Giving

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought

to give.  I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more

than we can spare.  In other words, if our expenditure

on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the

standard common among those with the same income

as our own, we are probably giving away too little.  If

our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should

say they are too small.  There ought to be things we 

should like to do and cannot do because our charities

expenditure excludes them.

C.S. Lewis

Jesus is Enough

Make God Great Again

Recently a friend of my husbands who is not a believer asked him how evangelicals could have voted for Donald Trump for president. The mere fact that nonbelievers are asking how evangelicals could have voted for Trump is additional proof that Christians should not have supported the man. As a group of people who are supposed to be a witness to the world of God's glory, turning our back on His values and morals only serves to confuse nonbelievers and certainly opposes our commandment to be a shining light. If we truly believe our God can do anything, then selling out His values in order to accomplish things such as appointing a conservative Supreme Court justice only serves to put God in a box and says to the world we really don’t believe He is sovereign. And if we truly believed God can use anyone to accomplish His purpose (even a dictator or a despot) and we used that argument to justify voting for Trump, then why not Hillary? Couldn’t God have used Hillary? Or couldn’t God have made Mike Castle (a Christian who also ran) president? Yes, God appoints the leaders and so yes, God appointed Trump – but we shouldn’t assume we know the reason for God doing so. As we observe in OT times (1 Samuel 8), God gave Israel the king they were insisting upon – but not the king God wanted them to wait for and the king He wanted them to have. And we know how that turned out……………..

When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 1 Samuel 8:18-20

Sound familiar? “We want a president who will Make America Great Again!” At what cost? And who decides if America will be great again? Us? Trump? Or God? Oh yes, good things have been happening – or so we think. The economy is better and a conservative Supreme Court justice has taken the bench. We see these things as good and we pat ourselves on the back for electing someone who accomplished that. Our pockets are fatter and we are happier. But is that growing us spiritually? And what about Roe v. Wade? Has that been overturned – wasn’t that the mission? Some say there is more chance of that happening now. Maybe. Or maybe God is expecting us to do something individually to affect abortion. Instead of standing before the Lord one day and saying “Lord, I voted for a person who put someone on the bench in favor of abolishing abortion with the hope that one day that might happen (but maybe it never did)” wouldn’t it be better to say something like “Lord, I stood next to the pregnant woman and held her hand when it came time to decide whether or not she would abort her baby” or “Lord, I took a young, lost mother and her baby into my home when everyone else turned their back on her” or “Lord, I adopted a child that might have been aborted was it not for someone wanting to give that baby a home and love.” You get my drift. Not all of us may be called to this mission field, but to use this cause as our reason to vote for someone who is a misogynist, liar and cheat is hypocritical. And laws don’t change hearts – Love changes hearts. God didn’t assign us to be political rulers of the world or to force our way of life on others. He assigned us to obey Him and HE would take care of the world. His ways are not our ways …………..

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

We certainly have become puffed up as a people – thinking we know it all and the world relies on us as a country and as leaders of the “free world”. But what the world needs from us most is what we are failing to provide.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16

We read the part about good deeds and use that to justify what we are doing as a country when in fact we are ignoring the second part – the most important part – glorify your Father in heaven.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20

How are we teaching the nations to observe all things that God has commanded us when we throw away His commandments in order to gain what we decide is worthwhile? And if we are not observing all things He has commanded us, will he be with us always, even to the end of the age?

God’s word tells us not to worry or be concerned about tomorrow. We are only to obey what He tells us to do today – God will take care of tomorrow. We are arrogant to believe we are the ones in control and the world or our country will either decline or become great due to our efforts. The only true effect we might have on this world and our country is to get on our knees in prayer and to be a light unto the world.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 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. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:31-34

As a Christian husband or parent, isn’t your first responsibility to be an example, to nurture and create an environment for your wife and children to grow spiritually and be protected from worldly influences? How protected do Christian women feel when a man like Donald Trump is elected to the highest office in the land and their husbands, fathers, brothers were the ones who help put him there? How respected do women and children feel when the men in their lives will find a way to justify implementing their own agenda over showing respect to them? I close with excerpts from a letter written by James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel. I am not saying this man has lived a perfect life nor am I saying he is right about everything or should be on a pedestal. I am saying I believe he got it right on this particular matter and I respect the stand he took by withdrawing his support of Mr. Trump. It was not a popular stand and I believe it was courageous of him to say it publicly. And I am guessing his wife and daughter feel valued, respected and loved by their husband/father.

