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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Video of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

 

 

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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Video of this blog

https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55

My really mean Mom

(20 years ago I wrote this about my Mom.
She was an amazing lady who went on ‘home’ in 2011. Enjoy my memories.)

I'm writing this while watching my Mom sleep in a hospital bed. Occasionally she sort of rouses to recognize that I'm here, but mostly the morphine has her in a haze of semi-consciousness. It's my privilege to sit here by her bed, but it's oh, so hard to see her in such pain.

She was on a stepladder on Saturday evening changing a light bulb and she fell breaking her shoulder and hip! Mom doesn't like to acknowledge that she's days shy of 70 years of age, hence being on a ladder when she might have been more cautious. I'd scold her, but I'll probably be just like her 20 years from now - resisting every limitation of age with kicking and screaming.

It's Mother's Day and while I was leading the worship service at church this morning, I was thinking about my Mom; worrying really. In between worries, I remembered - Somehow thinking back to the way she was when I was 10 or 12, made thinking about the 'now' less frightening. I hated that she was a no-nonsense Mom then, but sure appreciate it now.

She believed in making her kids self-reliant, disciplined, and capable of understanding life's choices have consequences. I hated making my bed to her specifications, (lines on the bedspread straight, corners tight!) and I despised that I had to keep my room picked up neatly (no dirty socks on the floor, all clothes on hangars, thank you!) - but from those little daily chores, I learned that IF a person tends to the simple stuff, the harder stuff in life tends to fall into place, too.

She didn't let me think of letting school work go. It aggravated me that other kids could blow off assignments and that their Mom would cover for them with written excuses. Mine said, "you deal with it" and let me take the detention or whatever was coming my way for my irresponsibility. It taught me that deadlines mean something and to get my work done, on time!

She modeled the same diligence she expected of me. I can't remember when she didn't have dinner ready, when the laundry was piled up, or when the house was a mess! I didn't her complain too often either. She showed us that life was about doing what needed to be done. Yep, there's a lot of Mom in me.

So, sitting her watching her face, a lot more lined than the face that I remember when I close my eyes, I believe she'll be OK, because she's one tough lady and because she trusts God. I oughta know, cause she raised me to be tough and to trust Him too!

An anonymous author penned this in tribute to his Mom -- "Because of my mother, I missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. I've never been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other’s property, or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. I didn't get drunk, didn't take up smoking, wasn't allowed to stayed out all night, or a million other things that other kids did. Sundays were reserved for church, and I didn't miss ever, that I can remember unless I was deathly ill. And, I knew better than to ask to spend the night with a friend on Saturdays. Now I'm a God-fearing, educated, honest adult. I am doing my best to be a mean parent just like Mom was. I think that’s what is wrong with the world today. It just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore."

Forgive me for this little reverie... I'm only thinking about my Mom today!

• "Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." (Proverbs 31:28-31, NLT)
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To all the Mom’s out there – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.

I’m gonna work for His ways

The news of a friend’s death hit me like a sledgehammer blow. Last Monday she slipped and fell, and she was critical, then a day later, she was gone! It made me sad and angry all in the same moment. Somewhere deep in me I knew that this tragedy was yet another evidence of the brokenness in this world that is counter to what God intends for His creation. We were made for joy, for life, to know Him and worship Him with delight, which I do. But then come those awful days, those tragic moments, ultimately coming from Evil that mars perfection.

I hate the suffering that sin causes in this world.
When power is used to demean or abuse others – it outrages me.
When I learn about someone who willfully abuses a child, I am deeply angered.
When I learn of the greed of corporation that causes people to die from some toxic product, I am ready to go to battle.

Such anger is right and good. Jesus Himself was angered by abuse and misuse of people, by the pain and suffering that was introduced to this broken world because of evil.

In the 11th chapter of John's Gospel, we find Jesus in a little village where He faced pain. Despite the request of Martha and Mary for Him to come and heal their brother, Lazarus, He waited and when He arrived the man was already dead four days. Naturally, He walked into a scene of great sorrow.

What happened next is stunning. When Mary saw Jesus, she fell at his feet, crying accusing words.  "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. "Where have you put him?" he asked them. They told him, "Lord, come and see." (John 11:32-34, NLT)

Why did Jesus get angry at that moment? 

Because He knew that Death was the ultimate result of the work of Satan and human disobedience! What God made and declared “it is good” was marred by the entrance of evil into Creation.

God is the Giver of Life, the Lover of Humanity, Light and Joy. Death is none of those things. As Mary and her friends surrounded Him that day, He was stirred to anger because of the suffering visited on people that God loved by sin and the Devil. Another translation of that passage tells us that Jesus was "deeply moved in His spirit."  It was an anger that caused Him to go to the tomb and command, "Lazarus, come out!"  

At that moment a dead man was restored to life and walked into the light. Jesus was the Lord of Glory demonstrating the power of God over sin and death! He had told Martha moments earlier,"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." (John 11:25, NIV)

Christian let’s care enough to become angry but to remember to act redemptively like our Father in Heaven does. Sin angers God but He does not choose to erase this Creation and start over. He loves! He sent a Deliverer, Jesus Christ. God’s anger moves Him to reach out with amazing grace that offers forgiveness and restoration, in place of guilt and alienation. This is truth that -"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NIV) By that death, He made life possible.

When we become followers of Christ Jesus we are inducted into His holy cohort, commissioned to two tasks that are parallel –
to invite others to receive the salvation that restores them to Life and right relationship with their Father, AND
to work to make the rule of God and good visible in this present world.

We are sent with a message of salvation and the promise of an Eternal home. In addition to that work, we must, like our Father, care about hunger, abuse, oppression, racial hate, war and such things. With great wisdom and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we allow ourselves to feel angry enough to give ourselves to bring about change!

Ponder what we learn of Jesus’ work in this passage – “Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him  along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”  (Luke 8)

Paul preaching included a message of God’s rule on earth, too. In Acts 19, we learn of his work in Ephesus.  “Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.”

Make no mistake, this is not about creating a new theocracy or anointing some politician as the savior of humanity. Nothing corrupts the true Gospel more than marrying it to political power. The good we share comes from within, a changed heart that is born anew through Christ Jesus.  Jesus says our true influence is like ‘salt and light’ – influencing, healing, preserving, and bringing clarity.

We do NOT compel with power; we convince with Love that flows sacrificially just like the love of Christ who gave Himself for us. Let’s get angry, then give ourselves to Him – radically – to do Kingdom work.

Here is a word from the Word. May it inspire us to hunger for the Kingdom come and to work with the Oen whose ‘yoke’ fits well even as we labor for Him.
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  (Matthew 11)

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Video of this blog  https://www.youtube.com/@JerScott55