Today the church founded by John Wesley took an irreversible step backwards and downward with one vote. This happened because so many churches saw it coming and left the denomination in the last year. Most of you will not know that this battle has raged as tens of thousands of godly men and women around the world stood against this moment for the last couple decades. John Wesley preached and taught holiness of heart and life. He stood against ungodly living and unholy practices as outlined in the Bible. Of course, the people that voted today devalued the bible a long time ago so that they could ignore its call to abandon the things God calls an abomination. I am grieving. I am deeply saddened by friends that have by their actions or inaction exposed themselves as agreeing with what happened today.
The divide in the church world is growing wider daily and those of us that embrace a historic, narrow and conservative view of scripture will be vilified and criticized for not being progressive, and that’s okay with me. I will always love all people, however I will never love the twisting of scripture to support ungodliness and unrighteousness. I stand where I stand. I am thankful to be part of a local church that stands unapologetically for truth and not compromise, liberal theology or apostacy. I am praying for the reported 24% of pastors left in the UMC that don’t support this vote or its sentiments.
“Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” Romans 1:28-32 NLT
“So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 NLT
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
John Wesley said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”
Today sin was embraced with no fear and the gates of hell were certainly opened wide.
It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 10 years since my life took a pivotal turn. Everything around me changed.
I posted the following on Facebook, March 13, 2018:
“I answered the call of Jesus to turn my life over to Him at 17. I faithfully pursued Him and He called again in my college years and with great fear and doubt in my abilities I answered and went into full time ministry. The years were kind, the opportunities were many and beyond my imagination, time raced quickly and then one day I found myself in a strange place. Discouraged disillusioned, disappointed and disheartened I took my eyes off the One who could have helped me the most. From faithful to failure was a fairly short trip. Everything changed. Some people I thought I was close to, walked the other way. All that I knew and felt comfortable in doing disappeared. I was forced to see and own my brokenness. I felt the deep emotion of godly sorrow.
It was beyond traumatic, but it was also lifesaving.
I am learning about God’s love and grace. I learned about people who had the ability to love like Jesus and the Good Samaritan. I see Him in a new way every day. I see the world in a very different way than I did from my lofty church window and seat among the “holy.” I see the church in a very different way. We are all incredibly broken people, and most people never get to admit it. They carry their struggles, their sorrows and even their sins with strong resolve and heads held high into the sanctuaries and churches because there is no room for failure. Forgiveness is hard to earn for the fallen unless it is coming from Jesus. Failures are rarely forgotten and there is no human version of the sea of forgetfulness.
But God.
He pursues. He forgives. He moves on. He still loves. He runs to you and not the other way. He lavishes the fallen with mercy and blessing even in the midst of the burdens that come with failure. He never stops loving. His mercy rejoices against judgement. His love never fails, never runs out and He will not give up on you.
You are loved. He knows everything about you. Open up and live in the sunshine of His grace, mercy and redemption. Thankful.”
This was written before I knew a door would open to allow me to serve in a ministerial role that I continue to fill for a Christian health sharing ministry. I also had no idea that in 2020 the opportunity to help a pastor lead and shepherd a new church would come my way. Last week I was in a place where many former ministerial collogues were gathered. I was so thankful for the conversations, the laughs, the hugs, the tears and even the prayers that we shared together. I have some regrets for sure, but I also have a heart filled with thanksgiving for the God who loves, restores, cleanses and forgives. He gives us hope when there is no hope. He gives us grace when grace is hard to come by. He loves in a way that humans can barely begin to understand. I know. My hope is in Him. His grace and love keep me alive. Literally.
While watching a documentary of Johnny Cash recently I found myself filled with unexpected emotion. Not emotion about Cash, but emotion about the times of my childhood. I remember the late sixties and the seventies with a lot of clarity. Seeing the dress and footage of his backup singers, band, the fans, and the many Billy Graham crusade appearances created a glimpse back into the times of my childhood.
Just for a few minutes, my mind was flooded with memoires of a much different time and place. I remembered the Vietnam war and the thousands of POW’s we wanted to see come home. The silver bracelets with their names and the airport reunions. I remembered a church that felt like a place of safety, with three gatherings a week, revival meetings and watchnight New Year’s Eve services. I remembered Sears Christmas catalogs and the dreams that came with them. Baseball cards and bicycles with banana seats. I remembered the challenges of transition from elementary to high schools, (three different ones in my case), I remembered peer pressure and how much I wanted to fit in, but never did. I remember baseball and band. Baseball, the only sport I played officially, and the music that lasted from fourth grade through four years of college.
