Are you afraid of the end?

We've all seen it happen many times.

Most of us have suffered through it.

A relationship seemingly full of promise at the beginning crashes to the ground far too soon.

Words can be difficult to find when this happens to someone we love.

They can also be impossible to aptly express when it happens to us. 

A wide variety of memories we once thought of as beautiful can become nothing more than painful reminders of how deceptive life can be.

Many times, we see it coming long before it happens.

There are countless signs we either miss entirely or simply choose to ignore.

Had we been given the opportunity to see into the future even for just a moment, maybe we would've done things differently.

Then again, maybe we wouldn't.

Maybe there still would've been things we loved very much about that relationship.

Things we loved enough to give up on the idea we'd find something better.

Something happier.

Something healthier.

Maybe our pride would've been too much for us to admit we were wrong at the very start.

Maybe, deep down inside, we didn't believe we deserved better.

This happens quite often within abusive relationships.

The abusive person convinces the abused they're not worthy.

Not all at once, mind you.

This will usually happen over time with the abused suffering apparently minor blows again and again.

These can be emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual in nature.

They can be all of the above.

The most common reason people who are abused stay in those relationships is fear.

 - Fear of more abuse.

 - Fear of being publicly humiliated.

 - Fear of financial desperation.

 - Fear of the unknown.

This is how life and the world around us can treat us.

We can find ourselves holding tightly to the life we have simply because we're blind to the possibility of finding a better life.

 - A beautiful life

 - A meaningful life

 - A life far beyond anything we imagined possible

 - A perfect life

No, I'm not suggesting that anyone is capable of living a perfect life.

Not here on earth, that is.

Not in our current form

We are, however, as followers of Christ, promised a glorious, beautiful, unimaginable life once this life comes to an end.

It won't be even remotely similar to the bad relationships we once thought were everything only to be greatly disappointed.

In fact, it will be the exact opposite.

As wonderful, amazing, and beautiful we may think it will be, we're not even close. 

But as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9

But this is not only speaking of the afterlife.

This also applies to the life we're living right now.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:11-13

So, if all of this is true - which it is - what keeps us from asking?

The answer is simple.

Fear.

 - Fear of change.

 - Fear of the unknown.

 - Fear of receiving what the world has always given us.

 - Fear of being disappointed like we have been through bad prior relationships.

Fear comes in countless forms.

But what overcomes fear?

Faith. 

Faith in all of the following:

 - We can be forgiven for any shortcomings we may have.

 - We can trust in the one who created all things.

 - If we ask, He will answer.

 - We will not be abused by Him the way others, and the world, have abused us in the past.

 - We can embrace the end, no matter what it means, as not just an end, but a new beginning. 

It doesn't take an extraordinary amount of faith to get things started.

It only takes enough faith to ask. 

It all begins with that first prayer.

Why not start now?

Do you have faith in your government?

There are many different forms of government in our world today.

Some are obviously better than others for a variety of reasons.

I'm not here to debate which form is best.

With every form of governance in place, there are both proponents and detractors, largely due to the experiences of those living under each regime.

In many cases, it's not the form of government people tend to oppose, but rather the political leaders controlling it. 

People don't like being lied to or manipulated by their officials.

Sadly, this appears to be happening more often than not regardless of where you're from.

Why?

Because all of these leaders, at their core, are merely human.

Power and control can be a very strong elixir. 

The harder someone works to gain these things, the less willing they are to give them up.

This can lead people to do some horrible things, believing that doing so will serve the common good.

My point here is not to shame government officials or condemn whatever form of governance they choose.

It is instead to ask one simple question:

Do you have faith in your government?

If so, why?

If not, why?

Have you ever found yourself eagerly anticipating a regime change only to end up horribly disappointed by the results of those changes?

I know I have.

So why do we repeat the same cycle time and time again even though we've been through it before?

Because we're putting our faith in the wrong things.

As Christians, we need to take a step back and realize where our true citizenship really lies.

No matter what country we live in, and no matter what form of governance we're under, we belong to Christ's kingdom first and foremost.

Does this mean we should disregard the laws our country puts in place?

Not at all.

Doing so could result in being jailed or even worse.

We should all obey the law to the best of our ability - with just one caveat:

If any law forbids us to practice or share our faith, it should be considered irrelevant.

Why?

