God’s Way or Destruction?

Many of us like to think of God as a gentle father who never gets angry and never chastises His children….He supports them in anything they want to do and forgives with no sense of consequences for the actions they take in violating His rules. Unfortunately, that is a different God than the one I serve. The God (3 in 1) who I serve is a just God who holds us all accountable. He is a good, good Father. He loves us with a love we can not measure or fully understand. He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place when we didn’t give a care about Him…when we were in fact His enemies (John 3:16). He is also a God who is Holy and because of that, He requires that His own be Holy. 1 Peter 1:15 states it this way, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” What does Holy mean? Holy means to be set aside in the service of God, or dedicated to His service. Obedience is a huge part of that. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

All of this leads into the topic – God’s way or destruction. Those are the only real options we have personally or globally. Over the past few months, I’ve been studying the prophets Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. They were contemporaries but three very different prophets with three very different experiences associated with the fall of Jerusalem. However, they all experienced the fall of Jerusalem because God’s people were disobedient and did not follow God’s leading and instruction, so God used their enemies to bring about His judgement on the nation. He didn’t stop there. Because the nations He used, were so prideful many of them were utterly destroyed. 

In each of these cases, the nations were like many of us, they wanted to do what we wanted to do with no negative consequences and because it was them and they thought they had accomplished these defeats in their own power, they thought they could get away with it.  How many empires have fallen in history along these same circumstances – a leader and nation rise up to conquer “the world” and then in their arrogance and pride are brought to their knees. They forget no matter who they serve, it is the one and only living and true God who created the universe and has control of every outcome. Pride is a deadly sin and we’ve seen the consequences of it time and time again throughout history. 

Whenever we get prideful, we forget that we can do nothing in our own strength. We lose sight that the very breath in our lungs is not ours, but His. Pride leads us further into disobedience – we become our own god or authority. We believe we guide our own path and that is dangerous. Take a look at King Saul (1 Sam 15), who after being anointed by God for the role was partially obedient which led to his ultimate destruction. To be clear, if we are not being fully obedient to God’s Word, Will, and Ways, we are being disobedient. There is no middle ground. There is no grey. We are either obedient or disobedient. God is merciful and He is patient and He is kind. In some cases, He will give us time to grapple with what He has directed us to do, like He did with Gideon (Jud 6:33-40). In some, He pursues us in our disobedience, as He did with Jonah (Jonah 1-3). In others, He will destroy us immediately like with Uzzah (2 Sam 6:1-7). 

The fact is that we get to decide our ultimate outcome – eternity with God or not. We can choose God and His way or we can choose our own. If we make the mistake to choose our own way and make ourselves king and lord over our own lives, we are on the road to destruction and are basically asking God to take His hand off us. He will (Rom 1:18-32). We must never forget that God is not mocked, we will reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). If we sow disobedience, we will reap consequence….Not because it’s what God wants for us, but because it is what we ourselves sought. DON’T DO IT!

God is loving (1 John 4:8) and He is faithful (Lam 3:22-23). He is a forgiving God, but He requires us to acknowledge our sin (1 John 1:9). We are not perfect and we are not good in and of ourselves. He is the one who makes us righteous and sets us apart. Don’t ever forget how much you owe to the Lord – breath, life, the ability to move, to think, to gain wealth. Every good and perfect gift comes from God (Jam 1:17). His way is better than anything we or anyone else can come up with. CHOOSE HIM!

Who are you judging?

It’s so easy to judge others and see where they fall short (Matt 7:1). Oftentimes, we judge others knowing nothing about them beyond superficial facts, if that. It’s much easier to see where someone else has issues than to face ourselves. I can usually look at someone else’s life and see where they have made mistakes or need to make better decisions. That is much easier than looking at my own issues. But that is what we are allowed to do – judge ourselves. God is gracious and kind and gives us a chance to hold ourselves accountable. 

In fact, scripture puts it like this – “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor 11:31-32). This passage calls for us to examine our own lives and reflect on our activities and attitudes to take appropriate action. Instead of condemning others for their sin, we need to reflect on our own, seeking God to show us what inside of us is unlike Him so we can repent and surrender our will to His (Gal 2:20).