I remembered leisure suits and polyester shirts, platform shoes and wide ties. I remembered the sermons that scared me with warnings about the end of times; all the things written in the Bible to warn us of the imminent return of Jesus. I remembered longing to be right with God but struggling with life as a kid, trying to fit into the public school system with parents doing everything they could to keep me from fitting in. Politicians being assassinated. Martin Luther King’s death. I remembered most the safety I often felt at home even in times of upheaval and uncertainty. I was emotional as I watched Johnny Cash and the stories of his struggles with sin on the one hand and Jesus on the other.
I was emotional thinking of the chaos of our world today. The upside-down thinking that threatens to topple the church and biblical absolutes and beliefs. The infiltration of people into our churches, professing to love Jesus but who ignore God’s word as the standard for lifestyle and behavior, thus making a mockery of authentic faith. The lukewarmness of the North American church. The feeling in the pit of my stomach that never goes away these days as I watch the idiocy of politicians, hell bent on destroying this country. The constant uncertainty in a world and especially a country where trust in almost every institution at a federal and state level has been eroded away. There is no trust in the media, the medical world at least at a world level, big pharma, banks, and federal law-enforcement agencies that have apparently been weaponized and used against law abiding citizens.
It’s not that it was better then but it felt safer. Maybe it was my young age or just naivety. I am thankful for God’s word that I can hide in my heart. I am thankful for His promise that no matter how crazy and off kelter this world gets we have the hope of eternity with Jesus. Evil has always been a part of our world since Adam and Eve. Sometimes it is worse than others. Right now, it seems to be rather prolific. Evil is everywhere and there is very little shame, but God is still God. He is searching the world over for men and women whose hearts are turned toward Him. He is going to come back in search of the faithful.
All of this from a few minutes of a documentary. All my hope is in Jesus and was before David Crowder ever wrote the song.
This post is simply the thoughts that have surged through my mind for many years as I have watched the evolution of the church in my own culture. I don’t have all the answers, in fact, very few. My hope is that discussions will be had, some answers will be found and some changes will be made. Mostly I write this for my own sake as I search for those answers in my own ministry contexts.
I have led very small churches and one large church. I’ve felt the frustration of low attendance and believe it or not I’ve felt the frustration of high attendance at church. I’m not as sure of as many things as I used to be years ago, but I believe several things to be true about church.
God is not impressed with large church attendance numbers if we are missing the point.
God is not impressed with small attendance numbers if we are missing the point.
The “point” and mission has never changed. Go. Make disciples. Teach and train them to obey. The “point” comes with a promise, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” That’s all well and good but far from the priorities of nickels and noses counted ad nauseum in a vast majority of the North America church world. In my mind, the only number that is going to matter when we stand before God and give account of our church budgets and efforts will be how good were we at making disciples.
So what’s a church to do? Having led a church for nearly fourteen years that grew by an average of 100 people a year, it was extremely troubling to me that we were proficient at getting people in the door but in my opinion woefully inadequate at making authentic disciples. Not once were the messages “watered down” or biblically “dumbed down,” and yet it was clear that many people were coming through the door for the experience and not for life transformation and to conform to the word of God. We tried it all. We had small groups, bible studies, affinity groups, and even 12-week training classes cleverly disguised as membership classes. We expanded to multiple locations and didn’t abandon the challenged neighborhoods or saddle ourselves with major debt, and yet in all of that I laid awake at night worried that we seemingly hadn’t found a good way for men and women to really come to biblical change in their lives and loves. I still wrestle with it. I still talk to pastors about it every chance I get.
In this current church environment, clearly a lot of people walk through the church door, like consumers. The pressure is great to have the right kind of atmosphere, the best music, (great musicians and only the best vocalists) top of the line ministries especially for children and teens and of course preaching/teaching/sharing/ etc. etc. etc. . . If you don’t play the game so to speak, they will take their sporadic church attendance down the street or across town to the church with more bells or whistles, or where “everybody” else is going.
When great efforts are made to provide what people want it becomes a vicious cycle. The church becomes beholden to the masses and more and more plates have to be spinning to stay ahead of the game. The pace becomes frantic, and all of the energy is mostly spent on making Sunday morning a preferred destination for as many people as possible. All churches are attractional. If you mow your church lawn you are attractional. I am not suggesting we should not be attractive. I am asking how do we avoid the disastrous treadmill of being the coolest, hippest, most attractional church in town?
