Our Violent America

Since the days of Cain and Abel, mankind has been engaging in ways to harm one another.   The weapons change and become more advanced, but the intent of a murderous human heart remains the same.  Whether the motive is jealousy, envy, or hatred - one thing is clear; there will always be some who choose to become instruments of evil.  

Spiritually, the question often becomes one of causation I think.  In other words, we want to know what initiates or drives this evil and causes it to lash out?  And that is what I want to discuss today.  America has lost its way.  According to K-12 data in the United States, there have been about 1,400 school shootings from 2016 to 2025.  Keep in mind that this doesn't even include mass shootings at public events.  What happened to Charlie Kirk recently is a symptom of a spiritual war that has been getting worse over the last twenty years.  My heart goes out to his wife and young children.  

I am old enough to remember when the Columbine shooting was considered to be out of the norm.  On April 20th, 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into their own high school wearing trench coats hiding automatic weapons.  We know what happened next, as they began murdering students and teachers.  The general public was both appalled and horrified.  But we thought that surely this was an isolated incident.  Flash forward to almost thirty years later, and people barely blink an eye when another such incident shows up on the nightly news.

And let's be honest, our national morality has changed in many ways.  Emotions are now given free reign in the public marketplace of ideas, without much concern given to facts or history.  Personal opinion is now king.  We can virtue signal on social media without much consequence of getting in trouble, and our hearts appear to be pre-programmed to adopt an attitude of self-righteousness regarding ideas we don't agree with.  The phrase "I don't agree" has been replaced with the mantra "how dare you?"

In many respects, we have stopped listening to each other altogether.  But what possesses someone to go that next step and perpetrate such horrific actions on another human being?  I have a feeling that the answer is much more complex than just labeling them as "crazy."

I recently watched a series on Netflix entitled 'The Iceman Chronicles.'  This documentary delved into the mind of famous serial killer Richard Kuklinski.  He was regularly employed by the mafia in the 1980's as a hitman, sent out to assassinate people.  In these interviews from prison, the psychiatrist referred to him as an anti-social personality type, with sociopathic tendencies.  He said that this stemmed from not only Kuklinski's lack of empathy for others, but also a brutally abusive father while he was growing up.  He regularly witnessed acts of violence as a child, and absorbed that into his world view as an adult.  

Kuklinski said that once someone offended him by questioning his authority in any way, he would make it a point to exact revenge.  The horrifying thing about this was that the soon-to-be victim would often have no idea that his demise was forthcoming.  All it took was one careless comment or offense, and the Iceman would earn his name one more time.  

I think this isn't far from where we stand today as a nation.  Since we no longer always allow ourselves to disagree in a civilized way, things can quickly escalate  to revenge or retaliation (at least symbolically).  No doubt that Charlie Kirk's assassin thought that he was doing what needed to be done - no matter how misguided that notion is to most rational people.  And it was misguided, in a way that defies explanation.

I promised to offer a spiritual answer to the problem of violence.  I think it has a lot to do with isolation and a narrow-minded set of divisive morals.  People today can often find themselves isolated from others.  The fellowship and regular meeting together with others in a church setting has fallen by the wayside for many.  People are more apt to dive down the rabbit hole of dark Internet websites, which help to indoctrinate sketchy values and unhealthy habits.  

The second step toward violence might happen when someone doesn't know God, or more to the point - doesn't know who God originally made them to be.  In essence, they don't have an identity in Christ - so they assume the identity of the false teaching they are engaging with.  If we don't know that we are made in the image of a Holy God, then it isn't long until the Devil slips in and begins whispering to us the wrong kind of truth.  

Couple these things together with the uptick in mental health issues and untreated depression/anxiety in our culture today, and it's easy to see how people turn to  hatred as a vehicle for self expression.  They have no other coping skills, no one else to offer them a different path.  No understanding of Scripture to help edify them in times of darkness.  The tools of destruction are easy enough to come by; anyone can get a gun if they really want one.  There are entire subcultures in America that hinge on modifying weapons and preparing for some theoretical civil war that may or may not happen.  The us against them mindset is alive and well.  

We are in a type of war though.  And it is the difference between good and evil, healthy discourse or indoctrination.  Matthew 24:12 issues a warning to believers about the end times.  It says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."   This statement could not be more true with every passing year.  

So what is to be done?  One speaker put it very eloquently at a seminar on gun violence that I attended last year at a local college.  He said, "Hope is not a strategy.  We must actually do something."  What this 'something' becomes is up to us as a society I think.  Do we continue to mock each other online, argue about politics, or even worse - stop discussing ideas completely?  Or do we show the love of Christ, even when we disagree with each other vehemently?  But our capacity for grace seems to be diminishing rapidly.  We are running out of time to steer the ship in a better direction.  