Because we belong first to God's kingdom.

We are citizens of a kingdom above all others which has the power to remove or replace any government or political leader at a moment's notice, no matter how powerful they appear to be.

We are called to "...seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness..."

Moreover, we're also taught that God himself decides who will lead the nations.

In Romans, Paul says the following:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended." - Romans 13:1-3

Of course, this is the same Paul who was arrested, jailed, and killed for sharing his faith in Jesus. 

So, you see, there is a line drawn here.

Paul obeyed his government in all things until that government forbade him from teaching the gospel and sharing his faith with others.

His faith was not in the government.

His faith, first and foremost, was in Christ.

We need to have the same mindset.

No matter how dark things may appear, God is ultimately, completely, decisively in control. 

He always has been, he is now, and he always will be. 

If our faith is firmly grounded in him, and our first citizenship is in his kingdom, we can trust he will never fail or abandon us. 

Okay, I'm a Christian. Now what?

People all over the world make the decision to follow Christ on a daily basis.

After making that decision, they are often faced with the same question.

Now what?

They know their lives have just changed.

They know their entire focus has shifted.

What troubles them is in knowing what to do next.

A number of years ago, I earned a degree in culinary arts.

I did so because I love cooking for others, and to be honest, I also love eating good food.

It was a great experience for me.

I learned more about food and how to prepare it properly than I had learned over decades of cooking at home.

I also learned quite a bit about how to cook safely, avoiding contamination that could lead to making myself and others ill.

When I walked off of that stage, diploma in hand, I was very aware of two things:

 - It was a great feeling of accomplishment

 - It was also only the beginning

Had I walked away from that school with my degree and never cooked again, what good would that have done anyone?

What if I only practiced the basics and never attempted to learn more?

Naturally, I would stagnate.

While nobody would be able to take that degree away from me, I would miss out on any benefit I might experience had I pushed myself to learn more and to hone my craft.

The Christian faith works very much the same way.

Although we can take no credit for being given that faith, it still feels like a bit of an accomplishment.

We've made a decision that nobody can ever take away from us.

And yet, it's only the beginning.

Even though I have a degree that says I know how to cook, I still follow recipes.

 - I still own cookbooks, and I continue to buy more

 - I still watch cooking shows

 - I'll continually try to learn more from chefs who have far more experience than I

 - I understand that I can learn just as much from someone who's also still learning as I can from a seasoned chef.

All it takes is to maintain a desire to get better

There are countless resources out there that can help us to grow in our faith.

We have opportunities - on a daily basis - to learn from others on how we can move forward.

Some teachers are very good.

Some, well, not so much.

But we can even learn much from the bad ones, as their teachings will eventually fall apart.

After all, if we follow a few recipes published by a bad cook, we'll know they're bad as soon as we taste what we've prepared.

Most importantly, we have three unfailing resources that will never steer us wrong.

 - Jesus, who gave us a clear example of how to live and treat others

 - The Holy Spirit, who teaches us truths we can feel down to our very souls

 - The Bible - or in other words, the ultimate cookbook.

Making a commitment to Christ is not a one time event, it's a lifelong pursuit.

We will never be perfect in this.

The goal is to become more like Christ one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time.

It would be easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of committing the rest of our natural lives to anything, but that's not how we're supposed to look at it. 

In the Lord's Prayer, we ask "give us this day our daily bread."

This is part of what that's all about.

We don't ask "make me perfect right now and for the rest of my life."

We're asking to be given what we need for now.

 - for this day

 - for this moment

While speaking about the needs any of us may face in the future, Jesus himself said:

"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. - Matthew 6:33-34

How much time have we all spent worrying about tomorrow?

Far more than we'd care to admit.

So, now what?

Seek first His kingdom, one day at a time, and let tomorrow worry about itself.

How do I know I'll end up in heaven?

Please bear with me as I begin with a short story.

A young man was contemplating what he wanted to do with his life.

He thought about a career path he'd like to pursue, what he'd like to accomplish, and what kind of person he'd like to be.

He believed becoming a doctor would eventually lead to "the good life" he yearned for.

 - It would allow him to become wealthy, respected, and admired in the eyes of his community.

 - It would allow him to help others - even the most needy - who would have no ability to repay him.

In short, it would give him the opportunity to experience the joy of leading a life well lived.

