Charlie Kirk – My Reaction

I have read with increasing sadness the reactions on both sides.

Conservatives say Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He spoke the truth and allowed others to voice their disagreements.

Liberals say Charlie Kirk held mock debates spewing hate and misinformation towards many groups of people. He deserved to die.

What does God say about our attitudes towards others?

Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another… for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” Zechariah 8:17

You shall not murder.  Exodus 20:13

Murder comes from an evil heart. Matthew 15:19

Satan is the father of murderers. John 8:44

A murderer does not have eternal life in him. 1 John 3:16

Hating is murdering. 1 John 3:15

I can understand in some degree the differing reactions of non-Christians. But Christians who support and even celebrate the murder of someone they disagreed with baffle me. Do they not know what the Bible says? Do they not know what the Lord they pledged their lives to commands them to do?

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:43-48

Even getting extremely angry at another person makes you liable for judgment. Matthew 5:20-22

We as Christ-followers are free to disagree with each other – but not free to harm each other. The murder of Charlie Kirk should elicit a unified cry for the life of a brother – not a debate on whether he deserved to die. And we should not be attacking each other over our reactions. Where is the love by which we will be known as belonging to Jesus?

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar: 1 John 4:20a

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 1 John 2:9

They profess to know God, but deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. Titus 1:16

Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? Luke 6:46

The Bible has a word for those who claim to be Christ-followers while hating their brothers – hypocrite. And he warns that He will turn His face from them.

You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:7-9

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after the other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered! – only to go on doing all these abominations?… I will cast you out of my sight… Jeremiah 7:8-10, 15a

But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? Psalm 50:16

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Isaiah 1:15

When are we going to get off the fence between God’s ways and man’s ways? When are we going to deny what we want (think) and become obedient to what Christ wants (commands)? When are we going to stop loving as the world does and start loving as Jesus does?

Amen

Open Your Eyes – Lord; An Allegory

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Darlene sighed as she straightened. “There,” she said, “The weeds are gone.”

Brandi looked around. “There’s still so much to do. I wonder why the lady let her yard get so bad. Good thing you decided to help her.”

Darlene brushed the dirt off her jacket. “Well, Mr. Evans asked me to so here I am. I’m going to go ask what he wants me to do next.”

Brandi pointed. “I don’t know Mr. Evans but I’m happy to help out. I’ll trim those bushes. I don’t know if spring is the right season, but it’s easier to trim the branches before the leaves start growing. “

“He didn’t say anything about the bushes but I guess it’s okay. It does need to be done.” Darlene opened the back gate. “Be back soon.”

Brandi put on a pair of gloves and picked up the shears just as a man walked through the back gate. He waved when he saw her and headed in her direction.

“Hi, Seth! You made it!”

Seth nodded, “I couldn’t let my friend do all this by herself, could I?” He looked around. “You’re not kidding. This place is a mess.”

“Darlene said that Mr. Evans said it needed to be cleaned up. I pulled the weeds and am about to trim the bushes.”

“I think the patio needs to be hosed and scrubbed, too. I’ll go do that.”

“Good idea.” Brandi walked to the side fence and began snipping the bush branches while Seth found a broom in the shed and began sweeping.

By the time Darlene returned, the bushes were trimmed, the patio clean, the raised garden bed filled with compost and topsoil, and the leaves raked.

“Wow,” Darlene called to the two friends. “You’ve done so much!”

“Where have you been?” Brandi asked. “I thought you were just going to ask Mr. Evans what to do next.”

“I did ask him. He told me to help the people in the front yard first. They were planting a tree and needed another set of hands. And then to come back here and check for dog poop.”  She walked to the shed. “There’s supposed to be a poop-scooper in here.”

“Ew,” Brandi held her nose. “You can have that job. I’m going to clean the patio furniture.” She called to Seth, “Did you happen to see a bucket and some rags in the shed when you were in there?”

“Yes, the rags are on the shelf and there’s a bucket next to the door.”

