Something to Think About: A Great Awakening

Jesus to Peter at the beginning of His ministry:  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  (Mark 1:16-17)

Peter after Jesus’ arrest:  “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” (Mark 14:71)

Jesus to Peter after the Resurrection:  “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Feed my sheep…..Follow me!”  (John 21:17-19)

Whom do you follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and the myriad other social media apps?  What sports teams, celebrities, musicians, pundits, and politicians fill your inbox and influence your life? 

If there had been a Facebook in the first century, you could bet Peter would have “friended” Jesus when Jesus was gaining popularity, then quickly “unfriended” Jesus at the time of His arrest, and then “friended” Jesus again, probably even earning a “top fan badge” after the Resurrection.  

My life, too, has been a wandering path of following Jesus, not following, and then following Jesus again.  What still amazes me is that as I look back, God’s presence was always there even when I was ignoring Him. Just like Jesus continued to love Peter despite Peter’s repeated denial he even knew Jesus.  

Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son describes this experience.  (Luke 15:11-32)  I am a living, breathing female version of the wayward son who came to his senses and headed home.  My Heavenly Father is just like the father in the parable: “But while he [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”  Gratitude overwhelms me. 

Most, if not all Christians, have this experience of wandering away and coming back to faith.  

People, gathered together as nations, have also wandered away from  God.  In the history books in the Old Testament - Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and others - we see Israel doing evil what is in God’s sight and then, God lifts up a new judge or a godly king to help the people do what is good in God’s sight again.  Sometimes He even used pagan kings like Cyrus and Darius.

In America’s history,  there have also been times called “Great Awakenings” when inspiring preaching helped rejuvenate Americans’ faith.  The First Great Awakening (1730s and 1740s) provided the spiritual foundation for the Revolutionary War.  The Second Great Awakening (late 1700s to early 1800s) spanned decades and underpinned the abolition of slavery and expansion of women’s rights.  The efforts at social reform that had commenced before the Civil War were picked back up in the late 19th century and continued into the 1930s and some consider this a Third Great Awakening.  Since then…..

Like it says  in the Book of Judges, “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD…..”

It is time for a new Great Awakening.  It is time for us to be like the prodigal son.  We need to come to our senses and go home to our Heavenly Father.

But how will people hear the message of our sinfulness and God’s love and forgiveness in an era where the percentage of people attending church is at an all time low?   Who will replace the first Great Awakening’s Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield? Or the second Great Awakenings’ Methodist circuit riders?  

Perhaps in our time, it won’t be the preachers that make the difference but the people whose words and actions reflect the teachings of Jesus.  Who will be our leaders? Watch for them. Pray for them.  Be one of them.   

Know this:  We might abandon God, but God never stops pursuing us.  As individuals and as nations. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patience with us!  Thank You for having compassion on us even when we turn away from You.  We remember with gratitude our ancestors who laid down their lives for freedom.  Help us also remember the judges and kings, the preachers and teachers, the missionaries and mothers who kept faith in You alive in the past.  Spark another Great Awakening.   May this rejuvenation of America’s trust in You also make itself known in the ballot box where we select the leaders of our communities and our nation.  Now that the American people have seen the evil in the policies and tyrannical leadership that surrounds us,  I pray they will reject them and replace them with servant leaders whose policies and leadership honor You.  Look on us with Your compassion, and welcome us home.  In Jesus’ powerful name we pray.   Amen.  

Jesus to Peter after the Resurrection:  “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Feed my sheep…..Follow me!”  (John 21:17-19)

Something to Think About: The Great Reset

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” – Matthew 4:17 (NIV). Read Matthew 4:1-17 about Satan’s temptation of Jesus.

This week there have been numerous articles commemorating the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and “15 Days to Slow the Spread.”  I was reminded of how in true Saul Alinsky never-let-a-crisis-go-to-waste fashion Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced their The Great Reset initiative. It’s purpose: “to use this unique moment in history provided by the disruption of economics, politics and our everyday life to catalyze a new approach to how our societies are run.”   https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/building-blocks-of-the-great-reset/

Over the past two years, the influence of WEF (established in 1971) has increasingly and maliciously infected governments, corporations, universities, media, the Roman Catholic Church and many mainline denominations.  Its tentacles reach long and deep and its list of “disciples” include political figures like Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron and Pete Buttigieg, as well as corporate executives, media influencers, educators and others from around the world.