(these comments are referencing the video that was released with lewd comments between Mr. Trump and Billy Bush)

Mr. Trump's comments released yesterday—though 10 years ago (he was 60)—are not just sophomoric or locker room banter. They are truly the kind of misogynistic trash that reveals a man to be lecherous and worthless—not the guy who gets politely ignored, but the guy who gets a punch in the head from worthy men who hear him talk that way about women.

I have a wife of 33 years, a daughter, and 2 daughters in law. I am not able to offer my time any further without an obvious "change of heart and direction" [that] true believers call repentance.


If Mr. Trump isn’t seeking our counsel now— 1) to be repentant 2) on how to portray that repentance, then the idea of a faith council (which has deteriorated into influence brokering anyway) is really kind of a joke right? I have spent my life helping men get free from such disgusting commentary on women—even writing my doctoral dissertation on self-disclosure of sin among men. I cannot and will not offer help to a man who believes this kind of talk a minor error.

Amen.

Controlling our Thoughts

Many Christians struggle with this issue, especially in our highly technological world, but taking control of our thoughts is essential. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The “heart” includes the mind and all that proceeds from it. Someone said that every sin we commit, we commit twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts. It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it at this fundamental thought level rather than waiting for it to become rooted in our lives by our actions and then try to pull it out.

There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought enters our mind, we examine it based upon God's Word and determine if we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it with another thought. If we have already allowed a habit to form in our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our thoughts, even as it is hard to get a car out of a deep rut and onto a new track. Here are some biblical suggestions for taking control of our thoughts and getting rid of wrong thoughts:

1. Be in God's Word so that when a sinful thought enters our mind (a temptation), we will be able to recognize it for what it is and know what course to take. Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) responded to each of Satan's temptations with Scripture that applied to the direction He knew His mind should take instead of beginning down the path of the sinful thought. When tempted to meet His physical need (turn stone into bread), He recited the passage about the importance of relying upon God. When tempted to serve Satan in order to obtain the glory of the world, He brought up the passage that says we are to serve and worship God alone and speak of the glory that belongs to Him and those who are His. When tempted to test God (to see if God was really there and would keep His promises), Jesus responded with passages that stress the importance of believing God without having to see Him demonstrate His presence.

Quoting Scripture in a time of temptation is not a talisman, but rather serves the purpose of getting our minds onto a biblical track, but we need to know the Word of God AHEAD of time in order to accomplish this. Thus, a daily habit of being in the Word in a meaningful way is essential. If we are aware of a certain area of constant temptation (worry, lust, anger, etc.), we need to study and memorize key passages that deal with those issues. Looking for both what we are to avoid (negative) and how we are to properly respond (positive) to tempting thoughts and situations—before they are upon us—will go a long way to giving us victory over them.

2. Live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, chiefly through seeking His strength through prayer (Matthew 26:41). If we rely upon our own strength, we will fail (Proverbs 28:26;Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:33).

3. We are not to feed our minds with that which will promote sinful thoughts. This is the idea of Proverbs 4:23. We are to guard our hearts—what we allow into them and what we allow them to dwell on. Job 31:1states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman" (NKJV). Romans 13:14 states, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Thus, we are to avoid periodicals, videos, websites, conversations and situations that will set us up for a fall. We should also avoid spending time with those who would encourage us down these wrong paths.