The clanging of a dinner bell stopped all three helpers.

“Yay!” Darlene cheered. “Time for lunch!” She headed for the back door.

“I’m starving!” Brandi said as she joined Darlene.

“Me, too.!” Seth echoed as he joined the girls.

The back door opened just as they got there.

Mr. Evans motioned to Darlene. “Come and get it! The barbeque chicken is hot on the stove and there are fresh rolls from the oven.”

Darlene grinned and entered the house. Seth and Brandi tried to follow but Mr. Evans stopped them.

“Sorry, but this is for friends and family only.”

“But we helped out! Didn’t we trim the bushes, pull weeds, clean the patio and rake the leaves?”

Mr. Evans shook his head. “I don’t know you. ” He pointed to the back gate .”You’ll need to leave.” Then he went inside, closing the door firmly behind him.


“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who des the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I never know you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23

When I read Matthew 7:21-23, I’m struck by two things. One is that Jesus told these people who did things in His name that He never knew them. The other is that He attached the word ‘many’ to that. Does that mean many church-going Christians are not going to make it into the kingdom of heaven? That thought is sobering.

Doing things in the name of Jesus is not the same thing as making Him Lord of your life. You can go to church, sign up for mission trips, help out in community outreach programs, and take food to the homebound without submitting yourself to His Lordship. Without this submission, all you have is religion. Religion does not get you into heaven. Only Jesus can do that – and only when you’ve made Him your Lord and Savior.

Lord AND Savior, not Lord OR Savior.

Making Him Lord is not reciting a certain prayer or just calling Him Lord. Making Him Lord means to give yourself to Him heart, soul and body. You put yourself under His Lordship. You don’t live for yourself anymore – you live for Him. You give up what you want to do and do what He tells you to do.

Have you done that? Does Jesus know you?

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5

Open Your Eyes – What Would Jesus Do?

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WWJD. It used to be a big thing years ago, but I still see it around today.

To know what Jesus would do in any situation, we first need to know who Jesus is and what He did when He was here on Earth.

Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth for a time. He is God in human form (Philippians 2:8). He created everything – including us (John 1:1-3). He is sovereign over all (Eph 1:20-21). Seeing Jesus is seeing the Father (John 14:9a).

Jesus loves people. He loves us so much that He died for us in order to restore our relationship with the Father (Romans 5:10-11). This shows that love means value. He values us enough to pay the painful price for our sins.

Contrary to many popular declarations, Jesus did not come here to love us as it is defined today. He didn’t walk around accepting and supporting everyone and their behaviors and choices. He was clear that sin led to death (Matt 18:8-9). He got quite angry at some of the choices people made such as hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-36), greed and irreverence (Mark 11:15-17) and leading others to sin (Luke 17:1-2).

 “But He ate with sinners,” many people say. “He didn’t judge them.” It is true that He ate with sinners, but not to show His acceptance or support of their sin. He ate with them to call them to repentance (Matt 5:30-32). In fact, His ministry revolved around calling people to repentance (Matthew 4:17). He even sent out His disciples to call other towns to repentance (Mark 6:12). As He preached and taught Jesus healed and delivered and fed people who came to Him, but always with the same message. He told the woman caught in adultery to sin no more (John 8:11). He told the crippled man that He healed the same thing (John 5:14).

He helped many people but not everyone. He didn’t help the widow who gave her last coins (Mark 12:42-44). He didn’t help non-Jews (Luke 15:24). Even with the Jews, the Bible often used the word ‘many’ instead of ‘all’. When asked one time, He said He only did what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). He also didn’t help/heal everyone the same way and He didn’t feed every crowd.

When Jesus returns, He will not be coming as a meek and mild baby. He will not be forgiving and calling us to repentance. He is coming back with fire in His eyes to judge the world. He is angry and will be exacting vengeance on those who have continued in their sinful choices (Rev 19:12a, 15).

So what would Jesus do in today’s society?