What does it look like when you invest heavily in the committed and not the consumers? Maybe it’s not even the committed but those who are hungry for transformative changes based on God’s word. I think it is slow and painful. I believe it takes more time than we think we have. Jesus poured into 12 men over a three-year period, and they were still a mess in many ways. He lived with them, traveled with them, slept under the stars with them, taught them publicly and answered questions privately. He poured into their lives.
So what does a local church do to make disciples? What is the best process? A friend of mine is training pastors to find people within the local church context and to call them to ministry. He is teaching, discovering, developing and deploying them. I think we have to be doing this as a priority in the local setting when it comes to making disciples out of the people that call our churches home.
I get the vicious cycle. I understand that we have to have people to help pay for the ministry activities we want our churches to do. I know that we put a lot of confidence in our Sunday morning services but I have come to believe that they do very little to make disciples. Teaching the scriptures takes study and in-depth conversations. When I see how little people’s lives change in light of the scriptures that call us to abstain from things, avoid things, and add some things like holiness and full surrender. When our lives continue to revolve around the “things of this world,” it is pretty clear that the bar to post-modern Christianity has been lowered a significant level. One wonders if we could even sink lower.
We must teach our people that the Bible is the final authority no matter how much it crosses the cultural norms or no matter how politically incorrect it may seem to be. The Bible has never changed. With the culture around us swirling in a downward and destructive manner too many professing Christians have become comfortable with “cutting and pasting” the scripture to support their progressing ungodliness.
We must hold ourselves accountable for embracing sinfulness with a shrug. I really believe there are people sitting in church seats on Sunday morning who never connect the dots to their ungodly behavior on Friday and Saturday nights to affecting their faith at all. It’s called “Saturday night/Sunday morning” This has been a thing in the country music and blues world for years. The group Little Big Town included these lines in one of their songs, “Five-card poker on a Saturday night (sing a little prayer for me) Church on Sunday morning” Our young adult children see absolutely nothing wrong with co-habituating in clear violation of the word of God. Making babies without marriage has also become an acceptable norm for way too many. Disrespecting biblical marriage by defining it in ungodly ways has become commonplace. Unless we take disciple making seriously immediately the American church will completely lose all godly influence in the world around them, if we haven’t already.
Authentic followers of Jesus Christ are called to be different. Different than the world around them. Different in the way they talk, the places they go, the people they surround themselves with, the way they raise their kids. We are different in how we approach money and how we spend it. We are called to live holy lives empowered by the promised Holy Spirit. That’s a long way from the “poor, miserable, sinner theology” taught and accepted by so many. If the blood of Christ and salvation don’t make changes in our life and we are left to keep on sinning, then what’s the point? What’s the point of Jesus saying “teach them to obey all that I’ve commanded.”
The point is that we are commanded to make disciples not church attenders. We are to teach and expect major life change in our congregations. We are to draw closer and closer to Jesus and further and further away from the habits, customs, entertainment, and behaviors of this world. It’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that the church has to put its priorities where Jesus would put his priorities. Anything less than a call to holy living and spiritual walks conformed to the Word is unacceptable. Sure, grace must be extended. Disciples aren’t born overnight. Jesus would hold up his initial 12 as an example of that. But our measure must not just be “nickels and noses,” we must evaluate the opportunities given for both the younger and older people in our churches to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We must take the time to invest in people outside of the Sunday morning service. Someday we are all going to stand before God and the things of this earth that we have invested so heavily in with our time, talents and treasures are going to look woefully unimportant in light of the simple assignment Jesus gave us to do. Asking “Why didn’t we do more to grow people in their faith?” on that day will be meaningless and empty. Asking that question now and even better asking “What can we do much better to make disciples?” is relevant and timely. Many churches are filled with immature and scripturally ignorant people who sadly are redefining theology based on their whims and wishes, political correctness and whatever false teachers readily available on social media have to say. The Bible is our guide. Adherence to the unchanging Word of God has cost millions of authentic followers of Christ their lives throughout the centuries of Christian history. When culture changes the Bible doesn’t. Always choose the Bible. Jude 3 reminds us of this so well: “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.”
