Saturday, December 28, 2019

Survivor and Our Sinful World

The current season of Survivor just ended, and the big news wasn't the winner.  This season a player was removed from the game for inappropriate behavior, by making a crew member and another player feel uncomfortable through unwanted touching.


The interaction between the players on Survivor has always fascinated me, because the show portrays people as they really are - compassionate but conniving, self-centered, looking for connections, striving to win while wanting to be liked.  People are complicated, and the show is never a Hallmark movie. 

Questions to consider:

1.  Was there behavior that might have made someone feel ill at ease?  And does this same conduct often happen in society, in the workplace, at social events, maybe even at church?

2.  What should the person's response be, the person who feels violated?

3.  How should we handle these situations? 

In today's society, everybody's a victim, and innocent actions get blown-up into major conflicts.  On this season of Survivor, I did note one scene that really seemed to support the accusation of questionable behavior.

But the truth is, interactions among people are complicated and not always clear-cut.  One person may be offended by a certain behavior, and another person may find that same conduct innocent or even attractive.

Likewise, people can make other people feel uncomfortable, sometimes with playfulness and sometimes with evil intentions.  Many people probably don't even recognize borderline or abusive behavior in themselves or in those they work closely with.

But we live in a sinful world.  We're sinful people, and we can't deny our sinful nature. 
None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  Romans 3:10-11
Our sinful nature is there in how we treat one another, and it's there in our quickness to judge and condemn another person.

The loving response from someone who feels violated is first, to speak up, either to the person or to a superior.  And second, the offended person should consider showing mercy and allowing the benefit of the doubt, forgiving the other person.
...and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  Colossians 3:13 
But the ultimate responsibility in these situations falls with the leader, the person in charge, the one entrusted to protect others.  Unfortunately when actual abuse is occurring, many times leadership is slow to react and makes a victim feel worse by saying, "They didn't mean it that way.  It's just you and your perception."

Leadership is there to serve and to protect the weak.  People look to their leaders for help, for someone to listen, to understand, to make it better.  

Additionally, a leader has to protect the one being accused as there's always a very real possibility that the accusation is false.

Like I said, people are complicated; relationships are complicated.

It's why Jesus came, because we're sinful people living in a fallen world, and we need a savior.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24
And until that Day when Jesus returns, we'll live with and deal with the consequences of our sin, learning to forgive and to love one another, and learning to trust Him in and through it all.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

On Music

Over the years and through many moves, we've attended churches that have both a traditional and a contemporary service.  Although our music preference has changed from church to church, the service's music is an important consideration in deciding which service to attend.

When we lived in North Carolina, we regularly attended an evening service at a local Presbyterian Church, not our home church.  For the music at this service, the pastor took members' requests, and all the kids would raise their hands wanting to sing their favorite hymns!  There was a 5-year-old boy who always requested Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted.  

My family was blessed and moved by this singing to such an extent that we incorporated hymn singing into our nightly devotions.  One of my sons recently remembered how that church was where we first enjoyed singing hymns.  

There's something about singing God's Word and truth that gladdens the heart.  Singing gives praise and thanks to God, but it's also a nourishing, an encouraging, and a faith building practice.

Some of our family favorites include:  
  • Rock of Ages
  • Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
  • Be Thou My Vision
  • Lift High the Cross
  • Jesus Shall Reign
  • And Can It Be
  • Thy Strong Word
  • Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word

The music we listen to and the songs we sing make a difference in our lives and influence us to a degree that most people don't even realize.  Music sticks with a person.  Think of a favorite sitcom from the 60s or 70s, and I bet you can recall the theme song! 

That being said, here are my random thoughts on church music.

1.  Worshipers really do want to sing and participate.  People are uncomfortable when they're unable to sing the songs during a service. 

2.  Some people just love organ music, and some people want a service with upbeat music.  I think the instruments should be a secondary consideration, as neither the organ nor the guitar/keyboard stands alone to make a good singing experience.

3.  Some traditional hymns are played too slowly, too fast, or the organ is too loud.  Worshipers should be able to hear the singing along with the music.

4.  Contemporary music is sometimes too loud, or the song choices are difficult to sing.  Many contemporary Christians songs are meant to be performed, not sung in corporate worship.  

