Vaccinated Christians

 

 
Last night’s elections will provoke a flurry of analysis. Some are glad, some are sad. That’s politics.  One pundit suggested that one of the factors behind the Republican surge is a reflection that “Americans are over COVID and want to get back to normal with vaccine mandates and restrictions lifted.”  Christians all over the political spectrum have opinions about the virus and vaccines.   

My hope is that the Gospel of Christ will not continue to be co-opted by the arguments, that my friends in evangelical Christianity will not make one particular political stance into the marker of ‘true faith.’  Vaccinated or unvaccinated – it’ a decision for thoughtful reflection, for prayer, and in need of wisdom. Let’s just not wrap a Bible verse around our choice and then demonize those who choose another way.

It is so easy to get sidetracked from a pure love of Christ by arguments and issues. Christians fall into the schemes of evil when they choose to turn on each other in vicious debate about personal convictions. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome who were tearing each other up over dietary rules and observance of holy days. 

He told them (and we need to hear this) that we must not become judges of one another. "For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die. While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died. So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God." (Romans 14:7-10, NLT)

The Church today needs to return to the core practices that Jesus said characterize His disciples: 
“Love God with your whole being,” and
“Love others as you love yourself.”

What we eat, when we worship, what songs we sing, which Bible we read, how we vote, whether we get vaccinated … these are obviously secondary issues. The Scripture warns about turning the message of hope and life into a system of rules for human behavior! "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:8, NIV)

When a disciple becomes an issues person, pride enters in and division inevitably follows. Being ‘right,’ becomes much more important than being loving.  It is a tragedy when we think that ‘being Christian’ is about knowing something instead of knowing Someone.

Stay focused on Christ, disciple. Christians can have very different convictions about how to live, what to eat, and even politics and still love Jesus. The Bible says, "You have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. …having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 

These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions." (Colossians 2:10, 14-18, NIV)

This day after some elections, let’s reflect a bit. I’d say if your candidate won office, great! If your Christian friend did not vote for her, that’s just fine, too. Let’s not divide the Body over our convictions about vaccines, climate change, or tax laws. 

Here’s a word from the Word. It is equally true for all Christians – vaccinated or not, Republican or Democrat, black or white, rich or poor - "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3, NIV)  

 (Video of this blog at this link)

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 Cornerstone

(Take moment to worship and renew your hope in Jesus!)

 My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus' Name

Christ alone cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Saviour's love
Through the storm He is Lord
Lord of all

When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil

He is Lord Lord of all

When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless stand before the throne

Edward Mote | Eric Liljero | Jonas Myrin | Reuben Morgan | William Batchelder Bradbury

• © 2011 Hillsong MP Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
• Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
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CCLI License # 810055

Since Eden

 

The thing of which I write today is one of those that is very difficult to see in ourselves, though we see it so plainly in others!  It wraps itself in ‘the pursuit of excellence,’ hides behind the desire to ‘accomplish great things,’  and lurks even in the places of ‘Christian service.’ This thing drives us to work harder and it congratulates us when we do something we think is noble or beyond the call of duty. It is right there to remind us of our ‘worthlessness’ when others surpass us and makes us incapable of rejoicing in success. It keeps us from true faith, focused on our own ability and hard work.  When we fail it beats us relentlessly. It blinds us to our own failures but gives us the keen sight of a hawk to see the blots in another’s character. The appeal to Eve in the Garden was built around it. Solomon was deceived by it. It is equally at home in a palace and a pigsty.

 By now you probably know that I am writing about pride! This sin, according to Isaiah, was in the heart of the most noble angel and caused his banishment from the Presence of God. “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?" (Isaiah 14:12-16, NLT)  “Shining star” is also translated “Lucifer,” and this passage is believed, by many, to be describing the origins of Satan.

I believe that more Christians are tripped by PRIDE than lust, greed, laziness, and apathy combined!  Our American ideals of individualism and personal success are easily co-opted by pride that sees only the ‘good’ in great ambition, in the drive for perfectionism that produces many good works.  Even the best humanitarian efforts can be easily corrupted by the need that demands ‘look what I have done and admire me.’   The last decade has brought us social media. I enjoy Facebook! I love seeing the pictures and the anecdotes that my friends and family share there. I share there, too often some might say. But, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook feed narcissism. They naturally invite us to say “Hey, look at me.”   

Conversely, they become a source of great despair when we conclude our little, ordinary life will never measure up to the glorious ones that we see paraded across the screen on our smartphone. It is now proven fact that teen-age girls in particular, can be damaged emotionally by the barrage of ‘perfect’ faces and bodies they see in pictures that are carefully filtered and endlessly photo-shopped.