Since the truth is that we are made in the image of God, personally I will try to continue to love others with the courageous, sacrificial love of Jesus.  As certain as Cain murdered Abel in the book of Genesis, we will have suffering in this world.  At least until Jesus returns for the Second Advent.  But we can choose to offer each other the olive branch of grace and mercy in the meantime (even when people don't deserve it).  Honestly, do we always deserve it ourselves?  How you do this in your own life is up to you.  I would suggest less of an 'eye for an eye' approach, and more of a grace perspective.  

Protect your schools and your families, tell the authorities if you overhear someone making threats, and don't give up on the faith.  Continue to love with courage and fortitude, because you never know who may be watching from afar.  Do you argue with people and engage in hate speech?  Or do you encourage people authentically, and with a radical Christian love?  What kind of model are you putting on display for young minds to absorb?  A community is only as strong as the people who participate in it, and how we participate will shape it's ultimate outcome.  In the meantime, don't let evil win the day.  

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Marked by God

Last weekend I was blessed to attend a church baptism event.  A group of forty people went out to a nearby lake, and seven of them were baptized.  What makes this kind of event so powerful, is that these people made their own decision about Christ and His call to salvation.  When we are baptized as infants, we cannot make that decision for ourselves.  It's more of a ceremonial dedication which falls on the congregation as a whole, to help raise the child in the ways of God.  But when you are older, you can make the decision for yourself.  That is why I have always been in favor of a 'second baptism,' where a person can choose for themselves.  

As I helped lower people backwards into the water that day, I thought a lot about the significance of the ceremony itself.  We know that the simple act of getting wet doesn't save us; only Jesus can  redeem and forgive.  But our Lord did command believers to get baptized also, once they make a commitment to God.  The understanding is that we go down into the water in the same way our old, sinful bodies go down into the grave.  We are in effect, dying to self.  Once risen up out of the water,  it then symbolizes redemption and Christ's renewal.  We are  reflecting the truth that Jesus makes all things new.  That is why we refer to it as the believer's baptism.  They believe in Jesus, and then demonstrate this belief in a public way in front of friends and family.

One of the church elders present that day reminded me of something a local pastor once said.  While other clubs and organizations typically mark their members physically (with tattoos or some other type of indicator), God uses water.  Now this is curious, because water dries out and leaves us without a permanent mark.  Nothing other than our belief to identify the Christian from the non-believer.  And I think that was the pastor's point.  God doesn't let us off the hook with a physical marker; that would be too easy.  Instead, we are required to show our allegiance to Jesus by our behavior and actions.  Our faith must be transparent and obvious to all.  This is our branding.  

Now this is no small task.  I think it would be easier to simply wear the right kind of clothes or obtain some type of tattoo, in order to show our allegiance to Christ.  Maybe a well placed fish bumper-sticker might suffice.  But no such luck for the devoted Christian.  Our water baptism may symbolically wash away our sins, but it is also up to us to stay in alignment with Jesus, in terms of how we speak and what we do the rest of our lives.

Romans 10:9 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  It's very simple, yet also profound.  The Apostle Paul says, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  This Scripture reminds us that we cannot save ourselves, but that we must also take action.  It is on us to believe, repent, and accept God's free gift of grace and salvation.  He offers it, and we should take it.  

After being baptized, our hair and clothing will eventually become dry again - but our hearts better not fade back to old habits.  We must be the lamp on a lampstand that Jesus talks about in his parable from Luke 11.  We dare not hide our faith or store it away somewhere out of sight.  People should know that you are saved, and that you belong to God.  And in this way, others will find their own way to the baptismal fount someday.  Christians set forth the example of Christ; we are to reflect His light and grace in a way that honors and glorifies the Lord.  This is the light from the lamp that Jesus talked about.   

After the baptism event was finished and everyone went home, I turned on the television.  Our town has a channel that shows a live camera feed of the lake and  beach area.  The water looked serene and calm again - no one out frolicking or making noise anymore.  Everything went back to normal.  The water may hold it's secrets, but we should not.  Tell other people that you know God, and that He made a difference in your life.  Show them the way home to their heavenly kingdom.  One day, you may just find yourself at a lake somewhere, but this time watching someone else get immersed.  What a joy that will be for everyone involved, and what a joy it will be for God as well!

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God is Patient, not Passive

I heard the following piece of advice while watching one of my daughter's tennis lessons years ago.  The coach told her that being patient on the court is not the same thing as being passive about her gameplay.  In other words, trying to "kill" the ball when returning a hit so that you can grab a point as quickly as possible, isn't always the best strategy.  There are other ways to go about winning the match.  He recommended that she continue to employ patience, and wait for the right shot at the right time.  This will win the day in the long run. 

