Advice: Court her, date her, win her ... continually.

Back at our old church, an older gentleman by the name of Dr. Chuck Harger took me under his wing and had this to say: "Don't ever stop courting your wife. Continue to pursue her heart. Date her, win her."

I'm reminded of this sound advice as I read in Song of Songs this morning. It's bittersweet in that I know it's right and Godly advice, which is energizing, but it also reminds me just how much I fail as a husband.

I do not court my wife as I should.
I often take her for granted.
I do not date her enough.
I'm not actively working to win her at all times.

But God redeems. He is not looking for shame and regret. He asks us not to look over our shoulder to see how we've failed in the past. He simply wants acknowledgement, repentance, and for us "to go and sin no more". And there is no doubt about it… it is sin, not continuing to chase after my wife. It is sloth. It is pride. 

I am failing to "love my wife as Christ loved the church." (Ephesians 5:25) How does Christ love the church? He continually draws us out, in order to draw us in. He served us humbly. He sacrificed and died for us. And this is what I need to repent of… settling for comfort and rest, when I should be working… out of love, out of obedience to Him. 

Christ continues to woo me. To win me over. That is love. And Christ so loved me that he died on a cross for me. I was literally "to die for".  Meredith is "too die for" too.

I acknowledge my shortcomings as a husband. I repent of my laziness and desire for comfort. I repent of taking her for granted. She deserves more. God deserves to be glorified through the work I put into my marriage.

But it's clear that I can't do it on my own.

Lord, help me to die to myself for Meredith. Help me to love her with your love. My love is inadequate. Snap me out of this stasis, where I'm okay with not loving her fully, not feeding her, not courting her, not winning her heart constantly. I am incapable of doing this alone. But with you Lord, all things are possible. I trust in and love you unabashedly and fully. Thank you for your perfect, Agape love and for your long suffering patience with me. Let your perfect love flow through me to her. I asked this in the name of God the Father, God the Son, in God the Holy Spirit, three-in-one. Amen and Amen.

True Enlightenment is found in Christ

The world has drifted further and further from truth. I see this in friends from my past who are considering philosophies like Buddhism. It is not true Buddhism, mind you, but some new age version of it. But the true enlightenment they find appealing is far greater in Christianity,  they just don't know it.

Take Proverbs. Sooooooo much wisdom in there. I'm truly overwhelmed by it. God is so good to give us this wisdom to live by. I want to say that 'I can't imagine life without it'. But I already know what life was without it. I lived life without it for 38 years.

As it says in Proverbs 2:2, we must
1) turn our ears to wisdom, and
2) apply our heart (not just our mind) to understanding it.

Without these two steps, we will continue to lean on our own flawed, incomplete-at-best, selfish, worldly understanding. We'll embrace the recently popular New Age versions of old age fallacy, like Buddhism. Not that components of that life are bad. Focus and seeking Enlightenment and meditation are awesome... worthy endeavors...
and are actually core to a Christian Life.

Focus (on Him alone) ... this is Christianity.
Seeking absolute truth (enlightenment) ... Only found in seeking Him... Christianity.
Meditation (on Him, His purpose, His truth) ... Christianity.

The thing is, Islam is not 100% wrong. It's mostly wrong, but it has some truth in there. This is truth that is also part of Christianity. But that smidgen of Truth is what lures so many to stay Muslim. Same with Buddhism, Hinduism, even secular humanism. They have some things right, but they are predominantly wrong. Only Christianity is 100% right and true. But this is only apparent and obvious from the top of the mountain. You must first acknowledge the mountain, choose to climb the mountain, then see it clearer and clearer and clearer (a.k.a. true enlightenment) as you ascend.

The next step is 3) do something about it. It is fine and well to 1) hear and 2) apply our hearts to understand. But without 3) action based on what we understand, we are "dead". James says this clearly and bluntly... "Faith without works is dead". It is a dead understanding, in that it is flaccid and useless.

Lord, help me. I now understand, but I am lazy, afraid... I don't know what else. Break the chains that hold me back from a life fully pointed at you and for you.

I am with you.
You are with me.
And I thank you for this.

It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Proof of God and True Science

Is there absolute 
"proof" of God? 
Can we run a laboratory experiment using the scientific method and produce Him or absolute proof of Him? Well no, of course not. First, He is outside of this data set - outside of the space and time in which we find ourselves. Second, there IS unending, overwhelming evidence of Him falling all around us like an avalanche.

Let's look at it this way: 
Within a painting, is there proof of the painter?In a novel, is there proof of the author? In a dance performed, is there proof of the choreographer? No, there is not. But there is quite obvious evidence within said painting, story, dance, sculpture, building, electronic device, automobile, aircraft, sand castle ... of an intelligent, purposeful, intentional creator, though, isn't there?

And how might one prove Vincent Van Gough? Well, one can't in reality. But they can know he existed through seeking evidence in his many, many paintings, all in his unique style ... via books written about Vincent (a.k.a. through witnesses, or through those who knew and interviewed witnesses), and by the many artist since who were influenced by his work, some striving to emulate him ... to be like him.

There is this strange prevailing attitude that faith in God and Jesus is at odds with with science. But it's absolutely not. Many (if not most) of the original scientists were, in fact, believers in God including Kepler, Copernicus, Bacon, Galilei, Descartes, Pascal, Newton, Boyle, Faraday, Mendel, Kelvin, Plank and even Einstein (here are even more: 131 Christians Everyone Should Know). They were not all Christian, but they did know that God was there. And even today, there is a long, long list of leading Scientists who are devout believers, despite common blackballing of believers in the scientific community and academia (List of Christians in Science and Technology).

"Contrary to the claims of the new atheists, most scientists do not necessarily see religion and science as always being in conflict. Rice University sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund and coauthors studied the responses of scientists at 21 elite U.S. universities, finding that only 15% thought that science and religion were always in conflict. About half expressed some form of religious affiliation."

In fact, belief in God is what drove a large number of scientists to conduct science themselves ... to answer the questions, "How did God do all of this? How does it all work? What is it that makes all of what we see, hear, taste, smell and touch hum?" Science, for these Scientists, was/is a deeper seeking of the workings God's creation.