Below are a few of the scriptures that need to be taught often in my humble opinion:
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 NLT
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:19-22 NKJV
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:7-9 NKJV
Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Ephesians 4:18-30 NLT
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Ephesians 5:1-6 NLT
Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Philippians 1:27 NLT
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Colossians 3:5-8 NLT
God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 NLT
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NLT
And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. 10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. 1 Timothy 2:9 NLT
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead 1 Timothy 4:1-2 NLT
Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. 3 Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. 1 Timothy 6:2-3 NLT
For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2 Timothy 3:2-5 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 NLT
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:11-14 NLT
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Hebrews 3:12-14 NLT
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy 1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. 1 Peter 3:10 NLT
Being forced by work to take off the day for Juneteenth, has caused me to engage it more than usual. Here are some thoughts I am thinking.
It is impossible to talk about emancipation without talking about folks dying. The greatest emancipation act of all time was when Jesus Christ came to this world to die for the sins of all people. He came to offer salvation and eternal life if his offer of emancipation is received and accepted.
Emancipation Day has been celebrated in various places around our nation since June of 1865. It is important to remember that emancipation or freedom came slowly and didn’t happen overnight. In some cases, freedom took over a century before rights were totally extended to those oppressed by slavery and racial prejudice. This should cause us to think soberly and carefully about the capability we possess as humans to damage and devalue other humans. It is shameful and shocking.
Juneteenth is an extension of, and name change for, Emancipation Day. It is now a federal holiday. As I process all of it my mind goes back in time to the price paid for freedom to happen. Why would men join the Union Army to fight against their brothers in the south? I had relatives that fought for the Union but of course I never knew them or had the chance to speak with them about it.
I did look up the numbers of lives lost from 1861 to 1865. It was a hard war. It was days, weeks and months full of roughing it and an occasional tragic battle for most. It was catastrophic in the amount of losses
110,100 Union soldiers died in battle: 67,088 KIA, 43,012 MW. 224,580 died of disease. 30,192 died as prisoners of war 24,881 died of non-battle causes 1,804 members of the Navy were killed 3,000 died of wound of accident
chance of dying: about one in four
For the Union Army:
1 out of approximately 65 men were killed in action
1 of 56 died from wounds
1 of 13.5 died of disease
1 of 10 was wounded in action
1 of 15 was captured or reported missing
1 of 7 captured died in prison
Today I will remember the act of emancipation, even though it was slow in its freedom. I will remember those men both black and white that died for the freedom of others. I will remember those that took the risk to shelter, protect and shuttle the oppressed to freedom. I will remember the last verse of the Battle Hymn of the Republic written in 1862 as the war for emancipation picked up steam and momentum:
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free! While God is marching on.
Over the last few months, one secure part of my life after another seems threatened by change, disappointment and mostly uncertainty of the unknown. These uncertainties feel big and out of my control. My future is in the hands of others for sure, but it is also in the hands of God. I am not the only one to ever walk this way. Life on earth is very uncertain.
For the last few years, as I have aged, I have wondered about retirement and the ability to ever be able to not work as much as I do now. That certainly is a piece of my uncertainty. When I look around I see uncertainty in my health, my vocation, and even in some relationships. To be honest, not much feels very secure. Over the last two years we have been given a glimpse at how people react to crisis. In 2020, the shortages at the grocery were mostly in things like rice, yeast and canned goods. People were planning for major uncertainty. Meals ready to eat food companies are selling food by the tons to preppers who believe we live in uncertain times.
When I look at the news (which I do very little anymore to preserve my mental health) I am reminded of the uncertain threats from one country to another. The threats of war, the continual struggle by many for clean water and medicine to help heal their diseases. Many of us in America, are watching our freedoms and the constitution being trampled right in front of our eyes by self-serving career politicians who have tasted a little control and the willingness of many people to just blindly believe and obey whatever narratives and mandates are issued. Thank God for the willingness of people around the world to stand up and be heard. Uncertainty. It’s everywhere.
I like to believe that I trust God completely.
I want to trust Him with my ability to support my family, my health, my future, my life and my death.
So how do I do this, given what I know about God?
I am not uncertain about God. In fact, I am very certain of His love for me and the gift of salvation that He gave us through Jesus Christ.