This prevents us from getting too confident in ourselves. If we don’t look at ourselves and recognize our faults and need for a savior, we can become prideful and arrogant in our service to the Lord (Prov 16:18). It can lead us to replacing the Lord with our service to Him making it an idol. To honor Him and give Him the glory due His name we must be humble and self-aware (Prov 22:4). We must never forget that we are not perfect, Jesus is. We are not worthy, Jesus is. We are not righteous, Jesus is. He gave us His righteousness and took on our sin and paid the price for it (2 Cor 5:21). We must never forget that He paid the price instead of us. We owe Him everything. 

So, who are you judging? Yourself or others? Are you pleasing God where you are? If not, change it. No time like the present. Don’t put it off. Don’t put Him off.

You’re in the Church but are You The Church

It’s been a while since I last wrote an entry and I’m not sure if I just got busy or I stopped listening for a while, but I couldn’t not write this one. Lately, with everything going on around the world, I’ve been sad and disappointed. Many religious leaders and people who claim to be followers of Jesus have acted like anything but Him. When Jesus was asked about the greatest of the commandments, He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then he added, “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt 22:37-39)

When I read that in my bible, what it tells me is that loving those around me, my fellow man, is second only to loving God. Not power or money or prestige or anything else. Jesus also told His followers (The Church) that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). I find it very hard to believe that anyone loves God if he doesn’t love those he sees daily, whatever his or her sex or race or class. However, I regularly read about those who proclaim to love Jesus denigrating others whether migrants or minorities or any others – that is not Christ-like, in fact, it’s the opposite. That is not love. It divides and it tears down – the very opposite of what Jesus and His disciples or apostles taught. Paul taught us in Phil 2:3 to not “...be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves.”

Anyone can say anything. They can claim to be something they are not. But the proof is in the pudding. Our actions and behaviors do not lie. If we don’t look and act like Jesus, we are likely not of Jesus. The scripture says a tree is known by its fruit (Matt 12:33). In our case, a Christ-follower is known by the fruit of the spirit and if those fruit are not present, then it’s appropriate to question what spirit is present. The fruit of The Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). If someone is exhibiting something different, that is evidence the Holy Spirit is not present because I’ve known Him a long time and He does not sit idly by while we sin or exhibit behavior opposing Christ. He guides and directs us and chastises us when we step off course. 

One of the biggest tragedies is that many people believe if they attend church and do what they consider good that makes them right with God. That couldn’t be further from the truth. First, we are not good. Period. Second, there is nothing we can do in ourselves that makes us right with God. It is only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished that we can be saved (Eph 2:8-9). There is no way for us to buy our way in or work hard enough to gain a place in God’s family/His Church. It is a free gift of God to us. But, once we are saved, because we love God and revere Him as the Creator of the heavens and earth, the only Wise God, our Heavenly Father, we seek to please Him. That is when the work comes in. Not to save us, but because we are saved. We work, as we are called, out of obedience to fulfill His plan and purpose in the earth. 

So, the question for you is, are you The Church? Are you truly a follower of Christ? I’m not talking about what you claim to people. I’m talking about whether you actually have a relationship with Jesus for yourself and are taking on His characteristics because the Holy Spirit is on the inside of you. Does God know you? Or will He say when you are judged that He never knew you? How tragic would it be to live your life claiming Jesus and then end up in Hell for eternity because you were so busy trying to impress people and obtain things that you missed it. A few decades on this earth gaining stuff you can’t carry anywhere and don’t really need would be an awful consolation prize for an eternity of misery and torture, but that will be the reality for many. The great thing is that while you’re still breathing there is time. Don’t waste it. Choose Jesus. Be The Church. There is no better choice.

Do You Look Different?

This week has been a rather emotional one for me. I’ve been pretty self-reflective. We’re studying Exodus in family bible study and I’ve been reflecting on how the world looks today and our part in it – the lack of impact the church has on society. How we don’t look different from the world? Question for you – if the people you work with were asked if you are a follower of Christ, what would they say? That’s what I’ve been asking myself and I must admit, I find myself lacking in some areas. What about you? 

On Thursday, President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest after 100 years here with us. As I listened to the eulogies and his history, I was convicted. He spent his life taking care of others – our country, his family, some of the poorest people in the world – because of his love for Jesus and his faith in him. He held to his convictions and his faith in Jesus. He made decisions consistent with his faith and opposing what society would agree with. He had the courage to do God’s will and not that of public opinion to his career detriment. It was evident, he loved the LORD. He was a strong example of a follower of Christ. Much stronger than some pastors and ministers.