Rather, what is at odds is not faith in God vs science, but a difference in bias and in worldview. Some in the scientific community have created a Creed of sorts, precluding anything outside of nature and our five senses. These individuals are NOT practicing science, but a religion of their own making. Science is intended to be truly open-ended: an unbiased method. Only this is true science.

Science has never been a belief system (although many treat it as such). Science, rather, is a tool to be used to chip away at how and what things are based on observation, theorizing, and testing.

If we are humble enough, we must acknowledge that we are but observing and testing shells on the beach, while the immense ocean of the unknown lies before us. And if we persists in our humility, we'll admit that probabilities preclude us from ever getting past wet toes. We are simply incapable of going further than a certain point. Not that we're at that point yet, but much of what exists is beyond our comprehension ... beyond our feeble collective minds' grasp. I believe that is by design.

In both Christian and non-Christian circles, faith is a factor. But "faith" (not blind faith as Dawkins assumes, but faith in its full and true definition) is a commitment based on adequate evidence upon which to base said faith. And there is FAR more evidence for God, the claims of Christ, and the inevitable effects of living the Christian life, than for the opposing worldview. Mountains upon mountains more, in fact.

There is no proof, per se, that can be run in a lab for either the secular or the Christian view when addressing the biggest questions of life, origin, meaning, purpose, etc. Both take faith. Unfortunately for the secular humanist worldview, far more evidence will need to be unearthed to make it any more than stubborn blind leaping faith. The issue is, secular humanists don't realize this. They are too busy denying the possibility of God to actually look into it. And, as such, they have a horribly flawed and limited picture of how things really are.

I pray that they seek Truth without bias or presupposition. I pray they conduct true science. I pray the same for Christians - to know the evidence so that we can effectively help those wearing blinders currently. I once wore these blinders. I was not stupid ... I was simply ignorant and bull headed, ignoring a whole body of evidence based on a bias. And those who choose to seek humbly will find that Matthew, quoting Jesus, was dead on when he said, 

"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)

He is there, just waiting for you to seek Him. If you do, you WILL find Him as I did. Will you conduct true science, seeking real truth? Or will you rest in an area of arrogant ignorance as I did for too long? I pray that you take the step and ultimately find. 

God bless. 

Good things are costly

You should not expect the easy way, for if you do you are certainly destined for disappointment. Any person who knows the Bible knows that the Christian life is likened to an athletic contest or to warfare, and neither one is easy. Jesus warned His followers to count carefully the cost, and that certainly does not speak of an easy way. But there is no good thing that comes without cost.The Christian life is the most satisfying, but only when we actually go all out and all the way. It is the Christian who tries to compromise who finds life miserable, for he has all the problems, without the fellowship that comes through surrender. For every trial and test, Christ supplies an abundance of grace with which to bear it, and in our weakness we are made strong.

[author unknown]

Quit Making Excuses and Just Do It ... (blunt post)

In 2 Chronicles 30:18-20, Hezekiah prays to God, asking Him to pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God. This is one of hundreds of examples pointing to our HEART as the main point.

"Sets his heart on seeking God ..." 

Bottom line is, those who set their heart on anything always DO something about it. When your "heart's not in it", it shows through inaction, or sluggish action at best.

"Well, give me an example of what you mean, Greg." 

Okay, since you asked, I will ...

Later in 2 Chronicles 31 it says that the Israelites gave generously (finally!) of their first fruits. In their case, this meant the BEST of their grains, cattle, wine, honey, etc. For us, in modern terms, this usually boils down to our money. As a result of the Israelites' generous giving, the Levites who were called to dedicate their lives to God only and fully, had "enough to eat and plenty to spare".

Enough to eat and plenty to spare.

Imagine that. Imagine all the world's people having enough and plenty to spare. 

This is possible. But we as Christians must lead the charge. 

Don't have enough to give? Baloney. Sorry to be so blunt, but you're either defining "enough" wrong or you are simply oblivious to what enough means to a person in a 3rd world country living joyfully on the absolute minimum. 

"But you don't understand what bills I have to pay!" you say. My response: "You HAVE bills. They don't even have that luxury." And you wouldn't have ANY money to pay bills if it weren't given to you by the God who provides all for us.

Question: If you lost your job today and could only get a job making 80-90% of what you made before, would you survive?

Don't answer that. You and I both know the answer is, "of course". So, I think it's long past time to stop making excuses. There are REAL HUMANS, made in the image of God, who are suffering while we debate whether we need cable, or that new car, or a slightly bigger house because this one's too cramped. Enough is enough. Time to check our hearts.

Obey. If you love Him and you love people (as we're commanded), you will just obey, with full faith.

It's for His glory.

It's for the least of these.

And - believe it or not - it's for your good.

No more excuses. Just do it.

Numb & Overwhelmed: Racism, Abortion, Sex Trafficking ...

I'm feeling a little numb this morning as I journal my thoughts. There are so many things on my mind - weighing on me.

Am I leading my family well by serving them, directing them with God's wisdom? Am I leading by example and with humility and compassion?

What should I be doing about the downpour of evil happening all around us? Racism, sex trafficking, abortion ... hollywood and the media news shaping the culture's mind without them knowing it? Breaking through the psychological wall that has been built up in many people's minds, from liberals to conservatives, Christians to unbelievers - no one is immune, it seems.

As I learn more about the pure white, brilliant light that is God's way, the more hideous and disturbing and obvious the darkness becomes. The darkness hasn't changed, mind you. It has been there all along. But as truth beautifully infiltrates my mind, heart and soul, my obliviousness to its abnormality fades.

Things like the content of rated R movies that never seemed like a big deal to me before now are shocking. And it's quite clear the impact it has on the psyche, on our attitudes about things. And enough of it results in a numbing that thinks its "normal".

Things like the subtle tone, wording and innuendo of news reporting that leads us to an intended opinion on a given topic or event ... it's insidious.

Things like the "small" lies and sinful actions that leave us with the universal attitude of, "Come on. What's the big deal? You're taking this 'God's way thing too far."

