The Spirit of our Politics

You grew up hearing little phrases that meant something in your neck of the woods. Phrases like, “You’re behind the 8-ball now” or “You’re barking up the wrong tree” or “bless your heart”. All of these meant something specific where you grew up. One I grew up hearing was “never talk about politics and religion together.”

But over the last two to three election cycles, my American friends have told me they felt like they were between a rock and a hard place. Comments like, “No candidate inspires me” or “I don’t trust either one” or “I just don’t know who I should vote for” has led to the comment, “So I’m just going to sit this one out”.

Now, I am not a political person by nature. You’ll really never hear me endorse a candidate or a platform or a party. But Paul tells us in Romans 13 that God establishes human government. And it doesn’t make sense to me that God would not want humans involved in the government he has established.

When we read Jeremiah 29, you find a prophet of God living in a broken Jerusalem who’s trying to encourage his countrymen who have been taken hostage. King Nebuchadnezzar took thousands of Israelites to Babylon as he conquered and dismantled the country of Judah. So, while the Israelites are living in a country and culture that doesn’t share their values nor their belief in the God of Israel, Jeremiah sends a letter to encourage them. This letter is written and sent to Babylon in about 597BC and Jeremiah has some insight that will help us in our difficult and divided moment here in America.

Jeremiah reminds us to be responsible in our culture. He says look you’re going to be there a while, 70 years so provide for your family, get a home, get a garden, get a job, get married, have kids and raise a family. The average life span in America is 78.9 years. And we live in a culture that doesn’t have the same beliefs we do in a risen savior nor an everlasting God. But don’t isolate, permeate. Be salt and light and live in such a way to represent Jesus well.

Jeremiah reminds us to be prayerful for our country. Our lives are wrapped up in the welfare of this country. Prayer is our declaration of dependence on God. I think most of us would agree that our country desperately needs God. So prayer for revival and another chance. Pray for our leaders to use the wisdom of God in their decision making. Pray that we’d be united instead of divided.

Jeremiah reminds us to be careful about who you consider when you vote. Every election candidates from both sides tell some truth and some things not so true. We hear positives and negatives from both sides. So, take time to think, research and learn. Don’t just listen to your favorite evening news broadcast and go with it. Investigate and discover what the real issues are in the campaign. Then make the best choice you can out of what is available. Participate in the process; don’t isolate.

Finally, Jeremiah calls us to be hopeful in your calling. Keep your eye on the permanent heavenly home. We are here for a lifetime; we are not here for all time. We are just passing through. At the end of the day, God is still on his throne. The Lamb is greater than the donkey. The Lion is greater than the elephant. As a child of God, I should never be hopeless because our God is in control.

We are about a month away from election. So, be responsible, be prayerful, be careful and be hopeful. We are called by God to be salt and light. It’s our opportunity to show our friends, coworkers, and family how to navigate a culture making sure God is the priority. Blessings on the journey.

Faith in an Awesome God.

If you are struggling with your faith, I highly recommend reading Hebrews 11, known as the faith chapter. Having have in the unseen, awesome God is an. It says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Faith is having complete trust and confidence in God. There is no sugar coating the importance of faith that this verse conveys. Without faith it is impossible to please God. It’s not half-way possible, or maybe possible, but it is impossible! If you don’t believe and have faith in God, then you aren’t pleasing to Him (ouch). Not only do you need to believe that He exists, but as this verse says you must also believe that He will reward you for following Him.

It’s not always easy, but the only way to please God is to get out of your comfort zone and take a step of faith. It’s not always going to make sense. Actually, most of the time it won’t make sense because if it made sense, then it isn’t faith. Just as hope that is seen isn’t hope (Romans 8:24), faith that is seen isn’t faith. So if you could see God, then you wouldn’t need faith, which is why it’s so important to Him. As your father, He wants to know that you believe He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.

You have to step out of the boat, just like Peter did, to find out what He has in store for you. If you don’t take that first step then you are going to miss out on all the blessings in store. Expect God to reward your faith! If something is holding you back, ask Him to remove the fear and to step forward in the abundant life He has for you.

May you have a faith that sees you through today and the days to come. May you feel God’s presence all around you. May you believe that God has a plan for you and will continue to bless you. Blessings on your journey.

Never Give Up!

Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Tired and feeling like the fight is not worth it? Have you convinced yourself that giving up and calling it quits is the best option for you? Guess what? Giving up is not an option for you becaue you have come too far to turn around now! The race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but to those who endure to the end!