He would spend His time calling people to repentance and teaching about the kingdom of heaven.

He would value people but not accept and support every lifestyle and choice. He would point out the danger of sin and warn of its penalty while enjoying time with them as people created in God’s image.

He would spend time with most people, not avoid them. Most because religious hypocrisy and leading others to sin were exceptions. He wouldn’t spend time with them but would call them out on their behavior.

He would help people but only as the Father led Him. His first criteria would be to seek His Father’s will, and then treat each person as an individual.

He would pray. A lot. His relationship with the Father would come before everything else. And it was through of His relationship with His Father that He could do everything else.

Now the question becomes WWYD – What Will You Do?


Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

Eph 1:20-21 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

John 14:9a Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

Romans 5:10-11 For if while we were still enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Matt 18:8-9 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

Mark 11:15-17 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

Luke 17:1-2 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

Matt 5:30-32  And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 6:12 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

John 8:11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither to I condemn you; go, and from now on sin nor more.”

John 5:14  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Mark 12:42-44 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all  those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Luke 15:24  He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

Rev 19:12a, 15 His eyes are like a flame of fire… From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Open Your Eyes – Truth

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Truth is important. I think we can all agree with that. We need the truth about the world in order to thrive. Believing what is not true may spoil our plans or lead us down a wrong path that may end badly, even to our deaths.

You would think truth would be a unifying force. Something we all have in common. However, it is not. I don’t think it ever has been. What divides us is how we view truth. We all use the word ‘truth’ but we are not all talking about the same thing. That becomes clear as we hear about their truth, our truth, or the truth. What’s the difference? Truth is truth, right?

Nope.

Cambridge Dictionary and other online sites define truth as:

  • that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality (the truth or objective truth)
  • that which is thought to be true by most people (our truth or general truth)
  • that which is based on someone’s personal situation or feelings (my truth or subjective truth)

All three meanings are valid and used every day. There are times when objective truth has to top the others – such as fire is hot. But there are many times when subjective truth can be used to make decisions– such as the pool is too cold to swim in.

Over the decades that I have been alive, I have watched as subjective truth slowly replaced more and more objective truth. For many in our country today, there is no objective truth. Everyone’s truth is as valid as any other truth. The root of many disagreements is when subjective truth is pushed as objective truth.

It’s time for Christians to wake up. It’s time for us to open our eyes to remember who we are and whose we are. It’s time to see what’s going on around us and to compare it to what God says.

  • Jesus said He was the truth. (John 14:6). Not a truth but the truth.
  • In John 17:17, Jesus prayed that the Father would “Sanctify them by the truth; your words are truth.” The Bible contains God’s words, i.e. truth.
  • Jesus told His disciples that His Spirit would lead them into all truth. (John 16:13a). All truth. There is no objective truth outside of God’s truth.

I don’t speak to non-Christians. They must do what they feel they must do. God alone will judge them by His standards for them.

I speak to those who call themselves Christians. We are not free to believe whatever we want. We are to believe and live the truth as God has given it to us. We are to stand up for the truth (2 Cor 13:8) as well as speak the truth to each other (Eph 4:25).

Speaking the truth got the prophets stoned and killed. Standing for the truth got the early disciples ridiculed, ostracized, rejected, persecuted, and even killed. What will it cost us? Are we willing to walk as those of centuries ago did? Or do we prefer to walk the path of least resistance with our eyes closed?

It’s time for us to choose. God or the world?

Let’s pray that God opens our eyes to the truth as revealed in His Word, and that He gives us the strength to walk in it – in a world where to speak it out can cost us everything.


John 8:32  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 16:13a However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth,

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your words are truth.

Zech 8:16-17 These are the things you must do: speak truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.

2 Cor 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

Eph 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each of one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

1 Cor 13:6 Loves does not delight in wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Open Your Eyes – Tolerance

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Tolerance has changed over the 60-something years I’ve lived. Not the definition, but what it is we are to tolerate and how to do it.