This isn't always the easy thing to do mind you.  A player can feel any number of emotions once the match or tournament begins.  In fact, this piece of advice works for just about any sport I can think of.  In baseball for example, we wait for the perfect pitch to cross the plate in the strike zone.  In football, the quarterback waits for an open receiver.  You get the idea.  We take a moment to focus our mind and body, wait for the right opportunity, and only then do we make a move.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 says, "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.  Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools."   

We see the opposite strategy being employed all around us - there are many who end up in the lap of fools.  The squeaky wheel gets a cleaning, right?  The idea here is that you must speak up and complain in order to be heard.  Talk loud, move fast, and then get what you want.  But what if we actually stepped back long enough to apply some oil and fix the squeak itself?  

I will never forget a particular transition of power that took place years ago at one of my churches in a different city.  We had a brand new pastor, and the entire congregation was excited.  It isn't difficult to embrace something new and interesting generally speaking, and the same thing happens in churches.  New management always carries with it the potential for hope.  

As luck would have it though, this particular person began making sweeping changes almost immediately.  He was trying to swing away with the proverbial tennis racket and kill the ball the moment the match began.  He advocated switching meeting venues, cancelling certain ministries, and even changing the church name.  Decisive change isn't always a bad thing, but there was one particular ministry he shut down that will always haunt me.  It was a healing ministry designed for women, and it had been running for almost ten years.  In addition, the person leading the ministry was just recently widowed.  That ministry had become a way for her to cling to something familiar in a time of great struggle.  It allowed her to connect with the familiar. 

How different that would have gone I think, had the new pastor stepped back a bit and surveyed the entire playing field before making a move.  How different things would have been had he waited for the right time, and the right shot.  Easy for me to judge in hindsight I know – pastoral ministry is a hard job.  But I will forever hold this event as an example of zeal not according to wisdom.  If I remember correctly, the leader and everyone else in that group left the church shortly thereafter.  

I think that the lesson we can take from Ecclesiastes 7 is that we can wait on God’s timing.  Wait for what He might be trying to tell or teach us, both through the Scriptures and in the Spirit.  It isn't passivity to step back a bit, and prayerfully wait.  

1 Chronicles 16:11 further says, "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."  When we are looking for God's hand, it means we want something specifically from Him.  We are asking Him to do something for us.  But when we seek His face, it is a completely different experience.  This means we just want to be known by Him, and for Him to know us.  To have a connection such that we might understand what He wants from us.  It is this second meaning that applies here I think.  1 Chronicles 16 in this regard, is talking about giving God an audience first - before we seek counsel from other people.  This isn't being passive either; it is simply being wise.  

I think that we can end up with the following process: listen for God first, discern what He is telling you by reading Scripture and seeking Godly counsel, then finally to  obey His commands.  Rushing in full of pride or anger rarely succeeds in the long run.  This behavior does make an impact on those around you, but usually not a good one.  Instead be patient with God, and He will do the same with you.  Prudence is not the same thing as indecision. 

 

 

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Can we Buy God's Grace?

A great many of us begin the right thing for the wrong reason.  We may join a health club for the sole purpose of becoming more attractive, when a better reason would be to get healthy.  We may decide that we want a promotion at our job, but instead of working hard and climbing the ladder through dedication and work ethic, we ego stroke the boss or try to win recognition through less mainstream channels.  The point is, sometimes people think the ends justify the means.  

There is often a sort of 'economic transaction' mode of understanding the world that we bring with us to spiritual matters.  It is an easy mistake to make, but when it happens, it sticks out like a sore thumb.  Imagine for a moment an individual who may donate large sums of money so that the church can build something new, but then wants their name to be proudly displayed next to it.  Or maybe they are doing it so that their good works show up in the media or is visible in front of others.  Even if we aren't talking about money, some can still have the notion that if I do this, then the church should give me that.  

Enter in the curious story of Simon the Sorcerer from the book of Acts.  We remember that Acts outlines the events of the early church, starting immediately after Jesus ascends to Heaven.  Simon was well known during this time for being able to produce strange and miraculous things, and he also boasted and bragged about it.  This happens a lot today, by the way.  Psychics and diviners who claim to talk to the dead, for example, are all over our television screens and Internet.  For a certain amount of money, psychic so-and-so might claim that they can put you right through to your deceased uncle.  What makes matters worse, is that these folks often do their research on their victims prior to "reading their fortune," and they grab enough of the vital information ahead of time so that it sounds legitimate.  

