September 22, 2015
What's Acceptable?
Romans 15:7
Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

I hope Christians don’t come away from this passage with the liberal idea that God is tolerant and accepts just about anything these days just because society does. Nope. Paul is a Jew who is a Christian, and he is also a missionary to Gentiles. He wants the Christian Jews and the Christian Gentiles to accept each other. The only thing we need to do to be saved is to confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Whoever does that  is saved, so there’s no sense in squabbling over cultures; one group is not “more saved” than the other since God readily embraces everyone who believes.

So can murderers be Christians? Yes. If they stop murdering. Adulterers who stop adultering, liars who stop lying, and thieves who stop thieving; they can all be saved.

Recently there was a gay couple on the tv show, Survivor. They were from New York and both had successful Broadway careers. They were kind, moral and likeable guys. They were also engaged to be married to each other and openly celibate until their wedding, and professed Christians. What about them? 

Well, the Bible hasn’t changed with the times, sorry. 1 Corinthians 6:9 (and other passages) still teaches that homosexuality is a sin. And Hebrews 10:26 says Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. No matter how committed these two guys are to Jesus, no matter how celibate they are with each other before their wedding, they are technically pre-meditating sin. They intend to sin, and if they commit these sins over and over, there is no sacrifice that will cover those sins no matter how cool they think Jesus is. If they really want to follow Jesus, they should not marry each other and each should remain celibate if they don’t intend to marry a girl. It’s better for them to deny themselves if they really want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (see Matthew 18:7-9) than to live a scenario they think is acceptable to God when it is not acceptable to God at all. They’re fooling themselves; it’s sad.

Believers repent. Believers mess up and repent again. Immature Christians will struggle and repent multiple times for a sin that’s hard for them to relinquish. Mature Believers leave the old person behind. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:21-24)

And Believers who believe that God has adjusted to their sin aren’t really Believers at all. We do not need to accept their behavior because they claim Jesus is their Lord because it’s a Jesus they have made up to suit their preferences. BUT if they ever truly decide to throw off their old sinful nature, they absolutely 100% will be saved and without discrimination!

Dear God,
I pray for my friends and family and strangers on tv who are misled and mistaken and mistakenly misleading others as well. I thank you that you do not discriminate against accepting people into your family, and I pray that real Christians will love people enough to tell them the truth. I thank you that everyone who is willing to throw off their old sinful nature will be with you forever no matter who they are or what they’ve done. That is the true definition of acceptance and tolerance and it only comes from really believing in the real you. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

September 18, 2015
Un-Theoretical People
Philippians 2:3-4
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

The New Testament is full of suggestions on how to be like Jesus. This passage is one of them. There are six tips squeezed into 4 sentences here that are things to keep in mind when relating to others. And the great thing about these being God’s ideas and not our own is that he promises to give us the desire and the ability to behave this way (Philippians 2:13), and he does!

What’s actually fascinating about passages like these isn’t God’s instructions but our response. Some people store these instructions away like they are directions for future use incase we encounter a stranger on a train or something. But, this is how we are to live all the time with everyone - including the people in our house.

Marriage is our single most important relationship next to the one we have with God himself. And it seems to be the one relationship people aren’t willing to put any thought or time in cultivating. Can you imagine what marriages would be like if spouses applied Philippians 2:3-4 to their behavior towards one another instead of complaining about passages like Ephesians 5:21-33. Be humble towards my husband. Don’t think I’m better than he is. Take more interest in his interests. This is simply the practical application of Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:21) and wives respect your husband (Ephesians 5:33).

How about Romans 12:9-18
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

The “others” here includes the person we sleep next to! Don’t pretend, be glad to honor, work hard and enthusiastically, be patient with him and pray for him. Help him, be happy and sad with him not indifferent towards him. Talk about what he likes to discuss, and don’t be a know-it-all. Enjoy his company, and if he’s in a bad mood - don’t return the mood.

I love how specific God’s Word is. It’s very helpful, very do-able when it’s broken down into instructions like this, and it certainly does apply to marriage. And parenting too! I must go back and reread these scripture in light of how I want to relate to my kids today too and not just reserve these instructions as theory for some other people I may meet someday. There’s non-theoretical people in my house right now who would appreciate me imitating Christ a whole lot!

Dear God,
Thank you that you not only want me to have thriving relationships, but you also succinctly show me how! Help me to not just hope to be a godly wife and good mom today but to obey these instructions and rely on your Holy Spirit to help me. You are so great and greatly to be praised and I thank you so much for my marriage and family and the opportunity to practice on them today. I love you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Some women will be reluctant towards the second to the last paragraph because if it’s all about him, when do we talk about me? But I’ve seen from experience that simply obeying scripture is always beneficial to ALL PARTIES involved and God will certainly make sure you are not left out. Leave it to HIM and just see for yourself! No worries!