God says "Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." (Proverbs 18:12, NIV)

James teaches that the gateway to greater grace is found in humility. "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.” So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper." (James 4:7, The Message)

So, what can we do with that universal temptation of pride, one as old as Eden?  Where can we go to find release from slavery to the ‘pride of life?’

Confession is a key!  This is not the whiny, fake confession that is pretends to feel remorse in an attempt to gain more attention. This is the confession of the private prayer, that involves being open before God, acknowledging who we are, what we’ve done, and our self-love.  Yes, friend, I have said it a thousand times but it is absolutely true: “The One who knows you best, loves you most.”  When we let Him reveal the truth to us and confess (the Biblical word means we ‘say the same thing’), He forgives us and we are made new.  Only true worship: waiting before the Lord, perhaps in silence, allows the Spirit to break the hold of this acceptable sin. When the Spirit whispers a warning to our heart about a proud attitude, when need to find a quiet retreat.

Service is important!   When an opportunity is presented to us to serve, we simply do so.  We do not calculate the reward, nor do we avoid those things that are hidden from others. We simply serve – in obedience. Curiously, pride withers when we serve for the eyes of God alone. 

We love Jesus!  That may seem to be statement of the obvious, but He said ‘no one can love two masters.’  When we devote ourselves to Him, that love replaces the love of Self. Pride dies.

The word from the Word today points our attention to the one true model for humility - Christ Jesus. Meditate on these words prayerfully.   "Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names." (Philippians 2:4-9, NLT) 

Lord, fill me with the mind of Christ so that I will know humility and the freedom that is found in You. Amen.

 (Video of this blog at this link)

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Great Are You Lord

 You give life You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope You restore ev'ry heart that is broken
And great are You Lord

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

And all the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry these bones will sing
Great are You Lord

David Leonard | Jason Ingram | Leslie Jordan

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Waiting?

I remember being a kid waiting for Christmas for most of the month of December. Anticipation built steadily. Dreams about what was going to happen on that ‘day’ were a regular occurrence. The wait distracted from school work, although it generally helped to improve behavior.  ‘Good kids’ get better gifts my child’s brain reasoned.  Six years ago I was in a season of excruciatingly painful waiting, watching my wife grow weaker and sicker by the day and knowing that her time on earth was closing.  That wait brought focus, my attention narrowing down to Bev, almost exclusively as I cared for her each hour of everyday. 

And, this year I am again in a time of waiting, figuring out life after retirement!  The rhythm of work in the church that carried me from week to week for decades is gone. Now I wait and wonder what God has next for me even as I enjoy life without deadlines to be met!

I know this: I must continue to live ‘in the moment’ even while anticipating the future. “Be present!”   Choosing to be engaged, to do what needs to be done today, is critically important to life’s enjoyment, to being a person of rich relationships.  If we are completely focused on tomorrow’s anticipated developments the opportunities of the moment will pass unrealized.  

God, through inspiration of Paul’s writing, teaches Christians about living in that tension between today and tomorrow.  He says to us "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-13, NIV)

The great hope of the Christian is the revelation of the Kingdom of Christ Jesus. He promised to return and to replace the Curse with Blessings beyond our wildest dreams. I choked with emotion this morning as I read these words from the Revelation: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”" (Revelation 21:3-5, NIV)  War, famine, cancer, disease, aging, and even death itself will be gone – ‘the old order’ the former way of life replaced with the perfection of Christ!

My dear friend, we must not allow this hope to be obscured by the business of the day. We cannot forget to pray, as Jesus taught, ‘may Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.’   That hope, the Word says, gives us reason to reject selfishness, short-sighted choices for momentary pleasures that actually bring regret.  We say “No” to ungodliness because we wait in faith.  We do not retreat into our holy huddle isolated from the world in which we live. We do not stop living as children of God here and now, doing the work of God, because we are hopeful.  The Bible says that the powerful hope of eternal life and the King’s return will cause us to live our best life now.

Jesus told a story about anticipation and forgetfulness. We read it in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25.  A master was getting ready to go on a long trip so he called three of his household workers in and gave them care of his estate.  To one he gave 5 units, to another 2 units, and to another just 1 unit.  The first two, in anticipation of the master’s return, diligently used the trusted resources and doubled them!  Both received the same commendation - "‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’" (Matthew 25:21, NIV)  The other took what he was given and buried it!  He failed to anticipate the day of accounting and the possibility of reward.  When he was called before the master at his return, he offered excuses and was thrown out of the household called a ’wicked, lazy servant!’

 Let’s pray to remember the Promised Return of the King! For some of us, we will meet Him when we transit the valley of death into eternal life. For others, He will arrive as the King of Kings, bringing His kingdom to earth. Either way, I intend to live to hear ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’  How about you?