Couple that with ... I'm not being as loving a husband and father as I could/should be. Anyone from the outside, comparing me with other husbands and fathers, would disagree. But I know better - and so does my friend, God, because He knows my heart. The fact is, I'm being lazy. I'm letting things coast along on idle more than I should. It's neglectful.

• My wife needs intentional, unconditional love. My self-assessment? C+ at best.
• My kids need my focused, proactive (rather than just reactive) time. Grade on that? C ... maybe even a D+. 

Lord help me be who I should be. I'm weak and lazy and selfish. I feel convicted, but something is holding me back, holding me down, keeping me numb and paralyzed. Is it sloth? Plain selfishness? The enemy sitting on my chest, keeping me stationary so I can't do what I and God know is right? Maybe it's all of the above. Bottom line, I can't do it alone. I can't do it at all. I need your power God ... your love, your eyes, your motivation. Crush me where I need to be crushed, and fill me with your Spirit.

I ask this in flawless name above all names.

Jesus Messiah.

Amen.

What is a Fundamentalist, and why is being one such a problem?

Depending on which 'ism' to which one is referring, it could be a huge problem or a wonderful, right thing to be a "fundamentalist". For instance, a fundamentalist about mathematics is good. That means the person keeps to all of the fundamentals of math as we know it. Shifting from fundamentals and one ends up with catastrophes like New Math ;)

In religion, fundamentalism means that you take your holy book(s) seriously.

• If that holy book is all about loving God and loving people as you would want to be loved, it can't be bad ... only good ... to dive deep into the fundamentals. The issues arise when we don't apply all the fundamentals, but rather pick and choose the parts we want to apply/believe - the parts that fit our personal liking. 
• If that holy book is all about forcing all to follow that religion or die, and is about the degradation of women, and killing certain sinners, and suicide bombing, and establishing a one world order that is dominated by that religion ... fundamentalism is scary! We kind of want the latter holy book to be lightly followed, skipping the nasty stuff. 

But let's be clear - if followed only partially,

it's not really that religion at all.

Fundamentalism is often called "extremism" when it's really not. Fundamentalism is really just a following of the entire religion per its full direction.

So, one should want the former "loving" holy book to be followed fully - fundamentally. But one hopes the latter "dominating" holy book is not exercised fully.

By following all of it, the follower of the former becomes more loving, more selfless, and more servant-hearted, drawing others toward it because they want them to have the same love in their heart, and they want others (even enemies!) to be saved for eternity.

By following all of it, the follower of the latter strongly considers killing people from two other major religions until they are wiped from the face of the earth. They are a religion of peace only in that - once everyone is one of them or dead - things are peaceful. So "peace" is the goal.

In summary, "fundamentalism" is good if what the holy book says is true, having been fully inspired by a good, holy, loving (and just) God. "Fundamentalism" is bad when the holy book is built on lies and is no way a reflection of the real God - the one true God.

Just so we're clear.

Lord, draw them to you. And use me to share your truth and the free gift you offer.

In Jesus name. Amen.

Open, respectful, compassionate dialog ... where has it gone?

Why does it seem that open, respectful discussion has fallen by the way side? Or has it always been this way? For instance, if God and what we think he is and what he wants of us is of utmost importance (it is), why don't we discuss it with those who differ from us more often? Is it because we think we'll be talked out of our way of thinking when new information is injected? I mean, if it's false logic, the doubt or altered thinking it might create will be temporary at best. But if it's truth, isn't an injection of that data an extremely good thing? And how will that ever happen if we're afraid to talk to one another about the most important topics?

People, we must talk.

We must be less emotional about our response to ideas that differ from our desired way of thinking. We need to drop our need to 'win' or be 'right' and just exchange information, ideas, perspectives. We need to listen without judgment, without waiting to speak, without pride in our hearts... without a readiness to pounce with attacking words.

How many times has a Muslim approached me to share what he or she believes is critically true about God? Or how many times has a Hindu approached me? The answer is zero. But if it matters most, why not?

And Christian, when is the last time you lovingly shared what you know to be true? Emphasis here is on the word lovingly. 

If we believe that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life (as he clearly says in scripture), and that no one can get to the Father except through him, why aren't we frantically sharing the Gospel?  Christian, you and I both know that what we think about God is the most important thing about us, including what we do with what we think/know about him. We know that without accepting Jesus as the Lord, Master, Controller, King, Boss of our lives, we are left with the alternative ... a horrific and undesirable eternal destination. If others knew this was true like we know, they would accept him as quickly as possible, understanding the urgency. They would drop everything, get down on their knees and except him. No doubt about it.

But if we don't tell them ...

Lord, start with us... your children.

Wake us to the importance - to the criticality - of engaging this lost world with love and compassion. We know they are in horrible danger. We can't stand idly by if we are to be lovers of you and lovers of our neighbor. God, we need your help here. Knock us cleanly and fully out of our comfort zones. 

I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Jesus died on a cross, rose from the dead, then said make disciples? Hmm. Mildly interesting.

This past Sunday we celebrated Easter. A celebration of Jesus's resurrection from the dead.

"He is risen!" we say. Can we go on with our normal lives, as though there's nothing more we're called to do.

Let's take a look at Matthew 28:5-7:
" the angel said to the women, do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he is risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him'. Now I have told you."

Here the key messages that I hear:

1. Don't be afraid of tomorrow, or of uncertainty. Jesus is The Rock and your protector.

2. Everyone is looking for Jesus, whether they know it, it minute, or not. They try to fulfill the need with all sorts of things: personal accomplishment, money, prestige, sex ... only to find that it does not last, and it does not sustain. Only Jesus ...

3. He WAS crucified. No doubt about it. He died for our sins. Most definitely. It is finished.

4. He is not here. He is risen! He has defeated death by raising himself from the grave. Come and see! It's true! Seek and you WILL find that it's the truth.

5. Now, tell everyone! Go! That's an order! God said to go proclaim this truth to all.

6. He's going ahead of you: to make a place for you in his mansion, to fight your battles ...
"In my house there are many rooms..."