September 17, 2015
They are the ones with the problem!
Ephesians 5:1
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Of course, I appreciate the instruction of this passage to imitate God; it helps with daily living and decision making to love what God loves and hate what he hates (see yesterday’s read & share). But the part of this verse that is jumping off the page at me today are the words dear children.

Dear children... I learned this verse in the NIV, and it says to follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children.

Because of who God is and how God is, I am dearly loved just the way I am.

This is really good news for the wallflowers and last ones picked for teams. This is really good news for moms having “one of those days.” This is really good news for the overlooked worker, the unpopular and the late bloomer. It’s not you; it’s them. 

Dearly loved children... Ever seen the audacity of someone who is dearly loved? Dearly loved children are bold to try things and confident whether they succeed or fail because they know they are already loved and accepted by the ones who really count, and nothing can change that.

I’ve told this story before, but I saw an interview on TV with John Travolta once. He described how as the baby of the family his whole family was crazy about him. When he got older and went out for interviews and auditions and didn’t get the part he wanted, he always left thinking something was wrong with them because he knew it couldn’t be him because all he knew was that his family loved everything he did.

Now, I am not endorsing indulging children; that certainly isn’t what God does. But I am saying we can enjoy extreme confidence that seems audacious to the world because God loves us because that’s who he is and how he operates. And he won’t let anything separate me from his love. Not ever.

Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

If the world doesn’t like me for imitating God and for following his example THEY are the ones with the problem. There is nothing wrong with me, for I know that I am dearly loved! 

Dear God,
Thank you for accepting me and loving me. Thank you for teaching me to be like your Son. And thank you that your love and acceptance isn’t based on anything I can do for you; it’s simply based on you and how you have decided to love and accept me for believing in Jesus. Thank you so much! Thank you for being so kind and compassionate and thank you for Jesus. I love you and thank you and pray in his name, amen.

September 16, 2015
That Would Be Good
James 3:13
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

Good works are not passive in God’s economy and never code for letting everyone walk all over us. Simply, good works aren’t good works if they are not founded in wisdom.

I encourage everyone to take the time to listen to Rob’s message from Sunday 
(click here) He articulates what the godly response to current issues should be... grounded in wisdom from God’s Word. 

My favorite part is when Rob describes how some Christians today are mistaken about evil. Evil is evil, and God hates evil; it is a “good work” to hate evil too. (See Psalm 97:10 & 139:21-24)

Jesus’ call to follow him is not a call for pacifism towards evil. “Turning the other check” (Matthew 5:38-40) is personal instruction for personal living. But never did Jesus ever teach his followers to make that burden on behalf of others...especially the oppressed.

Rob said that Jesus never intends for Believers to treat the oppressed and defenseless as a sacrifice for our convictions. Passages like Romans 12:14-18 instructs individuals interpersonally:  Bless those who persecute you... Live in harmony with each other... Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. And passages like James 1:27 clarify beyond interpersonal experiences:  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means (defending) orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (Also see Psalm 82:3-4)

Refusing and defending are not pacifistic activities. 

Interpersonally, Believers will seek peace, heap coals, and turn cheeks. But never at the sacrifice of another to a tyrant. 

Bottom Line:  Christian Americans should not be leading the charge to let Islam (which means submission NOT peace) seep into our nation. We are not to “turn the other cheek” as a group of individuals to any tyrant of any kind that would oppress the defenseless. Letting people be forced into submission by tyrants is not “good works.” Good works totally grounded in wisdom from the Word of God for the Believer in this instance is to fight tyrants off and get rid of them. Yes, that would be good.

Dear God,
I pray for the Christians easily being deceived right now thinking from their own human logic that you love everything. You don’t. You hate evil, and we need to hate what you hate – that is the good thing to do. But they’ve mistaken tolerance for holiness and it’s sending the wrong message. Help Believers to be bold, bold, bold these days and not sacrifice defenseless women and children or the elderly and the disabled to any tyrant of any kind. Help our good works to actually be good even if the politically correct police don’t think so. I love YOU and YOUR WAYS! Thank you for protecting us in these evil days. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

September 14, 2015
Brotherly Love
Philippians 2:2
Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

And Sunday at church we visited Romans 12:10... Love one another with brotherly affection...

Rob did a great job explaining what Believers loving one another looks like:  It’s not that we agree on every point and screw pretend smiles on our faces, but we get along in the Family of God like brothers and sisters do in a nuclear family. He pointed out that those who were raised as an only child unfortunately missed out on the natural phenomena that is “brotherly love.” They might have a hard time loving others, overlooking offenses, and absorbing the cost of forgiveness because they weren’t faced with doing it on a daily bases with siblings.