5.  But there are many singable contemporary songs that are rich in meaning.  

6.  Likewise, there are some traditional hymns that are difficult to sing.

7.  Familiarity and repetition are good!  Songs are learned that way, and they get into our very being when we learn them and sing them again and again.

But above all these thoughts - the songs should convey the gospel message, that Jesus, that our God, came in the flesh, lived among us, and died for the forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation.  That's the substance of our faith that we need to hear, to sing, and to know.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Colossians 3:16


Saturday, December 7, 2019

Evil?

There's a new show on CBS called Evil.  The main characters are a psychologist and a Catholic priest, and they investigate "supposed miracles, demonic possessions and other extraordinary occurrences...examining the origins of evil."  


While the description sounds okay, the show's previews were enough to give me nightmares - Evil.  My reaction was, "That looks creepy.  Who would watch it?" 

On a higher level, I consider, "Where do people think up this stuff?  What does this say about us?"

I just finished a historical book set during World War II.  During that time, people seemed to take pleasure in mistreating, degrading, and having power over others.

And I'm bothered by this evil and the inhumanity of it, and that it still goes on today.

Again, "What does this say about us?  How do we explain this evil in our very beings?"

We live in a fallen world, a broken world.  And we want to know that we matter, that we're as good as the next person, that we have purpose, that we're okay, that people listen, that somebody loves us - all of that and more.

At the heart of it all, it's about having control in life, being in power.  It's about wanting to be "somebody."  From the little bitty things, to the big atrocities, it's about wanting to be god, to be the most important, to win. 

And while I can't equate Nazi horrors, murders, torture, and abuse with our daily jealousies, relationship issues, and personal selfishness, I recognize that they're all symptoms of our sin, of my sin.   

Examining the origins of evil isn't difficult.  As Satan told Eve:
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.  Genesis 3:5
Wanting to be like God, being like God.  Wouldn't that solve everything for us?

No, it wouldn't.
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  Romans 3:23
We all have sin and have evil in our hearts, in our very being.  We sin against others, and we're sinned against.   

Our only hope is in Jesus, of our rebirth in Him, forgiveness of sins through Him, and hope in the new life.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9
[Jesus] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:13–14
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:5
Jesus is the light, and He has overcome the darkness, the evil in this world.  







Friday, November 29, 2019

Why the Lutheran Church?

Matt Witman is the host of the Ten Minute Bible Hour, a YouTube channel that talks about "God, Christianity, Church History, and most of all the Bible itself."  This is an open letter to Matt.


Matt,

Like you, I didn't grow up Lutheran.  As I watched your visit to a Lutheran church and listened to your interview on Lutheran Public Radio, I kept thinking, "I know where Matt's coming from."  This letter is my input and response to your conversation.

1.  I previously thought that the greatest good was to get wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from God's Word.  But in becoming Lutheran, I now realize that God's Word is true, even if it doesn't seem logical or make sense to me.  And that's comforting.  I don't have to do mental gymnastics or to understand His Word for it to be true.  My salvation isn't on me or my understanding.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9
2.  The Ten Commandments are often wrongly viewed as just a checklist for Christian living.  Jesus teaches that the commandments also must be kept "from the heart" when He equates anger with murder and lust with adultery.  And the Lutheran understanding is that we break those commandments daily.  We can't stop sinning; I can't stop sinning.  That's a hard pill to swallow about oneself.  It also goes against a lot of popular, Christian self-help teachings. 

3.  The confession and the absolution are the coolest and most unique parts of the Lutheran service.  

People may think that having a pastor absolve a person of sins will somehow give that person a license to sin.  People may also object and say, "I can confess my own sins to God.  I don't need the pastor to do it for me."  

The truth is, the confession and absolution are gifts from the Lord to me.  I need to hear that forgiveness, for my heart, my conscience, my peace, so I know and believe.  It's for me.  And it's Biblical.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.  John 20:23
4.  People often ask, "Do you believe baptism is salvific?  Is the Lord's Supper salvific?"  I think the question should be, "How does one receive forgiveness of sins and salvation?  Through what means does God give faith?"