When I was a teen back in the 60s and 70s, tolerance meant accepting those whose skin color was different than your own. That meant not discriminating against those from different ethnicities.

During my adult years as I was raising my children, tolerance meant accepting someone’s sexual orientation or religious views. That meant not discriminating against someone whose sexual preference was different or someone who didn’t believe the same things I did about the Bible, Jesus, or the denomination I preferred.

Today, tolerance means to not only not-discriminate against, but to promote. It seems to mean not only to let everyone do and believe whatever they want without correcting them, changing them, or judging them, but also to celebrate and support them in every way I can. That means using the language they want me to use, seeing them the way they want to be seen, and letting them act, go, do whatever they believe they need to. If I don’t play their game, if I don’t want them teaching their views as truth to my children, I’m being intolerant. I’m expected to deny my own beliefs for the sake of theirs.

If I don’t support their beliefs, I’m being intolerant. Yet, If they don’t support my beliefs, they are not being intolerant. This in itself should cause us to question what’s going on.

To be wise about tolerance, we need to know what Jesus taught us about it.

Here are two examples I’ve heard people point to as proof He was a man of tolerance.

He ate with sinners.  Did he do so because he tolerated their lifestyle choices? No, he did so to lead them to the Father, to share the gospel. (Matt 9:11, Luke 5:31)

He defended the woman caught in adultery by telling those who were ready to stone her that the one without sin was to cast the first stone.  He was defending her from hypocritical judgment. We know He didn’t tolerate her lifestyle because He told her to “sin no more”. (John 8:1)

Jesus did not come to show us how to accept everyone as they are. He came to get people to repent, to turn back to God.  (Matt 4:17) He came to restore our relationship with the Father which requires conforming to His will. In other words, we can’t do things our way and expect Him to support us.

Here are some of the things He did not tolerate while lived here on Earth.

Sin. (Matt 4:1-11, Matt 5:21-30 Luke 13:1-5)

Religious leaders’ hypocrisy  (Matt 23:27-28)

Those who claim to follow Him but aren’t doing the Father’s will (Matt 7:21)

Those who refuse to listen to the words of those He sends (Matt 10:14-15, Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5)

Those who choose not to follow Him (Matt 16:24-26, John 12:25-26)

Disbelief in Him (John 3:18,8:24, 14:6)

Those who don’t put him above all else (Matt 8:22, Luke 9:59-60)

Leading others astray (Matt 18:6-7, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 17:1-2)

Hypocritical judging (Matt 7:3-5)

Mistreatment of God’s house (Matt 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, John 2:13-16)

Lust (Matt 5:28-29)

According to the words of Jesus, love and tolerance are not the same things. We can love without tolerating behaviors that are wrong according to the Bible. We can care about people but not join them in their sin. In fact, we are told to expose it for what it is. (5:11) We are told to correct those who persist in sin (1 Tim 5:20, 2 Tim 2:25, James 5:19-20 Gal 6:1), and avoid those who distort the gospel (Gal 1:6-9). We are to stand out from the world, not become part of it. (Rom 12:2)

The world has many ways to justify its many truths based on human thinking, human logic, human desires, and human understanding. God does not think like a human. (Isaiah 55:8)

I exhort everyone who claims to be a Christian, to open your eyes to what’s really going on. Pray for the strength to get through these days without being deceived into believing the lies that surround us every day.

Look at who and what the world tolerates, compare it to what Jesus did and did not tolerate, and then choose who you will follow.


But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  Eph 5:13-27

‘…to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’.  Acts 26:17b-18

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. Mark 13:33

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:36

The Last Time

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How often have we heard, “I didn’t know that was the last time I would ever see my loved one again. If only I had known, I would have hugged him/her a little longer.”

Heartbreaking.

But does it change our own attitudes towards those we love? Do we get so caught up in day-to-day living that we forget that there is a last time for everything?

The last time we will kiss our spouse goodbye.