Acts 8:18-19 describes Simon like this: "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'"

Simon really missed the point on this one.  He brought that idea of an economic transaction into the kingdom of heaven.  He thought that the ends justified the means, and that money was a good enough bartering tool to procure what the apostles were calling forth from God. 

We cannot buy the spirit of God of course.  In fact, the Bible says that we simply receive God's grace, we receive His spirit, and we accept the gift of salvation.  You can see here, that God is holding all the cards.  It is up to us to simply accept and welcome what He is offering ... don't bother trying to buy it like some common financial transaction.  Now this is a difficult concept because the rest of the world operates differently.  Indeed, if we look back throughout history, we may find situations where the church accepted large sums of money or political clout, in exchange for increased blessing.  If it feels like the handiwork of man (and not God), then it probably is.  Most economic transactions operate that way - they have the same slant to them.  

Acts 4:12 tells us clearly regarding Jesus that, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."  Jesus saves us, not money or status.  

We don't know if Simon went on to actually repent and be saved, the account in Acts doesn't tell us that.  Did he repent of his sins?  Maybe so.  Have you and I repented of our own sin?  Only God the Father knows for certain.  Playing dress-up when it comes to religion is a dangerous thing.  We can pass ourselves off as moral, upstanding people for a while in front of others.  But at the end of the day, we either know Jesus personally, or we don't.  We view the things of God as business transactions, or something more special and unique.  

Give your tithes and money to the church, give your heart to God, and accept salvation from Jesus.  But don't confuse material wealth for spiritual riches - they aren't the same thing. 

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God's Use of Power

The concept of the elite and powerful has always fascinated me.  Just the idea that there is a sub-section of the population in almost every country that can literally buy their way out of trouble, or use their status to sway any group of people to side with them is remarkable.  We saw this depicted clearly in a recent streamed television series called "Dopesick," which documented some real-life accounts of a large pharmaceutical company manipulating their way out of legal trouble again and again.  The Opioid crisis spawned several lawsuits from people addicted to painkiller medication, and this docudrama showed how the head family of the company was able to successfully avoid accountability by paying off certain people. 

Not all people in power are corrupt of course.  In the Bible we have the account of King David, for example.  In several areas the Bible refers to him as God's anointed leader, and a man after God's own heart.  But by and large, I believe it is safe to say, we ought to have a healthy skepticism regarding the super elite.

Enter in the case of the Herod family during the time of Jesus.  Many in this family line were put into positions of power, and wielded that power with force and murderous intent.  They also struggled to keep power, as the Roman government was the true authority in most first century middle eastern provinces.  

We remember the story about Herod seeking to kill the infant Jesus shortly after learning that a prophet had been born.  Matthew 2:16 says, "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."  

As evidenced from this Scripture (and others like it), Herod wasn't a good guy.  He was willing to use his power and office to murder children and try to kill God's son - all in an attempt to stay in power.  I wish I could say this doesn't go on today, but I believe it still does.  Take a quick look back at recent historical events like the holocaust and the civil war in Rwanda.  

The repeating trope is evident: those in power often engage in both manipulation and wickedness to stay in charge.  This unfortunate fact permeates the twentieth century as well.  The record of events from World War I all the way through recent events in Afghanistan, often depict leaders engaging in national conflict over a power grab.  This is just the way things are.

Psalm 94:20-21 says: "Can a corrupt throne be allied with you -- a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?  The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death."  This held true for Jesus as well.  He was tortured and crucified; perhaps the most innocent martyr of all time.

It is important to keep something in mind here.  The wicked will kill and destroy in order to preserve their way of life, but the righteous will fight to edify and protect.  It is two different ways of living out leadership.  The first seeks to punish and remove, the second way desires to build up and redeem.

The power of Jesus Christ is incorruptible and redemptive.  There is no need to manipulate or coerce people into trusting Him.  We are free to accept or reject His gift of salvation and grace.  This is the exact opposite of how Herod and his family used to operate.  They moved in the realm of fear and violence – and many still do today.  God, however, acts with kindness and compassion.

But make no mistake - the Lord is not weak either.  Just because He left this Earth as a silent victim doesn't mean He will return that way.  The Bible says that during the second advent, the world will see His coming in the sky from the East to the West.  There will be no way to misinterpret who is in charge.  During this one moment in history, the right person will be in charge once and for all.  Sounds good to me.

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Getting to Know God

The book of Job is nothing less than a tale of someone who survives a series of trials and pitfalls, but still remains faithful to God.  Job was blessed by God during the first part of his life; Scripture says he was considered righteous and blameless.  But as the story goes, one day the devil came to test him.  In order to do so, Satan had to ask permission from the Lord to be able to strike Job with various kinds of plagues and illnesses.  Everything from bad luck, to boils on his skin! 