And for the individual Christian whose conscience may bother him, "How does he know he's saved?  What can he point to for assurance that's not inside his own understanding, feelings, or behavior?"
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17
Baptism...now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 3:21
"Take, eat; this is my body."  And..."Drink of it... for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."  Matthew 26:26-28
Baptism, the Lord's Supper, God's Word are all gifts given to us, to me, to give me forgiveness and faith, so that I don't doubt the validity or strength of my faith, or wonder if I really do have faith or am really a Christian.  

5.  Finally, the Lutheran pastor you visited nailed it in equating worship with breathing.  To live as Christians, we need to continually "take in" His Word, to be reminded of our baptism, to hear the forgiveness of sins, to know the forgiveness that's given in the eating and drinking of the Lord's Supper.  

I need to be pointed again and again to the cross, to Jesus.  I need to know the love of God, of my Father in Heaven.  Without that continual "breathing" my faith will grow cold and die.

Matt, thanks for taking the time to explore the Lutheran church and teachings and to share your journey.  God's blessings and encouragement to you.

Kathy Mokris - baptized child, saint and sinner, always a beggar.


Saturday, November 23, 2019

It's All About Jesus

The Book of Revelation has always confounded me.  In my early Christian life, I was exposed to Dispensational Pre-Millennialism, or the Left Behind scenario.  And I always thought, "This is hokey.  This makes no sense."  For a time, I rarely read Revelation, and I avoided studying the End Times issue.

Likewise, the Old Testament is abundant in history, in people, in teachings, and I often found it confusing and overwhelming.  But because it's history, I kept reading it and studying it.

And over time, I've come to understand that the Old Testament is "all about Jesus."  In Genesis, the Lord promises that a seed of Adam will crush Satan's head.  Later, the Lord promises to Abraham that from his line all nations on earth will be blessed. 

Over and over, the Old Testament accounts reveal the Lord working in a situation so that both the nation of Israel is protected, and the line of Christ is preserved.  It's God fulfilling His promise to send a Messiah, one born from the tribe of Judah, a king descended from David.

Recently, I heard a sermon on Revelation 12.
[A woman] was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth...And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. Revelation 12:2, 12:4

The pastor said something like, "Ever since the promise was given, Israel has been a pregnant woman waiting for the birth of the Messiah.  And the devil [the dragon] has been waiting to devour the Messiah.  And that's how we can understand all of the Old Testament." 

In the Old Testament, Israel was always waiting for the Messiah to be born, and Satan was always trying to destroy Israel, to destroy even the hope of a Messiah.  

And there it is, the gospel and all of the Old Testament in Revelation!  Maybe I'm just fanatical, but that excites me.  

And as if that wasn't enough, the sermon continued with a description of God's throne room as described in Job, the throne room where Satan accuses people.  And that was compared with Revelation 12, and the picture of Satan being throne out of heaven, where he can no longer stand and accuse men.  Satan can no longer accuse because Jesus has defeated him.
...And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God."  Revelation 12:7-10
Again, I'd never connected those two accounts - the throne room as described in Job, and Satan thrown down from heaven as described in Revelation.

There's always something intellectually satisfying when Bible passages are clarified.   But the real excitement for me is in the big picture.  It's a picture of a God whose love is never changing, a God who keeps His promises, who reconciles man to Himself, who saves even me.  

And His Word, His truth, is always and continually proclaiming that salvation...to me and for me.  It's all about Jesus!


Saturday, November 16, 2019

Contriving and Lying to God


During the first days of Plebe Summer after I entered the Naval Academy, my squad leader called us all together in my room and taught us how to make a rack, or bed, demonstrating with my rack.  Shortly thereafter, another squad leader poked his head in our room, commented on how good my rack looked, and he was gone before I could explain.

And I felt sick.

Not only was I being praised for something I didn't do, but, I thought I'd violated Naval Academy Honor standards.
A midshipman does not lie, cheat, or steal.
And that includes any type of deception.

Before I could even talk to my squad leader, the other squad leader went to him, and they recognized what had happened.  

They called us all together and talked about the incident.  They absolved me right away, but they also used the situation as an example of our obligation to be honest and trustworthy at all times.  