I was convicted and found myself lacking - I have work to do. I have been given so much and while I do give, I don’t give everything I can. I can be extremely selfish with my time and talents and for what? Laziness. My own comfort. Busyness. There are probably a dozen other excuses that I have for not giving my all. None of them important enough to disobey God’s purpose and plan for me. I am to be set apart (Col 3:12-17). I am to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Rom 12:2). I should look different from the world around me (1 John 2:15-17). People should know without a shadow of doubt that I am different from the world. 

We are to be salt and light in the world (Matt 5:13-16). If we really love the LORD, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). When we keep His commandments, we keep them all the time…. not just when it’s convenient or comfortable. Yes, we mess up and sin, but our desire should be to please God (2 Cor 5:9-11). The only way to do so is through our faith in Him (Heb 11:6). If we have true faith in Him, we will trust Him and do what He says, knowing that it will be better than anything we can come up with on our own. So, do you look different from the world around you? Or, have you compromised to fit in or enjoy personal desires? The closer you get to God, the closer He will be to you (James 4:8). Remember His love for you! Remember how doing it on your own doesn’t work well! Seek Him and obey Him. Love Him and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). There is blessing in surrender to Him. Be different! 

His Mercies are New Every Morning

Every day is a new opportunity to reflect on the goodness of God. Today, I’ve been in my first real blizzard. I didn’t really know what that would be like. Last year, we had a large snowstorm but this has been different. It has been snowing since last night and I have snow drifts in my backyard that are 2-3 feet high. I wasn’t expecting this and I’m definitely not used to the winter weather here in Kansas City. I wanted different circumstances since I dislike the cold and can take snow or leave it.

I also began reading Lamentations at the beginning of the year. I don’t know about you, but the prophet Jeremiah, has been wearing me out. His experience during the siege of Jerusalem had to be one of the most horrific ones ever. The way he describes the consequences of Israel’s sin was beyond anything I could even imagine. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for its weightiness. Then I got to Lamentations 3.

It begins with distress over what can only be described as feelings of abandonment and punishment (Lam 3:1-20), but then something amazing happens. Jeremiah remembers there is hope (Lam 3:21-23) no matter how bad his situation is. Even though people are dying of hunger and suffering at the hands of their oppressors, He remembers God’s faithfulness never ends. His mercies are new every morning. That gives me a reassurance that I’m not sure I realized I needed.

Great is the LORD’s faithfulness! He is good to those who depend on Him and search for Him. Even when we are in awful situations that are painful and challenging, it is good to wait quietly on the salvation from the LORD. When we recognize the LORD is our portion and inheritance, we will lean more into Him for everything and not try to depending on ourselves – we can do nothing without Him (Lam 3:24-26). We can stand on the fact that even when we sin and are chastised, He will not abandon us (Lam 3:31). The LORD is faithful and our repentance brings us back into right fellowship with Him (2 Cor 7:10; Ps 32:5).

Let us never forget that the LORD’s mercies are new every morning. Let us be quick to obey and when we mess up, let us be quick to repent. Be blessed!

All Things are Possible!

It’s been a while and I’m not completely sure what has been the hold-up for me in writing this blog. I don’t want to say I’ve been rebellious, because that’s not what I’ve felt. I think I began to feel like it was me writing the blog and not me being a vessel for God to write through. Maybe I just needed a break. Either way, today I felt like the Lord had something to share through me, so here I am sitting at my computer sharing with you what he is sharing with me.

Today I went to church and was blessed by the message. The main theme was that change is hard, but we can change with Jesus. How true that is! I know I’ve attempted to make changes in my life and when it gets hard to continue, I’ve often times reverted back to old behavior in multiple areas of my life - Exercise! Eating! Sleep! Reading my bible! Writing! There are others that I just won’t name here, but you get the idea. 

The minister today said something that stuck with me – “change is a one-time decision with a daily commitment.” Wow! I sat with that and it’s still working on me. How many things have I given up on because I thought it was too hard? I realized today that it wasn’t too hard. I didn’t give it my all. I didn’t continue when I didn’t see the results I wanted. I stopped. And I wonder how much further along I’d be if I had stayed firm with the really good eating habits of years ago. Or if I’d kept writing that novel I started over a decade ago. Do you have things in your life like that? I don’t know if I’d call them regrets, but I definitely wonder if I somehow took the easy road and would be healthier, more mature, or developed had I stayed consistent. 

