And the Emmy goes to . . . no one I know

By the time you read this, the awards will have been passed out and discussed in the media and around the office workroom. Do you know, or care, who won? Does any of it change anything in your life? 

Maybe.

I looked over the list of nominees and, for the first time I can remember, I did not know one person or program that was nominated for an award. I thought I had “aged out” of this award’s show, but when I took a closer look, I realized that I never would have watched these dark, depressing, even evil shows. 

If this is what people are putting into their minds each evening, no wonder the depression statistics are increasing! One show was labeled “post-apocalyptic” and I thought to myself, “Nothing to care about then.” 

My next thought was, “But there is something to care about now.” 

How is television influencing our culture? 

I grew up with three stations that each played the national anthem first thing in the morning and again at night, right before the Indian head took up permanent residence on the screen. If you are fairly young, it’s okay if you have no idea what that last sentence means. If you are smiling right now . . . you get it. 

I’m not surprised when I hear the reports of increased depression, angst, worry, and concern among the people in our culture. There is a mental health option that will rarely be reported by our media. Why? Because it is the suggestion that we would be a much happier, healthier society if we simply turned off our televisions, computers, etc.  

Why don’t we hear about that? 

Because that decision would shut down the need for, and the ability to pay for, all of these different stations, websites, podcasts, etc. That may seem odd for someone who works for an internet ministry to say—but I’m a big fan of telling the truth! 

A media fast for 2024

It is January and I’ve had this thought: We can relearn and relish the joy of utter silence! 

Right now, as I sit typing, the only sounds I hear are the wind blowing outside and my washing machine finishing its spin cycle.  

Take a minute and turn off the television, radio, phone, and computer notifications and just listen. 

What do you hear in the silence? 

Spend a minute or two enjoying those sounds and then consider how you feel when you are done. Compare those feelings to the way you feel after watching one of those Emmy Award-nominated shows, a news broadcast, or streaming a show on your TV. 

I’m not suggesting we all move to a monastery. At least I’m not suggesting that yet . . . LOL! I am suggesting we regularly visit the quiet this year.  

2024 is likely going to be a noisy, unsettling, and almost meaningless year of television. 2024 is going to be filled with false news on the internet mixed with occasional truth. There will be wrong opinions on social media and a few opinions that should shape our own. There might be a handful of television shows that will encourage our souls, but most programming will fill our hearts and minds with the dark things of this world. 

Our kids probably sang, “Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear.” I think God wants his kids to consider that song regardless of their age!

Protect your thoughts with God’s

Philippi was a prosperous Roman colony, and Paul’s letter was written to encourage the Christians living there to continue to live faithfully in a culture that didn’t appreciate their values and opinions. In fact, Paul’s words to the Philippians provide American Christians with valuable and relevant advice for 2024. 

The Roman culture was just as divided, disorderly, and decadent as our American culture today. The world’s issues continue to travel the same roller coaster as always, looping around again from era to era. Each generation rides whatever twists, turns, climbs, and drops the coaster travels. 

One of the best indicators that our Bibles are the inspired word of God is the way every generation can be led and inspired by the transcendent, eternal truth that has helped every generation before us. Paul’s words to Philippi are his sermon to all of us today. 

He told the first-century Christians how to consider their culture. He wrote, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). 

Now, reread those words above as Paul’s advice for the way we consume any type of media. Just substitute Paul’s last words with “watch and look at these things.”  

2024 is an important year

I can’t imagine what we will be talking about next year. The topics will range from wars, politics, people’s successes, and their failures. The topics will likely continue for every year, even as the names change. 

I have no idea who will be nominated for an Emmy award next year or if I will recognize any of the shows or performers that might be awarded. If the nature of the programming doesn’t change, I can’t imagine my viewing preferences will either. I like to be careful what I allow into my thoughts.  

Let’s commit to bringing more joy-filled and peaceful silence into our homes and lives. Let’s give God the opportunity to influence our thoughts and opinions with his perfection. We need less media and more of his truth this year. We will need the same thing for 2025 as well! 

Our faces, our conversations, our homes, and most especially our souls will be blessed and changed by “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable.” And, “if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,” we can think on, watch, and consume those things. 

Paul’s letter encouraged and taught me today. How about you? 

How can we pray for Israel?

It is difficult to know how to pray against pure evil. Sometimes anger and wrath can lead our prayers instead of God. I’ve often said Satan isn’t concerned with what side of an issue in which we choose to sin. If we sin, evil wins regardless of our position. 

The nation of Israel is once again drawing the attention of the world. They are completely justified in their anger and their desire to protect their people. At the same time, God’s people are not to respond to evil with evil of their own.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to sit in a room and make decisions that will ultimately lead to people losing their lives. Can Israel fight their enemy without harming their own people? Will Israel seek God’s strength and wisdom or rely on their own? I was preparing to write this blog post and I searched for Bible verses about peace, enemies, end times, and wars in an effort to discern God’s truth for such terrible times. 

At the end of my reading, praying, and study, I could only settle on one certain truth. As I pray for the people of Israel, some of whom have become personal friends over the past several years, I found my prayers and my answers in Proverbs 8 and 9

We don’t know how to pray for Israel apart from God’s wisdom. The only thing we know is that the tiny nation that has been central to global politics from the beginning is making decisions that can alter our world. Their decisions can alter the character of our world as well. The one thing I know to pray for them, in addition to peace and divine protection, is that those who lead that nation need to seek and act with the wisdom only God can provide. 