The last time we eat dinner with some good friends.

The last time we tuck our children into bed.

I am guilty of this. I assume that if I have greeted my granddaughter each morning this week, I will be greeting her each morning next week, and even for years to come. I live as though I will see the end coming well in advance, such as when she goes off to college or gets a job in another state. But often I give little thought that the hug I gave her this morning might have been the last. Accidents happen. Life circumstances change.  We don’t have near as much control over our lives as we sometimes think we do. If only someone could tell us when the end was coming, like a GPS app identifies the last mile of a journey.

Well, Jesus did do that concerning our last days on earth. He gave us signs to look for and directions on what to do and not do. He also said that it would be like in the days of Noah. Back then, people were eating, drinking, and marrying up until it started raining. Same with Sodom. People were carrying on their lives up until the fire began falling.

I know that people have been saying Jesus was returning soon for thousands of years. Many years ago, when I was a new Christian, I believed, like many new Christians, that Jesus was coming any day. My life revolved around Him. Everything else took second stage. Then decades went by and His return, as much as I still yearned for it, became second stage and the daily concerns of life became more important.

But one day, He is coming back. And although we don’t know the day, we can know the season.  Based on the signs He gave us, are we living in that season today? Many of the things He said would happen have happened over the centuries, and it’s possible they will continue to happen for centuries more. But eventually labor pains will end. Their intensity and frequency are clues as to how close that end is. Disaster upon disaster is happening all across the globe, so many and so often, that they no longer consume our attention like they once did. Just like school or mass shootings, the first ones were top news for days, now most don’t even make the news. Words like “record breaking” and “never seen before” are being used with increasingly frequency. Threats of destroying the world have gone from “what if” like I heard when I was younger to a real possibility today. And in some views, a probability.

What if we really are living in the last of the last days? How would our attitude be different? What changes would we make in our lives?

Do we need to hear the trumpet sound in the sky before we make those changes? Wouldn’t today be a good day to live as if it was our last?

Because one day, it will be.


Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:10 

He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You now how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? Luke 12:54-56 

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the day of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buy and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. Luke 17:26-30 

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things (see Matt 24:4-31) have happened. Matthew 24:32-34 

Are We Living In a Social Earthquake? Part 2

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The damage from this social earthquake is intense. Ruined family relationships, the instability of morals, the destruction of respect for others, and the broken trust in our leaders and media.

The results are a nation of people living in a constant state of high anxiety, struggling with their instincts of fight or flight and clinging desperately to what they think will provide stability and safety, whether or not it really will.

I can’t speak for non-Christians, but what if those who identify as Christians respond to this social earthquake in a different way than in the previous paragraph? What if we actually live what the Bible teaches?

Oh, wait. Those are trigger words today. Let me rephrase it.

What if we actually live the two most important commandments that Jesus gave us? To love God first and foremost, and love each other as He loved us?

If we love God with all of our hearts, we won’t be giving our hearts to the wrong people or ideas. As a bonus, as God loves us back, we won’t be looking to others to fill our need for love. We won’t need others to affirm us, and we won’t be offended if they don’t.

If we love God with all our souls, we will conform ourselves to Him, and not be confused or shaken by changing social dictates.

If we love God with all of our minds, we will be focused on Him. Meditating on His ways and character  will leave us little time to be misled by ideas being pushed and lies being told.

If we love God with all of our strength, our energy will be directed towards what God wants and in doing good. We won’t have enough energy left to bicker and point fingers.

And if we love each other as Jesus loves us, we will be keep busy focusing on the good of others.  Speaking truth, tolerating each other’s quirks, listening to the heart of others instead of what we might see on the outside, meeting their needs, and enjoying various personalities will keep us so busy we won’t have time to think about ourselves. We won’t need to. Jesus said seek the kingdom first and the Father will supply our needs. That means spend your time taking care of others as God leads, and He will take care of you no matter how strong the earthquake.