People often look to this book of the Bible to help explain tragedy and suffering, and it is a good place to start.  You see, Job did not deserve any of the things that happened to him - at least not from a behavioral perspective.  Scripture says that he did what was right in the eyes of God.  So as such, this account can also help address the issue of when bad things happen to good people.  Job was a "good person" by every human account.  

What has always fascinated me about this story however, is the fact that God actually takes the time to speak with Job in a one-on-one way.  He doesn't use signs or wonders this time; He simply has a conversation.  And Job makes the mistake early on, of calling God out for all of the struggles that he is going through.  This is understandable - wouldn't you and I do the same?

Once God answers back however, Job changes his tune rather quickly.  It's not every day that the Father of Lights responds to a frail and imperfect human being.  After listening to God remind him who is actually in charge, Job says something interesting.  Job 42:5 states: "My ears had heard of you [God] but now my eyes have seen you."  

It's a short verse, but also a powerful one.  Once Job became acquainted with the real God, his perspective changed.  And I think that is a problem that many people struggle with today.  We may know about God through other peoples' stories and testimony ... but we haven't met the real Lord for ourselves.  Therefore, God can remain an academic creation or a concept, rather than a real being.  When this happens, it opens up a host of problems as it relates to our understanding of what His reality means for our lives.  After all, why be obedient if God is just a theory?

I believe this is why some people become atheists or agnostics.  They have heard about God, but never met Him for themselves (and on His terms).  They have never fallen at the foot of the cross and asked for forgiveness.  Never accepted Christ into their hearts and ached for that connection.  In short, they don't have a full understanding of who the God of the Bible really is.  

To combat this phenomenon, we must be vigilant in our study when it comes to spiritual matters.  We need to keep Scripture in front of us, so that it can edge out the distractions of this world.  For example, if we don't know that the Bible says  not to love money, it would be easy to become obsessed with wealth.  And in fact, that is what we find when we look around at many countries today.  Peoples'  comfort is a retirement account, and their god is a nice house and ornate furniture.  Creature comforts and felt needs have replaced the real God.

This is the veil that covers the face of those who do not yet know Jesus.  They are guided by status, ego, and power; truly lost spiritually.  I know this language sounds harsh, but think for a moment how far God has brought you in your own life.  If you are a believer, then you understand that the "old you" is different than the new you in many different ways.  Christ gives us a new heart and a new mission in life.  We can now glorify, evangelize, and live for Him.  My ears had heard of you Lord, but now I actually know you.  

Once Job makes this connection between the textbook version of God and the real one, he apologizes for his arrogance.  In fact, he goes so far as to say, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6).  This is quite a change from the way Job was talking down to God only moments earlier.  

I think we need to strive to stay in right relationship with the real God; the God of Abraham and Jacob.  The Scriptural God of the Bible.  And the only way to do this successfully is to continue studying His Word, and to attend a faithful Bible believing church.  Otherwise, the temptation will always be to substitute something else for the real thing.  Some type of make-shift, fictional god who meets our needs but never requires us to do anything.  

The good news is that He is always there, waiting for a connection with us.  He may not need us in the same way that we need Him, but He wants us.  It is always better to be wanted than needed anyway.  We don't deserve this great mercy, but I think we should accept it as a gift.  The sooner we strike up an authentic relationship with the Lord, the faster we can begin living a life of abundance and joy.  This is what He has always wanted for us anyway.  

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God Has a Plan

In May of this year, my wife and I drove our middle child to the military processing center in Des Moines.  He signed on for six years of active duty in the United States AirForce.  We could not be more proud of him and what he has decided to do for his country (at only eighteen years old no less).  

The act of moving him from the processing center to the airport was stressful.  There were so many new recruits that the computer system stalled out at the center, and they ended up getting my son to his shuttle about an hour late.  At that point, his plane had already begun taxying down the runway and lifting off.  This kicked off a string of events that involved confusion, placing frantic phone calls, and re-booking hotel stays for that night because he and his fellow recruits couldn't get another flight.

Rest assured, he finally made it to his destination.  As of this moment, he has completed his eight weeks of basic training, and is two weeks into tech school.  It turns out that he will study aircraft maintenance while he stays in Texas at the base.  

Needless to say, my wife and I have been a bit emotional about the whole thing.  He went directly from walking across the high school graduation stage, to doing push ups and sit ups for the military.  I suspect it must have felt like culture shock for the poor kid.  He did really well however, and his drill instructor actually promoted him to element leader of his squadron!