I often say our greatest need is to live a life God is able to bless. God’s blessings are available to those who will walk in his ways. I’m praying that Israel will seek God’s face and God’s righteousness as their first and greatest need. 

Proverbs 8 

If you have time, read both Proverbs 8 and 9 in their entirety. These proverbs are about the blessings of living with God’s wisdom. These proverbs personify wisdom and explain that wisdom is gained from knowing and walking with God. 

My heart was drawn to Proverbs 8:12–21 as a prayer for those who are leading Israel right now. Wisdom causes us to think and feel about things like God would. If we can share the heart of God, we can pray with the thoughts of God. 

This is the wisdom I am praying for those in the nation of Israel, from Proverbs 8:12–21.

1. Pray that those who lead Israel will dwell with God’s wisdom and discretion.

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and discretion.” (v. 12)

2. Pray that God will produce their emotions, their character, and their example to the world.

“The fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and perverted speech I hate.” (v. 13)

3. Pray that Israel will recognize that their most important counsel and strategies will come from God. God’s justice is pure, and their leaders need to act in accordance with his direction.

“I have counsel and sound wisdom;
    I have insight; I have strength.
By me kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.” (vv. 14–16)

4. Pray that Israel will understand that their greatest need and their greatest witness is to love God and seek his wisdom and will.

“I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me diligently find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
    enduring wealth and righteousness.” (vv. 17–18)

5. Pray that they will seek the Lord’s victories and justice ahead of their own.

“My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.” (vv. 19–21)

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9 includes a sobering statement about what happens if we ignore the wisdom of God. God has provided his word and called his people to know it, respect it, and act upon it. There is no other road to success in this life apart from his wisdom. 

Proverbs 9:10–12 makes clear, “The fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.” 

Israel’s search for wisdom should be our own as well 

It seems as if the world is losing its soul. God’s people need to be praying, speaking, and acting with hearts aligned with the truth of God’s word. We shouldn’t be surprised at a world that is in decline spiritually. Jesus, Paul, and others warned us in Scripture that the decline would occur. 

The world has seen evil before and evil will be part of this world until the end of time. Revelation 11 is the word from the seventh and final trumpet. Revelation 11:18 says, “The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” 

God’s servants will be rewarded and evil will be judged. Until that day, we are to fear God’s name, which means our job is to live submitted to his character and voice within us. The Holy Spirit needs to guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions. We can’t pray or speak correctly apart from the Spirit’s guidance. 

Will you pray for the wisdom of God to guide the leaders and people of Israel? 

Will you pray the same for your own life? 

Wisdom is knowing God and walking in his ways rather than our own. Pray for wisdom to bring the blessing of peace. Pray for the Spirit of Jesus to once again walk among them on that land and offer his truth. Israel needs Jesus.  

In his holy name, we pray for our friends and this chosen land . . . Amen.

____________

For more on the war in Israel, please visit this collection of resources from Denison Ministries.

When God speaks

My blog posts this week is about listening to God. 

He speaks to servants who listen. 

But sometimes God whispers. 

Why is that?

GOD’S WHISPER IS PERSONAL

When did you last whisper to someone? 

Chances are, it was someone you love. We don’t whisper in the ears of strangers. God whispers to those he loves too. 

Scripture records God’s whispered voice in 1 Kings 19. This is one of the most touching passages in the Bible. 

Elijah’s experience with God took place after his public stand against the prophets of Baal. The Lord had shown himself to the people when Elijah’s altar was consumed by fire from heaven. Everyone witnessed the power of God, and the prophets of Baal were defeated and killed. But, when Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life, the prophet was afraid and fled into the hills. 

Elijah traveled for forty days and ended up in a cave on Mount Sinai. Some commentaries suggest it could have been the cave on Mount Sinai, the cave where Moses had met with God. When God wanted to whisper to his prophet, he took him to a place where he knew Elijah would listen. 

When God whispers, his words are personal and private. They are his message to you, before they become a message for others. 

GOD’S WHISPER HAS A PURPOSE

There have been countless sermons and books from this passage about Elijah. The prophet was afraid, dejected, depressed, and alone, and this is soon after he had prayed for fire from heaven. The people who saw the miracle recognized the power of God, but the prophet was still afraid of Jezebel’s threats. 

Elijah has always been considered the great prophet of Israel. It is just like God to provide his people with a story like Elijah’s so that every generation would learn from his example. People tend to look for greatness in other people, in other things. Every prophet, from Elijah to today, is simply a human being whose greatness is a product of God’s.  

Elijah was in a cave when an angel of the Lord came to him and said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord” (1 Kings 19:11). God wanted to speak a personal message to Elijah, meet his needs, and direct his path. God was going to whisper to the prophet, and he wanted Elijah to listen. 

God still whispers his purpose and plans to his people today. 

GOD’S WHISPER IS POWERFUL

Elijah stood before the Lord, and “he passed by.” Scripture says that “a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire” (1 Kings 19:11–12). 

Everyone has needed to alter their life this past year. I have masks in my car, in my purse, and in my home. A lot of God’s people, myself included, have looked at this past year and wondered if the Lord was speaking to our American culture. My only answer to that question is maybe. 

On the other hand, if I stand on the mountain with Elijah, I see things differently. 

Are we supposed to look for God in a virus, in the news, in the government, and in the storms? What if God wants us to seek his voice in the quiet? 

After the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, there was “the sound of a low whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). The Bible says, “when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out” (v. 13).  

God’s voice was most powerful when it was most personal. 