Of course, this would require him to attend many years of college, maintain a respectable GPA, and remain committed to his career path during some very difficult internships.

It would require him to let go of that which he considered less important to focus upon the more.

And then there was the expense...

 - Being of meager means, he saw no way he could afford the high cost of tuition.

 - There would be student loans he'd have to repay for many years, assuming he'd be approved for them in the first place.

 - There would be countless evenings and weekends of hard work and struggle in place of hanging out with his friends.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of discouragement, he decided it would be best to give up on this dream.

The more he considered the cost, the more impossible it seemed.

He believed it would be more practical to merely focus on his work as an employee at the local hardware store.

Maybe, he thought, if he worked hard and long enough, he could work his way up the company ladder and eventually carve out a decent living for himself.

One day, as he was making his rounds, a well-known physician approached him. 

This was no ordinary physician.

Those who knew him well considered him to be the best of the best. 

"I've heard around town that you've been considering going to medical school," the good doctor said quietly.

"Oh...yeah," the young man replied hesitantly, surprised that he'd spark up a conversation with him. 

"I was, but..."

"But what?"

"Well, it just doesn't seem very practical. I mean, to begin with, it would take years of college I can't afford and, to be honest, I don't even know if I'm smart enough."

"Nonsense!" the doctor blurted out.

"That's easy for you to say," the young man replied. "You've already done all of that."

The doctor stepped back for a moment, giving the young man's dilemma some thought.

"What if we tried this?" he said.

"I have every medical degree I've ever wanted. I have a very successful practice, and over the years, I've experienced more in the medical field than you can imagine."

"Yeah, so?" the young man replied, thinking the doctor was a little full of himself.

"What if you quit your job right now, and come with me to my office?" the doctor said with a smile.

"Why would I do that?"

"Simple," the doctor replied. "I'll have you sit in my office with me, and when patients come in, I'll tell them to direct all of their questions and concerns to you."

"That's insane!" the young man replied. "I don't know the first thing about medicine!"

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time, and I'll tell you what to say."

As crazy as all of this seemed to be, the young man took him up on his offer. He immediately quit his job and began working for him the same day.

He didn't give much thought to what might be asked of him the next day, the next month, or the next year. 

He simply took one patient at a time, one day at a time, and kept his eyes on the doctor for guidance.

Over the years, the young man treated thousands of patients. 

 - He performed countless surgeries

 - He helped people he never knew, many of whom being unable to repay him

 - He became well respected in his community

 - He was eventually awarded many honorary degrees, including doctorates

 - He was able to afford a beautiful home and provide for his family

And all that was asked of him was to trust the doctor.

It made no difference where he had come from or how many mistakes he had made in life.

Faith was the only requirement.

This is exactly how salvation works.

The very moment we turn our eyes to Jesus, trusting him with all we are, we are immediately promised eternity with him. 

It doesn't matter where we came from.

It doesn't matter what we've done in the past.

It doesn't matter what talents or abilities we have.

No matter how hard we try, we can't earn our way there.

Evidence of this can be found in the story of the thief on the cross who turned to Jesus before he died.

After hearing the other criminal with them insult Jesus, he said:

"We are being punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. 

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:41-43

This man wasn't asked to go back and correct all of the wrongs he had done. 

He wasn't asked to jump through any hoops.

There were no conditions.

He simply believed.

As was the case with the young man and the doctor, there would be no place for pride or arrogance.

There would only be thankfulness for all he'd been given, and what he had been given far exceeded anything he could've dreamed of.

Not to be misunderstood, I'm not talking about material wealth, fame, or notoriety. 

I'm talking about a life, and an eternity, that will be far greater than anything you could imagine.

Right where you sit at this very moment can be the place and time where all of this can be given to you. 

There doesn't need to be any bold pronouncements or steps that must be taken before accepting it. 

Just say this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe you are the son of God. I know I am a sinner in need of forgiveness. Thank you for dying in my place so I might be saved. I ask that you would forgive my sins and that you would guide and direct me. Please help me to follow you to the best of my ability for the rest of my days. 

If you just prayed that prayer, congratulations! You now have a seat reserved for you in heaven. 

How do I know this? From Jesus' own words:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." - Matthew 7:7

 

Is Child Sacrifice Alive and Well?

We've heard horrific stories of ancient civilizations involved in child sacrifice.