When in doubt and feeling like giving up, pray! We will never know what one prayer will do until we trust God through prayer. See what James says about prayer in James 5:16-18.

I will admit that sometimes life’s strong winds, heavy rain and stormy seas can seem so fierce and unbearable to the point that they make us want to give up and quit, but we can’t! I was talking to a young woman yesterday who lost her husband last December. She expressed she felt God had abandoned her story. I reminded her he has not forgotten her in her pain.

Yes, life circumstances has a way to make us doubt that things will ever change for us and that God Himself has forgotten about us, but, I want to remind you on today that God is still on the throne and in control of ALL the world’s affairs. It does not matter how long we have had a problem, the power of God is still able to turn things around for us.

As God ask Jeremiah, I am asking you all on today “iS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?” Today is the day to trust God through the pain, knowing that one day when you least expect, it will end and you will find yourself on the other side of through in that situation.

Faith will be tested! 1 Peter 1:7: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

In the midst of your struggle, you must tell yourself that you will press your way because there is a reward on the other side of weariness. God promises it in His Word!

As a way of encouraging you on today, the Lord your God wants you to know that in due season, you “WILL” reap a harvest if you do not give up and quit! When tested, turn to God!

Believe it or not, the moment you are ready to quit is usually the moment right before the miracle. Your storm is temporary but the blessings of God last forever! NEVER GIVE UP! Trust in God and lean on his power and might. Blessings on the journey.

You are a Child of God.

When I went to basic training for the US Air Force, we gathered as a group of 50 guys from all different walks of life and where just all over the map. But by the end of our seven weeks together, we belonged to each other. We supported one another, encouraged one another, helped each other. We were a family.

Paul in his letter to the Galatian churches is revealing to us we also belong to each other. Each of us were created in God’s image and we are part of the family of God…we are children of an incredible God.

That first century church was intensely relational. There were in each other’s business on more than just Sunday morning but every day of the week. Those followers of Christ belonged to each other and to God. Paul in Galatians 3 is working out that we are justified by faith in Jesus or how we are right with God by just believing in Jesus Christ. So many Jewish Christians were suggesting a “works-based” salvation and Paul is saying we belong to Jesus without works but based upon our belief in a risen Savior. Paul gives us four reasons why we belong in Galatians 3:23-29..

We belong to God because we believe. I don’t belong because I perform or earn it or work for it. I belong because I believe in Jesus Christ, period. You don’t have to clean yourself up and then come to God. You can’t do enough to be right before God. You come as you are and God cleans you up. That’s why it’s called the Good News!

We belong to God because we are baptized. When we believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ, we put on Jesus symbolically by joining Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection. Then, we are immersed in the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Why be baptized? Well, one, because Jesus said so but it identifies us with Jesus death, burial and resurrection; it unites us in the Gospel story and gives us new birth.

We belong to God because we become part of the blended family. Jesus removed all the cultural barriers that separated us. All the social, ethnic, and gender barriers are gone in Christ (Galatians 3:28). The point is, there is no favored status in the church family. Everyone has the same connection to God. Each of us, regardless of our ethnic heritage, skin color or background can be a part of the family of God!

We belong to God because we are beneficiaries of the promises God made to us as far back as Abraham. Because of what Jesus has done for me, belonging entitles me to all the benefits of being in the family. Being in the family doesn’t mean sitting on the sideline but actively being a part of what the family does. Using your giftedness to retell the story of Jesus is what it means to be part of the family.

So, know you belong. It’s nothing you have done but everything Jesus did for you that makes you a family member. It’s time to embrace believing in a risen Savior who has given you so very much. He’s removed the barriers that prevented us from connecting to God and given us life and life in the full. Blessings on your journey.

Drop the Mask.

I preach grace and mercy. I talk about being patient. We should be long-suffering with those around us. However, I’ve not always practiced what I preach. That’s called spiritual hypocrisy. And Jesus admonishes us to live in a consistent way so that his Name is glorified in all we do.

Brennan Manning said, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

See, hypocrisy is not the disparity between what we do and what we wish we did. Hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are. It’s the difference between public persona and private character. Jesus didn’t want the show, he wants real discipleship.

In Greek culture, a hypocrite was a stage actor…someone who wore a mask. So both Jesus and Paul remind us we are not to be “actors” when it comes to following Jesus but real, live disciples who are fully committed to pursuing the life Christ has called us to live.

Social media is the perfect breeding ground to create this kind of life. We post on our social media accounts everything we want the world to see and nothing we wish to hide. So we post amazing quotes about marriage but sleep in different bedrooms. We talk about how awesome our life is when in reality, we are suffering from isolation, loneliness, hurt, and depression.

