positions were also crooks who enriched themselves from their fellow Jews. Shunned for their work, tax collectors avoided the synagogue which was the center of Jewish life. Thus, they were also labeled, ‘sinners.’ Jesus saw past the job title and the social label into the heart of the man and there he saw a hunger for God. And He called him – “Follow me!”

It was scandalous. How could the Rabbi, a teacher about the things of God, invite a person so compromised in character to become His friend and associate?

Those who were thought to be closest to God because of their scrupulous observance of the Law of Moses were confounded. “Why does your Teacher eat with these ‘low-lifes,’ these nobodies, these people who are not worthy of our God?”   Jesus overheard the conversation and defined His mission for them.

He was the Advocate of the Broken,
the Healer of the spiritual sick,
the Giver of mercy to those who had failed.
And He still is.

Jesus never told ‘sinners’ to keep on living the same way they were when He found them. He accepted people and led them to change and transformation. Oh, how I pray He would give Christians today the sensitive and loving ability to do the same.

We tend to fail at one extreme or the others. Either we determine that only the ‘select’ are good enough for God and our fellowship, our spiritual pride making us ugly and exclusive; or we make grace cheap and we are unable to ‘speak the truth in love’ and thus, to invite people to become like Jesus, to wrestle with those parts of life that need to be restored to the will of their Father.

The inarguable fact is this - Nobody is beyond the reach of God’s grace, not even a man like David Berkowitz. Everybody can be transformed by the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

He loved me and is changing me, day by day, into Christ’s likeness. How about you?

Have you been told you were the wrong … gender, color, age … not smart enough … too scarred by your past … to be included in God’s love, to be invited into His Kingdom? Those are lies. Reject them and listen to the Spirit of God who says, “You are invited.” 

Respond with faith and God will put you on His team, equipping you for spiritual service, preparing you for an awards banquet where He will overlook nothing, forget no one.

When you experience God’s grace, accept His great love, and find a place in His family let your life become one marked by love that is scandalous, that reaches to all, that is willing to forgive others.

Here is a word from the Word. I pray it will remind all of us to open the doors to Christ to ALL. Regardless of your pedigree, your performance, or your pride soak your mind in the Truth declared here that is beyond amazing.

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world…^. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) …  God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  (Ephesians 2 NLT)

Isn’t that just amazing?

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Do you have ‘good guts?’

Sometimes this old man sheds real tears while watching the news. I hurt for refugees living with nothing and little hope. I ache for woman treated like possessions. I truly feel for the person who makes an awful mistake in the moment and faces a lifetime of consequences. Last week, I pulled up to a city intersection about 9 pm and there in the cold rain stood a once pretty younger woman who face showed the results of long-term addiction. Her ragged clothes were mute evidence of poverty. She held a sign that said “Homeless. Any amount appreciated.” Not wanting to take the chance of feeding an addiction I drove on, but her face haunted me the rest of the evening.

Then, sometimes I just want to turn it all off when something real called compassion fatigue sets in! When any person is repeatedly exposed to suffering people, there is a built-in defense mechanism that kicks in. Compassion fatigue can cause a person's heart to become hard as a stone! We see an awful lot of human need and suffering, don't we?  

It’s simple to blame the victim. The other night the easy answer would have been to just dismiss the young woman with a label – addict- and made her an object rather than seeing a broken human being whose life experience I know absolutely nothing.

If we develop a hard heart and choose to throw the problem back onto those in pain or need, thinking things like -
"That's their problem, not mine!"
"What do you expect me to do about it?"
"They made their bed; guess they'll have to sleep in it."
"Fools!"
then, we don’t have to care.

We're all subject to compassion fatigue!
When busy days pile one on top of another; when deadlines line up; when there are demands to meet the expectations of others - we might find ourselves saying, "Oh no, not another person with a problem."