4. We are to pursue hard after God, replacing sinful thoughts with godly pursuits and mindsets. This is the principle of replacement. When tempted to hate someone, we replace those hateful thoughts with godly actions: we do good to them, speak well of them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Instead of stealing, we should work hard to earn money so we can look for opportunities to give to others in need (Ephesians 4:28). When tempted to lust after a woman, we turn our gaze, praise God for the way He has made us—male and female—and pray for the woman (for example: "Lord, help this young woman to come to know you if she does not, and to know the joy of walking with you"), then think of her as a sister (1 Timothy 5:2). The Bible often speaks of "putting off" wrong actions and thoughts but then "putting on” godly actions and thoughts (Ephesians 4:22-32). Merely seeking to put off sinful thoughts without replacing those thoughts with godly ones leaves an empty field for Satan to come along and sow his weeds (Matthew 12:43-45).

5. We can use fellowship with other Christians the way God intended. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Fellow Christians who will encourage us in the changes we desire (best if of the same gender), who will pray for and with us, who will ask us in love how we are doing, and who will hold us accountable in avoiding the old ways, are valuable friends indeed.

Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless we have placed our faith in Christ as Savior from our sin. This is where we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over sinful thoughts and temptations, and God’s promises for His children are not for us, nor is the Holy Spirit’s power available to us!

God will bless those who seek to honor Him with what matters most to Him: who we are inside and not just what we appear to be to others. May God make Jesus’ description of Nathanael true also of us—a man [or woman] in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).

If You Say So

by James MacDonald

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:9–11, esv).

I’ll never forget being a young pastor and having my first experience of meeting a person who claimed to be a Christian, but who wasn’t actually under the authority of God’s Word.

I sat down with this man one day, along with another pastor from our church, just to talk about some problematic things in his life that were becoming obvious to others. We began to show him the Scriptures, thinking he would see the truth as well as our love for him in being concerned about his life and family. We prayed he’d see that we wanted to help.

And he did. He saw it. He understood what the Word was saying, and he admitted to what he was doing. But “Bible or not,” he said, “I’m not changing.”

I didn’t know anyone would actually say that. I couldn’t imagine it.

But I’ve looked in the mirror plenty of times since then, as I’m inviting you to do today, to challenge myself on whether the Bible is indeed my total, complete authority. Three questions can help us discern the answer to this all-important question.

1. Can the Bible change your mind? Standard procedure is to think we’re pretty good people, able to save ourselves, able to change ourselves. But the Bible says, “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, nkjv). “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” (Titus 3:5, esv). It’s no minor theme in Scripture that “whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). It’s cover to cover. The only question is: does this clear line of thinking change your mind about who you really are and the extent of what you can do on your own?

2. Can the Bible melt your heart? You may feel waves of anger sometimes at your boss, a parent, or simply a guy who cut you off in traffic. But when you hear, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31), how quickly and deeply is it able to influence your heart? When you see the unforgiving servant in Jesus’ parable handed over to the jailers and you hear Jesus say, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35), does it change you? Does the truth melt your angry heart?

3. Can the Bible change your direction? Any one of us can get turned around on the road of life. But how many times has your testimony been, “I was living for sin, for self, for sex, for stuff, for success”—whatever it was—“and the Word got through to me and challenged me, changing my direction”? The psalm writer said, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. . . . I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” When you hear a verse that seriously stops you in your tracks, is the next step you take in a different direction from the one you were previously traveling?

I’m not asking if you like the Bible. I’m not asking if you enjoy studying the Bible. I’m asking if you’re under the authority of the Bible.

Can it change your mind?

Can it change your heart?

Can it change your direction?



PRAY

Lord God, Your Word to me is not just information. It’s not just sentimental and soothing and spiritual sounding. Nor is it optional. Keep me under its authority as I keep it daily before me. Continually use it, Lord, to train my mind, tenderize my heart, and teach my feet to stay in the path Your Word directs me to follow. Thank You for the boundaries it draws and the freedom it offers so that I can experience full life in Your kingdom, in Jesus’ name, amen.

None Other

by James MacDonald

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, esv).

“There are many roads to God.” Have you heard people say that? They say, “As long as you’re sincere, it doesn’t really matter. Every path leads to the same God.”

But have you found this principle at work in any other area of life? Does your experience really tell you that everything is equivalent? Every restaurant, the same? Every coffee choice, all the same? Can every answer to a math problem be considered right? Do all recipes lead to the same quality meal?