I feel our relationship with the LORD is similar – if we consistently flex our faith muscle, how much deeper would we be with Him? How much stronger would our relationship be? One thing is sure – the more we invest in a relationship, the stronger it will be. And the more we trust the LORD and what He calls us to, the more He will give us to do. The minister said today that God calls ordinary people to His extraordinary purpose. I’m a witness of that. In fact, my whole life reflects that. 

But I wonder about those things where I have not been consistent. Would the LORD have trusted me with more, had I done the work? I don’t expect I will know the answer to that until I stand before Him and have to give an account of my life. I know I can’t change the past, but with Jesus’s help, I can change the future. I can do what I haven’t done before and see how He takes my actions and turns them into results. Faith without works is dead (Jam 2:14).

The LORD is the God of the impossible, so I need to have confidence that if He can do the impossible, He can do that with me. Scripture says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Phil 4:13) even the hard things or maybe especially the hard things. That means I don’t have to try – I can do. May be hard, may take a while to learn, and may require me to get a little bit better every day, but I CAN do. As Yoda says, “Do or do not, there is no try.” 

Having a firm belief that we can do all things, takes the limits off. No more, I can’t do that because... Yes, we have some limitations to our skills and talents, but many of them not born to us naturally can be learned. Yes, it takes work, but if God calls you to something, don’t question why you. He made us – He knows us better than we know ourselves. He also knows where He wants us. He gives us the power to do what pleases Him (Phil 2:13). Take the next step as He directs even if it’s scary. He will never lead us to anything that is not for our good (Rom 8:28). We may not always like all the aspects of a thing, but God knows better than we do. Trust Him to do the impossible in and through you. 

As we end 2024 and begin 2025, let go of fear and step into all God has for you. Jesus came that we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Don’t squander it - live it to the fullest. All the best for a 2025 that blows your expectations away. 

Are you a Disciple or just a Believer?

So, I’ve been dealing a lot lately with discipleship and what it really means. In the past, I was a big believer that because trees are known by their fruit, if there was no fruit that looked or was like Jesus, others couldn’t possibly be saved. I know, it’s judgy right? It is. I’m coming to understand that believing Jesus is God’s son and that God raised Him from the dead, doesn’t automatically change our behavior and produce good fruit. Our time with the Word of God and in prayer, loving God and others as ourselves, produces that fruit (Gal 5:22-25). Being a disciple of Christ produces that fruit. 

Yes, we are a new creature when we accept Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), but if we don’t spend time with God, we will never start to look like Him. Have you ever seen a mature married couple of many, many years together? People say they begin to look alike. I’m not sure that’s completely true, but it works for this analogy. The more time we spend with the Lord and the more time we spend obeying Jesus’ instructions to us, the more we look like the one who saved and sent us. 

Salvation is amazing and I am forever grateful for it. It is the free gift of God – that He sent His only begotten son to die so our sins could be forgiven (John 3:16) and we can have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). However, we are being sanctified (i.e., becoming more like Christ) as we walk out our life with Christ (Gal 2:20). That doesn’t happen overnight. We are born in sin and that nature scars us. The only way to truly heal is to allow God to do a work in us. Thankfully, He who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). But we can influence how long we stay in the lessons – if we get it the first time and get out of ourselves, we may not have to repeat the lesson. I’ve been there and I didn’t like it. In most of the cases where I’ve had to live through the same lesson over and over, it’s because I wanted to do it my own way in my own time. 

Following Jesus is not convenient and it’s sometimes hard. But doing hard things shouldn’t scare or discourage us if they are worth doing. Discipleship is one of those things. Discipleship costs. To be a disciple, we must deny self, pick up our cross and follow Jesus (Matt 16:24-25). We may have to sacrifice our TV or video game time. We may have to stop shopping nonstop. We may have to step away from friends who draw us away from God. We may have to run from that one thing that we’re addicted to. Seeking God first and recognizing that Jesus is Lord and that we can do nothing without Him goes against everything society teaches us to do and be. But it’s what followers of Jesus are called to. 

As you think about your walk with Christ, spend a little time reflecting over what’s most important to you as evidenced by your actions……not what you say or feel. What do your actions tell you about what’s most important to you? If Jesus doesn’t get much of your precious time, is He really Lord of your life or is it still you or someone else? So, are you a disciple or just a believer? This is one only you can answer, but it’s an important one. While it may cost to take up our cross and follow Jesus, it is more than worth it. He is worth it!