And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34)

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Ps 37:3

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

Are We Living In a Social Earthquake? Part 1

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I was reading about earthquakes the other day. Having never experienced one myself, I was fascinated to read the accounts by those who had. Their descriptions of the ground rolling and undulating, of the difficulty of walking straight, of buildings swaying, and the loud rumbling and groaning noises are hard for me to imagine. But then, I thought, maybe I can understand, because I may being living in one right now.

 It seemed when I was a child back in the 50s and 60s, life was a lot more stable, generally speaking. It was easy to identify right from wrong. Lies were called out. People were held accountable for their actions.

But over the decades, life seems to have become increasingly unstable, like the vibrations of an earthquake growing ever stronger. Today, it feels as if we are in a nation-wide 8.0 social earthquake. Just like an 8.0 physical earthquake causes major damage to land and the buildings on them, this social earthquake is doing major damage to the social and spiritual foundation of our country. People’s beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles are shifting and shaking as ideas are pushed on them by vocal groups, politicians, and biased media. It’s hard to walk a straight path when we are being told to go first one way, and then another. Good is now being called evil, and evil is now considered good. Experts contradict each other, polls show whatever their creators want them to show, and AI blurs the lines between real and false. We no longer know what to believe, who to listen to, or where to go to find safety.

What if we stopped looking around and looked up instead. What if we got quiet and listened to what our Maker might be telling us.

He might be saying, “Hold on to Me. Don’t put your trust in what you see or don’t see around you. The only place for your trust is Me. I am the only one who knows everything that is happening, and how it all turns out.”

Polls media reports, political interviews can all be skewed. We can watch, discuss, research, and develop opinions – but we shouldn’t trust any of it to save us, save the nation, or to predict the future.

Trust the one who has the future in His hands. He is the only one who can save us and make our steps firm.


I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 1121: 1-3 

for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ Isaiah 46: 9b-10

In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie. Psalm 40:4

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8

The Difference Is… God is Omnipresent

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Julie rang the bell, and then smiled at the man who opened the door. This was her second week to babysit for Mr. Thompson while he conducted a meeting in his living room. She had been surprised last week to find the playroom in the basement, but it had been well lit and filled with toys and kids

“Hi, Mr. Thompson,” she smiled at him.

He smiled back. “Hi Julie! You’re just in time. The kids are waiting for you.”

She followed Mr. Thompson past the dining room to the basement door. He stopped just before opening it. Turning to her, he said, “I heard they gave you a hard time last week. I want you to know that although they may try to convince you otherwise, you’re the one in charge. Remind them of that if you need to. I will be up here if an emergency happens, but I trust you to take care of them until my meeting is over.”

Julie nodded at Mr. Thompson as he opened the door, and then followed the sounds of laughter dancing up the steps. Being paid to do what she loved filled her with joy, tempered with the weight of responsibility. Ultimately, she knew Mr. Thompson was in control of everything, but that didn’t mean he told her which games to pull out, when to intervene in a squabble, or whether to give them their snack on plates or napkins. He trusted her to make moment by moment decisions, and only got involved when she came to him for help or when the noise level indicated his presence was necessary to restore order. Or, if she misused her authority, the children’s cries reached his ears.

Mr. Thompson’s charge to Julie is similar to God’s charge to us concerning the earth. He has told us to take care of it and of each other. Just as Julie had been given the authority to rule the children, He gives us the authority to rule the earth. Ultimately, He is in control of everything, but that doesn’t mean He tells us which shirt to wear, what to eat for breakfast, or what color car to buy. He trusts us to make moment by moment decisions, and gets involved when we go to Him for help or when the circumstances indicate His presence is needed to restore order. Or, if we misuse our authority, the cries of the vulnerable reach His ears.

Some people view God in the same way Julie viewed Mr. Thompson. They believe He is upstairs, but after charging us to take care of everything, He withdrew. He provides everything we need, but He watches from a distance, rarely intervening if at all.

