Tag: #unpopular

God of Love …. AND Justice.

I serve a GOD of Love. THE God of Love. Even so, or maybe BECAUSE He is The GOD of Love, He finds certain things despicable:

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies and
a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
– Proverbs 6: 16-19

“Haughty eyes.” No one person is better than another. We should honor people for their good and for their efforts, but not treat one as being worth more than others. In GOD’S eyes, we all all worth saving.

“A lying tongue.” Keep it honest – morally and spiritually.

“Hands that shed innocent blood.” Murder is wrong, and I believe that there is a special corner of hell for those who deliberately and cruelly harm children and the defenseless and animals. Defending yourself, your family, your country… Those things are right.

“A heart that devises wicked schemes.” Pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes – of course they are wrong. What about stealing, even the smallest things? Nobody “owes” us. What about the mean “jokes” we play?

“Feet that are quick to rush into evil.” When you know an action you are about to take is wrong, but you do it anyway….

“A false witness who pours out lies.” We’ve seen a lot of that lately on the news, with people who make up stories to push their hate agendas. How about the person who creates conflict among God’s people?

Finally, but maybe most importantly, “A person who stirs up conflict in the community.” To me, this sums up the first 6. If you are doing any of those, you are stirring up trouble. We all know someone who likes to make up stories to fit their agenda. Maybe it is you. I know that in the past, I have been guilty of this.

Lying, cheating, gossip. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything.” How many times did I hear that growing up!! But it is so true! If I check my facts before speaking, people will be more apt to listen in the future. If I hear something, I try to go to the source to verify it. (This can also alleviate unnecessary worry!) As I draw closer to GOD, and as I accept that He Alone is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIGHT, I find that these things that God despises retreat from me. I’m still guilty of doing them because I am an imperfect human. Thank God for His Mercy and His Grace! Now, am I ready to follow Christ’s command, and extend my own mercy to those who have hurt me?

“Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His New Life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, Who died and was raised for them.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14‭-‬15 NLT

Amen.

Genesis

Have you ever just sat down to read Genesis? It’s fascinating to read how everything we know of came into existence, and I love the description of the garden. Sure, the chapters of “begats” can be a little tedius, but it’s a beautifully written history text. (As is the rest of the Bible!)

“Then the LORD GOD planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there He placed the man, Adam, He had made.
The LORD GOD made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden He placed the tree of Life and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The LORD GOD placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD GOD warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” “

{Note: Adam could eat from the tree of Life, but not from ONE tree out of all the many trees, only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One tree forbidden, and that was one too many! He and Eve had to have the fruit of that one tree. Everything surrounding Adam was beautiful and good, and he – like us – just had to have that ONE thing that is off limits. WHY do we persist on, and INSIST on, the one thing we “can’t” have???}

“Then the LORD GOD said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
So the LORD GOD formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to Adam to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one.
He {Adam} gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals.
But still there was no helper just right for him. So the LORD GOD caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.
While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.
Then the LORD GOD made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to Adam.“At last!” Adam exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’ “
This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” – Genesis 2:8-22,15-25 NLT

Like Adam and Eve, we continue to push the limits, to have that thing we know is wrong. Don’t know about you, but I’m getting anxious to see Jesus and live in that breathtaking garden with Him!

“Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our GOD, for He will forgive generously.” – Isaiah 55:6-7 NLT

Yes, turn to God, and let HIM do the forgiving. As humans, we are incapable of the type of forgiveness God has. We try to forgive on our own (“I can do it!”) but the best we can do is to relegate the hurt to a dark corner of our minds, where it can resurface at the most inconvenient and inopportune times. In recovery, a very common phrase is “Let go and let GOD.” Not easy, but it is necessary – it is VITAL – in order to have inner peace.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.”

“It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it ALWAYS produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in Joy and Peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the LORD’S Name; they will be an everlasting sign of His Power and Love.” – Isaiah 55:8-13 NLT

God always provides for His children. He provides for me on a daily basis, and He is always here to support me. He doesn’t always provide our WANTS; He will always provide our NEEDS, even though we often can’t tell wants and needs apart. One day, maybe today, and maybe in a hundred years or more, Jesus will return to live on earth again. This is why we share the Gospel. He said He will return when everyone has heard His Word; His Good News. When that day comes, there will be a reformation of the earth. I can hardly wait!

BAM!

“But Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their Hope and Confidence….. The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve….. But if you do not listen to Me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.” – Jeremiah 17:7‭, ‬9‭-‬10‭, ‬27 NLT

Does this scare anyone else, or is it just me? Aside from medicine or medical care, do we really *need* stores to be open on Sundays? It seems to me that merchants could take their cue from Hobby Lobby, Mardels, Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out….. the list goes on, and includes both national chains as well as the Mom-and-pop stores that have been doing it since historic times. It’s just as easy to run out for a loaf of bread or milk during the week as it is on Sundays, or Saturday, if that is your Sabbath. Whatever happened to keeping our Sabbath holy? I walked away from a really good job at the Home Depot because a new manager refused to let me have Sundays off to worship with my family. For the previous 3 years, I had been off on Sundays, and my particular job was well suited to having them off. I was (and still am) convicted that Sundays need to be God and family time.