During times like this, I often find myself thinking about a rather famous Scripture from Jeremiah.  It's one of those pieces of wisdom that reminds me that God really does care for us like a wise and loving Father.  It says, "For I know the plans I have for you, 'declares the Lord,' plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer 29:11).  

I suspect this applies to a great many young people today.  Because a future is what many people cannot seem to relate to anymore.  So much chaos going on lately.  A teenager or young adult can often feel like there are limited options, not enough money, or that things are just too overwhelming.  Not many have the fortitude to voluntarily sign up for the structure that the military can provide - less than 1% of the population by current estimates.  

For those who do demonstrate this level of courage, I think it is more of a calling than a job choice.  God bless our veterans and our service men and women.  They have chosen a career of noble sacrifice and difficult work.  The life of the average enlisted person often consists of moving from place to place, being re-assigned on short notice, or even going into dangerous areas of the world.  

It comforts me to know that God has a plan in place for each of us.  Especially when I think that this plan includes a prosperous future, fully vetted and thought through by Christ himself.  Can we decide to stray from His path and invite trouble into our lives?  That is always a possibility.  And if we are being honest, sometimes bad things do happen to good people; that is just how life in a sinful world works.  

But think about what a relief it is, to understand that God sees us in a way that venerates and encourages us.  Rather than focusing on fear or all of the things that might go wrong - we can choose to rest in His Word and live out Jeremiah 29:11.  If God has given you a call to serve in the military, then go and investigate that calling.  If He has placed inside of you a deep desire to evangelize and lead people to Christ, then honor that as well.  

To know God and love him is what separates us from those who wander through life in a daze, often resigned to frustration and a feeling of spiritual emptiness.  The Lord has a future for you, and it is full of hope.  Have you directed your steps toward that future?  Did you even know it was available?  Unfortunately, many people do not.  

As I write this, my son is set to ship out and be stationed somewhere after tech school.  I don't know if this will be Japan or Joplin.  But one thing I do know, is that he understands he is loved and supported.  We call him almost every day, and I'm sure it's probably a little annoying.  But when you are trying to guide one of your children through life, it can help to be a little stubborn.  

If God were not persistent with you and I - would we have ended up as Christians?  Or would we still be wondering through life with that nagging empty feeling in our hearts?  I think we both know the answer to that.  I am happy to view my future through His lens.  

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Victory in Spiritual Warfare

There is a famous quote by the apostle Paul that talks about how our bodies should be made Holy, as though to offer up the gift of purity to God.  He compares this to the adornment of a Holy temple.  Or at least as close to pure as we can come.  The question we can then ask is: "what do we put in our temple?"

It seems like a simple question at first.  But remember, we are surrounded by sin and temptation in this world constantly.  Even the very word 'sin' itself is frowned upon by much of society, and even a good many churches.  As if Jesus died on a cross so that we could just be happy and content (and nothing more).  

I firmly believe that spiritual evil does exist, and can affect the things that we do and say.  It will sometimes set up shop in people, belief systems, and even entire institutions.  Jesus spent a fair amount of time talking about the reality of evil spirits and spiritual warfare in the Bible.  This root cause of poor behavior is often ignored today, but we see its aftereffects on the nightly news.  Stories about greed, avarice, and violence against others.  All symptoms of a sin afflicted heart.  

Matthew 12:43-45 says, "When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'  When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there.  And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.  That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

So how do we keep ourselves protected from this type of evil?  First, we focus on what God said instead of what other people say.  This involves reading or listening to the Bible regularly.  It doesn't mean you need to put on a monk's robe and recite Scripture by candlelight, but it does mean you need to keep your mind exposed to chapter and verse regularly. 

Second, we keep ourselves free of evil by maintaining a solid prayer life.  I don't care if you only have five minutes per day - go ahead and communicate with God.  Prayer is like a muscle - the more you use it, the more natural it will feel.  Paul also tells us to pray without ceasing. 

Third is fellowship.  Find a church or group of people that you can trust and commune with on a regular basis.  More than once every few months.  Find a Bible believing church where you can share your thoughts on religion and faith, and ask questions in a judgement-free zone.  

I will close by mentioning Paul's advice when it comes to spiritual warfare.  Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  

Now I will add that I don't believe Paul is necessarily condemning governments here.  But rather, he is talking about supernatural evil as an infection - making its way into people's hearts and minds.  So keep your spiritual house swept clean, but then don't let it sit idle afterward.  Go the next step and seek out Scripture, prayer, and other Christians to talk to.  Don't give evil an inch, or it could very well take a mile.  