7. There you will see him... If you seek with a true, humble, repentant heart, you will see him! That's a promise!

8. There is no mistake that you've heard and/or read this. So, now what will you do? Will you obey the direct command? Or will you just say, "Hmmm, interesting". And move on?

I pray that you and I jump to it. He said clearly to share the good news and make disciples of all the nations. What is holding us back? Cultural pressure? Laziness? Lack of belief?

We must snap out of it and get to work.

Lord, help us to obey. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Is the Belief in the Resurrection an Irrational, Blind Faith? Quite the opposite.

When we say, "He came back to life", we tend to conjure up images in our minds of Frankenstein's Monster or The Walking Dead. And rightfully so ... we've been flooded with these images from Hollywood for decades. We grew up on it. It's been engrained in our psyche and, as a result, we tend to discount the idea of reanimation as crazy, silly, impossible ... maybe even wishful thinking. I tend to agree. The idea of someone coming back to life by natural means - like Frankenstein or brain-eating zombies - is ludicrous. THAT is not possible. But here's the thing: it happened. So, if we know that it's silly to think that something that is fully dead could come back to life by natural means ... AND if we know that it did happen (more than once in the Bible, in fact), then we're left with the supernatural.

A step toward the supernatural, though, is a big leap for the skeptic. I know - I was one. I AM one. But what about all the other big leaps we take? The entire complex and ordered Universe came from nothing. No - thing. Lack of anything. Void. But naturalistic secular scientists take this leap as a presupposition every day. They also take the "life from no life" leap. As well as the"conscience and philosophical thought from none" leap. And DNA (the encyclopedia of life) from nothing. And the list goes on. That's a lot of leaping for a bunch of skeptics.

But when it comes to God raising Himself from death to life? Well, that's just nuts.

There is nothing irrational about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It would only be irrational if He were not, in fact, God. But He is.

• It was also confirmed that He was most certainly dead as a result of beating and crucifixion. 
• It was also confirmed that He was placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (part of the Jewish Sanhedrin).
• It was also confirmed that the tomb was guarded because the Jews believed Jesus' followers may try to steal his body.
• It was also confirmed that two women found the empty tomb in a time when women's testimony was not considered at all credible.
• It was also confirmed that 100s of people saw the risen Christ, many of whom interacted with Him.
• These facts were confirmed by both Christians and non-Christians.
• The chief persecutor of Christians became it's most aggressive promotor (Paul).
• 11 of the 12 Apostles were killed brutally, given a chance to renounce what they said they knew for a fact, personally: That Jesus had risen and that they interacted with Him. The 12th was exiled to Patmos and wrote Revelation, etc. (he wasn't killed as the others were). Bottom line - liars make horrible martyrs.

For even more reasons why it's true, feel free to read, "10 Reasons to Accept the Resurrection of Jesus as an Historical Fact".

The bottom line is, it happened. What's really important, though, is what you do with this fact. God sent His son to live a sinless life (a miracle in and of itself), then serve as the final, perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men, both past, present and future, until He comes again. Free will gives us a choice to embrace this, making Jesus our Lord and Savior ... or rejecting it, and rejecting God ... for eternity.

• He will not force us to love Him back. 
• He will not force us to accept His free gift ... the ONLY way to be near him for eternity. 
• He waits patiently for us to get it, then choose. 
• He hopes we choose Him.

Lord, I pray for the lost. I pray for the skeptic, who refuses to step past his or her skepticism for a moment to sincerely seek the Truth. Father, only You can wake them from their sleep, God. Only you can remove their blindness. Only you.

Thank you for even making a way at all. You didn't have to ... but I suppose you did, as you are Love itself. You are good, even when we rebel against you. Amazing.

I pray all of this in Jesus' Holy and precious name. Amen.

The Thin Places, and Our Intended Vocation

We talked at home group recently about the thin places. The places where we feel God is near, where we feel life is effortless, unburden some. This is where God wants us. My thin places are many:

• In community with other believers, or were talking about real things ... no posing, no small talk, no fakeness ... just raw reality, with the failures and flaws exposed and on the table.
• In service, or none of it is about me, but all about others what they need.
• And it's and worship - singing specifically. Worshipping God in thanks and appreciation for how he's done and all he's promised to do. I sing to him, for him, because of him... all day. But mix it with community, and my thin place becomes extra, extra thin. Mix it again with service, and I'm in heaven. No burden, no effort, no apprehension. It's where he wants me. Loving him and loving others, is 

Jesus clearly said and Matthew 22:37-40, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And... Love your neighbor as yourself.' All of the law and Prophets hang on these two Commandments."

These thin places - and they are different for everyone - lead to or intended vocation. God wants us to serve effortlessly. And this effortlessness comes from the simple fact that this is what he intended for us individually all along. No legalism. No treasury. No feelings of unfairness. Are intended vocation should and will bring us the joy God wants for us. But it must be HIS vocation for us, not what we think it should be.

Lord, I ask you to make my vocation abundantly clear - even more so than you already have. Then, give me the courage to pour myself into it, so much so that it's all I do: surf, worship, and be in community. So much of my time is spent with the other things that are not my intended vocation, usually because of a misdirected concern about worldly things like comfort, money, control, etcetera. 

Lord, help me to find and stay in my fin places with you. Help me to embrace my intended vocation and eventually shed all other activities. Help me to be a better husband, a better father, a better neighbor and friend and brother. Let it be about you and others alone. I asked this honestly and with full confidence that you'll deliver in full. You are good. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the cross. In Jesus name. Amen.

Yesterday, we celebrated the humiliation, beating, suffering, suffocating, and ultimate excruciatingly painful death of someone? Weird.

Yesterday, we celebrated the Passion of Jesus. To celebrate it - his humiliation, beating, suffering, piercing, suffocating, and ultimate excruciatingly painful death - seems crazy to the unbeliever, I'm sure. It sounds weird as I write it. But it's the most incredible thing to happen in all of history.

God made a way.

God provided the replacement sacrifice for us. We were to pay the price for eternity, but He loved us so much that He said, "No! I will pay the debt!" A debt owed to Him. He paid it. That is crazy-talk to the world.