God’s words to Elijah were whispered because the prophet was close and listening. That’s why Elijah covered his head. God was so near that the prophet was careful to be reverent. In that moment, nothing else mattered except hearing God’s quiet voice. 

When God whispers to us, it is for our ears only—and we should strain to catch every word.  

GOD’S WHISPER IS OUR PEACE

God spoke directly to Elijah’s needs. Elijah felt alone and dejected. As a prophet, he was supposed to convince people of their need for God and help them return to faith and obedience. But, when Elijah called fire from heaven, giving proof of God’s existence, he only made Jezebel more of an enemy. Elijah needed to measure success differently. 

God told Elijah to return and anoint new kings over Israel and Judah. God also told him to anoint Elisha as the new prophet for these kings. Then God told Elijah which king would be responsible for Elisha’s death.  

God didn’t whisper that everything would be fine. He told Elijah that most of the people would not change, but some would. God said, “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). 

God didn’t whisper that everything would be fine. God whispered his will, and Elijah was fine.  

GOD’S WHISPER IS HIS WORD

Do you expect God will whisper to you? 

Our generation of faith is blessed to have access to his word every moment of every day. We can Google a verse, grab a Bible, or download a sermon at any time. Never in history has God’s word been more available to people. But access to God’s word doesn’t mean people will be convinced. 

This is an important time in history to remember that Jesus said, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14). Our promise is never most. In fact, it isn’t even many. Success is measured as some, those who hear and receive the truth about salvation in Christ. 

Take a moment to draw close to Jesus. 

Then allow him to whisper his words to you. 

Hear Jesus quietly say, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” 

Allow his words to be personal and powerful and to bring you peace—if you have chosen to walk that narrow path. 

Allow the whisper to remind you that you are close to his voice, and the Lord will strengthen you to walk his purpose, regardless of others’ opinions. 

And listen closely for God to guide you to the people who need to hear that the Savior died for them too. 

God still whispers his words to those who will listen. 

God’s whisper is his word to you. 

Draw close—and listen. 

*Original posting for this blog was July 19, 2022

The stability of our times

I’ve been working on a big project this summer and, in the process of writing, I ran across a passage that was new to me. It amazes me how the word of God can be “new every morning.” The passage is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 33. Isaiah’s words are directed to foreign powers who were successfully invading Israel and bringing God’s people harm.

It’s increasingly common, even popular, for God’s people to feel as if their beliefs are under attack these days. It occurred to me as I studied Isaiah’s words that the discomfort some of us might be feeling today doesn’t really compare to what a lot of Christians endure in the world. I’ve never feared for my life because of what I believe. On the other hand, the instability raises questions for the future. 

Are times changing? If so, will they change again toward God’s direction at some point? 

The stability of our times

Isaiah’s words were directed to the chaos God’s people were experiencing, knowing there were those outside their faith who wanted to do them harm. The prophet reminded the people, “The Lᴏʀᴅ is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is Zion’s treasure” (Isaiah 33:5–6). 

Sometimes I watch the evening news and just shake my head. “Stability” doesn’t seem to describe much of what I see and hear. Granted, news has become an entertainment industry as opposed to an informative industry. Angst sells, so we will see a lot of that offered. 

The key to the stability Isaiah was speaking of is found in the first few words of the passage. Whom do we exalt? Isaiah reminded his people, “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high.” 

The word exalt means “to lift up, to elevate.” We exalt what we praise, who and what we consider higher than ourselves. Sometimes we exalt those whom we consider smarter than ourselves. Isaiah would remind us that it is the Lord we should exalt because only God has a perspective from “on high.” 

It won’t be politicians who fill our nation with justice and righteousness unless those politicians have been filled with God’s Spirit. God needs to be the stability of our times. It will be very important that we don’t “exalt” people instead.  

What does stability look like?

I hear the word stability used most often these days to describe financial security. Certainly, inflation is a much-discussed problem today, but financial security isn’t the stability Isaiah was describing. The prophet described the stability God would bring this way: 

  • There would be an abundance of salvation.
  • There would be wisdom and knowledge.
  • And the “fear of the Lord” would be Zion’s treasure. 

If Isaiah were giving advice to God’s people today, he might instruct us to measure our success by our stability. History would support Isaiah’s message as well. Our country, a democracy, was stronger as a nation when the majority of our citizens shared Isaiah’s values.  

The road of stability

Isaiah would encourage our churches today to focus on the message of salvation and the mission of evangelism. William Temple was an Anglican priest a century ago. He said, “The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.” Would the pastors and priests of churches today be able to say that about their congregations? 

Stability requires knowledge and wisdom. Isaiah was speaking about the knowledge of God and the wisdom faith in God provides. How can people follow God’s word if they are not taught God’s word? 

One of my life verses is from Hosea, and I’ve often said his words are the reason I teach Bible studies. God told the prophet Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). The people who walk with knowledge of God and seek his wisdom are those who make Bible study a high priority. 

Stability provides the joy and security all of us should seek to have. We aren’t secure because the bank statement says we are. We aren’t secure because of the alarm systems in our homes and cars. We are secure because our treasure is the presence of God in our lives. We are rich when God is enthroned as our King, highly exalted in our thoughts and values.  

Stability is a powerful witness

It’s easy to get caught up in the rhetoric of our day. Debates are interesting, and we like to listen to whichever news makes us feel like we are on the right side of a topic. Isaiah would remind us that the right side is only defined by God as the righteous side. God wants us to stand with him and for him, and that will never be measured politically. 