I am also certain about a few other things about God. He is not afraid to let us suffer. He is not afraid to let His disciples go hungry, be sick or even die what we may think are untimely deaths. He is not even adverse to letting His disciples suffer and be killed at the hands of evil men and women that seek the destruction of Christian thinking and belief. He is a loving God but apparently life on this planet is meant to be hard and comes with moments of fear, grief, sorrow and devastation. Oh sure, He promises to never leave us or forsake us but sometimes that is not comforting when one is up to their necks in uncertainty and personal pain and fear.
I remember the suffering of Job. I remember the violent deaths of John the Baptist and a young zealous Christ follower named Stephen. I read of the Apostle Paul’s suffering and the beatings, imprisonments and fear for his very life. I am aware of the promised chaos of the last days and feel as though so much of those biblical predictions are happening in real time right around me.
So what do I do with all of this uncertainty? Here are a few steps I am trying to take in my personal life.
Drawing closer to God then I ever have in my entire life.
Stop giving myself a break with sloppy spiritual living that includes being undisciplined in reading the word and prayer or in what I allow my mind and heart to be fed through a screen.
Hungering for God and not the things or people of this world.
Viewing my possessions, purchases, and passions through the lens of what is important in the long run. I am taking nothing with me when my time on earth is over. Trying hard to own my stuff and not let it own me.
Focusing on the needs of others and finding ways to alleviate their pain and suffering or at a minimum to walk along side of them.
Realizing that if I suffer for any reason this is not the punishment of God or His abandoning me. This is life in a broken and fallen imperfect world.
Admitting that fear is just an emotion and that is doesn’t come from God.
Focusing on God every day and my relationship with Him. Sinning willfully is not an option no matter what John Calvin said, God is always looking for and pushing His people toward holy living. Always. It’s everywhere in the Bible. Everywhere.
Finding rest in God’s will even if it doesn’t look like I want it to.
For sure there will be uncertain seasons in our lives. Stay strong even if you feel weak. Become better and not bitter because of the pain and disappointments. Trust your life with Jesus. Move closer to Him no matter what you may have to give up to do this. Be all in.
Here is a prayer I try to pray often. I am praying it today!
The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Psalm 27:1-4 NLT
Living for Jesus is not a resume builder or an add on to your busy life. Living for Jesus is your life. When we sign on to follow Jesus, we let go of a lot of other distractions so that we can pay attention to what he wants from us. At least that’s the way it is supposed to work.
Too often we trade a little church attendance, maybe even working in a ministry, an occasional glance at the bible, prayer when things are difficult and a lot of lip service for the experience of truly following him and making him first in our lives.
There is coming a day when we will stand before him and our lives on earth will be reviewed. Our priorities, and our passions will be exposed. I think a lot of us will wish we had done things differently. Every minute, every hour, day, month, and year of our lives should be dedicated and surrendered to Jesus. Our resources, time, talents, and treasure should be offered to God daily. Our conversations, our words, and our thoughts are to be submissive to him. They should reflect the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Forgiveness, redemption, restoration, grace, mercy, kindness, peace, and love should flow from our inner most being.
Being a Christian means, everything belongs to Jesus. All of you. No reserves. All in. 100%. Here’s a hint and some “supplements” to get you spiritually healthy.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT
My dad was 15 years old when his mother went into the hospital with appendicitis. It was 1943 and our country was in the middle of World War II. Some of his brothers were around the world serving in the military during the war.
Clara Humble, my grandmother, was expected to come home on that Saturday in December of 1943. She was born in Pike County Ohio in 1896. She was living in Urbana, Ohio and was the wife of a farmer, and mother of ten kids. She was 47, when she went into the hospital.
My dad was given the opportunity to go to the hospital on the Friday night before here Saturday release and see his mom, but because she was coming home the next day he chose to attend the local basketball game. The next morning his father drove down the long farm lane to announce to his children that something had gone wrong and their mother has passed away.
What a terrible December it was. I’ve only heard my dad’s version, but I am not sure he ever fully recovered from the loss of his mother and the grief that followed. I remember him talking about laying in bed at night begging God to let his mom come back so that he could apologize for things he may have said or attitudes he showed as a teenager. He tried to bargain with God to let her come back for an hour, a half hour, fifteen minutes, or even one minute. I can’t imagine the sorrow and sadness. He also once spoke of the special touch his mother would add to the one or two practical gifts they would receive. She would often add the rare gift of an orange, a piece of candy or even nuts. These were cherished by the kids. This year her touch was not there, and my grandfather was in over his head just to provide something for these kids for Christmas without the help of his wife.