But just as God provided a ram at the last minute to Abraham so that Isaac could be spared, God provided the perfect, spotless Lamb to be sacrificed... not just because we were sinners in the past, but while we were still sinners!

This is Amazing Grace.

So we celebrate the brutal death of our Savior, because it is that brutal death, by our hands - as though we whipped him, we beat him, we spit upon him, we drove the nails through his hands and feet, we laughed at him and yelled, "If you are God, save yourself!" - that saved us. If not for the Cross, we are doomed. We are destined for eternity in hell, away from God. Darkness, agony, regret, searing pain... forever.

But God...

God, thank you for the Cross. Thank you, thank you, thank you for Jesus. It is in His perfect name I pray. Amen.

History's greatest investment has zero risk and a greater return than any other

Today, my family will receive a sizeable influx of money: tax return, sales bonus, commission check, then my standard by monthly salary. What we do with that blessing from God is different from what the world would do. The world will buy something nice, like a new car, or they'll put it in a strong investment fund with a nice yield. Will I do any different? Well, ultimately no ... but where specifically will the money go?

We are called to give God of our first fruits to simply acknowledge that it all came from Him, so we give 20% of the gross (not net, but gross, because we're giving of the first fruits, not of the after-tax amount) to our church, who is dedicated to sharing the Gospel, going on Mission, helping our community, and making the world a better place for the glory of God. We then find a brother or sister in need, and give a chunk to them. Then, we invest a portion. And with the balance, we may or may not buy something nice. Less nice by worldly standards, but nice nonetheless.

Why? Because we know it all came from Him. And even if we look at this from a secular standpoint, is it not the best approach to put our money (as well as time and talent) into the investment which promises the greatest yield? Of course. Well, that investment is in the Kingdom! Nothing even comes close to God's promised APR. And there is no risk involved in this investment. Our Treasure will, without any doubt, be stored up for us in heaven.

In short, as for me and my family, we will bank on God's promises.

He has the greatest financial and life advice in both history and non history. The Creator knows best... And besides, I've seen the returns personally, right here on Earth.

Lord thank you for your provision, and for making it so clear. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Grace and mercy. What do they mean, really?

Grace and mercy. We use the terms all the time to reflect God's nature and how we should be: graceful and merciful. But what do these words mean? From a Biblical perspective, what are grace and mercy, respectively?

Sidenote: I tend to get them backwards often. In fact as I was writing in my journal this morning I defined them in exactly the opposite way. Then I corrected after thinking about it.

Mercy is defined as not getting something bad that we really should, if Justice were to prevail.

Grace is defined as getting something good that we don't deserve and have not earned.

God extends Grace to us in that we do not deserve, nor have we earned, what we are to receive... the full inheritance of God, equal to that of Jesus, His only begotten son. Woah. And because this is true, we are to extend Grace to others, giving when others have done nothing for us, nor will they likely.

God extends Mercy to us as we continue to sin, choosing not to extend righteous justice when He has full rights and reason to do so.

Think of the thief on the cross, or the man on death row who accepts Jesus into his heart just before his execution, or a lifelong atheist who wakes to the truth... All find grace and mercy... immediately.

Unfair? Well, that's just it. It isn't fair. That's Grace and Mercy for you. It's God's to give... and He did, through sending His only begotten son to pay for the sins that were primarily against Him!

What? Yeah. Wow.

God, You are love, and Jesus is the greatest representation of that. The cross is the greatest proof of that. You are wonderful, and I love You and trust You fully. Thank you for your infinite grace and mercy.

In Jesus name. Amen.

Rescue Mission

I can be a blunt person at times. Some would call it pushy, but I'll stick with "blunt". It's just that I want so much for them to know that, "I get the skepticism. Really I do. I was that highly skeptical person. And I still am a bit." But once I acknowledged that my constant skepticism was, in effect, blocking my willingness to look further into this "faith" concept, things started popping up out of thin air. 

These "things" were there all along, of course, but I had put up impenetrable blinders that had me, well, blind. The terms "dead in my sin" or "asleep" are often used to describe how I was.

And I was just that: asleep ... with that blurred forward vision you get when driving sometimes. You've experienced what I'm talking about. You get zoned out and do not notice what you've passed, the cars around you, the clouds up ahead, and so forth. That's where I was. Of course, when you're in that zone, anything you're not focused on is blurry at best (completely absent more likely), resulting in an incomplete grasp on reality.

And when I look back on my asleep self, I'm painfully aware of the same blindness in people all around me. I want to shake them awake ... and sometimes that bluntness angers people. That's not my intention, of course, but it is the periodic outcome.

But I know, now awake, that these people and really just the former me. They are zombies who don't know they are zombies. Just like I did, they scoff at the mere idea that they might be entirely blind to what is most definitely there. And that scoffing doesn't offend me at all. Rather it makes me ache for them, as though they literally are the old me. I yearn for them to take a break, a small sabbatical from their pride, to consider ... to just take a naked, vulnerable moment to seek the Truth behind the facade.

This is not an easy thing to do, I know. In fact it's an incredibly hard thing to do. We're all pretty sure we're dead right. To stop in our tracks and consider a possibility that we are the one missing something? That takes extraordinary humility. That takes making oneself fully vulnerable for a moment, which the world teaches us from day one to never, ever do. But that humility is what God is actually waiting for.

God is not looking for pride, ego or an "I'm strong on my own" demeanor. In fact, he hates that. What He is looking for is for us to - in His time - empty ourselves of this delusion that we are all that ... so that He can create in us what He initially intended. The perfect, far far better us.

And this makes me seemingly (sometimes actually) blunt, even pushy sometimes. But it's not in the way I used to be when arguing a topic. Back then, it was all about me winning the argument and being right. Now, it's to draw people to Him, to figure it out on their own, simply pointing out the first step with hope of motivating them to take that step.

Lord, I ask for patience and trust in Your timing. I ask that the seeds I cast take root and blossom under Your care. Thank You for allowing me to be a small part of Your Rescue Mission.

In Jesus name. 

Amen.

You keep saying this word ("faith"). I do not think it means what you think it means.