There's no place in the military, especially with officers, for anyone to "make himself look good" or to seek praise.  Our military protects our freedom, and it also values and protects the lives of all members, our fellow comrades.  When someone is deceptive, lies, or is self-serving, well, lives can be lost.  That's the bottom line.

I'm reminded of that incident every time I read Act 5.  That's the chapter with Ananias and Sapphira, the couple who sell their field of land and pretend to give all of the proceeds to the church.   

And this verse jumps out at me:
Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.  Acts 5:4b 
By nature, we all make decisions for our own advantage, we want to feel good about ourselves and about what we do, and we mostly don't even recognize that we do this.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?  Jeremiah 17:9
At the Naval Academy, we were made aware of this, and we were taught that it was to our advantage to not seek our own advantage or praise.  

The ultimate truth is - God sees all; He knows my heart; He knows what I'm up to; and I can't hide from Him.
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7b
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.  Proverbs 21:2
It's overwhelming to wrap my head around this and to try to live it out.  And the cost of not living this out perfectly - my own soul, my life.

The good news is, Jesus came to die for my sins, all my sins, even my weak attempt at being selfless.  He came so that I would be forgiven and have peace with Him, have life and joy. 
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:7-8 
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.  Psalm 62:1
 

 


Friday, November 8, 2019

The Sound of Freedom

I was recently at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, for my 35th class reunion.  Navy played (and beat!) Tulane in the homecoming game.  And before the start of every football game, Navy jets make a flyover of the stadium, a flyover that's perfectly timed to coincide with the Navy players running onto the field.  


We were in our tailgate area before the game, when suddenly, we heard them.  The jets!  We all got quiet.  I forgot how loud and impressive a flyover is!

When the jets had passed, one of my classmates said, "And that's the sound of freedom."  



 Yeah!  "The sound of freedom."  

Amidst the festivities of reunion weekend, and all the excitement of seeing old classmates...well, I was reminded what it's all about, what we, as Naval Academy graduates, were and are all about.   

"Support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."  

Freedom isn't cheap; and it takes all military personnel - not just infantrymen, sailors, and fighter pilots, but admin clerks, warehouse clerks, military police, mess cooks, truck drivers, mechanics, everyone.  All of our military contributes to the "sound of freedom" that we enjoy in this country.

And not to take anything away from our military personnel and veterans...

But it's also the Lord who I give thanks to, thanks that He has given us a country where we live in peace, provision, and abundance, much more than any place in history has ever enjoyed.

And Jesus..

He "set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51) to die for the sins of the world. 

He came "to proclaim liberty to the captives" (Luke 4:18), to "set us free" from sin, death, and Satan. 
Take, eat, and drink for the forgiveness of your sins.

It is finished.

Your sins are forgiven.
The sound of freedom.

This weekend, remember to thank our veterans and active duty military personnel for freedom in this country.  And - Go Navy, Beat Army.

More importantly, thank the Lord for freedom in this life and the life to come. 

Amen; Come Lord Jesus. 






Sunday, November 3, 2019

Getting Fined!

When I was at the Naval Academy and someone broke a regulation, through either neglect or poor performance, that person was given demerits.  And with too many demerits came extra duty or restriction.  It's what you'd expect from a service academy.

My son is at a small Christian college, and like every college, it has rules for students' behavior.  Before his freshman year, I noted that students who missed a mandatory floor meeting (in the dorm) would be fined; I think it was $25.  I sort of chuckled, but...

I've since learned the college has other standards that, when broken, also carry a fine.  Hmm.  

Is this how a Christian college should teach or enforce desired behavior?

You see, a lot of people think that the main part of being a Christian is following the rules, doing what's right, being a good person. 

And they got it wrong.  

Yes, Christians are taught and commanded to obey, to follow the law.  But the law isn't what saves; it can't save.

It's through the law that we're convicted, that we know our own sin.
Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.  Romans 7:7b 
God's law, His Word, it condemns; it shows us our sin.  It ultimately tells us that we can't keep His law, that we can't save ourselves.
...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ...because by works of the law no one will be justified.  Galatians 2:16
It's when God's law tells us we're guilty, that the door is then opened for us to know the complete forgiveness of sins.  In Jesus, all fines have been paid.  But if we don't know we're sinners, through and through, then we don't know or comprehend that forgiveness.
 