I wonder what she was like. I have heard that she was a worrier often fighting bouts with anxiety. Beyond that I really don’t know anything and yet this year for some reason I am thinking about her.
After her death everything was different. As my grandfather would gather the children still at home for morning family prayer time, they would kneel at the benches on either side of the farm table. He would kneel at the chair at the head of the table. This dynamic and emotional follower of Jesus, normally known for his exuberant faith and love for Jesus would pray a couple sentences and then his voice would trail off into silence. For a couple months this happened as he struggled to regain his strong faith and confidence in God and in the future.
One cold winter day the prayer was different. He found his voice. He left the table and went upstairs. He proceeded to room by room give everything and the children that slept in those rooms back to God. He prayed all the way through the house surrendering it all back to God. Finally, he wound up on the back porch steps and gave everything he could see, the whole farm back to God. That act of surrender enabled him to live a victorious God-trusting life for another 21 years before he passed away. My parents were on either side of his hospital bed when he requested that they help him sit up and raise his hands. He proceeded to praise his God with hands uplifted and as they laid him back onto his pillow, he drew his last breath.
Life is full of challenges. None of us ever know when our faith will be tested beyond what we can think we can stand. Keep surrendering to Jesus and let him heal your heart. I don’t know why I am thinking about my grandmother this year. I wish I could have known her. To be honest, I grieve those missing parts of my life, but I press on to make a difference in my time on this earth. I hope my faith is strong enough to pass on this heritage of faith and faithfulness to my family.
I am remembering you Clara and Frank Humble. Thanks for your story and the faith you passed on to me.
Edit: My dad also shared the memory from the funeral of his mother. A local singing group sang the song, We are Going Down the Valley One by One. For some reason, the song hit his 15 year old heart wrong and he expressed in later years how much he didn’t like that song. It was not uplifting to him in the least. Maybe the first verse helps me understand why he didn’t like it very much.
We are going down the valley one by one, With our faces tow’rd the setting of the sun;
Down the valley where the mournful cypress grows, Where the stream of death in silence onward flows.
That last line is enough for me. Thanks for reading this story and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
It dawns on me that life is lived in the valleys. Occasionally we are treated to some mountaintop views and we are filled with moments of happiness and maybe even joy, but those views are not the norm. Most of us live with our heads down, grinding through our days, hoping for some rest and maybe a break from the routine and mundane.
There are moments in my life that I wonder what kind of a treadmill (figuratively speaking) I am running on. Life feels controlled by others. The use of time and demands are made by others instead of myself. You may live a life of sacrifice for those around you thinking very little of yourself and taking care of their needs. If this is the life you live you may long for more mountains and less valleys.
As I process through the soon ending of yet another decade of my life, I am flooded with thoughts and emotions I don’t even dare express. I think much deeper about life, every precious moment of it. I value life more realizing I’m on the downhill side of my time on this planet. Given the earthshaking and pivotal turn our nation just made I would have no problem leaving this world for my heavenly home. I don’t fit. I’m not going to change. It is so hard to believe what has happened, that I won’t even watch the news to preserve what emotional health I do have. I can’t believe I know people that voted for our country to head in this direction. It’s almost too much to take. But here we are. That’s life.
I have friends that are dealing with personal grief and pain from the loss of something or someone very dear to them. I have friends that are walking a journey of a life-threatening disease that threatens to remove them prematurely from their families. I have watched as one person after another that I am connected to personally or through friends, loose their battle with this pandemic. Some of the stories are just tragic. As much as I hate to say it, that’s life.
I am of course writing this to myself mostly but thinking out loud in case it might be helpful for someone else. I am diligently searching for ways to be content with the normal, the expected, everyday sameness of responsibility, demands and life. Like Solomon in some ways I want to wallow in the vanity of this life.
My only option is to make sure Jesus is first in my life.
Press in close to Him. Pray often. Surrender everything. Hold nothing back. No secrets. Desire Him. Be desperate for Him. Hunger and thirst for righteousness and and holiness. Let go of this world and everything it has to offer. Now is the time. He truly is my only hope.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
In ev’ry rough and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the vale. When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]
Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging love. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r.
When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.
May it be so everyday. Life may be lived mostly in the valley but if Jesus is walking with us we should be okay. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, help me please. . .
I wrote this on election day but have edited it a bit today. In the future I will be writing for the church and thinking of ways to encourage all of us as we pursue Christ daily.