How do you stand? I’m well aware that there can be extenuating circumstances, and I am not trying to foist my beliefs on anyone else; neither am I standing in judgment of anyone. I am simply sharing some verses that convict me. It makes me wonder how different would the world be, if we dedicated one day out of seven to spend with family. It could be a spouse, or a parent, or children, or to include both relatives and friends in our extended families. Whatever day you choose for your Sabbath, my prayer is that you will spend it worshipping the LORD, the Creator and Master of the Universe, and connecting with loved ones. It’s my prayer for me, too.

Faith

“The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words….. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The Faithful Love of the LORD never ends! His Mercies never cease. Great is His Faithfulness; His Mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him! The LORD is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for Salvation from the LORD.” – Lamentations 3:19‭, ‬21‭-‬26 NLT

“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your Protection over them, that all who love Your Name may be filled with Joy.” – Psalms 5:11 NLT

I am not homeless at this moment, but I have been, in my past. Other than that, I must admit to being in a frightful place financially. It amazes me each morning as I get up to find these verses of encouragement in my emails, so appropriate to my life. God is GOOD. He sustains me in the darkness. The situation that doesn’t seem viable to me is easily doable for the Almighty GOD. I know His Words are true, and what appears to me to be a hopeless situation is, instead, an opportunity for Him to show His Mighty Love and Mercy. I am standing on His Promises that He will deliver me. His deliverance may not be of my liking or my desires, but it will come. I do believe, LORD, help my unbelief! I will put my Hope in Him.

The Blessings of Christmas – Day 2

THE ENEMY DECEIVES US – by Billy Graham

Many jokes are made about the devil, but the devil is no joke. If a short time ago I {Billy Graham} had talked about Satan to university students, they would have made light of him, but no longer. Students today want to know about the devil, about witchcraft, about the occult. Many people do not know they are turning to Satan. They are being deluded because, according to Jesus Christ, Satan is the father of lies and the greatest liar of all times. He is called a deceiver. In order to accomplish his purpose, the devil blinds people to their need of Christ. Two forces are at work in our world—the forces of Christ and the forces of the devil—and you are asked to choose. I have chosen to serve You, my Lord Jesus. Give me Your strength to battle the deceptions of Satan. (From the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. For more information, please visit: http://www.billygraham.org )

I know you are asking how in the world this story from Billy Graham relates to the Blessings of Christmas. The enemy deceives us! How many people do you know, including Christians, who get so wrapped up (pun intended!) in the buying of presents and the rounds of holiday parties, that the reason we are even celebrating gets pushed aside? Oh, yes, it’s Jesus’ birthday….. the deceiver, the father of all lies, makes it so easy to forget. We should be focused on the Who, the What, and the Why of the season.

“O Sovereign LORD! YOU made the heavens and earth by Your strong Hand and powerful Arm. Nothing is too hard for You! You show unfailing love to thousands, but You also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the GREAT and POWERFUL GOD, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and You give them what they deserve.” – Jeremiah 32:17‭-‬19 NLT

That last sentence scares me ….. He gives us what we deserve – yikes! I know there are a lot of people, the vast majority, in fact, that hold to the belief that they “deserve” to be happy, they “deserve” that fancy new house/car/toy, they want the bliss of getting. Get the picture? We don’t deserve anything other than punishment and death, and that brings us straight back to the Blessings of Christmas! The focus of our celebration needs to be on the Who, Jesus Christ; the What, His miraculous birth; and finally the Why – He came as a babe to live as a human, and to die, the ultimate sacrifice to save us from the deceiver and what we deserve.

Today, I pray the Blessings of Christmas, Christ’s birthday, on you and your families. Amen.

Go Tell It On the Mountain

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” –
CSLewis

“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

Did you grow up singing carols and goimg to Christmas performances? If you did, you are probably familiar with the words of the song “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” but have you ever really thought about it? According to Wikipedia, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is an African-American spiritual song, compiled by John Wesley Work, Jr., dating back to at least 1865, that has been sung and recorded by many gospel and secular performers. It is considered a Christmas carol because its original lyrics celebrate the Nativity of Jesus. I’ve sung hundreds of times, and I’m not sure I’ve eve paid attention to the last verse:

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.

Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

If I believe this, then God has made me to be a watchman, a crucial role in His Kingdom. The prophet Ezekiel wrote tha God said to him: “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from Me, warn people immediately…..” We are charged to be watchful, and to tell people about God and His Son, Jesus. We are to warn the people away from the temptation posed by the enemy, and the death that awaits when we fall for his charms. We are responsible to share the Good News, from the walls and the watchtowers and the mountaintops. Read Ezekiel’s words closely!