The difference is…

Mr. Thompson could not be in two places at the same time. He couldn’t be at his meeting and watch what Julie and the children did at the same time. Thus he could not make suggestions to help Julie care for the children. He could provide all that she would need, but the floor between them kept him at a distance, leaving Julie to carry out her charge the best she could.

However, God is everywhere at every moment. He is both in heaven watching us as we carry out our charge, and right by our sides whispering suggestions to keep us on the path. He may not tell us which book to read next – although He might – but if we are alert to His gentle nudging, He will guide us moment by moment in the areas that count.


Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over… all the earth…” Gen 1:26

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.  Is 30:21

When Praying is like Swimming Upstream

Does anyone else sound like this when they pray?

God, I lift up my friend Tammy to You. She is carrying such a weight right now. Please fill her with Your strength to handle all the details that are coming her way. It’s hard to sell a house, but even harder when you’re still emotionally attached to it. I wonder if I would feel the same way if I sold my house. The evidence of my kids growing up here are everywhere. I really should get that hole in the wall fixed, though. How do I do that? Do I cover it with wide tape, like duct tape, and then paint over it? Hmmm…. the new paint won’t match the rest, so I’ll need to paint the whole wall. Should I keep to the same color or change it to another? I wonder… oh, right, I was praying.

God, sorry for getting distracted. Like I was saying, please strengthen Tammy and give her the wisdom to make the best choices. I also lift up my daughter, Erica. She hasn’t been feeling well lately. Heal her quickly, Lord, and strengthen her to be able to handle her job and family responsibilities. Her husband may understand her lack of energy, but her baby will not. Mikey needs his mother, and when she’s too tired to spend that time with him, he cries. It hurts my heart to think of him crying. Bob is a good father, but not a replacement for mommy. I wonder why some kids gravitate towards one parent over the other. Erica was a momma’s girl when she was little, but ever since he was a baby, Steve preferred Matt. He still prefers his dad over me. That hurts, like I’m being rejected even though I know he loves me. What did Matt feel when Erica clung to me instead of to him? I never thought of looking at it from his perspective…

Oh.

God, I did it again. I’m so sorry. This time I will stay focused. School is starting soon. Please be with the teachers and students as they return to the classroom. Keep them safe as they start another year. There are so many dangers nowadays that I never had to face when I was teaching. It must be stressful to be in a place where the chance of getting the Covid virus is high. Or where a shooter might show up at any time. I wonder what I would have done if a shooter had entered my school when I was teaching. How would I have protected my kindergarten students? The bathroom could hold maybe half of them, if they squeezed in tight enough, but would they be able to stay quiet? Maybe the rest of them could hide inside the cabinets. I’d have to remove the stuff in them first, but they’re big enough for the kids to fit in them. There were 2, 3, 4, 5 cabinets on the back wall. That would work for five students, but then there’d still be…

Oh, Lord.

Please forgive me. I can’t stay focused. I can never stay focused. I don’t know how You put up with this. I would be so annoyed if someone kept doing this to me. Please have mercy on me and help me to do better. I’m good at some things, like giving to the poor and being kind to my neighbor. But praying – why is it so hard? What is wrong with me that I can’t pray like my pastor does? Or the other people in my small group…

And so it goes on until I eventually finish, give up, or run off to do something I just remembered I had to do.

For me, sometimes praying is like swimming upstream. I’m trying to swim towards God, to be in His presence and stay focused on our conversation. But the current of human weakness keeps pushing me back to my own thoughts. Debris, such as memories, worries, reminders of things I need to do constantly distract me. How much easier it is to float downstream with them than to maintain the energy required to push against that current. This causes frequent feelings of failure or inadequacy resulting in many apologies and pleas of forgiveness. I think God is gracious to keep forgiving me. And He is.

And yet, what if God’s response is different? What if instead of disapproval and tolerance, He looks at it in a different way. What if instead of saying, “You keep drifting away,” He says, “You keep coming back.”

For me, that would be game-changer.


For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14