As I explored the WEF website I was amazed at how openly anti-Christ the whole enterprise is.  Their core tenets on basic things like human nature and property ownership are antithetical to Christian teaching and the foundations of Western Civilization.  Check them out for yourself.  

How could they be so influential?  As I read, I was reminded how Satan tempted Jesus.  

WEF’s promises, like Satan’s, sound good:  things like ending poverty and hunger, social justice, global sustainability, and world peace. But the devil, or course, is in the details.  Klaus Schwab and his Davos compatriots are tempting the world with a utopia by means that are nothing more than attempts at gathering power to themselves, power that belongs to us individually and to God.  Just like Satan did.  

Gallons of ink have been used exploring the depth of meaning in Satan’s temptations and Jesus’ responses.  Today, I simply want to share what Jesus said to Satan to help us resist these and other temptations.

 “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Our Heavenly Father knows our physical needs, as well as what we need emotionally and intellectually. He also knows that He alone can fill that God-shaped void in all of us. We find satisfaction for all our needs in God’s Word  - God’s Word in the Bible, in the creation He spoke into existence, and most of all in The Word, His Son Jesus.  

When faced with temptation:  Follow Jesus.

“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Jesus is referring to when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness:  “And he [Moses] called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7) 

When faced with temptation:  Remember, you are not alone.  God is with you. 

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Whom do you worship? Whom do you serve? What consumes most of your time, money and energy?  As Jesus later observed, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

When faced with temptation:  Put God first. NFL legend Gayle Sayers put it this way:  “The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third.” 

After being tempted, “Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”  “Repent” is a one-word summary of Jesus’ responses to Satan. The word “repent” might have a negative connotation for some because in English it carries with it a sense of shame and remorse, but “to repent” in the original Greek, metanoia, means to change ones mind or purpose.  Repentance is about making a heartfelt change. To fight the temptations of Satan, the temptations of those promising utopia, the only answer is to repent – to turn away from whatever distracts us and to turn toward God and His purposes.  

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, temptations surround us. The struggle of good versus evil is real. You provided the perfect new beginning for our world in the life, death and resurrection of Your Son Jesus. That is what changed everything. It is to Jesus we should turn to solve the world’s problems. Help us do that.  Help us repent. Help us resist the temptation to think we can make the world a better place without Your help.  Deliver us from the evil that surrounds us.  You, and you alone, are our only hope. In Jesus’ powerful name I pray.  Amen. 

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” – Matthew 4:17 (NIV). 

Something to Think About: Wars and Rumors of Wars

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. – Matthew 24:6 NIV

 

When I started writing this devotion, Russia was building up forces along Ukraine’s border.  A few days later, war is no longer a rumor.  Russia invaded and the battle for Kyiv is imminent.  Is this what it felt like to Americans when Germany invaded Poland?  My parents were married in October 1939.  Mom told me they were aware and concerned about what was going on, but hoped America would remain untouched by the conflict.  We know how that turned out. 

 

Jesus knew war, an outcome of our selfish human nature, is a fact of life. He encourages us, however, to not be “alarmed” that there will be wars.  Seriously, isn’t that the natural response?!?!?!

 

Here, as He often did, Jesus teaches us to develop a new perspective about the struggles we face and the evil we see.  Jesus wants us to view every aspect of our lives through Him, who He is and what He taught.

 

Just before his arrest and crucifixion,  Jesus told his disciples:  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)   And overcome the world He did.   

 

Keep your focus on Jesus.   For example, after talking about how we worry about money, food, and clothes, Jesus said, “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:32-33 NIV)

 

Seek to follow God’s take on everything, from wardrobe to war.  So what is God’s will for us in this conflict between Ukraine and Russia? 

 

Jesus taught us to be peacemakers, to turn the other cheek and to love one another, including our enemies. That is the primary goal.  But we are also to hunger and thirst for what is right.  We are to love justice and mercy. 

 

The peace Jesus wants us to experience is more than an absence of war or conflict.  It is the inner peace that comes when we strive to do Our Heavenly Father’s will.  In some cases, that means standing up to the bully at the playground, and sometimes it means going to war.