I know that the college just wants to maintain order and wants the students to follow the rules.  But I have to ask, "Are they just making Pharisees, Christians who look down on others who aren't as good as they are?"

I think the college is missing an opportunity to share and reinforce the heart of Christianity in two ways.  They should be:
1.  Teaching God's love and forgiveness of sins based, not on works, but on the death and resurrection of Jesus. 
2.  Teaching the importance and joy of loving and forgiving other people.
And having a system of fines - well, it just emphasizes and supports the idea of salvation by a person's own works.

I don't know the answer to this, but I think it starts with hearing and reading God's Word.  Our true good works will always flow and follow from our own forgiveness, from the gospel.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive...Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:12-13, 16-17



Saturday, October 19, 2019

Going Gray

I've gone gray, and I don't mean hair color.

I heard a discussion about time management and cell phones, and how we have a tendency to waste time on our many devices.  One suggestion was twofold:  1) Turn off all phone notifications except for phone calls and texts; 2) Go gray, removing color from your screen.

Last week, I had my son switch my phone to the black/white mode.  The idea is that all the colors on my phone and other devices entice and stimulate me to spend more time on them, often wasting my time.  And, as an added bonus, gray screens supposedly save battery power.

The result - I noticed the screen wasn't in color, but it wasn't a problem.  So I decided to switch both my iPad and computer screens to gray.  

I mostly use my iPad to read books, and gray is a little strange because my books (the book cover icons) appear as black and white, and not in color.

But, since I do a lot of writing and work on the computer, my computer screen is a different issue.  My desk top, a picture of my sons, is now black and white.  And I've had to adjust my navigation habits; I've started thinking in "black and white."  

Also words that often appear as blue to signify a link to another site, well, they're not blue anymore.  

And I have to switch off the gray screen when I'm editing pictures, to check the picture colors. 

But overall, I'd say this isn't a big deal, and time will tell if I now waste less time on the computer.

Curiously, in my house, when the lighting is dim, I now sometimes have the impression that my rooms are in black and white, that the color is "turned off" in the house.

Also, in general, I'm more mindful that the world around me is in color. 

This experience in going gray has given me a picture of how my perception isn't correct.  I'm realizing that, I'm physically seeing things differently, sometimes wrongly.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.  1 Corinthians 13:12
In this world, with all of our accomplishments and knowledge, we think we know so much; we think we "see" it all.  

But we don't see things fully.  Our sin blinds us to reality.  It's like we're looking at a colored world, but seeing it in black and white.

In thinking about the world "in gray" I've realized that how I perceive my self, how I perceive others, how I think about situations, etc - well, that perception isn't colored correctly either.  It's a mixture of some right and some wrong.

God's wisdom, knowledge, and thinking, it's just different, more abundant, and flawless.  Mine is not.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9
I'm waiting for that Day to come...
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.                      1 John 3:2 
Amen, come Lord Jesus.




Sunday, October 6, 2019

If You Bite and Devour One Another...

So what's the deal with our government leaders?  And with news reporters and commentators?  It seems like their main job is now to "fight with the other side." 



Just what are they doing and what are they accomplishing anyway?  Don't they have any "real" work to do?

I think of all the time, energy, and money that's being put into this "fighting."  Suppose all those resources are spent on solving some problem or issue that the country, the world, needs help with.  Progress would be made if these "fighting" resources were directed elsewhere.

Instead, we get this arguing and digging up of dirt.  I'm reminded of the verse:
But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.  Galatians 5:1
That's exactly what's going on.

Again I ask, "Don't they have any real work to do?" 

And if an issue is so important to someone or to a group, then that person or group should do something, like sacrifice personally, to make an impact.  When I see people advocating action for climate control,  I think, "Will that person give up their comfortable lifestyle to help the environment?  Then why don't they do it now?  Lead the way in a positive manner, make a sacrifice."

But all I see is biting, devouring, and consuming one another.

Sadly, the same type of bickering often happens among Christians, and even right inside the church.  

Guilty.

The world is a mess and has been.