“If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed Me. “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.” – Ezekiel 3:17‭-‬21 NLT

This job is not one that Christians should take lightly. We are celebrating the most momentous gift in the history of mankind. Now is the season for us to take the Good News, and Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!

Discouraged, Sad?

Why do we walk around discouraged? Why are we sad? When we remind ourselves of God’s Truth, we should realize that we have no reason – none, zero, zilch! – to be anything but joyful. When I get down, whether because of circumstances or a poor choice and it’s consequences, my friend likes to say to me: “Who’s in control?” Who do you think is in control?

“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” – Exodus 14:14 NLT

I can always answer “Not me!” because I know the Truth of Who is in control. He lets us drive until we voluntarily hand it over to Him. He’s a gentleman and won’t ever force us to choose Him.

“This is the message of Good News: There is peace with GOD through JESUS CHRIST, Who is LORD of ALL.” Acts 10:36 NLT

Life is SO much simpler when we let God “drive”!!

“Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings ; honor the LORD for His Glory and Strength. Honor the LORD for the Glory of His Name. Worship the LORD in the Splendor of His Holiness. The Voice of the LORD echoes above the sea. The GOD of Glory Thunders. The LORD Thunders over the mighty sea. The Voice of the LORD is Powerful; the Voice of the LORD is Majestic. The Voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; He makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. The Voice of the LORD strikes with bolts of lightning. The Voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The Voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In His Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!” The LORD rules over the floodwaters. The LORD reigns as KING Forever. The LORD gives His people Strength. The LORD Blesses them with Peace.” – Psalms 29:1‭-‬11 NLT

AMEN!

History

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

No matter where we are or what we are doing, there are so many reasons to be grateful. Think about it.

There is much violence and protesting is taking place because of things that happened in the past. History needs to be taught as it happened, and it should be inclusive of ALL the viewpoints, not to be devisive but to pass on Knowledge. How else do we learn and keep from repeating the same mistakes over and over? People of every color and ethnicity have been through struggles throughout history. We don’t have to condone tragic events to acknowledge them. If we try to make reparations to every ethnic group that was mistreated in history, then every person alive should receive something. I’m sorry for how the tribal peoples were treated, but I had no part in it. My ancestors were maligned and mistrested, and I have been through hell, too, but no one is working on improving MY life because of it. We have history to learn from and to move forward from. Today is the day we need to live for, not all of the yesterdays. If we are AMERICAN, we should be together. Using hyphenated names is just a subtle way to promote divisive. We aren’t Irish-American or Native-American or Chinese-American or African-American. We are AMERICAN.

As a Christian nation, Americans should be leading the world in showing others how to live in harmony. We have so much to be thankful for, yet we seem to lead the way in litigation and violence. Take today, and look to JESUS to see how to live. Live like you are LOVED, because you are!

That’s my 2 cents.

All My Hope

There’s a song by an amazing artist, Crowder, called “All My Hope.” It was written for a friend that was being released from years behind bars, and who had found Jesus while incarcerated. It’s a beautiful song, speaking of redemption and being released from the bars and chains that hold us. In it, he says “All my Hope is in Jesus, Thank God that yesterday’s gone, All my sins are forgiven, I’ve been washed by the Blood…. ”

Jesus is our shelter in the storm, our Rock. He invites us to be washed of our sins so that we can share eternity with Him, and we know there is only One-Way to achieve this. All our Hope, all our Strength, all our PEACE comes from one place, one-way, from Jesus. Simple, yet hard. You say “I don’t want to give up my freedom,” or “Too many rules to follow,” or even “I’m a good person. I don’t need Jesus.” Oh, people! This is such disfunctional and error-filled thinking. Don’t you realize that by saying that Jesus was just a good man or a prophet, you are saying He was insane? Think about it. Jesus claimed to be the Son of the Immortal and Almighty GOD of the universe. How can anyone claiming to be GOD in the flesh, GOD Incarnate, the Living GOD be sane, if it is not true? Look at all of Jesus’ contemporaries who witnessed His death, who saw Him buried, and then saw Him again in the flesh after He came out of the tomb after 3 days. Our contemporaries, David Koresh and Jim Jones, both claimed to be the son of GOD, and we called them insane. They committed suicide with many of their followers…. and they are dead. No resurrection or salvation.

Followers of Jesus know that He is the True Son of GOD. We don’t just believe it, we KNOW it is true. How do we know? Aside from all the eyewitness testimonies of His contemporaries, we know it in our hearts; we feel it in His Strength, and we see His Grace in our lives (even in the bad stuff). I wish that the people who think they are “good enough” to go to heaven weren’t so misguided by the enemy. There is no “good enough” to spend eternity with our LORD, because He is the ONLY One good enough. He is the ONLY One to live a sinless life? Not “good enough,” not a “good” man, and not a prophet. He is the ONE-Way, the ONLY-Way, to GOD.

Are you washed by the Blood of Jesus?

“Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But GOD showed His GREAT LOVE for us by sending CHRIST to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” – Romans 5:7‭-‬9 NLT

AMEN!!