Faith. In the immortal words of the imminent sage, Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

The word faith has been trampled under foot over the last few decades (perhaps far longer) and ultimately redefined in general culture to mean something far different than what God intended.

What most believe the word faith means:

1. Saying you believe while showing little to no signs that you actually do.
2. Believing something fully while most, if not all, evidence points to the contrary. (a.k.a. blind faith, where the word blind is omitted as though it's understood)
3. Your own personal opinion, or whatever you desire to be true (e.g. "Well, I choose to believe this or that.")

Each of these definitions of the word "faith" are wrong ... 100% false. Faith - TRUE faith - means you are committed to and trust fully in something. And you act accordingly, which demonstrates that you really do believe. For example, a person who says they believe a chair will support their weight, but will not sit in that chair with their full weight without some trepidation, or at all, does not actually have faith in the chair, despite what they've said they believe. Equally, someone who says that they need a parachute before jumping out of a plane at 18,000 feet, but jumps out of the plane without said parachute, does not have faith that the parachute is paramount to their survival.

And a person who says they have faith in Christ (that they are a Christian, or a Catholic, or a Baptist, or a follower of Christ, etc.) and that He is in full control and that His ways are best, but does not seek to understand His Word and then act upon it, trusting in it fully, committing to it ... does NOT have true faith. Not by an infinitely long shot.

Faith results in works. To be clear, works do nothing on their own. Nada. Filthy rags. But, equally, faith without works (per James) is dead. A so-called faith without works is simply not the faith God is talking about in scripture. It's an illusion that the enemy is thrilled that you're fooled by. And that illusion is very, very dangerous. It's the kind of illusion that ends with the words, "I never knew you", directed toward you on the final day. I know this is harsh truth, but it's critical.

Wearing a Harvard sweatshirt and saying you went there, when you were never received an acceptance letter, never went to classes there, never lived in the dorms, never passed your classes, never walked the stage and accepted your diploma ... means nothing more than you are a liar, perhaps mostly to yourself. It only means that you claim something that is an outright untruth about you.

This concept is one of the main misunderstandings between Catholics and Protestants. Catholics complain that Protestants believe that all you must do is say a little sinner's prayer (repeat after me) and then all's well. No change in life necessary after that. Conversely, Protestants complain that Catholics are hyper-focused on the law, on works, but are missing the main point in that they do works in some vain attempt to earn points with God. 

Truth is, both sides of this argument are correct in some sense, about some within the population.

• Many self-labeled Protestants actually do believe that all it takes is some heartfelt prayer stated at the height of emotion in order to be saved, and that no further repentance or action is needed. "Return to your previous life with full assurance." This is equally dead wrong on a fundamental level: If you find yourself to be uncompelled to do things God's way in full faith commitment and total trust in Him, you may not really be saved! Again, you may be shocked when Jesus says, "I never knew you either!" on judgement day. This should terrify you!

• And there are many self-labeled Catholics who are following the rules pretty darn well, but aren't doing it because they trust in Jesus, having a personal relationship with Him. This might be because they were taught the truth incorrectly, or they simply weren't listening very well ... OR they simply can't believe that they are saved by grace through faith ... and still believe that they must continue to strive on their own, on TOP OF what Christ did. 

The unfortunate end result is a boat load of so-called Catholics and Protestants who are not saved. Not by a long shot. Faith is a commitment ... not a feeling nor an accumulation of works. And it's by that commitment and trust ... and subsequent action based upon that belief and thankful appreciation that we are saved. Saved, in short, through an "active faith" - one that is alive, not dead.

So, if you are working hard to earn grace, but have not given your full heart, soul and mind to Him, I urge you to do so as quickly as possible. You have - up until now - misunderstood faith and may not be saved. He has been waiting patiently for you to get it.

And if you continue to float in your own world of preferences and actions, saying you have faith and are a Christian, you are likely not saved either, because your faith is not true. You need to get your heart right with Him through full surrender to Jesus, making him LORD (owner and controller) of your life. Then, and only then, will the fruits begin to surface in your life.

Father, let me be a medium of your truth to the world. Let YOUR thoughts, YOUR desires, YOUR attitudes flow through me without soiling it with my flawed thinking. More of you, less of me. Please, I beg you Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

What if I said YOU were causing the issues you complain about in your marriage? I'm serious.

Don't let Hollywood blockbusters fool you ...
marriage is hard. 

Don't get me wrong - it's also a wonderful blessing and a gift from God, but it doesn't become a true blessing without self-sacrifice, selflessness, humility and a consistent providing of unconditional love and respect for one another.

We like things the way we like them, but marriage forces our selfish selves to consider the other - not equally, but above ourselves. Whoa - crazy talk. And if both do this ... actually DO this ... real magic can happen. The Hollywood moments you long for actually occur. All is well when we do our respective part ... our job in the marriage.

But then we get lazy. All the things that made us fall madly in love and respect the other in the early years ... well, we stop doing them. We shift back into our little ego-centric comfort zones, and we wonder why the marriage is in the trough. We think, "He/she has changed." But that's not it at all.

What happened is, we stopped "feeding the machine".

It takes real effort - intentionality - to feed the marriage machine. And that is hard. We have to fight against our bent for comfort and having it our way. This seems counterintuitive to achieving happiness, but that's how it works, per Scripture.

Let's pick on the dudes to begin: "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church." This means, humble yourself, think of her BEFORE yourself, be loving to her in the ways she needs love ... and provide that love irrespective of reciprocity. That's right: do it regardless of her response or doing her part. This is where faith in God's promises kicks in - do it without expectation of her, but in full expectation that God always keeps His promises. Unconditional, sacrificial, selfless love unto death, if need be. That's what Christ did for the church, so that's what you and I do. Period.

And then the magic happens, as promised. She - feeling fully loved - looks at you (her Knight) with those eyes (oh those eyes) ... with awe and respect. Gorgeous.

"My husband could literally lasso the moon .... I know it.

He could do anything he put his mind to - he's just that incredible."