Did you know we actually hold the key to our freedom? Jesus gave it to us. The writer in Proverbs 28:13 says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” Confession is the key. If we are real and authentic, we unlock ourselves from the prison.

So if hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are, how do we close the gap? Well, we don’t close it with perfectionism. We’ll never be good enough to be perfect. So, we close the gap with Jesus. He is our perfection. He is our savior and our healing.

So let Jesus do the healing. Let him be our redemption. Let his heart forgive us. Allow him to be the source of power in our lives. Blessings on the journey.

Signs of Indifference.

We have become a culture of “meh”. We can ask about any subject matter and our answer is “meh”. It’s an attitude of indifference. We have become individualists with no need to think about anything except that which WE care about. And it’s no different with church family and our spiritual lives. We have become spiritually stale and depressingly detached.

Jesus tells the church in Laodicea that they not only break his heart but turn his stomach (Revelation 3:15-16). There are a couple of things we can learn from that stale church full of “meh” followers of Christ.

One cause for spiritual indifference is the illusion of self-sufficiency. In other words, we don’t need anybody’s help, including Jesus. We are a nation who has everything, and yet, we have nothing that matters. Jesus says we are spiritually void.

A second cause of spiritual indifference are the distractions of this world. Jesus tells us in Mark 4, that the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things crowd out a real desire to follow Jesus.

So, how do I know that I’ve become indifferent? By what measure do I realize I’ve become someone who is not hot nor cold for my faith? Over 30 years of ministry has given me a few ideas to measure my life by. Here they are:

I may be more concerned with impressing people than living for God. Our social media really shows what we care about. We post pictures of last night’s dinner, our latest hair style, and our vacation but do we post prayers, or scripture, or how Jesus has effected our lives? We should be proud to proclaim our faith.

We may be more obsessed with life on earth rather than eternity. American life seems to be about gathering stuff and what I can get right now. Rather than focusing on our eternal life, we are busy outdoing the Jones’.

We may rationalize sin and live without truly fearing or respecting God. In our culture, we simply rename sin so it’s not as painful to hear. We call porn, adult entertainment; we call adultery, an affair. We begin pointing to others and saying, “I’m not as bad as they are” so the spotlight will hopefully fall away from us.

I may believe in Jesus but rarely share my faith. Do we not believe that Jesus is the answer? That he is the only salvation available? There are lots of ways to share the Gospel. Let me encourage you to use your social media as a way to tell others what Jesus has done for you.

We may turn to God only when we need him for something. Rather than seeking him every day, we call on him just when it benefits us. He becomes a tool to use rather than a God we worship.

Without realizing it, we wake up one day and realize we have become spiritually indifferent. We have become “meh” about Jesus and his church. So, how do I reignite the fire for Kingdom living?

I’d encourage you to pick ONE of the following items. Don’t do them all because you’ll end up doing none of them. Just pick ONE of the following and do it for the next 28 days.

Read God’s Word every day for the next 28 days. The Book of Acts has 28 chapters; Proverbs, in the Bible’s Old Testament has 31 chapters. These are just 2 of 66 options.

Or join a small group to attend every week to be with others who want to pursue God.

Or begin praying every single day for the next 28 days.

Or share your faith or something about your faith every day for the next 28 days.

Or discover how you can be more than a Sunday morning Christian by attending multiple church events over the next 28 days.

Now, why do I keep saying “28 days”? Because the experts say that’s how long it takes to form a habit. Do something everyday that requires faith…something you can’t do on your own. You and the Holy Spirit have got this. It’s time to change. It’s time to follow the Lord so closely his dust settles upon you. Blessings on the journey.

Knocking on Open Gates.

The first century church was up against it in Acts 11-12. There was a major famine going on in the Roman Empire and King Herod of Israel had begun a vicious persecution of the church, starting in Jerusalem. So what do we do when difficult times hit?

In Acts 12:5, we find the church gathered and praying fervently for the release of Peter, who has been imprisoned. The other piece is that we lean in to discern the voice of God in our lives. If we put these two things together in tandem, we will find we have opportunity to see God in action and follow his leading. However, when opportunity knocks, opposition is always at the door with it.

So we can learn some things about our spiritual journey by digging into the church’s and Peter’s decisions while he’s in prison in Acts 12. Peter is hours away from a very public trial and if it ends like James’, he will have his head cut off. But what is Peter doing the night before his trial? Acts 12:6 says that he’s sleeping. How in the world do you sleep on what could be the last night of your life?