If that's where you are emotionally, won't you join me in prayer asking the Father for a heart that beats with His love, a tender heart? The Lord promises those who are hardened by sin: "I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart!" (Ezekiel 11:19, NLT)

My prayer this morning is for a tender heart! In several passages of the New Testament, disciples are urged to be 'tender-hearted' towards others. Ephesians 4:32 says "Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."  Peter teaches us that "All of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds." (1 Peter 3:8)

In this gentleness towards those in need, we are like our Heavenly Father "because he is full of tenderness and mercy!" (James 5:11)

I thought you might like a little insight on 'tender hearted' or 'pitiful' - the word in the King James Version. It means 'good bowels!' Gross, right? Not really. Those who lived in ancient times believed that emotions were centered in the abdominal cavity, the heart, the liver, and the intestines! They, like us, experienced fear, joy, love and felt those things physically - pounding heart, nausea, etc.!  We get ‘butterflies in our stomach’ when we are excited. Extreme fear can make us nauseous. Passionate love can make us tremble and sweat.

So, the ancients concluded that their gut was the center of emotion and they spoke of tender emotions using the word "eusplagchnos," (NT Greek) meaning in a literal translation- ‘good bowels!' And to be sure, they were not talking about poop!

Let the lesson take hold of you and pray for restoration of 'good guts!'
Will you allow God to restore your emotions?
Will you allow yourself to feel the sorrow of those who mourn, to share the joy the of those who rejoice?

When we are gentle and kind, moved by the suffering of others, we are like our Lord Jesus. Jesus is often described at deeply tenderhearted. We read that He was "moved with compassion" when confronted with human suffering, grief, and physical needs.

He openly wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, reflecting deep empathy for those who were hurting (John 11).

He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, and fed massive crowds simply because he cared for them and did not want them to go home hungry.

In the famous story of His interaction with an adulterous woman, He refused to condemn, choosing to stand with her as He offered forgiveness and restoration in a profoundly gentle way that left her accusers speechless. (John 8:1-11).

Yes, by nature, this Lord of the Universe, Creator of all things, is "gentle and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).

So, let’s be willing to have great guts -- a tender heart!

Once more hear the challenge of the Spirit who says to us – “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Amen!

__________________

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Lonely?

In a time that offers us all kinds of ‘social’ connections, Americans report an epidemic of loneliness. About 1 in 5 of those under the age of 50 report that they feel isolated, alone, a majority of the time. An even higher percentage of young adults (18-29) report being lonely. Ever larger numbers of senior adults wrestle with intense loneliness.

There are many reasons for this including our social and political divisions, the rising cost of living that limits social outings, and the fact that fewer people marry; continuing to live in their parents’ home which often causes increased social isolation. Add in our mobile society, lower rates of engagement with community groups such as church and you have the making of lives that are marked by the sadness of loneliness.

Doctors report that loneliness is more than just a terrible experience. It can contribute to increased health with heart disease, dementia, and even premature death.

We are reaping the harvest of our affair with individualism! For a time, we can find immense pleasure in ‘doing our own thing’ but failing to appreciate the value of long-term relationships, shared purpose, and the ‘give and take’ that comes with real community will lead us to isolation eventually.

The Psalmist poetically writes about it. “I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.” (Psalm 102) Most of us have experienced that at least some of the time.

So, how do we defeat loneliness? The answers to that question are neither simple nor easy.

Primarily, we find comfort in the unfailing LOVE of God for us.

By feeding our mind with the declarations of the Scripture, we can move past ‘feeling’ and accept, by faith, what we find there. John declares “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3) In a favorite passage of mine, we find this – “Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3)

I am convinced by the Word that the One who knows us best, loves us most! So many let false notions of a ‘gotcha God’ keep them from knowing the joy of the security of our Loving Father. But that is Who He is.