So much so, in fact, we'd rather not think about them.

We can't help to wonder why any civilization, no matter how ancient or uneducated, would consider doing such things.

The reasoning behind such practices vary to some degree, but there seems to be an underlying theme.

At its core, those involved in such practices believed they'd benefit from doing so.

The Aztec people, for example, believed that doing so would bring favor upon them from their god, both individually and as a society.

Being pleased with their offerings, he would bring them health and wealth.

Looking back, most of us would agree that believing these things is not only shortsighted and ignorant, but would be considered evil.

Who believes sacrificing children would lead to positive results?

My friends, we're not far removed from these beliefs.

According to the W.H.O.,  there are approximately 73 million abortions worldwide every year.

73 million...annually.

While the reasons behind these abortions can vary, the overwhelming majority would fall under a "health and wealth" umbrella, as vague as that definition may be.

Sound familiar?

We've heard the arguments:

 - I can't afford to have a child right now

 - The financial burden of doing so would be overwhelming

 - Having a child would negatively impact my career

 - I don't want to experience the physical toll this would take on my body

 - I'm not ready for this emotionally

Of course, I'm not speaking about those cases where rape, incest, or a very real threat to the life of the expectant mother is involved.

But again, those cases are extremely rare in comparison to the reasons listed above.

For those who would argue it's not really a baby - its just a fetus - I would refer to what God, the giver of life, has to say about this.

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, where as yet there was none of them."

                                                                                      King David - Psalm 139:13-16

We have the choice to either believe these words.

We can chose to believe that, since King David lived from 1035 - 970 B.C., he clearly didn't have the scientific knowledge we now have.

But he sought whatever knowledge he had from the Creator of all things.

Not believing it to be true doesn't make it any less true.

In conclusion, I would like to make two important points.

 - The expectant fathers of these children are every bit as responsible for the child as the mother.

 - Those who firmly believe that abortion is wrong should do whatever they can to help those who might struggle with the expense and responsibilities of raising a child.

We don't live in a moral vacuum that allows us to suggest that others do what we believe to be right without coming alongside them with help and encouragement.

We are called to love others, not condemn them.

Is Jesus a liberal or a conservative?

The more we scroll through social media posts, the more we see it:

    People who claim Jesus must be in favor of one political bent or the other. 

Oh, they'll give ample reasons for why they believe so, and many of their conclusions may make sense on the surface.

It's only when we dig a little deeper that these arguments fall apart. 

They'll state emphatically that Jesus would never associate with people who do this or that.

They'll insist, since he would never be a part of such things, he must instead be in support their party of choice.

But here's the problem...

    Jesus doesn't have a political affiliation.

    Jesus is simply Jesus, and he stands far above any of that.

To catch a brief glimpse into the heart of his earthly ministry, we have to ask the following questions:

    Who did Jesus spend time with?

    Who did he reach out to?

He was regularly criticized by the leaders of the church due to the company he kept.

In Mark 2:15-22, we read:

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

In fact, he chose a diverse group of disciples, guilty of committing various sins. 

    Pick your sin.

    It doesn't matter which one. 

It can be the reason we believe someone else is unworthy of salvation. 

Here's the problem...

    We are all unworthy.

    Every last one of us.

From the guy in the back corner of the bar, to the well-dressed couple in the front row at church. 

    We are all saved by grace, and grace alone. 

A very wise man once said when we get to heaven, we'll probably be shocked at who we see there...

    And who we don't. 

We can feel justified in condemning an entire group of people simply due to their party affiliation - this is absolute arrogance. 

    Jesus never once played politics, and neither should we. 

    He came to save, not to condemn. 

    We should strive to have the same mindset.

Within any political party, no matter how liberal or conservative, we don't have to look very hard to find people guilty of horrible things. 

    But we're not called to point out the sins of others. 

    That's easy. 

We're called to recognize, confess, and repent for sins we find in ourselves.

    It doesn't matter which political party we choose.

We're all sinners who, given the right set of circumstances, are capable of committing terrible acts.

Am I suggesting we ignore the horrendous things we see going on within political parties?

    Not at all. 

We need to show wisdom when making these choices and cast our ballots based upon our personal convictions.

But it really comes down to this:

    Do we want to make this a better world?

    Of course we do.

The best way to begin, is for each of us to try to be better ourselves.