Remember the story about Jesus, the disciples and a storm? It’s night time and all 13 are in a boat in the middle of Sea of Galilee. A massive storm pops up. The disciples are scared. They are bailing water from inside the boat. They are battening down the sails. They are rowing against the current, wind and rain. And while they are straining against the storm, Jesus is sleeping in the boat. Peter had seen what Jesus does when there’s a storm in your life. So Peter sleeps while Herod knocks on the door of his life.

We also see that obedience always comes before freedom. Freedom from knowing the outcome before you take the next step. Peter is asked by an angel while he’s in prison to get up and then the chains fall off. Most of us would still be sitting there because we want details before we even moved. But Peter, gets up and the chains fall off. He puts his clothes on. You see, that’s faith. Putting your clothes on before you know where you are going.

And then Peter and the angel get to the iron gate of the prison. God opens the gate miraculously and Peter and the angel walk through the gate. You know, God will do for you what you can’t do for yourself. But he won’t do for you what you should do for yourself. Notice the angel didn’t say “get on my back”, I’ll carry you. No. They both walked through the gate. Sometimes, you just have to walk through it…the storm in your life.

So what do we discover in Acts 12 about our spiritual journey. One: there is real power in prayer. The church collectively gathered to pray Peter out of prison. Two: there is freedom in obedience. When we obey God’s calling, even when we can’t see the next step, we find freedom from the prison we are in. And finally: you have the peace the passes all understanding from deep faith in our incredible God.

Power, freedom, and peace are all available but only if you say “yes” to Jesus. Make him Lord of your life. It’s time to get up and leave the prison that’s been your home. Walk through the gate and find everything you’ve been looking for. Blessings on your journey.

Obvious Devotion.

We are all devoted to something. Simply pull back the curtain of our life and it will be obvious. Some of us are fans of our favorite sports team. You can tell because we have season tickets, wear the colors everyday and fly the flag on our house. Some of us are devoted to our kids and we let them dictate to us adults how things are going to go in the home. Some of us are devoted to our careers and our marriages, parenting and spiritual life suffer for it.

But Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6) to invest in things that will last forever. Don’t waste time investing in things that will eventually fall apart. Jesus essentially says that we were created to pour, not store.

There is a story of a guy who was a great farmer who had a scarcity mindset. He was good at his job although he didn’t give any credit to God nor did he think about others. He simply thought about himself. He had a mindset of scarcity so he wasn’t willing to share or have a relationship with others and include them in the blessing God had given him. Luke 12 is where Jesus tells that story. Jesus reminds us in that story we are created to pour, not store.

Jesus tells another story in Luke 7 about a woman who had an abundant mindset. She was willing to give and share and include. So Jesus is invited to this dinner party at a religious leader’s house and once seated at the dinner table, a prostitute comes in and kneels behind Jesus and at his feet. The text says her tears fell on his feet and she wiped her tears with her hair. She had also brought an expensive bottle of perfume which she broke and poured over his feet. She had a mindset of abundance. She realized we were created to pour not store.

Then Jesus is preaching to this large crowd in another story found in Luke 9. We call it the feeding of the 5000. The people are getting tired and hungry and the only thing to eat is a little boy’s lunch which consist of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Once Jesus has the sack lunch, he divides it up so that everyone, all 5000+, has enough to eat! They even have 12 baskets of leftovers. It’s a reminder we serve a God who always provides more than enough. And there is a principle we can learn here which should flow into every part of our life: what you keep is all you have but what you give, God will multiply.

We are created to pour and not store. So, during this Thanksgiving season, be someone with a generous heart. Generosity is not an act, it’s a posture of the heart. God’s promised to take care of us. You can’t out give God. He even challenges us to test him in this very idea in Malachi 3:10.

I know, like me, you’re thinking if I start being a person who pours out, who gives, who shares, I might have to rearrange my life…like putting God first. YEP! If I decide to give like Jesus did, well that would take some crazy faith in God. YEP! God’s promised to give us more if we live this way. So this season, discover how you can change your life to one that shows your fully devoted to how God has blessed you. Blessings on your journey.

Total Dependence.

In 1989, I went to Air Force basic training. Once I got off the bus, the molding, shaping, and refining began. I arrived as one person but the DIs shaped me into someone new by the end of my time there. I’ve been forever grateful for the eight years I spent in the Air Force, wearing the uniform, active during Desert Storm and protecting my country.

In 1 Kings 17, we are introduced to one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history…a guy named Elijah. His name means “My God is Jehovah”. He becomes God’s sounding piece for a king named Ahab and a queen named Jezebel. When Elijah comes on the scene, Israel had experienced 19 consecutive evil kings who took Israel away from God. That’s about 200 years of poor decision-making.