Yeah. How's that feel, husband? Amazing, right? And that feeling you now have then fuels you to step up your game in the love department, doesn't it? You can't help but start showering her with all her special love language until she's utterly overwhelmed. She's floating - looking at you like she used to. Looking at you like you are the greatest man to ever walk the Earth.

And you feel it, don't you? Imagine the intimacy that follows. Could it get any better? Well, yes it can. Just watch what God will do with your obedience despite your fear - your faith in His promises.

But you must continue to fuel the engine. Never stop. Never stop courting her.

"Remember the wife of your youth." 

You remember - you couldn't stop thinking about one another. You couldn't get enough. Treat her like the delicate, precious flower that she is, and she will bloom ... responding by fulfilling all of YOUR desires - emotionally, intellectually, spiritually ... physically. Count on it.

So, what's the hold up? What are you waiting for? Oh - you don't feel respected by her currently so your plan is to hold back the love she needs until she respects you? Wake up! Listen to yourself! That's ridiculous and insane - worldly thinking! You're saying, in effect, that you'll "put gas and oil in the car once it takes you to work this month ... THEN and only THEN will you give the car what it needs!" Pure silly. First the fuel, then the beauty. That's how it works.

So step up! Step out of the crazy cycle and into the energizing love cycle. This takes only ONE THING: to trust in the Lord's promises. Question is, do you really trust Him? Well then, obey ... and then see it all unfold over time. But be patient - it will happen in His time, not yours.

God, snap me back into it. I've failed so miserably at loving my wife fully and consistently and intentionally. She not only deserves my full court press love, I am actually hurting myself by neglecting to provide that love! Help me, Lord. I'm pitiful and unable to do this without Your help. I continue to prove that.

In Jesus name. Amen.

NOTE TO WIVES: Reverse the above message for the wifey-folk. Try respecting him regardless of your feeling of "respect" for him. Do this over an extended time and tell me that it doesn't result in loving action surfacing in him. I dare you. I triple dare you. Don't fall for the worldly wisdom that "he must earn your respect". Men need, crave, desire respect, from everyone, especially from his wife. Unconditional respect ... just as much as you need love ... unconditionally ... even when you're being completely "unlovable". Respect him mostly because God commands you to submit to and respect your husband. God knows how the formula works: first, respect him ... which will result in him feeling respected ... which gets his undivided attention ... which results in a desire to pay back the favor with love you need. Like magic ... except it's not. It's just how God designed it to be.

Miracles are real. Believe it.

Coincidence is God's Way

of Remaining Anonymous. 

-- Albert Einstein

We live in a skeptical age where we want to excuse away everything as coincidence. And we should when it is just a natural occurrence. But when something is simply unexplainable or too coincidental to be a coincidence, we need to drop the irrational skepticism and embrace the miracle.

My friend, Chris, just brought one to me. In his past, he's struggled with alcohol abuse. So has his wife. In fact, though he is past his issues (2+ years sober), his wife has been struggling, and it's impacting her job, their marriage and their son. Chris has been praying hard. I've been praying for them, too. Many, actually, have been praying for them. And, if you don't know it already, I'll tell you that prayer absolutely works.

An absolute miracle occurred. A few weeks ago, their son came up to his mom, touched her stomach and said, "There's a baby in there!". After a chuckle, they explained to him that this was not true but hugged him and smiled a the thought. They'd had serious trouble with having kids AND she was on birth control out of a fear of going through what they went through with him.

But this weekend, Chris' wife came to him to let him know that she took a test, then went to the doctor, and she was pregnant! Until this weekend, because of the drinking, she had not been herself at all. Chris was a the end of his rope and was contemplating what to do next with their marriage. But this weekend, she was back to her old self. No drinking, no fights, no erratic behavior ... just Mom and wife, back again.

Chris was glowing with happiness as he told us this just this morning, just a few hours ago. Interesting thing is, the sermon at Chris' church was about being at the end of your rope, thinking things were hopeless and could not get better. But God, being the miracle worker that he is, is able to do the "impossible". And I, just before he came over, was reading about this very same thing in my Bible for Men. Here's what I read:

Men like to fix things. If there's a problem, there must be a solution, and most men will work long and hard to try and figure something out. It's an admirable work ethic, but it an lead to the faulty assumption that we control the world around us. Miracles supercede the laws of nature and are God's way of reminding us that this is HIS world, not ours. Do you hear that? This is God's world, and he is in control. God can fix anything, anywhere, anytime, and He loves to intervene  in supernatural ways to answer our prayers. So, next time you're in trouble and can't see your way out - turn to God for help. He is waiting for you to simply ask.

Lord, you amaze me every day. Miracles are happening all around me, and I would notice them if I simply stopped and looked around. And I know that you will perform miracles ... step into time and space and do supernatural things ... if I just drop my need to control and ask humbly. You are good God. And I am thankful for your long-suffering patience with me and my residual skepticism.

Continue to sculpt me, God, into the wonderful, Christ-like image you have planned for me. I love you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen and Amen.

Time machines and a woman's choice

I met yesterday morning with a man named Ruben. I've been mentoring his son, but I don't know Ruben that well. He seems like a great guy and has obviously raised a great young man, so that says something about him for sure. Ruben and his wife got pregnant in their mid-teens, in High School back in California and (1) decided to keep the baby and (2) made it work and stuck together.  Exemplary, and extremely mature for two kids in high school. Very inspiring. I can imagine the pressure that was put on them to abort their son and to not get married. I can hear the worldly voices now:

"You are too young!" and "You're throwing your life away!"

To fight against those forceful, societal voices at the ages of 15 and 16 ... amazing. And I can't imagine a world without a man like Ruben's son. I'm so proud of him. And I know Ruben must look back and thank God for the choices he and his wife made.

I wonder if anyone looks back with regret on a decision to keep a child. I just can't picture that. However, to abort and feel regret, to feel shame and remorse, I can fully imagine that. And I'm compassionate toward those who have made that decision, and she'll that regret. But we actually HAD that hindsight, I imagine, it would really be no choice at all.