If someone were to ask me who I would vote for, I hope I would say, “Whoever will bring about stability.” Then, I hope they will give me a chance to define that term like Isaiah defined it for us. 

God “will be the stability of our times.” That has always been the truth, and it always will be. The Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God in your lives. Those who “walk in the Spirit” will bring God into every room they enter.  

Does the room sense the stability of God when you enter? Is there an “abundance of salvation” in your witness? Do you speak with a knowledge of God’s word, and are your words filled with his wisdom? Do you revere God and treasure his preeminence in your life? Are your home and your heart filled with the stability of God?  

God told Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The apostle Paul told the church, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Jesus told his disciples, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  

Why is there instability in our world and in our nation? Are God’s people exalting God or something else? Someone else? 

Let’s define treasure as Isaiah taught. Let’s value what will bring about the stability we most want for ourselves and our nation.  

We need God’s blessings and God’s stability. We need God to work through his people to accomplish his will. Isaiah said, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Will you echo those words in your own heart and life? 

Christians shouldn’t be looking for answers. We should know instead that we are God’s answer and live accordingly.

 

Taking time isn’t wasting time

Ilove the quiet. 

Sometimes the noise levels in our culture seem extreme. 

As I pass by other people on my morning walk, I so often see them using ear pods and cell phones for company, education, or entertainment. There is a lot of information available online. 

Our ministry provides a lot of “God-information” online. 

But, I wonder how often the people I pass take time away from the “talk” to hear the voice of God speak to their thoughts.

The power of the quiet

Last winter, we lost power for most of the day for several days. The quiet was eerie. Even as I type, I can hear the fan running on our air conditioner, the washing machine sloshing the clothes around, and the keys of my computer tapping out these words. 

We are seldom without noises, even in the quiet hours of the night. Things would have been very different in the first century. The kind of quiet that seemed eerie to me last winter would have been normal back then. 

I don’t just appreciate the quiet; I need it. I often pick the early hours of the morning to write because, in the quiet, I can hear my own thoughts being redirected by God’s. I’ve often thought about the quiet David enjoyed while he was in the fields, watching the sheep. He probably spent a lot of time learning to play the harp and use his slingshot. He also had plenty of time to look around at the created world and think about God. 

I imagine there were days he thought his life was boring and dull. I imagine he wished to be like his brothers, doing exciting things on the battlefield. David couldn’t know as a young man that God was growing him up to be a great king. He couldn’t know that generations of people would be blessed by the Twenty-third Psalm he wrote about God’s holy presence in our lives. 

I’m sure there were days when David looked for distractions, but it was the quiet that enabled him to know God. Knowing God enabled David to be a king. Quiet can be a powerful tool in the Lord’s hand. It’s important to take the time to be quiet in this noisy world. We should ask God to speak his thoughts into the quiet moments and author our thoughts. 

Who would we become in this world if we spent a lot of quiet time thinking with God? 

Wise words for your walk

Paul spent time in the deserts of Arabia after he left Damascus. I think those were among the most important years of his life. He went from the highest levels of the demanding life of a Pharisee to months of quiet days spent in faithful desolation.  

I imagine those quiet days in the desert helped him create the theology of the Christian faith that he would take on his missionary journeys and include in his many letters. I don’t think we can estimate the value of Paul’s months, possibly years, of quiet reflection. 

Paul told the Ephesians, “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” (Ephesians 5:15–17). 

Some of Paul’s meaning gets lost in the English translation. He had just told the church to “wake up.” The culture of Ephesus was a lot like the American culture. Living in Ephesus was living in an oceanfront resort city with all manner of distraction. They had industry, education, entertainment, politics, and religions. The people who lived there did not lack for distraction, Christians included. 

That’s why Paul told them to “wake up” and “look carefully” at how they were walking through their lives. He told them to make the “best use of the time, because the days are evil.” The word evil is best understood as anything that isn’t God’s purpose in our lives. We miss Paul’s point if we define evil like the dictionary would.  

There is God’s plan for our lives, and everything else is not God’s plan. “Therefore,” Paul says, “do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Foolish, according to Paul, is spending time doing things that aren’t part of God’s plan for our lives. The opposite of foolish is understanding God’s will and doing that. 

If Paul were our counselor, he would have us examine the way we spend our time and list which moments are spent accomplishing God’s purpose and plan. Next, we would make a list of the things that don’t. 

The first list is the “best” use of our time, and the second list we could label “foolish.” 

Taking time isn’t wasting time

The great balance in the Christian life is understanding that taking time for the quiet isn’t wasting time in our “walk.” A quick glance at almost every book of the Bible will tell you that God’s people have always struggled with understanding what God wants us to do with our time. 

The Israelites wanted to serve God. They ran into problems when they substituted serving rules and requirements for serving God. God doesn’t want our time commitment unless it also includes a commitment of our hearts.

God wants us to listen when he speaks. God wants us to understand the directions the Holy Spirit is speaking into our hearts and minds. God wants us to be wise about how we spend our time because the way we spend our time on earth directly impacts our lives eternal. 

God owns the big picture, the eternal picture. When we take time to listen, pray, and study, we will spend time developing into the person who can walk through life directed by God’s Spirit. 

I wonder who David would have been if he had spent his free time on a cell phone or computer. I doubt he would have volunteered to take down Goliath with a slingshot. If David had listened to music and podcasts all the time, would he have created his own psalms? 