 

After Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 AD, Christians were no longer the persecuted underdogs.  As world leaders, they now had to struggle with how to handle political and economic power.  St. Augustine of Hippo  (354-430 AD)  developed what came to be known as “Just War Theory.”  I can’t tell you if modern day military planners think along these lines, but as another war in Europe threatens the entire world it is something to consider. 

 

St. Augustine said, in essence, that wars can be engaged in, but only for just purposes.  They must be fought with a sense of morality and proportion.  Most of the western world acknowledges that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is wrong, but I’m also concerned America and our western allies are complicit in encouraging and prolonging this conflict.  Ukraine has its own of history internal strife and corruption.  

 

What are we to do?  We will only have peace in the world and in our own hearts, if we do the right thing, the God-honoring thing, both in Ukraine and in America.

 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, may Your will be done.  Help us keep our eyes on Jesus.  Give the leaders of today’s world Your wisdom in this moment.  The courage shown by the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s naked aggression is inspiring. Comfort and support them.  Inspire us to do what is good, right, and just.  Inspire us to do what will bring Your peace into our lives and into the world.   Amen.  

 

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. – Matthew 24:6 NIV

 

 

 

 

 

Something to Think About: Freedom

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32, NIV

 

Read :  John 8:31-47 for the full discussion

 

The left has now determined that freedom is dangerous. In Orwellian fashion, leftists claim that “freedom” is a code word used by evil people who want to overthrow the government.  For example, the Canadian truckers, like the January 6 protestors in the US,  are radical extremists that must be punished and controlled because of their cries for “Freedom.”  I’m sure they will also apply it as a smear to the Peoples’ Convoy of truckers now crossing America. 

 

While freedom is indeed dangerous to leftist governance, it is the guiding principle of conservative governance.  The whole point of the U.S. Constitution and its famous Bill of Rights  is to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

 

What is this freedom the right holds so dear and the left fears?  Where does it come from? 

 

It comes from God. This was self-evident to America’s founders and to billions of men, women, and children  across the millennia.  Each of us knows we have the freedom to make choices, including the choice to accept or reject God’s guidance in our lives.  That choice, more than any other, has eternal consequences.  It we choose to accept God on God’s terms, and all that that entails, our freedom expands.  When we reject God, and God’s desires for us, our freedom diminishes.

 

God’s gift of freedom, like yeast that leavens a whole loaf of bread, has grown exponentially in the West where the life, death, resurrection, and teaching of Jesus Christ is accepted and followed. Why?  Because Jesus taught God’s truth by what he said and did, and it is God’s truth that sets us free to become the people we were created to be.  

 

As Christianity spread, the gift of freedom God granted to humanity has slowly expanded into all areas of human life.  Through the followers of Jesus, freedom has worked its way from our hearts, through our families, into our culture and finally, within the last 700 years or so, into our governments.  

 

This is the freedom we are on the very edge of losing.  Why?  Because we as a culture, as a nation, and ultimately as individuals are no longer adhering to what Jesus taught us about God, about human nature and about how best to live.

 

While I believe with all my being Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior, I strive to do more than believe.  I FOLLOW Jesus, and as he said to that group of believing Jews, that means ‘holding’  to his teaching.  Hold to it, abide in it, remain in it, do it! Let it be the guide for how you live. 

 

It is not a mystery what Jesus taught.  Love each other as God loves us.  How do we do that?  We can read about how in the Bible every day.  We can see it lived out in those who follow Him.  We can see it in the amazing world God created.  We can learn it through opening our hearts to Him in prayer.

 

Here’s the challenge:  If you want to be free, if you want to secure the blessings of liberty for your children and their children, seek God’s truth.  Not your truth, not my truth, not the left’s truth, not the right’s truth – but THE truth. 

 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us.  Teach us your truth.  Help us live it!  Help us cherish and preserve your gift of freedom to us, our country and Your world.  Amen.

 

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32, NIV

 

In God We Trust Lesson Two: Gratitude

 Gratitude seems to be in short supply in America these days.  Grateful people are generous people and willingly help others.  Both the giver and receiver benefit.  Ungrateful people hoard what they greedily possess while other equally ungrateful people demand that they be given what they enviously desire.  Both sides lose.  Ingratitude is the source of class and racial warfare we see tearing up our country.  