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Meeting God in Our Modern World

I believe the world we live in needs a spiritual awakening sometimes.  My favorite author and philosopher C.S. Lewis warns that when it comes to seeking God, we are often sheep among wolves.  It is a confusing world out there, for both the young and old - and there is no shortage of spiritual “scales” covering peoples’ eyes.  There are groups of people doing whatever they want to do, regardless of what God wants for their lives. 

I have found that there are typically three large obstacles that can block our way toward a life worth living in Jesus.  I often hear people mention these things when they tell me why they don't attend church regularly.  

First, we live in a cynical culture when it comes to the things of God.  The Bible says that people will sometimes mock and test God, in an attempt to rant against Him.  And when we look around, do we not see this very thing?  There are outspoken people in every part of the world, ready to slander Christ at a moment's notice.  It is hard to listen to, and even harder to digest for the faithful remnant. 

The second hurdle I see relates to the people who attend regularly and have come to represent the religious view in any given community around the country.  If these folks happen to be kindly, loving, and caring - then we don't have an issue.  If however, people occasionally act as human beings do, then we can have mixed results.  When someone walks into a church on Sunday morning, we prefer a handshake and a greeting ... as opposed to someone reminding us how long it has been since we last visited, and then judging us accordingly.  The first reaction elicits a feeling of welcome; the second creates a kind of guilt-ridden discord that a prospective member might never forget.  Another new convert lost. 

Finally, the last hurdle I have noticed is simply a difficulty when it comes to trusting God.  Faith is hard sometimes.  It makes demands on us.  I don't blame people for trying to control everything in their lives themselves, rather than handing over the reins to a Heavenly Father figure.  I have often caught myself attempting to solve a problem on my own first, rather than going directly to prayer.  Only after weeks or months of failing to fix something do we hit our knees and offer up our difficulties to Jesus. 

So, if we live in a cynical world that often consists of people behaving badly, and a culture that tells us we always need to be self-sufficient and never ask for help - it doesn't take long to figure out the dilemma we are in.  It would appear that meeting God in our modern world can be difficult, to say the least.  The temptation exists to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and who needs God anyway. 

But the Gospel of John tells us that if we know the Son, we also know the Father.  A real relationship with Jesus grants us the ability to become one of God's own; set aside for good works and faithful living.  Not only can you meet God here and now, but you can know what it is that He wants from you during this short life here on Earth.  Fight past the cynicism and unbelief around you, persevere through any conflict you may perceive inside the church.  Don't be afraid to trust the only being who actually loves you unconditionally.  Allow the Father to remove the scales from your eyes; you didn't need them anyway.  How much brighter the world looks once we can see things clearly.  Rest assured, if you know Jesus, then you also know God. 

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God's Wisdom Through Parables

Anyone who reads the Bible has come to know the parables of Christ.  These are basically short stories, designed to draw people in using common everyday scenarios so that people can understand the Kingdom of Heaven.  Now this is no small feat, and Jesus was probably quite weary after trying to explain to his disciples what God the Father says and does.  I imagine it would be a lot like a college professor trying to explain neuroscience to a farm animal.  Our finite, little minds can only understand so much when it comes to the things of God.

We get little bursts of wisdom here and there, so that we can get the gist of what the Lord wants us to know.  Story telling is an ancient, and wonderful way of imparting generational knowledge.  Not everyone is good at it, but most anyone enjoys listening and getting drawn into a good story.  As such, parables have a way of disarming us so that we can let our guard down - at least long enough to be convicted by the Holy Spirit.  They are much more effective than pulling us aside and pointing out our sins directly.  Parables act as a buffer between ourselves and the raw, unabashed truth of God's Word.  

Our adult Sunday School class at church is beginning a study on parables just this week.  I believe it will be extremely beneficial to break down and study not only what Jesus told his followers, but what Moses and the other prophets recounted in the Old Testament.  Parables exist in both places in the Bible, and provide us with a rich understanding about the culture in which they were told.  

There are a handful of topics that exist when it comes to the more modern parables of Christ.  Jesus often recounts stories about salvation for example.  Imagine trying to explain to first century people, how the God of Jacob and Abraham decided to work through Jesus to make atonement for the sins of the world!  A technical step by step explanation simply won't do; so Jesus used stories instead.

Many of his parables involved agricultural metaphors.  C.S. Lewis once stated that Christianity can be thought of as a 'dying and rising' religion.  The seed goes down dead into the ground, but rises later in the season with enough sun and rain.  And so it is with Christ's resurrection on the cross as well.  He died, then rose again three days later.  It is hard to miss this connection to nature and farming.