If Paul hadn’t taken the time to be alone with God in the desert, would he have been able to comprehend how the Old Testament laws were fulfilled by the life of Christ? Would he have understood his calling was to take the gospel to the Gentiles? Imagine our New Testament without Paul’s letters of theology. 

It takes a lot of time with God to learn to walk with his Spirit. Your time with him is an eternal investment.  

Take time

We spend a lot of time planning for a vacation. We research then make reservations. We spend time planning for the things we want to see and do. Finally, we make plans to ensure that everything will run smoothly at home while we are gone. What would a vacation be like if we didn’t take the time to plan for it? 

What would Paul say to us if we spent more time planning a vacation from our daily lives than we did planning for God to use our daily lives? 

If we don’t take time, we can waste our time.  

What if our Bible heroes had avoided time with God? 

Would David ever have been a king? 

Would Paul ever have become a Christian missionary and theologian? 

Taking time to be quiet isn’t wasting time. Instead, it’s probably the most important use of time for our choices today and our eternal reward. 

How will you spend time walking quietly with God’s counsel today? 

He will enjoy having that time with you. 

Look backward to move ahead

I worked at a toy store during my first years of college. 

One day, I watched a little boy stray from his dad. Dad was feeding baby sister, and big brother was asked to wait on the bench with him. He promised his son they would go into the toy store as soon as sister was done eating. 

Suffice it to say that waiting was just too tough for the four-year-old. 

Eventually, he found his way to the Matchbox cars, just inside the door of the toy store. (Yes, we put them there to be a temptation.) The boy would glance back at his dad, then inch closer to the display. Once he got to the rack of cars, Dad was quickly forgotten. 

I watched to see what the man would do. He picked up baby sister and moved to the side of the store where he could see his son, but his son didn’t see him. 

A few minutes later, the boy glanced up to find he was alone. He stepped out of the store, looked around, and was scared. The little boy was about to burst into tears when Dad stepped around the corner. The boy rushed to his side. 

The dad hugged his son, then promptly told him he wouldn’t be getting a new Matchbox car that day. 

The little boy knew why. 

Smart dad. 

In just a few moments, he’d taught his son a lesson about patience, self-control, temptation, and what it means to feel lost. He’d also taught him that his choices have consequences. 

I thought, “I need to remember this for the time I have kids someday.” 

Truthfully, I still need that lesson each day. 

WE GET LOST

I love hiking—as long as there is a well-marked path. I want to know there is a beginning to the journey and, if I stay on the path, I will be able to get home. 

I wish I were as careful with my spiritual journey as I am with my hikes. 

I’ve taught the Bible for more than thirty years. I know the path is well-marked, but for some reason I don’t mind wandering occasionally. 

Thankfully, one of the things I have learned is that when I realize I’m lost, I need to start looking for Dad. 

He is ready to be found. 

GOD’S ADVICE FOR THE JOURNEY 

I found a verse in Scripture when I was a young Christian. It has literally come to my mind hundreds of times during my adult years. I have used it for making important decisions and for parenting. Now the words provide perspective for our changing culture. I want to remind all of us of that verse again today. 

The verse is Jeremiah 6:16, and it is some of the best advice Scripture has ever provided my spiritual journey.

JEREMIAH 6:16 

Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets. That seems a funny thing to say given that Jeremiah is often called “the prophet of doom.” I like Jeremiah because he was blunt and honest with his preaching. He knew God, and he knew God’s word. But, more than that, he was a man who was able to discern God’s voice. 

I always teach my classes that when you read words like “Thus says the LORD” pay careful attention. The words that follow are God speaking. If you want to learn to discern God’s voice, learn to hear these verses as you read. 

Jeremiah told the people of Judah, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk in it’” (Jeremiah 6:16). 

JEREMIAH 6:16 FOR TODAY 

If Jeremiah preached today, I think he would repeat this same message. 

Jeremiah knew what God could bless and what God would judge. Jeremiah knew God has always wanted his people to know his will, his direction, and his warnings. 

What did God speak to the lost culture of Jeremiah’s day? 

“Stand by the roads, and look, ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is.” 

God wants his people to stop and assess their journey. God wants us to ask where the good way is. It is an ancient path. The good way is the truth that has always been truth. 

God’s word hasn’t changed. The interpretation of God’s word, the importance of God’s word, and the perception of God’s word are what is changing. 

His word is an ancient path, and it is a path that has been well-marked. A lot of people have walked it for a long time. If we walk it, we find our way home. The ancient way is the good way. There is only one path, because one is enough. 

God said to ask where the good way is and walk in it. God wanted us to find rest for our souls. The only time I’ve ever been afraid on a hike is when I couldn’t find the path and felt lost. 

All of us have been that little boy, looking around a crowded mall, unable to find our dad. Thankfully, Dad is always watching and quick to find us. But, those are the times I missed the blessings I could have owned. There are consequences to making wrong choices. 

God doesn’t want us to worry. God doesn’t want us to live with the anxiety that comes from feeling lost. He wants us to rest in the fact that the ancient path has always led people home. That path always will. 

I teach this often: If it was biblical truth one hundred years ago, two hundred years ago, two thousand years ago—it is still truth today. 

God’s word describes some behaviors and prescribes others. It’s important to study the totality of God’s word to understand that difference. 

There was a time when a lot of people thought God’s word endorsed slavery. God’s word described slavery as a reality of our fallen world. Some people say that God’s plan for a sexual relationship has changed. From Genesis to Revelation, across thousands of years and many cultures, God only endorsed one sexual relationship. A lot of churches have left the ancient path of truth to adapt to the opinions of the culture. Those of us who teach the Bible know that there will be consequences. God has always judged those who “misrepresented” him to the world. 