Greed and envy have no place in the hearts of those who trust God.  Replacing these sins with the gratitude that comes from trusting God would go a long way to curing our cultural ills.  

There is so much for us to be grateful to God for!!!  Start with each other.  There is not a single person we have ever known or ever loved  - including ourselves - that was not created by God.  

There is not a single thing we possess or built from those possessions that did not originate from God.  Spaghetti to spaceships.  Eyeglasses to iPhones.  Minerals to medicines. Just think about it. There is nothing you can create without the building blocks that are gifts from God.

So often we think of God as only the Creator of the physical world, but He is also the Creator of our intangible world. Love and affection, joy and sorrow, anger and peace, emotion and intellect, justice and mercy, curiosity and patience, charity and generosity, forgiveness and tolerance, work and leisure, beauty and creativity, equality and freedom are all gifts from God. 

God’s greatest gift to us is Himself.  God is not a distant and disinterested deity, but a living and loving Father who wants to be an active participant in our lives.  Everything He has created, everything He has done for us, is because God, like a good Father, loves us.  God always has our best interest at heart - even when we disappoint Him and reject His guidance.  In the ultimate act of love, He sent His Son Jesus to sacrifice His life in order to remove our sin and reunite us with Him.  How can we not be grateful? 

If we say we trust God, but show no gratitude for all He has done for us, our trust is hollow.  Trust and thanks go hand in hand.  

Thank God for His generosity to you. Thank God today for your life, for love, for friends and family.  Thank God today for forgiving your sins and walking with you every day. But don’t stop there.

Show your gratitude to God by being generous to others as God has been generous to you.  Love the people God loves.  Serve the people God serves.  Forgive the people God forgives.  If we even tried to be as generous with each other as God is with us.....imagine how different the world would be.

In God We Trust: Lesson Number One

On July 30, 1956, “In God We Trust” became our national motto.  Is trusting God still part of our national DNA?   I believe it is.

It is a fact that American principles and values come to us through our Judeo-Christian heritage.  Our belief in the dignity of every human life, of equality, and of free will comes from God.  Our belief in hard work and charity comes from God. Our belief in justice and mercy comes from God. None of these ideas come naturally to human beings, they are godly values not human ones.

Trusting God begins with the humble recognition that these are His ideas - not ours. Our Creator has given us these things, and so much more, for our benefit!

John Adams famously said:  “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”  Human beings are not angels.  Human beings are not God. We are imperfect and selfish creatures. Human beings are sinful.

Isn’t it interesting that there are those who diligently work to purge the idea of sin from our culture?  Who tell us that people are “good,” when we are not? As a pastor, I fell into the trap of preaching and teaching about things that made people feel good about themselves, but rarely about sin. Please forgive me!

We need to fight back against the cancel culture that is trying it’s damndest to cancel God and at the same time put itself in His place.  They have already done a good job of purging God from our government, our schools, our entertainment and even some churches.  Enough is enough.

What Americans need right now is a refresher course in what it means to trust the One True God.

Lesson Number One:  “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Until we recognize we are all sinners, we will never trust God, we will never know the good He has in mind for us, and we will never fully experience how deep His love for us really is.

Admit you are a sinner.  Admit that you are not perfect.  Admit that you are not always good.  Admit that you are selfish.  Admit you fall short of God’s standards.  Look around, everyone else is a sinner too.

Then, start trusting God.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”  Romans 3:23-24

Good News

Here is my present to you this Christmas:

I hereby give you permission to ignore the news, from whatever source you consume it, for the entire month of December!!  If you need to check sports, weather and holiday events in your community, fine, but that’s it.  I promise I’ll let you know if something big happens!  You deserve a break - as do we all!

Instead, I’ll be posting good news.  News that has helped millions of people for thousands of years.  Yes, I’m talking about the life and teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke.  Jesus is the reason for the season, after all.

Happy reading - and Merry Christmas!  Let’s just get right to it!  

Good News from Luke 1

In which Luke presents his methods and reasons for writing his account of Jesus’ life. He introduces his narrative by telling of the conception of two babies -  JOHN, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and JESUS, the Son of God and Mary.  Elizabeth’s cousin.  Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and they rejoice in their miracle pregnancies. John is born.  Babies are good news!!

“I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.”

Read all of Luke 1 here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1&version=GNT