Last week left me with no words. Donald Trump won the election, and the world went haywire. It all felt so surreal. I fully anticipated riots in the streets or perhaps even an assassination attempt, but what caught me completely off guard was the way people turned so bitterly and venomously against each other. I couldn't tear myself away from the news and Facebook, just sinking deeper and deeper into depression and disbelief at everything I was seeing. On Facebook alone, there were venomous words towards those who voted the "wrong" way, unfriending, unfollowing, and story after story of racial hatred towards others. For a few days after the election, I just felt like being quiet as I took it all in. I shouldn't have been surprised at the depravity that was spewing from people's hearts, but I was. The last straw for me was watching a video on Friday night of a mom torturing her child by telling him he was kicked out of the house for voting for Trump in the mock school election. This poor boy, probably no older than nine years old, was crying and screaming, thinking his mom was truly kicking him out into the streets. I cried with him. It was just too much. This week still leaves me at a loss for words, so I'm just going to share some of God's. These words that follow are a portion of what I read on Saturday morning as part of a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan, and they reminded me of the hope we have in Christ. They felt particularly applicable and/or encouraging given the events of the last week. One day God will put all things right! These are words of prophecy about Jesus from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, and some words to Christians in the New Testament imploring us to walk in the unity and love of Christ, giving direction on how we should treat one another. Enjoy. Isaiah 9: 1-71 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 11:1-101 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. 6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 121 Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. 2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.” 5 Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. 6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Ephesians 41 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. 17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
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How would Jesus introduce Himself? Most folks have heard of him, at least as a historical figure, but who does He say He is? How would He describe who He is to people don’t necessarily know or understand Him? Have you met Jesus? Meet Him! He’s pretty amazing. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven statements introducing Himself in various ways to us, each starting with “I am…” Each of these statements involves a different way He relates Himself to you and me. All of them are quite tangible for us to have a better picture and understanding of who He is and who He claims to be. Of course Jesus says many other things about Himself through Scripture, but these seven word pictures are quite intriguing. 1. I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51)"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." (John 6:35) Why do we eat bread? Because we’re hungry! Our physical bodies need food to live. Our souls are hungry too, and Jesus says He is the bread that fills that hunger and gives life to our spirit. 2. I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’” We need light to see, to live life effectively, and to appreciate the beauty of the world around us. Without it, we stumble around in the darkness. While we can manage to get through this life blind (some people don’t have a choice in the matter), when you can see, it opens up a whole new dimension to life! Light shines on things in the darkness – if you have to crawl into a dark attic or crawlspace, you definitely want to have a flashlight to avoid obstacles and creepy crawlies. Jesus not only shines light on the world around us, but He shines light on our own hearts. That’s why some people hate Him – they don’t want the sin in their hearts to be revealed, and Jesus infringes upon their comfort zones. But that’s what He does – He exposes what’s in the darkness with His light. 3. I am the Door (John 10:7-9) “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’” In this chapter, Jesus is speaking metaphorically about entering through Him, the “door,” to find abundant life. He is not just “a” door, but “the” door. We have to come through Him to find life in God, just as He says later in John 14:6, “no one comes to the Father but through Me.” 4. I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” The full context of the chapter talks about how hired hands run from the wolf that would do harm to the sheep, but Jesus as the Shepherd is willing to lay down His life for us, because we are His, and He loves us as His own. A shepherd’s job is to protect the sheep, guide them to safety, feed them, pasture them, and find them when they wander off. That’s what Jesus does for us. 5. I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)When Jesus was talking with Martha after her brother Lazarus died, He made this statement to her: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” Later, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, as proof that He had power over life and death! We will all die a physical death, but the kind of life Jesus is talking about is an eternal spiritual life. He gives us that life – He is that life. Most of us understand eternal life to be heaven (as opposed to eternal death in hell), but it is more than that. According to Jesus in John 17:30, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Eternal life does mean spending eternity in heaven with God, but it starts earlier than that when you begin a relationship with Him now and experience a new life within yourself that He gives you! 6. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)“Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'” This statement, more than any other, renders false the idea that “all paths lead to God.” Jesus didn’t say that He is “a way” or “a truth,” but “the way” and “the truth.” He claims to be the only way to God. Either He is right and all other religions are wrong, or other religions are right, and Jesus was wrong. But they can’t both be true; it just doesn’t work. Jesus made Christianity different from any other religion, because He didn’t just teach us to follow a way or a set of teachings; rather He said He “is” the way. The only way. 7. I am the Vine (John 15:5)“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Jesus is saying that He is our source. Our nourishment, strength, and very life come from Him, just as a branch draws those things from the main vine. If we are not connected to Christ, we cannot survive, particularly in a spiritual sense, but since He created us and gives us breath, also in a physical sense. One more “I am"All of these seven statements start with “I am.” Jesus also makes an eighth statement in John 8:58 about Himself that is simply “I am.” What does this mean? This one is less tangible, but it’s huge. With this statement, Jesus is making a claim to his eternal nature, and more importantly, He’s making a claim to divinity, a claim to be God Almighty! How do we know this? Read this heated little dialogue that Jesus had with a group of Jews in John 8:39-58: Jews: Abraham is our father. Jesus: If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father. Jews: We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God. Jesus: If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God. Jews: Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon? Jesus: I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death. Jews: Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be? Jesus: If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad. Jews: You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham? Jesus: Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am. And then it says, “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” The Jews whom Jesus was talking with tried to stone Him because they understood Jesus’s reference when He said, “before Abraham was born, I am.” He was referring to a passage in Exodus 3:13-15, when God speaking to Moses announced that His name was “I AM.” Jesus in that statement was making Himself out to be God, and the Jews wanted to stone Him for blasphemy. So that's Jesus!Jesus makes some pretty radical claims about Himself, and He also makes it very apparent that He loves us and wants to be our everything. Most of these statements equate Jesus with life itself, and Jesus claims to be the unique and only way to God. In fact, He claims to be God Himself.
Early in the book of John, it is written that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," (John 1:1) and a few verses later it says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Jesus was God in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary, who came to be the bridge between God and man. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) God made Himself reachable and tangible in the person of Jesus. Want to know God? Meet Jesus. He already knows you, loves you, and came to give His life for you! “Think positive!” “I am strong!” “Believe in yourself!” Ever heard these? I’ve been reflecting on the idea of positive thinking and self-affirmation. While there is some real value in having a positive mindset, many of the quotes and statements that I come across just don’t sit well with me. The Bible gives us clear guidelines on how we should think: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8) Sometimes statements of “positive thinking," particularly statements of self-affirmation, just flat out aren’t true. Why should I fill my mind with lies, even if they’re positive? To counter this, I set out on a quest to find some statements of truth based upon Scripture on which to reflect and mediate. As I poured over Scripture passages looking for true statements that proclaim our worth, importance, purpose, and anything else we might want to tell ourselves to increase our confidence and self-esteem, something quickly became very clear to me: According to God, it’s not about me. It’s all about Him. Let me explain. The Bible certainly teaches that we are valued and have worth in the eyes of God, but our worth, beauty, and importance are not the focus of Scripture; if we try and make it all about us, we will quickly become powerless in that line of thinking. The reason we have our worth, beauty, and importance is completely based on Christ and what He has done for us. The focus of Scripture is on Jesus, His beauty, His power, His widsom, His love, etc. The Bible strongly discourages us from propping ourselves up in our own mind. Biblical thinking is actually quite counter-intuitive and often goes against what society tells us to think and believe. The world tells us to believe in ourselves, be strong, take pride in ourselves, etc. But consider the following:
With statements like these, the Bible teaches that God doesn't ignore those who are weak and humble. In fact, He often favors those qualities, and He uses those people for His own purpose and glory. Worldly Positive Thinking in Light of ScriptureThe worldly idea of positive thinking generally focuses on self and is very egocentric. This flies in the face of what the Bible teaches. The Bible instructs us to think less of ourselves and more of others. We are to have a humble mindset. We are to die to self. We must become less and God must become greater in our lives. Paul writes in Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Be in the practice of testing everything against Scripture, and "taking every thought captive," (2 Corinthians 10:5). This way, if you're thinking positive thoughts, you can be confident that you're thinking positive thoughts of truth. The same applies to negative thoughts: if you are plagued with negative thoughts, test those against Scripture, because often times those thoughts are also lies. There is freedom in knowing the truth. (see John 8:32). Let’s put that into practice and examine a few statements found on positive thinking website: Worldly Statement: I make the right choices every time. In Light of Scripture: You know darn well you don’t always make the right choices. The Bible calls many of our bad choices sin, and the the only remedy for sin is to be honest about it with God and ask for His forgiveness. If our bad choices are not blatant sin, then they probably fall into the category of foolishness. Through the filling of God’s Holy Spirit, He will give us the strength, power, and wisdom to make the right choices every time. (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:9, Galatians 5:16-25) Worldly Statement: I trust myself. I trust my inner wisdom and intuition. In Light of Scripture: According to the Bible, trusting in yourself can be a dangerous thing. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful. Proverbs 3:5 says to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” We are to trust in God alone and seek Him for our guidance. Trusting in yourself instead of in the God who made you, is like making an idol out of yourself, and is not much different than trusting in a golden figure formed by the hands of man. Anything good about us comes from God: He made us, He saved us, He gifted us, He leads us, He empowers us. Our trust should be in Him, not in ourselves. (Also see Proverbs 28:26) Worldly Statement: I draw from my inner strength and light. In Light of Scripture: This is very similar to the above statement. Apart from Christ, we have no inner strength and light. Ephesians 3:14-21 talks about God’s Spirit strengthening us in our “inner man” and giving us the power and understanding that we need. Without Him, our flesh is weak. It's when we acknowledge that weakness and turn to Jesus that we find true strength and light. (Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 8:12) Worldly Statement: Money comes to me easily and effortlessly. In Light of Scripture: If only it were as easy as speaking those words! God never promises us material riches, but He does promise to supply all our needs. The Bible tells us that hard work leads to increased wealth, and it also says that when we give a portion of what we have back to God, we will receive blessing in return (not necessarily material, but it could be). Some are blessed with great wealth for God’s glory, and others are blessed with simple means, also for God’s glory. We are to be content with what God has supplied. (Proverbs 3:9-10, Proverbs 10:4, Proverbs 30:7-9, Proverbs 24:30-34, Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Hebrews 13:5) Worldly Statement: I am smart. In Light of Scripture: For some this may be true, but for others, saying the words just doesn’t make it so. (Sorry if I burst anyone's bubble there!) We all have unique strengths and abilities, but for some, being smart just isn’t one of them. If you’re one of those people who are lacking in the area of intellect, and you lie to yourself about it, you’re only shorting yourself the opportunity to grow and seek out others in your life who are smart to help you with your shortcomings. While we’re not all blessed with great intellect, (and even if we are), the Bible tells us that any of us can (and should) seek out God’s wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Positive Thinking From the Bible Now that we’ve looked at some worldly statements, let’s look at some trustworthy statements from God’s Word that speak to our worth and value. These statements are focused on Christ and what He has done, not on ourselves, and they are words of truth, rather than lies. These are not words to psyche ourselves into being better, but are words that are already true, that focus our attention on the One from who we can draw our strength and wisdom. We can cling to these words without hesitation. Look up these scriptures and meditate on those if you need to fill your mind with positive thoughts! (The statements with the “*” asterisks apply specifically to Christians, who have trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.) The "Scripture Support" references open up a link to the full Bible verse in a new window. Biblical Statement: I am wonderfully made. Scripture Support: Psalm 139:13-14 We were no accident. God made us with His own hands. Biblical Statement: I am loved. Scripture Support: John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39 God said He loved us, and proved it by sending Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins. Biblical Statement: I am valuable. Scripture Support: Matthew 6:25-27 God cares about us more than anything else in His creation. Biblical Statement: I am forgiven.* Scripture Support: Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:9 While it is true that we are all sinners, God promises to forgive us when we ask Him. Biblical Statement: I am complete.* Scripture Support: Colossians 2:10 Jesus makes us whole. Biblical Statement: I am alive.* Scripture Support: Ephesians 2:4-6 We were once dead in our sins, but Jesus makes us alive with Him through His death and resurrection. Biblical Statement: I am a new creation.* Scripture Support: 2 Corinthians 5:17 When we give our lives to Jesus, our old self passes away, and He makes us new. Biblical Statement: I can do all things (through Christ).* Scripture Support: Philippians 4:13 Jesus gives us the strength we need to do life. Biblical Statement: I am a child of God.* Scripture Support: John 1:12 God gave this right to those who believe in Jesus. A Better WayWorldly thinking is self-centered and prone to lies. Biblical thinking is Christ-centered (or others-centered) and rich in truth. When you remove the focus from yourself and start focusing on who God is and what He’s done, and when you start focusing on how you can bless others, you will naturally become a better person because of what He does in your life. Consider the attitude of Jesus, written about in Philippians 2:3-11: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Instead of telling yourself how great you are and how much you can do, focus your thoughts on Jesus and how great He is and what He's done. Strive to be like Him. Embrace what He has already given you and walk according to His Spirit.