THE LAST FEW WORDS ARE THE POINT 

Most of the time, when Jeremiah 6:16 is quoted, the last few words are omitted. But, the last few words make the point. 

Jeremiah told his people that God wanted them to ask for the ancient path, the good way. God wanted them to walk that path and find rest for their souls. But, Jeremiah’s people said what a lot of God’s people are saying today: “We will not walk in it.” 

The little boy didn’t get the car because he wandered off. His dad wanted to bless him, but teaching him was more important. His dad wanted to keep him safe, so he allowed him to experience what lost felt like. 

In many ways, that describes our culture today, but it doesn’t have to describe you. 

Ask for the ancient path, the good way. 

Walk in the truth that has always been truth and you will find rest for your soul. 

The next time you feel lost, look backward and you will know how to move ahead. 

Christian-ish

A friend called me this week with a few questions about a Bible study app that she and her child were doing together. It is popular and very well done. But, there were a few flags in terms of what was taught, or rather, what was not taught. She just had a bit of a catch about some points of theology that were omitted rather than addressed.

There are some popular television shows called Black-ish and Mixed-ish. Truthfully, I’ve not seen either one, but I understand the premise has to do with children who are not fully one race or another and the cultural issues they have with their identity. 

I think Christians have some issues in our culture as well. It is less common to take firm positions on theology today because we feel the need to blend well with our culture. 

Christian-ish seems to describe a lot of God’s people today. 

Confident or Christian-ish?  

It’s difficult for people to navigate their faith in a world where the “correct” position is often an “ishy” position. In other words, it’s not fully the truth, but it’s not untruthful either.  

Is it a good idea to position ourselves as people who are confidently Christian, or is Christian-ish a better way? Do we catch more flies with honey than vinegar? 

Yes, if you want to catch insects. 

But what if the game is baseball? 

An outfielder is supposed to catch flies as well, but honey and vinegar have nothing to do with his job. So, the right answer involves understanding which game we are playing. We need to figure out if we ought to be catching bugs or baseballs. 

The flies-and-honey saying is about popularity. We will catch more insects if we put together a mixture that sweetens the truth just a bit. So, we edit the Bible stories with a happier ending and leave out some of the tougher parts. We teach that God loves everyone, which is true, but we might choose to omit the Bible verses that point out the fact that God will judge everyone as well. 

The problem is, bugs are pretty easy to squish. Faith based on partial truth might not hold up well under pressure. 

The “flies” in baseball are really a better analogy for evangelism. 

An outfielder knows that, if he drops the ball, it might cost a bunch of people the win. There isn’t a very large margin for error. An outfielder needs to know the entire field to do his job. There are other players, walls, wind, and the glare of the sun that have to be factored in. The whole truth of Scripture isn’t as easy to present or accept—but understanding the game and learning to play it well makes all the difference. 

Catching baseballs requires a lot more effort than catching bugs, but baseballs are almost impossible to squish.  

Christian-ish is a blended faith 

The word Christian-ish describes a person who wants to blend the rules of their faith with other things. 

It is easy to want to be Christian-ish because that kind of faith doesn’t usually offend, and we are less likely to be called narrow-minded. 

But, Christian-ish isn’t a pure faith. 

Most importantly, Christian-ish is not an option the Bible can support. 

Truth-ish isn’t an option. 

Psalm 119:160 says, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” 

Rewriting the rules of Scripture to try to make them “sweeter sounding” is not effective evangelism. God’s rules are “righteous,” and it is the sum total of Scripture that is the whole truth. 

Paul told the early Christians in Ephesus “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). 

Christian-ish might suggest we blend biblical truth with what the culture believes is true. Paul taught the early church not to alter the truth because our faith needs to “grow up in every way.” We can’t soften the truth so Paul said we needed to soften our delivery of the truth. 

We need to speak God’s word motivated by his love.  

The Mixed-ish Samaritans 

Jesus traveled through Samaria one day and stopped to get water at Jacob’s well. 

The Samaritans were considered “mixed-ish” in Jesus’ day. Many were both Jew and Gentile, genetically and spiritually. 

The woman was surprised when Jesus spoke to her. John 4:9 says, “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” But, Jesus wasn’t interested in the woman’s “genetics.” He was interested in her soul. 

So he led her to understand the truth about her identity with God, which had nothing to do with cultural perceptions. He told her that he wanted to give her and her family the water that would “become in [them] a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). 

Jesus then told the Samaritan woman, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23). 

I think Jesus would tell our Christian-ish culture the exact same thing. 

Pure truth in worship 

God is looking for true worshippers who will worship in spirit and truth

Are we worshipping the God of the universe or a version of God that seems more acceptable to people? 

Do we worship as we are directed by others or as we are led by the Holy Spirit within? 

Are we learning truth or a “sweetened” version of the truth? 

Going forward, we will all need to listen to what is said, and especially to what is not said, to determine if we are receiving a message that is Christian or Christian-ish. We might need to take every message back to God’s word to decide if it was true or “kinda” true.  

And, when we want to share God’s word with others, we will need to share the pure truth, with pure love. We want to bring people to heaven who have matured into strong, “unsquishable” believers.  

Playing the right game matters 

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

The game is not about catching insects with sweeter words; it’s about catching baseballs with truth and talent. 

And playing the right game matters eternally. 