I’ve always noticed to be careful with my girlfriends who didn’t grow up with a sister. They are easily offended and don’t know it’s possible one can give an opposing opinion, maybe even argue passionately about it but end up hugging in the end. My sister and I are close and we began our relationship with toddler squabbles about who gets what toy. Somebody takes and somebody gives, and the next time it’s the other way around. And when it’s your turn to give, YOU absorb the cost. You do not get your way, but you still play together. You just do.

That’s what Paul means when he tells Believers to love one another. Love each other like siblings. And if you didn’t grow up with siblings, learn to love like a sibling.  God said that Jesus would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). So, no one will be an “only child” in Heaven, so no one should interact like one now. When you engage other Believers with Brotherly Love, you won’t always get your way, but you do always work it out. And this is the only way to work together with one mind a purpose.

Dear God,
I am so thankful for my siblings. I’m glad for experiences that have shaped me to be able to increase my capacity for giving and receiving grace from others. I thank you that you don’t expect perfection. There’s so many issues that I don’t see eye to eye with others about, but that doesn’t mean I can’t love them. Thank you for making us a family; it feels good. And I pray for my Believing friends who struggle with this, who are easily offended, and who have a hard time offering grace. Help them to just try absorbing the cost of forgiveness on a matter and see you sustain them through it. That is a good feeling too! I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

September 8, 2015
Like Falling Off a Ladder
Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

Firm footing... I fell off a ladder once. No one was more surprised than I! I thought my footing was firm for sure; there was no bigger surprise in my whole life than when I was falling off that ladder. I did not see it coming; I thought everything was fine. In a split second everything was not fine. And the end result was a lot of pain. A lot. Pain.

That’s what’s going on in the world today. No one knows that their footing isn’t firm without the saving Grace of Jesus, without God’s Holy Spirit leading, and without knowing God’s will. People simply don’t think anything is wrong, and they will not see their end coming. And the Bible clearly teaches what that happens in the end for them in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

But since there are no lightning bolts currently zapping people for their behavior, people not only participate in but also teach that these things are ok. Adultery started becoming socially accepted so much so that many states have become “no fault” divorce states. Steadily over the last thirty to forty years couples cohabitate and even have children prior to marriage or don’t bother getting married at all. And today homosexuality and transgenderism are to not only expected to be accepted but also fully endorsed by everyone – even those who find such practices immoral or even illogical are threatened for speaking against it. That’s weird. If the progression of acceptable sins continues, it’s only a matter of time until murder will be fully acceptable as well. Oh, wait, it totally is! They just changed the name to abortion instead (I guess it sounds nicer than murder).

The acceptance of these practices and behaviors are spread by movies & tv, taught in schools, and even legislated by our own government. Unfortunately, doing so has created a false sense of security. Just because something becomes socially acceptable doesn’t mean God changes his mind about it. God has decided what sin is, that’s why we need to read and teach passages like 1 Corinthians 9 so that people will make informed decisions. Pursuing sin whole heartedly and with gusto will be just like falling off a ladder... very painful in the end.

Dear God,
I pray for our nation that is slowly but surely moralizing and legalizing every sin on this list. I pray for all Believers to continue to infect and influence our homes, workplaces, and schools with the Truth so that people will stop fooling themselves. They think they are wise but really are willingly headed for destruction and leading lots of people with them. I pray for our nation to once again be One Nation Under God. I honestly don’t see that happening again ever, and that’s sad. I’d love to be surprised with a miracle like that! But in the meantime, I pray for boldness, and I just can’t thank you enough for keeping me and my family safe during these dangerous times. I love you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

September 3, 2015
God Decides
Isaiah 48:17
This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.”

Let God teach you what is good... or don’t. But don’t think you get the good “paths” too!

I’ve recently had the opportunity to talk so some “unchurched” girls in our jr. high girls Bible Study at church. I think they were trying to get a rise out of me and trying to get me to react to their curious sexual orientation and homosexual relatives. I simply explained to them that Christians don’t hate gay people at all; they are perfectly welcome to come to church. What they seem to misunderstand about Christianity is that we want God to decide what is good for us and lead us along good and right paths. We’re not the ones determining the sins or plan on changing with the times.

God decides what behaviors are sins and what aren’t. These girls said they believe in God and they believe in the Bible. Lots of people do. The part they don’t like is the fact that God says there are some things a person should not do. But they readily agree that murder, adultery, lying, and cheating are sins and things they don’t feel right about pursuing. I told them that God, not our church, put homosexuality in the sin category too. Simple. God teaches us what is good even if it’s contradictory to what society says is good.

People want good and right paths to follow WITHOUT the proper instruction from the Lord that actually gets us there!

I hope those girls come back to class. They need to learn about how kind and forgiving and full of grace God is; that’s what will give them a desire to have a relationship with him. The Bible says so; His kindness leads us to repentance. (Romans 2:4) Coming to church with an agenda for God to accept our ideas only leaves a person angry and viewing following Jesus as a big list of don’ts. It makes their view of God very, very small. The people who think they have no reason to repent are the “intolerant” ones and the ones with the “problem” not the Believers in the church. 