When we learn to live centered in Divine Love, we become capable of being loving, of developing the kind of acceptance of others that builds strong ties. “We love because He loved us first,” the Word says. A secure person has no need to be critical, exclusive, or mean. The generous overflow of God’s love will make us truly generous with others, willing and capable of true forgiveness. Few things separate people more than holding onto old hurts, nursing emotional wounds, or insisting on ‘fairness’ as they understand it. JForgiveints to the critical importance of this when He teaches us to ask God to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  Do you want God to generous in His love then give away the things that are holding you hostage to bitterness, isolating you from others. Indeed, Jesus goes on to repeat the point - “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6)

In Christ, we find a new ‘family’ connecting to a higher purpose with others.
Christ’s Church can be a place where loneliness is defeated. To be honest, it often does not meet that purpose. People fail. Churches are imperfect. Many attend as ‘consumers’ demanding that their ‘own needs’ be prioritized. But, when Church becomes a place where the focus is on worshipping the Living God and serving others selflessly, a beautiful community unlike any other can emerge.

In one of his earliest letters to the Church, Paul speaks of the family of Believers. “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more.”  (1 Thessalonians 4)  

Few things can defeat loneliness more than being loved in a church family, finding a place of service there, prioritizing attendance at gatherings, and creating long-term relationships with others centered on the shared love of Jesus Christ!

Lonely? Don’t stay that way. Yes, it can be difficult to change old patterns, to learn new social skills, and to find a place to ‘fit’ in this world. But it is possible!

Here is a word from the Word – David’s lament and prayer.
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.” (Psalm 25)

May you find the joy of belonging,
the comfort of true relationship,
and the security of the love of the Eternal Father.

__________________

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You CAN do it!

Who among us has not had moments when we feel inadequate, simply not up to the task? 
Am I up to the challenge of this new job?
Am I ready to help my child into the new season of life just ahead?
Can I survive the loss of my spouse?
Will I please God today in my life and work?

I readily admit that I have heard those questions and many others bringing whispers of doubt and fear to the doorway of my mind! There is an answer that lies outside of my own skills or strengths. The Lord God promises to be my Rock and Resource.

In writing of the Old Testament preacher, Zechariah, we find this passage. "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’"

Then the word of the LORD came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. " (Zechariah 4:6-10, NIV)

Zerubbabel was leading the work of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem many years after its destruction by invaders. He had all kinds of difficulties -  clearing the rubble and meeting the threats from the nations that surrounded Jerusalem. His greatest challenge was motivating the people to do the work when it dragged on and failed to meet their expectations of a Temple as glorious as the one that Solomon had built.

His call was to do something BIG and his resources were limited so, using the preacher, God sent him a word to encourage his efforts, reminding him that his greatest resource was the Spirit of God and that when he finished the task, everyone would realize that it was God, not Zerubbabel who made it happen.

What does that ancient story have to do with you and me?  We, too, take the promise of His power to be in us, making us capable, resourcing us with everything we need. 

You and I, in the purposes of God, are also temple builders. God, the Spirit, lives in us. The Word says “our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God.”  He desires a way of life that honors Him, that allows His majestic grace and love to be on display to the people with whom we live.  Naturally, I am not equipped for such a high calling. Living a life where God’s love is consistently shown, where my daily actions are graced with goodness is a huge challenge.

Given that we are flawed by a sinful nature, the idea of being God's temple seems ridiculous - except that I am reminded that it is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit."

In Ephesians God's promise to empower us is clear. Paul writes, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT)

The Good News is that God’s love is greater than all my failure! (and yours, too!) Christ Jesus does for us that we cannot do for ourselves, making us right with God, taking away our guilt and shame, and granting us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Take the Word to heart. Look up with faith. Ask for strength remain steady, for greater wisdom to see the solutions, and for release of Divine resources so that anyone who walks through life with you will say “Look what God is doing!" And, in that, you will have accomplished the calling we each share - to glorify the God who saved us.

Here is a promise. Paul writes after nearly dying in a time of awful persecution. “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die.

But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”   (2 Corinthians 1:9-10, NLT)

Put your confidence in the Lord and He will bring you safely home! Amen.

__________________

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