I have watched mostly silently as friends and even family took sides during this recent election. I am restricted on what I can say from outside sources so I did my best to keep my mouth shut with only a hint here or there of my own position. In every other election that I have ever voted in I have valued my anonymity but not this one. How some people voted like they did will remain a mystery and one of the deepest disappointments and mysteries I have ever felt or engaged in my lifetime. You lined up behind the filth in Hollywood, Big Tech, and the most liberal Democratic party we have ever seen in history not to mention the little side groups supporting some of the most ungodly and immoral behavior on the planet. Well you know who you are and you had your way. If you think for one minute this post is about Donald Trump you are worse off than you know. This election was about the path forward. One open to God, the church, and protecting American values or one that opens the door to things that are going to drastically change our culture. May God help us is my prayer. Yes, I believe it will be that bad.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer pastored during the Nazi years in Germany and eventually lost his life by hanging for his response to the evil that was in control of his country. His reflections about what was happening then in his country are very expressive and descriptive of where I think we are. I know I recently published the following quote as a stand alone on my Facebook page but I need it also in the blog post.
“This nothingness into which the West is sliding is not the natural end, the dying, the sinking of a flourishing community of peoples. Instead, it is again a specifically Western nothingness: a nothingness that is rebellious, violent, anti-God, and antihuman. Breaking away from all that is established, it is the utmost manifestation of all the forces opposed to God. It is nothingness as God; no one knows its goal or its measure. Its rule is absolute. It is a creative nothingness that blows its anti-God breath into all that exists, creates the illusion of waking it to new life, and at the same time sucks out its true essence until it soon disintegrates into an empty husk and is discarded. Life, history, family, people, language, faith—the list could go on forever because nothingness spares nothing—all fall victim to nothingness.”
Next I am dealing with figuring out God’s will for my life and for the church during this “captivity.” Hopefully it brings us to repentance and correction both personally and corporately. God will permit a lot to realign His people. I pray we respond and cry out for revival and doctrinal purity in the church. I pray we cry with broken hearts over the plight of the unborn and the misrepresentation of God’s word to allow for sinful behavior and lifestyles of whatever kind. As a Christian that has experienced failure, I know what it is to pay a price for not following God’s commands and I believe the church is right to discipline ungodly behavior. Truth is truth and you don’t change the bible to appease people’s choices or accommodate their sin. I hope we heed the call of Zephaniah:
“Gather together—yes, gather together, you shameless nation. Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins. Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” Zephaniah 2:1-3 NLT
Another hard thing I am dealing with is knowing how to unhook from those that chose a different path as far as their values and the supporting of socialism, the continuing murder of the unborn (even up to five minutes after they are born), and the lack of judgement in my opinion (and it is only that, my opinion) I’ve heard all the arguments and read your rationalizations and I am done. I don’t agree with your assessments of the bible or the cutting and pasting of scriptures or even those of you that only want to read the words of Jesus. It’s a messed up world. The church is in trouble and hopefully purification will come to all of us who call ourselves Christians.
“And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.” Romans 16:17 NLT
Make sure you are living as close to Jesus as possible. Pray that you will not be deceived. There are a lot of uncertain voices in today’s world, both within the church and without. I am convinced a major shift has happened. Charles Simpson said it was a pivotal shift. Prepare your hearts and prepare to pick up your crosses and follow Him. Like I said, I have no idea about the timing but we are taught in the Bible that things will be very challenging before Jesus comes. Our brothers and sisters around the world have already experienced great persecution. To think it can’t happen in this country is naïve at best. Don’t be caught off guard.
“For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 NLT
I am not a prophet and for sure not an internet prophet. I don’t know when Jesus is coming back but I believe with all of my heart He won’t be coming back for a compromised church. It really comes down to what you and I do with our relationship with Jesus and the word daily. Love Him more than this world. Love your neighbors and always stand for truth. Know what truth is and base your life on the Bible, all of it, even if it costs you some friends or your life. In this new cancel culture that I believe will lead to “comply or die” no one can take away or cancel your faith in Jesus Christ.
If you know and serve Jesus Christ, you have the promises of His word and have no reason to be afraid. Being aware is not the same as being afraid. I am not afraid and I look forward to helping guide the church through what very well be rough seas ahead. I anticipate a revival of people seeking to understand what it means to follow Jesus with your whole heart outside of a Sunday morning service. Start praying now and asking God to examine your life. Pray this prayer everyday:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
From the other side of grace 