If Christians had a problem with sinners, homosexuals in particular, we wouldn’t tell them what the Bible says about the matter at all – we’d want them to end up in hell. And these days pastors are sharing passages like 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 at their own risk as the political correctness machine is taking over. Personal risk! Does that seem intolerant and hateful? Actual hatred is letting someone think what they’re doing is ok when it’s not ok and letting them get punished for it for all eternity. Telling someone what sins are is not hatred or intolerance. It’s kind. It’s letting God be the teacher who leads us where to go not vice-versa.

Dear God,
I pray for those dear, sweet, misguided girls who showed up in our class. They are obviously seeking, and I pray that they would seek you with all of their heart  – ignoring the socially accepted – so that they would actually find you! Help them, even as I’m praying for them right now, to open their hearts to the truths they heard from the worship music and our study time. Give them things to think about before they go to sleep tonight so they would have a relationship with you even if no one else in their family wants to. You can make them strong and brave, and you want them to be with you forever. And that is what I LOVE about you. You are so kind and good, and I just can’t thank you enough.  And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

By the way...
“Separation of Church and State” goes both ways. 

The Founding Fathers had left a country where a long time ago King Henry VIII intertwined government and religion. The government had made their state religion a personal and financial requirement for everyone. In America, the desire to prevent the government from forcing citizens to pay taxes to regulate the religion of the government was top priority. In no way does it mean citizens are prohibited from talking about their religion in public places. Society has mistakenly believed that prayer in school or the Ten Commandments displayed in courthouses is a violation of that. It’s not. In no way is student prayer around a flag pole forcing people to financially support a state run church. But we are being led to believe such a public act is a violation of church and state when it absolutely is not.

Fine. Let people think that... BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

If the government intends Christianity not be allowed to seep into the public, then likewise the government can’t seep into Christianity. Separation of Church and State goes both ways. The government is unable to dictate what sin is. God, the head of our religion, decides what a sin is. For the government to do so would mean that it is the head of our religion, and that would be against the law.

Bottom Line:
A religion is not allowed any authority to mandate anything from the government, AND vice versa. The government is not allowed any authority over a religion. Not ever. That is keeping the two separate. So, the government can label teaching from the Bible as “hate speech” if it wants same as I am free to say it’s not.  But in all actuality the government has no authority to tell Christians what constitutes a sin - that would be establishing a state religion like Hank 8 did centuries ago. Stand firm, Believers. The law is actually on our side. For now.

September 2, 2015
Don’t Fizzle Out
Psalm 119:64
O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees.

It’s Back to School time. We homeschool in our house, and we always get off to a great start. I am so organized for my family and have great things planned. We usually try to do a field trip on the first day to take the sting out of resuming academic activities after the long, summer break. But after a month or two something will inevitably happen to mess up our schedule that I’ve determined to uphold each year. A flu, a dentist appointment, a visitor, anything really, it doesn’t take much to lose the excitement and determination to keep the momentum of the first few weeks of school going. Gradually, it gets harder to wake up early, and maintaining the bare minimal turns into the new goal for each day. This happens to teachers in regular school too; it’s not unique to homeschooling. But why does it happen at all?

Answer: We are creatures who are easily distracted, it’s not always easy for us to endure, and we easily forget. The same thing can happen to us spiritually speaking too, and the remedy is the same for both: Don’t stop doing what I first started doing. 

A letter addressed to the church in Ephesus explains this principle well...
I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. (Revelation 2:2-5)

From this passage of Scripture, I see that this group of people were going through the motions of what God expected of them, but their hearts were not in it anymore. That is what makes all the difference - not only for a good school year but also for good spiritual maintenance: Turn back and do the stuff I used to do.

O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees. These words from Psalm 119:64 must be an ongoing expression in my life. Number One: Continually appreciate God’s goodness towards me. Every day, and not once but often during the day, I will express my thanks. I will go to bed at night counting my blessings just like a child is taught to do. This should be my habit so much so that it’s not what I do but has become who I am. Number Two: Continuing education in God’s will for me. Bible reading isn’t an activity for me to check off like a chore. I want to not only study it, but I must also practice doing what I read.

These are things that Believers do at first. We’re thankful, and we learn. The key is to not stop. Thankfully, God’s Holy Spirit gives us the ability and the desire to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13) so we don’t fizzle out like a well intended homeschool mom.

Dear God,
Thank you not only that each new school year is a do-over, but so is each new day! Thank you for giving me continuous and plentiful opportunities to return to what I did at first. And thank you for your Holy Spirit empowering me to do so. I love you and thank you in Jesus’ name, amen.