Another common type of parable discussed judgement.  Jesus would often outline the danger or consequences of doing something adjacent to the will of God.  Take for instance the story of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16.  We are told that since the rich man never stopped to help the poor beggar Lazarus during his time on Earth, he would live in torment in the afterlife.  The lesson was clear - help those in need whenever possible.  

We so often learn best when we can equate something we understand from our daily lives into the story itself.  When I first began filling the pulpit as a guest preacher, my struggle was using too many facts and Scripture passages at the same time.  When I go back and read some of my older sermons, I actually feel bad for the congregation at the time!  I had too many touch-points, and not enough story telling.  It probably sounded like I was reading a text book or Biblical commentary.  

Since then, I have strived to make a change in that regard.  What most people care about is a good story.  Many of the most effective preachers today will weave the Scriptures into a cohesive personal story on Sunday morning.  Following this example set for us by Jesus yields dividends over time.  Once I made the switch from regurgitating facts and axioms over to Scriptural storytelling, things got better quickly.

I believe that we should be studying the parables in the same manner today.  Our challenge of course, is that we are reading two-thousand year old stories with 21st century eyes.  This forces us to spend time researching what the parables actually mean, how they connect to other passages in the Bible, and what life was like back then.  If we neglect this important contextual step, it becomes tempting to skew the meaning in favor of modern fads or norms.  Remember that Jesus was neither Republican or Democrat, He was a Jewish teacher and God's son.  Once we remember this, his stories begin to take on a different tone.

One thing remains clear to me: we need God's spiritual training and stories just as much now as we did then.  Times change, but the human heart does not.  We still often gravitate toward the flesh and toward sin.  We are subject to pride and lust.  We sometimes rebel and resist a Holy God.  He knows this, so He left us a group of stories that we can read as many times as we need to.  It wouldn't hurt to commit them to our hearts while we are at it.

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Let God's Light Shine

Let me begin by saying that I do not believe Christianity is a silent faith.  God wants us to talk about Him with other people and show the world that Jesus has changed us.  Changed us in ways that rub off on others.  Changed us in ways that we could not accomplish on our own steam.  Indeed, the Bible isn't just another self-help book, like some fad diet where we need to just try really hard to focus our will power, and then we might lose some weight.  No, it is much more than that.  It is a religion that does something, that moves inside of us in a way that translates out from the overflow in our hearts to those around us. 

With this idea firmly in view, I want to discuss two Scriptures today.  The first comes to us as part of the famous Sermon on the Mount section of the Gospel of Matthew.  Chapter 5, verses 14-16 says, "You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put  it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Similarly, in Luke 11:33, we get the curious statement: "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."

I believe that it can be plainly said, that the light of this world we inhabit comes from Jesus Christ.  But what about the darkness?  What about all of the sin that transpires on our planet every day?  This is a more difficult question to think about.

In order for sin to exist and thrive, it must be kept in the dark.  You may have noticed in your own life, that keeping secrets is a great way to build up animosity.  Nothing deflates trust between two people more than finding out that you have been lied to, or that someone withheld information from you longer than they should have.  It makes it that much harder to trust again.

The catch, however, comes from the fact that in order to purge ourselves of sin and begin our journey down the path of righteousness - we must bring that thing we regret into the light.  Evil cannot stand or survive in the light, much less the light of Christ.  In this glow, there is only room for confession, repentance, and healing.  Secret keeping goes out the window.  You will note that in this way, the light of Jesus will edge out sin (both yours and mine).   It's painful at first - I'm not saying it isn't - but ultimately it is the only way to permanently kick a bad habit.  There is something about illumination and confession that resets the spirit I think.

In this same way, I am imploring the reader not to hide away your faith.  Resist the urge to shelve away your personal belief system into the darkness. If we look at the sentence immediately preceding Matthew 5:14, it says "You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

The Bible tells us to be salt and light.  Allow your faith to shine.  Don't treat your religion as a forty-hour-per-week job, where you act one way at the office and another way at home.  Christianity asks more than that from us (and we should be grateful for that I think).  Otherwise, it would be just another social club or mundane organization.  

Jesus is ultimately the judge, and we must be careful also that we don't become arrogant in our spiritual assessment of others.  Someone's eternal salvation isn't secured by what we think of them, but rather by whether or not they are born again.  That is the light of God.  So often it is human nature to forget that fact, I think. 

As I said a moment ago; Christianity is not a silent faith.  It is too important for that.  If you are loved by God, and you love God back, then good luck containing the light that abides inside of you!  It will spill out.  If others don't see this light, then it's time to take stock and examine your walk with God.  Don't keep the things that God has done in your life quiet.  And if you boast about it, then boast for His glory, not your own.  For it is Jesus that saves each of us, and who lights the flame which can never be extinguished.

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