Christian-ish seems like a sweeter, more popular way to evangelize, but it’s a game played on the wrong field. And “no one comes to the Father” through partial truth. His word is “the truth” that leads to “the life.”  

Let’s all make sure we are trying to catch the right “flies” today using the right methods. 

The game is clear—and the final score matters forever.

Wishing You an Un-Hallmark Mother’s Day

I reserve the right to gripe just a bit about Mother’s Day. Woodrow Wilson wasn’t thinking of preachers’ wives when he signed a bill making the second Sunday in May an official celebration of moms.

Sundays were always “work days” at our house. I never went to a Mother’s Day buffet that wasn’t picked over and depleted of the good stuff. I rarely received a Mother’s Day card that didn’t come with a soggy envelope that had been hastily “sealed” right before being handed to me.

I heard wonderful sermons extolling the value of a holiday for moms, but my husband, Jim, raced out the door early every Mother’s Day morning, preached three sermons, and then napped most Mother’s Day afternoons.

A statement of fact: preachers’ wives get the shaft on Mother’s Day.

Another statement of fact: most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.

Except maybe the whole “buffet” thing.

The untold un-Hallmark truth about Mother’s Day

Your preacher will probably talk about Anna Jarvis this Sunday. Mother’s Day was her idea. Anna’s mom had passed away, and Anna wanted to celebrate her mother’s life. So, Anna worked hard to establish a day that would celebrate moms.

But, did you know that Anna Jarvis quickly became disgusted by the way the florists, card companies, and restaurants turned the holiday into a commercial opportunity?

In fact, she eventually spent most of her personal wealth in legal fees trying to lobby the government to remove the Mother’s Day holiday from the American calendar.

Anna Jarvis never married, never had children, and died alone in a sanatorium. (I bet you won’t hear that in your Sunday sermon or read it in your Hallmark card!)

The un-Hallmark joy of Mother’s Day

About now, you’re probably worried about this blogger. Don’t be. I have solidly adjusted my expectations for the holiday. In fact, it happened the first Sunday after Ryan (my oldest) was born.

Jim left the house that Mother’s Day afternoon to get me a card. Picture the drugstore shelf at 2:30–3:00 on Mother’s Day afternoon.

Let’s just say I don’t have that card framed or taped inside a scrapbook somewhere.

This year I will celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom. She and I will drive out to our sweet chapel service at the lake. Jim is out of town this Sunday, so I will be speaking at the service for him. Both my boys will celebrate their wives this Sunday—after they come home from serving at their respective churches. This preacher’s wife will probably just eat leftovers with my mom before we drive back home.

But, I will come home, put my feet up, and know that my un-Hallmark Mother’s Day was exactly what it should be.

Sundays—even Mother’s Day Sundays—are about worshipping God, not moms.

I’m a blessed mom

My favorite Mother’s Day quote is from Jill Churchill: “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.”

I’ve often said that parenting is the most difficult job I’ve ever loved. I’ve made some wrong choices as a mom, but I did teach my boys that worshipping and serving the Lord was the most important choice for Sundays.

I doubt I will ever have a Hallmark Mother’s Day. The president would have to change the holiday to every second “Saturday” of May. (I’m thinking that the card companies and florists have more money to lobby the government about that than I do.) I don’t want to be like Anna Jarvis and fight for something that doesn’t really matter anyway.

This Mother’s Day, my joy isn’t the result of anything that could be purchased in a store. My joy is knowing that my day will be quiet because all of my “guys” are busy doing what the Lord has called them to do this Sunday.

It’s always been that way, and I pray it will continue for every Mother’s Day Sunday of my life.

As for me and my house . . .

I grew up with those words, and I still stand on them.

Joshua was instructing the families of Israel to go to their land and establish their homes. One of the last things he said to them was, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14–15).

My greatest joy and blessing this Mother’s Day isn’t a gift, a card, or a bottle of perfume. (But, for my three guys, in case you are reading this, I like Amazing Grace by Philosophy.)

My great joy and blessing this Mother’s Day is that I have been married to a wonderful husband and father for almost thirty-nine years who loves the Lord and loves me. And I have two amazing sons who love their wives and children—and their mom.

My family knows this Sunday is about serving the Lord’s expectations instead of Hallmark’s.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”—even on Mother’s Day.

I wish all you moms an un-Hallmark Mother’s Day this week.

But, I do hope you will enjoy a good buffet. If you’re not a pastor’s wife, you’ll probably get there early enough for the good stuff!

The Mind of Christ, Given to You

Every Easter I struggle to comprehend how Jesus was able to wait in the darkness, watching the torches descend from Jerusalem, knowing those soldiers were coming for him. When I am in Israel, the Garden of Gethsemane is the place I most often struggle with tears. I can see the gate in the city wall the soldiers used. Jesus could have escaped, but he chose not to.

Jesus experienced a struggle between his mind and his earthly body, so he prayed for the strength to remain in the garden. His mind, strengthened by God’s, enabled Jesus to wait. That process in the Garden of Gethsemane may be one of our most important lessons of Easter.

According to 1 Corinthians 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ.”

The mind of Christ gives a new perspective

Paul was writing to the church in Corinth. Let’s just say that those early Christians struggled to think and act like Jesus. The culture of Corinth was similar to our own, only worse.

Paul taught the Corinthian church one of the most important lessons in Scripture about the Holy Spirit. He said, “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

When we think with the mind of Christ, we won’t think like the world. We will see things from a spiritual perspective and our views will change. We will understand things like Christ would and perceive situations with his thoughts.