What would you say to a young guy who’s ready to buy an engagement ring, but whose plan is just to grab the first one in the case he can afford? “They’re all just rocks. What’s the difference? You’ve seen one rock, you’ve seen them all.”

Or what would you say to someone living in the Midwestern plains who has no interest in ever traveling to see the mountains? “They’re just hills. What’s the difference? We’ve got hills around here. You’ve seen one hill, you’ve seen them all.”

See how silly it sounds to say that? See how dangerous it is to spout the foolish phrase, “All roads lead to God”?

“Enter by the narrow gate;” Jesus said, “for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14, nkjv).

The cross of Jesus is not one of many ways to God; it is the only way to God. In fact, the shocking thing is not that there is only one way to God; the remarkable thing is that there is any path at all!

Do you find that too narrow? Too exclusive? No. Truth by definition is intolerant of error, and is exclusive by nature. How many temperatures does water freeze at? How many answers to 2+2 are correct? Drop a five-pound rock off a building, and see if you can make a solid argument for the relativity of gravity before it hits the ground.

Right?

So why would the study of God—who Himself made math and science and the other disciplines which are “intolerant” toward error—be the only subject known to mankind in which truth does tolerate error?

There is but one road to God. And instead of being resistant to that, we should be forever thankful for it. What could we produce as evidence for why the God who created the world should save us? Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense if He just pushed the whole thing over the cliff and into hell itself?

Instead, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, nkjv). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, nkjv). Only Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Here He is. Follow Him into the narrow gate, for He alone is the Way.

PRAY

Lord, on this day between Jesus’ death and resurrection, fill me with wonder at what You’ve done. You’ve made a way where we don’t deserve one. Help me to not take lightly Your grace and mercy that have opened this one path for me to be forgiven and reborn and to have promised abundant life with You for all eternity. I worship You today in the stillness of this moment, in the mournful hours after the death of Your Son, praying only in His name—my only Way—amen.

There Must Be Blood

by James MacDonald The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, esv)! People often say, “I’m good enough for heaven. I don’t need Jesus.” As if they can choose heaven without choosing faith. As if they’d fit right in there, just showing up, claiming they don’t need a Savior. But that’s not what heaven is like. That’s not what heaven is for. Heaven is no place for people who are pretty sure they’ve got their sins covered without needing anyone else to do it for them. Heaven is for people who understand and embrace Jesus Christ as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” for which there is no other “good enough” option. If you’re not sure where this “Lamb” imagery comes from, think back to the first Passover. God was preparing to send the tenth and final plague against the Egyptians to loosen the iron grip on God’s people, so Pharaoh would release them from slavery and let them go. In anticipation of this plague, the Lord instructed each family of Israel to take a lamb, kill it, and sprinkle some of its blood on their doorposts. “For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.” But “the blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12–13). You and I, of course, living in our culture, where we buy our meat at the market, would likely have balked at just the part about killing the lamb. In fact, “these things took place as examples for us” (1 Corinthians 10:6a)—as a picture for us today. But even they, who were accustomed to slaughtering their own animals for food, may have had a hard time seeing any need for slathering its blood over the door of their house. I’m not doing that, you can almost hear them saying. I’ll have to clean it up later. And what good is it for, anyway? I don’t need blood on my house to save me. Yes, that part did take a bit of faith. But God gave them an opportunity to choose. Doubt or faith? Good enough without the blood? Or were they in need of the blood, the way His Word said? Was the blood of the lamb—“without blemish” (Exodus 12:5)—really necessary? Decide. Far more than we’d like to admit, faith is a choice. You choose to believe in the sports teams you follow. You choose to believe your employer will compensate you for your work. You choose to believe the gas in your tank will get you to your destination, and you choose to believe the chair you’re about to sit in will hold you. You choose to believe. And if you don’t believe, you’ve chosen not to believe. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The One who knows our true heart and knows our true thoughts—who knows the good front we put up and knows we believe ourselves to be better than we are—has provided a Lamb whose blood can fit us for heaven. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Your faith belongs in the Lamb. And then you’ll belong with Him forever.