So, in answer to the question: "Is Jesus a liberal or a conservative?"

    The answer is no...

Living Right Side Up in an Upside-down World

Have you found yourself looking at the world lately, feeling as though you don't even recognize it?

It's happened to me quite a bit.

Things have just changed. 

We've all seen the headlines coming at us day after day - a barrage of news flashes explaining stories we once believed unthinkable. 

It's as though the world we once knew has somehow been replaced by one from another realm.

There's a very good reason for this.

It has.

Not entirely just yet, but significantly. 

With every new development, it changes a little more.

Being honest with yourself, do you feel as though it has changed for the better?

I, for one, do not.  

I don't believe any of us would disagree that we've all witnessed these dramatic changes, but we might disagree as to why this is happening. 

Suffice it to say that the world we all once knew will never again return. 

Do I say this because I'm some brilliant historian or claim to have immense psychic abilities? 

Not even close.

I say these things because they were written about thousands of years ago, and the ones who wrote about it have a pretty remarkable track record when predicting what would happen in the future.

Perfect, in fact.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul writes:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power."

If you were to compare these words with what we're seeing in the world today, do you see any similarities? 

Do you see these attitudes in our politics, our media, our schools, our entertainment, and yes, even in some of our churches?

Do you see them at the core of many social issues we're being forced to accept as "normal" while knowing in our hearts that they are not?

All of these things are the absolute antithesis of what Jesus teaches us we should do, who we should be, or how we should act.

So, what are we to do with all of this?

The answer is very simple...

On a very personal level, we all need to get back to the basics. 

The main reason the world feels so upside down to most of us is because our world has gone to war against the Christian morals, beliefs, and teachings we used to accept as the bedrock of society.

What was once viewed in the public square as good, right, just, and true has been replaced by the immoral and depraved.

Our world has truly reached the turning point where evil is now called good and good is called evil. 

But we are powerless over what the world does. 

The only thing we have control over is what we decide to focus upon with our own lives, in our own hearts, and our own minds.

Do we trust the world to teach us right from wrong, good from evil, or truth from lies, or do we look to Jesus to teach us these things?

Which path will do more good to the world around us, and which will do more harm?

For me, personally, I know which path I'll follow. 

No good deed will go unpunished

 Have you ever found yourself in big trouble for doing good things?

I mean, there are so many good things out there we can do which, for the most part, can go completely unnoticed...

We can be honest...

We can be trustworthy...

We can be faithful to our husbands or wives...

We can provide food and shelter for the hungry and homeless...

We can protect our friends, families, neighbors, etc., 

We can show love and respect to others, even if they're complete strangers...

We can work hard, day in and day out...

We can avoid killing other people...

Doing these things on a daily basis should be no reason for anyone to think less of us, right?

So why is it that when a normal, ordinary individual states that he or she has decided to follow Jesus, who taught us to live by these standards, they're met with insults and ridicule?

Why do they suddenly find that others who don't share their beliefs are now watching them very closely, waiting for them to screw up so they can jump up and say "See??? I knew it was all fake!! And you call yourself a Christian!!"

This, of course, makes about as much sense as seeing someone who decides to learn how to play a musical instrument mess up a chord and jumping up to say "See??? I knew it was all fake!! And you call yourself a musician!!"

 I have a theory...

When someone claims that they're now a Christian, those who know them can tend to think about what that means for them, not the Christian. 

It's as if, by making that bold move, the new Christian will begin to hold expectations about how others should live their lives. 

It also holds that any non-believer who spends time around a Christian will have a nagging feeling about what all of that might mean for them. It can unearth the fear of "Well, if that's really what God wants from us, where do I stand?"

That can lead them to the conclusion that this new Christian is now putting themselves in a position of judgement over them. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. 

If anything, the very basis of why they've come to this decision was coming to a place spiritually where they began to judge their own behavior, their own lives, their own spirituality, and decided that they wanted more.

While there are times when we can all get ahead of ourselves, every truly sincere person who turns to Christ does so because they feel an intense need to draw near to God. 

That's all. Nothing else.

That decision had absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. 

If you've decided to turn your life over to Christ and you're starting to feel some pushback from the people in your lives who disagree with your decision to do so, don't be alarmed. As Jesus himself said:

"Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ ^b If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." - John 15:20