When last did you watch the news and view those stories and images as Jesus would?

The mind of Christ authors our words

All of us have conversations that feel above our spiritual pay grade. I still get caught off guard sometimes. Someone is in great need, and God has given me an appointment to answer. There is a verse I try to lean on and teach others to lean on as well. It should be our prayer and our purpose in every spiritual conversation we enter into. Paul taught, “We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).

This is a whole sermon, but I will teach that verse like this:

  1. We don’t want to speak our ideas. Human wisdom will not lead people to know God.
  2. We do want to pray for, and yield our minds to, the mind of Christ, his Holy Spirit.
  3. The Holy Spirit will author our words, be our wisdom, and teach the truth that person needs to hear.
  4. The key: Those who think with the mind of Christ will be able to interpret spiritual truths to someone else. And “you have been given the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Christ doesn’t always change people’s minds

Sometimes your Spirit-led conversations don’t change a person’s mind. That doesn’t mean you didn’t speak the thoughts and words God authored. If you were prayerful and allowed the Spirit to empower your mind and author your words, then “well done, good and faithful servant.”

You aren’t responsible for a person’s response to God’s truth. You are only responsible to speak the truth, led by the mind of Christ, his Holy Spirit. Paul taught the Corinthian church, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:14–15).

Jesus couldn’t convince the Pharisees he was their Messiah. We won’t convince everyone either.

The Easter story doesn’t end with the empty tomb

It may seem like Easter is over and it’s time to move on to other subjects. Christians rarely celebrate Pentecost as a holiday, yet it is the real ending to the Easter story.

The tomb was empty; Jesus was resurrected. But Jesus returned to teach his followers until his ascension. The ending of the Easter story was the beginning of the Christian movement in the world. At Pentecost, the disciples of Christ received his Holy Spirit. They received the mind of Christ.

You can think, talk, and walk with the mind of the Lord

It’s easy to feel like Jesus ascended to heaven and then left his work to his followers. He didn’t. Jesus didn’t leave his work to us; he went to heaven so he could do his work through us. The body of Jesus was resurrected, but then his mind, his Spirit, returned to indwell those who would believe in him.

Human beings don’t teach spiritual truths, speak spiritual words, or love people as Jesus did. Jesus teaches, speaks, and loves through the person who will yield his or her mind to the Holy Spirit.

Paul said, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

This week, maybe today, Jesus will give you a chance to speak to someone, or treat someone, like he wants to. Before you say a word, pray that Christ’s mind will do the talking and caring instead of your own. It could make all the difference.

We have been given the mind of Christ. In gratitude for Easter, let’s use it!

This Grammer’s Grammar

Google announced a new level of artificial intelligence to the workplace. Google Docs is introducing a grammar checker. A Fortune article said, “Some of the things that the new grammar checker will scan for include when to use articles like ‘a’ or ‘an’ in a sentence.” I’ve also heard that it will correct common mistakes like there and their or its and it’s. Maybe English professors will just need to teach their students to get close to the right spelling and grammar because “your computer will take it from there.” English 101 might become a three-week course instead of a semester’s worth of work.

My kids and my husband make jokes about my texts and the speed with which I type on my phone. (I’m slow.) I usually write my texts with the same kind of spelling and grammar that I use to write these blog posts. It’s not perfect, but it isn’t a big ol’ mess either! I will occasionally throw in an OMG—but only if the people know I mean “goodness” for the “G.” I’m a big fan of grammar. I had a double major in Elementary Education and English. That, combined with my age, makes me a triple threat in this category. This “grammer” thinks grammar is important!

How will a company know if a person is educated if the HR person is looking at a computer-corrected resume? How will we know if a person is careful with their work if the computer corrects all their spelling errors? Do we really want artificial intelligence, or should we be looking for the real thing?

But, there might be a positive to all of this artificiality in our culture. Maybe people will want to look for the genuine things that matter most.

Compare my parents’ generation, for example, to my kids’. My parents watched Ozzie and Harriet. Harriet vacuumed her home and cooked dinner wearing a pleated cotton dress with pearls. Upon returning home from work, Ozzie’s job was to sit in a chair, read the paper, and have his dinner plate filled by his adoring wife. How genuine was that? My kids watched shows like The Cosby Show or Full House. That was probably a little closer to the truth anyway. Either way, we all learn what is genuine by watching what goes on in our own homes.

Times are changing, but they always have. Every culture moves up and down but always forward. Some things are good and others are bad, but there is one final, promising outcome. God is moving us ahead to something better. I sometimes think times are getting worse while I am microwaving dinner onto the table in about five minutes. The violence seems to be closer to home, but then I think about the pictures I have seen from World Wars I and II. The weather seems to be too hot as I sit in my air-conditioned home. The gas seems too expensive until I look at the car I am putting it in. I worry about getting older until I realize I am getting closer to eternity.

Some things are getting worse and some things are getting better. But the good and bad of progress is all in the way you look at it. My friend sent this clever email. You must read it all the way through. I promise it will be worth it.

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be obtained
Only if one’s surroundings are good
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a good day.
Now…read from bottom to top.

Jesus had a lot go wrong in his life, if you look at his life from an earthly perspective. But this is what Jesus said was true about his life—and ours:

  • “Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
  • “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2).
  • “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:4–5).
  • “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Revelation 21:5).

The point: Hey, y’all . . . be happy.

Things ain’t so bad after all.

How’s that for a little “grammer grammar!”