 Here is a word from the Word. May God encourage us to choose wisely and best in the light of His return. "For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and patience." (Hebrews 6:10-12, NLT)  Amen!

 (Video of this blog at this link)

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 O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice rejoice Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel

O come Thou Dayspring come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

O come Thou Key of David come
And open wide our heavn’ly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the door to misery

O come Thou Wisdom from on high
And order all things far and nigh
To us the path of knowledge show
And cause us in her ways to go

O come Desire of nations bind
All peoples in one heart and mind
Bid envy strife and quarrels cease
Fill the whole world with heaven's peace

 

Words: Public Domain

 

Am I ‘good enough?’

 

Perfectionism is a curse.  It drives a person to set impossibly high standards. It robs the one who experiences it of satisfaction in a ‘job well done’ because that person focuses instead on the question -  “Could I have done this better?  Perfectionists become anxious and frequently turn into nasty critics of others!  Over time, perfectionists turn on themselves, self-critical, lonely, and isolated in a rigidity that will not allow them to accept others who fail to meet their unrealistic expectations.

Yes, we do tend to love ‘perfect’ don’t we? Who wouldn’t like to have an ideal body type,  a family that is without dysfunction, a life without flaws and failure?  One author writes – “Perfection creates unhelpful expectations about what life should be. Some of us have conjured up immaculate visions of the perfect marriage, the perfect job or even the perfect Saturday—images that only exist on your Pinterest board. The reality is, nothing in our lives can ever be 100% perfect. Only in your wildest dreams.”  (Relevant, Rachel Moreland)

Defeating perfectionism requires a shift in perspective, from comparison to others to understanding your own abilities and determining to do what you are able to do best. It also requires developing a sense of what is ideal and what is possible.  Sometimes focusing on that last tiny bit of detail – “It just has to be perfect” -  actually hinders productivity. It is important to know when it is time to say ‘finished,’ and move on to the next task.

So why am I thinking about this today?  

Because many people drag a form of perfectionism into their Christianity!  They become deceived about the reality of knowing and loving God, tricked into thinking that the only way to be loved by Him, to be acceptable in His sight, is to become perfect. Perhaps you are running ahead and wondering, “But, Jerry, doesn’t the Bible tell us to be perfect?” 

There are many passages that teach us to be perfect, but not in the sense in which we tend to understand the word.  We read ‘flawless’ where we see that word instead of what is actually meant which is to be ‘complete.’   When we strive for flawless perfection we end our day with self-condemning thoughts and a sense of failure.  “Why did I say that?”  “How could a real Christian think a thought like that?”  The joy of the Lord is lost to fear and self-loathing!

Here is the truth about belonging to God and living in His love. It is first a gift of grace and a response of faith!  In the earliest chapters of the Bible we read this - "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6, NIV)  Read the story of that man again. He was far from flawless.  He lied. He made some poor choices. He let fear overwhelm him.  Yes, he did some amazing things, too. He followed God’s call. He offered up his beloved son and discovered that God was the Provider. But, at the heart of his story (and ours!) is the fact that his relationship with God was not based on  ‘perfect’ performance. It was from faith, first to last.

Paul, in the letter to the Romans, explores Abraham’s faith in depth. Inspired by the Spirit, he teaches us that "because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous. Now this wonderful truth—that God declared him to be righteous—wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God." (Romans 4:22-25, NLT)

When we trust Christ, believing that His gift of salvation is complete in us, our perfectionistic impulse is defeated and we learn to love Him more deeply. The grip that religious fear holds over us, driving us to try to hide our true selves from God is broken and we experience what John describes. "In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect (God’s flawless) love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect (complete) in love. We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:17-19, NIV)  The paradox of holiness is that we cannot achieve it by our own effort but we can become holy the grace and power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us!

Are you cursed by perfectionism?  Confess it to God, admit it to yourself.  Turn around and look again on the wonderful Cross, the enduring evidence of God’s amazing grace and the ‘truth will set you free.’

Here is the word from the Word. "So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into his family—calling him “Father, dear Father.” For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:12-16, NLT)

Be free, all He has made you to be.

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Graves Into Gardens

I searched the world but it couldn't fill me
Man's empty praise and treasures that fade
Are never enough
Then You came along and put me back together
And every desire is now satisfied here in Your love

Oh there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord there's nothing
Nothing is better than You

I'm not afraid to show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord You've seen them all
And You still call me friend

'Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
And there's not a place
Your mercy and grace won't find me again

You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You're the only one who can

You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You're the only one who can

Brandon Lake | Chris Brown | Steven Furtick | Tiffany Hudson

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Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

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Bethel Music Publishing

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