I’ve been attempting to write something about the 2016 Presidential Election for a while now, because Jesus is most certainly relevant to what is going on in our country, but the words aren’t coming easily. So much has been said already, from pretty much every angle, so what more is there to add? As I think and pray through what I want to say, one passage of Scripture that keeps coming back to my mind is 1 Samuel chapter 8. It feels so reminiscent of what is happening in America right now, and the Old Testament has never felt more applicable to me than it does this year. I can only steer people in one direction, and that's towards Jesus, but as far as this election goes, here are my thoughts on how America got itself into this place where we have to chose between a rock and a hard place. Israel and a KingIn the days of Samuel, Israel had judges, rather than kings or presidents, like we have today. Samuel was one of the judges whom God had appointed to rule Israel, and it was a season of Israel’s disobedience to God. Samuel was a godly man, but towards the end of Samuel’s life, he appointed his sons as judges of Israel, and they “turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.” (1 Sam 8:3). Sound familiar? It does to me. It sounds a whole lot like many of the people we currently have in office, and those who are now aspiring to rule the United States of America. Corruption in government is nothing new. The people of Israel approached Samuel and asked that a king be appointed over them like all the other surrounding nations. This didn’t sit well with Samuel, but he took it to God. Here was God’s reply: “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day – in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods – so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.” (1 Sam 8:7-9) Samuel continued to listen as God warned of the king who would reign over Israel, if that’s what they chose. God warned that the king would take the possessions of the people for his own, and that the people would become his servants. The people would cry out, but God wouldn’t answer them in that day. Basically God said, “I’m your King. If you want an earthly king, you can have one, but you’re not going to like it.” America and a King America, we as a nation have rejected God from being our King. Instead of individually and corporately turning to Him for guidance and leadership and lordship, we have sought earthly leaders and legislation to solve all our problems. We have tried to legislate morality and generosity rather than each submitting our hearts to God’s leadership in those areas. Our hearts have turned from God, as we kick Him out of schools, government, and our daily lives. We no longer call sin “sin,” and we tolerate the things that God finds despicable. Samuel brought the word of God back to the people, warning them of what a king would bring, but they insisted on having their own way. “No, but there shall be a king over us,” was their reply. (1 Sam 8:19) So Samuel under God’s leadership appointed a king over them, and he ended up being a miserable king, just as God had warned. I wonder if our present situation in America is a result of us neglecting to heed God’s warnings over the years. Have we been insistent on having our own way, despite what God has said? We continue to stray farther and farther from God's ways, and we have ended up with two presidential candidates who are both either corrupt and/or immoral. How did that happen? When people reject God enough times, He’ll pull back, let them have their way, and leave them to their own devices. There are a number of times throughout Scripture where He “gave them over in the lusts of their heart to impurity” or “gave them over to a depraved mind” or hardened the hearts of those who didn’t want to follow Him. God doesn’t force Himself on us, but sometimes if someone rejects His instruction enough times, they lose their chance. Perhaps that’s what’s happened in America. It’s just a thought, but maybe God is leaving us to our own devices. That's what we wanted, right? Romans 1:28-32 says, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Ouch. I don’t know a single person on earth who hasn’t upset God in at least one of the above ways. Election time in this country brings out these sins in abundance in people! Just watch the news or check your Facebook feed. Two Bad ChoicesThe people of Israel had two bad choices for their leader:
America also has two bad choices for our president this year. Enough has been said about the despicable details of the character of our top two presidential candidates, so I will say no more about that. But like the people of Israel, America is neglecting its third option: to turn our hearts wholly to God. While we are busy arguing with each other over whose sin is greater between Trump and Clinton, are we submitting our own hearts to King Jesus? Christians: we have declared that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. But do we act like that each day, or do we also get caught up in foolish controversies, slander, pride, and the like? Are we putting our trust and hope in the wrong places? Are we trusting Trump or Hillary to change America, to end poverty, to end corruption, to end greed, to bring unity? Or are we on our knees humbling our own hearts in each of those matters before the One who can truly bring peace to a nation? Are we praying diligently for the hearts of our leaders and other civilians alike, that they would also turn to God as their King? Imagine what our country would look like if each person was fully submitted to Jesus as their King:
Until Jesus returns one day (and He will), we’re stuck in an imperfect world with sinful people running the show. I realize that we can’t actually vote for “Jesus” on our ballots this year and have it be worth a darn in this election. But if our nation doesn’t turn its heart back to God who has blessed us so richly in this country, I fear He will remove His blessing from us, so that we will cry out to Him, as happened with the people of Israel time and time again throughout history. The following is a promise that God made to Israel, but perhaps He will also show our country the same mercy if we turn back to Him: “and [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) “We Shall Over Comb”This photo is of a bottle of hot sauce I found at our butcher shop over the summer. I found it humorous and bought it as a joke for a family member, but the sad truth is that with either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, the best we can hope for is to “over comb.” When we “over comb,” we’re simply covering up the problem, and not addressing the root issue. Trump and Clinton may have some ideas and suggestions of laws and policies to put in place in attempts to solve our nation’s troubles, but they can never fully fix our nation, because they can never fix people’s hearts. To truly overcome in this country, the root problem of sin needs to be addressed, and only Jesus can do that, starting in the hearts of each individual. When we humble ourselves and confess our sin to Jesus, he forgives us and makes us new. That’s what we need in this country: people with forgiven hearts and fresh starts! Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John later writes, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5) Whom Should I Vote For?I'm not going to tell you whom to vote for. How can I? In this election, seemingly more so than any other, it comes down to a matter of conscience. If voting for Trump violates your conscience, then don’t. If voting for Hillary violates your conscience, then don’t. I’ve heard convincing arguments on all sides of the equation with reasonable political, moral, and spiritual justifications. Some I agree with, some I don’t. Regardless of whom I think is the best candidate and why, if another is going to feel guilty for making the same decision, I would never push them to go against what they feel is right before God.
Seek God above all else, and research all the issues at stake and potential long term outcomes for our country when casting your ballot. And then trust God that His plan and purpose will be fulfilled, regardless of who wins this election. Remember: “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1) “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I've never been good at admitting I'm wrong. I'm much better at talking my way around (or out) of things, making excuses, and casting blame. Sometimes even lying, if I really get backed into a corner. I hate that I do that. I'm always caught off guard when someone freely admits when they've screwed up. It's actually like a breath of fresh air, and instead of thinking less of them, I find myself having a greater respect and admiration for them! But I really struggle to remember that when it's my turn to admit I'm wrong. I've been reading through the Old Testament, and found myself in the 9th chapter of Ezra today. I caught that breath of fresh air as Ezra prayed to God admitting and confessing the sins of the people of Israel. What sin? God had instructed His people not to intermarry with the people of the surrounding lands, not because they were lesser people (after all, God created them all!), but because these people didn't follow God. When you hang around people who are up to no good, it's really easy to fall into their bad behavior. God wanted the best for them. (After Jesus died and rose again for the sins of the world, both Jews and the rest of us alike were invited into God's family, and now the only "intermarriage" that's a problem is when those who love and follow Jesus marry people who don't.) Anyway, that's the context of this passage, and here are the words of Ezra: But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God; and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day. But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. We all have stuff that we need to admit to; the Bible calls that "confession." When we humbly admit when we're wrong and come clean, God promises to forgive us. That's awesome. "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9) |
AuthorFull time office worker, full time wife, and full time lover of Jesus. I'm kind of a Bible nerd, and I have a passion for finding ways to introduce Jesus in a practical way to everyday people doing everyday things. Archives
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