Elijah pronounces a drought on Israel to get their attention and right after, God moves Elijah into the wilderness to do some work on him. God tells him to go to the Kerith Ravine where God provides a source of water and ravines to bring him food. “Kerith” means “cut off” or “cut down”. I’m inclined to believe Elijah may have had a pride issue so God cuts him off from everyone else in order to cut him down or humble him. So Elijah goes through a season of isolated pain and solitude but God will use these moments to shape him into the Kingdom man God wants him to be.

With no one to help him (except the birds), Elijah has to become totally dependent on God for all things. See, God didn’t give him a week’s supply of food or even a 2-day supply but just enough for the day. You and I can learn from this story that God will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.

And then God requires unconditional obedience to His plan. So, to move Elijah, God eventually dries up his water source. I can only image Elijah asking, “What’s the purpose of all this? Have I don’t something wrong? Did I do something I wasn’t supposed to do?” But I think for Elijah and us, God sometimes allows the “brook” to dry up in order to give us courage to leave and go where he wants us to live into his story. So many of us put our trust in money, job, friends, or surroundings but many times God allows these things to dry up to move us forward in His story.

And then God moves Elijah to a village called Zaraphath where Elijah interacts with a widow. He asks her to cook him a meal but she says she only has enough flour for her son and her. Elijah is persistent and then tells her that if she does this for him, her flour and oil jar will never run dry, which is exactly what happens.

God changes Elijah. He molds him and shapes him into the Kingdom person God is looking for. In 1 Kings 17:1, we know Elijah only by WHERE he’s from (Tishbe). By the end of chapter 17, the widow calls him Elijah, man of God.

So know that if you find yourself in the wilderness and things aren’t going as you planned, God is doing something in you so that He can later do something through you. Blessings on the journey.

How to Share your Faith.

When it comes to sharing your faith, most of us hesitate. It is not because we don’t love our life or being a disciple of Jesus. Usually, it falls into one of three categories.

We just get busy. I mean, life happens. Most of us have no margin in our day to consider how we could share our faith. We hit the ground running in the morning getting kids ready for school with breakfast and sack lunches. After we drop them at school, we go to work and put in a full 8-hour day. Most of the time we don’t finish our work so we take it home with us. Once the kids get home, there’s homework, dinner, soccer practice. By the end of the day, we collapse into bed only to do it all again the next day.

Another is, we don’t want to be known as the weird Jesus-freak. I call them megaphone man. You see them on street corners with a megaphone calling down hate and judgment on people who don’t look like them. We just don’t want to be viewed as weird. I get that.

Finally, we don’t think we know enough about our faith. We think, “If I knew more about Jesus and my faith, I’d share more with the folks I interact with everyday.” But Paul’s prayer in Philemon 1:4-6 would indicate the opposite is true. He says that we share our faith in order to have a deeper understanding of who Jesus is to us.

With that in mind, I want to give you four ways to share your faith that you can do easily…yes, you! All of these ideas are loosely based on biblical stories from our New Testament.

You can be loving but direct. Peter used this approach in Acts 2 when we preached his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. He told the crowd the good news about Jesus and that they, the Jews, had killed the Messiah. He invited them into a relationship with Jesus. All they needed to do was change and allow Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Now, you can’t have this voice all the time because then you simply turn into megaphone man and you’ll loose your voice.

A second way to share your faith is just to share YOUR story. How did you come Jesus? What did he do for you? You have stories of recovered health, broken addictions and healed relationships. You are a better spouse and parent because of Jesus. You have a more purposeful life because of the Risen Savior.

Third, you can invite people to church. Now, the church is more than just the four walls. There are lots of ways you can let people know about the family of believers you live life with and invite them to come and see how you do life together. Most churches have events like a trunk or treat or a Christmas event you can invite folks to. If you have an online presence on Sunday morning, invite them to check out the livestream before coming to an in-person service.

Finally, you can live a life others want. We all have chaos going on in our life. Whether it’s the loss of a family member, loss of job, dealing with cancer or the effects of COVID, the world is watching to see how Jesus-followers react. When you show joy and peace in your life no matter what is going on, the people around you notice. And they want what you have. It’s your opportunity to let them know, Jesus is the reason you have that joy, peace, and love in your life.

COVID has made it easy for us to sit back and blame the virus for not being active. But it is time we rekindle the fire and discover new ways to share our faith. You can do this with the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. Blessings on the journey.