And in the midst of this mess, Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, came to live among us, to live among us and to set things right.

He healed people; He fed people; He forgave sins.  He also wept and suffered.  He became that ultimate, perfect sacrifice that died for the sins of the world.  
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.  1 John 2:2
Instead of biting and devouring, we are commanded to love one another.
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.  1 John 2:10–11
This is a big commandment and a hard saying.  I look at the world and think, "What do I do?  What will make an impact?"

I personally can't "take on" all the problems of the world and give attention to all the "causes" that need solving.  And I don't want to get caught up in all this arguing.

But I can impact my family, my neighborhood, people in my sphere of influence.  My efforts and my resources can go into loving and serving those people.  

And I can pray for our government leaders and all leaders to lead fairly, wisely, to get stuff done, to not "bite and devour one another." 
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.            Proverbs 10:12  
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8 
[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:6-7






Saturday, September 28, 2019

How Does One Love and Forgive Another Sinner?

On Saturday mornings, I pray and confess through the Ten Commandments.  

The first three commandments are always easy - I'm guilty.  I fall short of loving and trusting the Lord.  I fall short in praying and meditating on God's Word.   

But then I get to the next three commandments:  
- Respect and obey those people in charge.
- Don't murder and don't hate.
- Don't commit adultery, meaning love my spouse.

These commandments deal with sins against other people, and my confession often sounds like this:
Help me to honor and obey my leaders and to pray for them, in spite of their lack of integrity.
Forgive me for being angry at this person who is clearly acting in a self-serving manner.
Forgive me for not loving my husband as I should, and help me to overlook his sins.
Notice what I did?  

I justified myself by blaming other people, other sinners, for my failure to obey God's commandments, my failure to love and forgive my neighbor.

And I mostly do this without even realizing it.

But the Lord never lets me get away with this type of behavior, this type of confession, because next comes the Seventh and Eighth Commandments.

"You shall not steal" and "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."

In other words:
- Don't be lazy; don't waste time or resources.
- Don't talk about people who are annoying.

Guilty and guilty.

With those two commandments I know I'm in the same boat with those who rule over me, with people who get under my skin, and even with my family members.

We're all sinners in need of forgiveness. 

In confessing my sin, my guilt, my self-centered ways, I also experience the comfort and the value of the cross.  And it's then that I'm blessed with a small ability to love and forgive others as I've been forgiven.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.                 1 John 4:10–11
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8








Sunday, September 22, 2019

Who's to Blame, and Who's Gonna Fix It?

I have a relatively new neighbor.  After moving in, he put a flag pole in his front yard flying both an American flag and a blue Trump banner.  He later added a flag pole at the side of his house.  

But his boldest move has been to etch "MAGA!" on the sidewalk.


In this country, we have people who worship the President.  Likewise, we have people who want to impeach him.  

At the bottom of it all, everyone recognizes that something is wrong with the world.  And we want the world fixed, or at least better.

And because of the predicament that the world is in, people are asking, but mostly arguing about two questions.  First, who's to blame for the mess we're in?  Second, who's going to fix it and how?  

And people disagree about the answers to both questions.

But the truth is, "We live in a broken world," and it's almost always been that way.

I was talking about this with another neighbor, a young father and republican who voted for Trump, but admits that he just doesn't like the President.

We agreed on this, "All men are sinful."  

Some men keep their sins secret, and outwardly appear to have honor and integrity; and some, like the President, have no shame and just say what's on their minds.

So, back to the two questions:

1.  Who's to blame for the mess we're in?
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.  Romans 5:12
We're all guilty, and we're all to blame.  We all deserve death because of sin.  It's not any one person's leadership or any one political party's laws or positions.  It's all of us.

2.  Who's going to do the fixing and how?
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  2 Corinthians 5:18–19
Jesus is the one who's done the fixing, who paid the price for me, for all the guilty, through His death and resurrection.  He's the one who's making all things new.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.  Isaiah 65:17
And my response is to love people and to share this truth with them. 

My friend, the young father, he looks at the world's mess and he just wants a safe world for his girls.  He loves them, as a father loves his children, similar to how the Father loves us.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  John 3:16–17
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.  Acts 4:12
Amen, come Lord Jesus.