Imagine this: We have figured out a way to travel forward in time, and we have made it a requirement for a woman considering abortion to flash forward and spend an hour EACH with the five-year-old, the fifteen-year-old, the 25 year-old, AND the 35 year old version of their to-be child before making the decision.

Imagine that for a moment. No one - unless they were pure evil, would still choose abortion after those interactions. And if they still did chose abortion, aren't laws in place to protect our society from such people? Isn't that the very definition of the term sociopath?

But this is not the perspective of mothers today who choose abortion. They're not thinking in terms of the to-be person they are choosing the snuff out.

Imagine further that, in that flashforward meeting, the to-be mother had to explain to their to-be child why she must abort her. Just  imagine how that extremely awkward conversation would go.

"So, I can't live because you're not ready? You were certainly ready to have sex, though, but not to allow me live after making that decision? You do know how babies are made, don't you?"

"So I'm inconvenient? You're too poor? It's your body? What? This doesn't look like your body, mom. This looks like MY body to me."

Mom. Yeah, that's right.

Could you really imagine the 25 or 35 year old saying, "Yes mom, I completely understand why you need to erase me from existence after you decided to have sex which resulted in my existence. You chose to have sex, which can and usually does result in pregnancy (AKA to 'be with child'), but I respect that after you already chose that, it's still your choice, since my body apparently is your body somehow."

Imagine a choice to kill her going well in any scenario. You can't.

More likely, she would say, "I know you were poor and I was potentially destined for a very hard life. But you didn't even give me the chance. Instead of a hard life, you chose no life for me."

God, wake this country. Show them the monstrous act that is abortion in it's real terms so we can change our laws to reflect sanity. We are so very lost. Please Lord, I ask this humbly in Jesus name. Amen

The sophomoric childishness is disconcerting

I've seen such sophomoric behavior from those who are upset about our current President. I must admit, I don't understand the level of outrage. Perhaps I'm not watching the right "news sources" who are stirring the pot. I know that he said certain off-color and/or suspect things during the election cycle (some indefensible, others completely taken out of context), but he's done nothing. Nothing. Every reaction is a dramatic over-rotation, coupled with a, "See! See! He's horrible!"

But the outrage doesn't seem to match the reality. So far, he's signed an Executive Order to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest provider of abortion. I'm for that redirection of funds. He's assigned a conservative Supreme Court Justice. No surprises there. Most recently, he signed an Executive Order temporarily halting travel to/from 7 nations known for extreme terrorism. This has been spun hyper-rapidly into "xenophobia" and "islamophobia". To be clear, I have compassion for good folks who are in flux because of the temporary halt to travel, but there seems to be constant over-rotation, even pre-emptive outrage in response to everything, with expectation that he will do something horrible, even though he hasn't done a thing quite yet.

It's silly. I can't describe it any better than that. It seems like a group of spoiled brat students who are "up in arms" against a substitute teacher who is assumed to be horrible based on stories they've heard, even things he may have said in the past, but is just doing his job at this point. These 7th grade students are rolling their eyes and crossing their arms and making snide, disrespectful comments at literally everything it seems. But the teacher is just teaching so far. And they are outraged with a knee jerk, hair trigger: "He assigned us homework! I told you he was the next Hitler! See!?"

See what? To which they respond, "You're an alt-right bigot for even asking!"

And it's to the point of bullying and violence by these childish students who believe it's their right to have temper tantrums that impact normal, good citizens. They believe that looting, burning cars, and pepper spraying anyone who disagrees with them is fully justified. This is "bullying" defined.

And the "popular" kids have joined in: the actors and music artists, and others of left-leaning, high-profile influence on society. They're dog-piling on with constant vitriol-ridden speeches at awards shows, "comedy pieces" and parodies, making fun of our new leader. Hey, I'm all for good humor... ask anyone who knows me. But no one made fun of Obama like this ... not even 1% as much. Not that there wasn't significant comedy gold awaiting, but it was not okay with the bullies to do that. And that's what they are - bullies. "You don't agree with our world view? We'll bully you into silence. We'll laugh at you, scorn you, point at you with our bully friends and cackle."

It's pitiful. It's childish. And it's disconcerting that this is where we have landed as a people. Completely polarized and calling the other side the devil. What happened to respect for one another? Respect for those voted fairly into positions of authority? How about some basic good manners? Politeness and mature discourse? It seems to have vanished.

We are left with one side hopeful that at least some of their worldview might be recaptured, and the other side acting a fool, giving no credit to our leader even if he does something good. Just watch. He will do many good things over the next 6 months. But those things will not be acknowledged. The other side is simply too convinced that he is something their minds have dreamt up ... which is really a poorly drawn stereotype - a caricature - of who they fear he might be. No waiting to see if it's, in fact, true. Just a preemptive assumption and eruption for what he "will do".

As a Christian, I know I'm to be still and know that God has this. But it's hard. Seeing pure ignorance and bullying prevail... even lifted up as right and good... is disheartening. I pray that God put a stop to it. Or, even better, let it continue because it's part of a plan I don't yet understand. Because if it's His plan, it is good. And I'm 100% good with that.

I do trust you Lord. Thank you for being a promise keeper. Give me patience and compassion and forgiveness and discernment and love. In Jesus name. Amen.

Community ... it's EPIC2 ...

Community. 

The word community comes from the same root as communication. Without community, there is no communication. And without communication, we grow more and more distant from each other, not understanding or even caring to understand one another’s experience, perspectives … and subsequent fears, worries, doubts. 

I was blessed this week to hear from five individuals who each spoke from a new perspective that I’ve personally never been exposed to. And it was eye-opening. 

• I heard from an African American man who spoke on the topic of Execution in terms of how we inter-relate with people, seek to understand them, and start to make change for the better. 
• I heard about Passion, which is a choice we make to be or not to be. Am I pretending (to be a Christian, for instance)? Or am I truly passionate? One must center themselves on that which they are truly passionate, sometime at the risk of “missing out” on less important things vis-à-vis one's passion. Sometimes it means forsaking all other wants to achieve the goal about which one is passionate. 
• I heard about Integrity – doing what is morally right in all circumstances – and how messy it may get … and that’s okay. During that talk, I heard a perspective from a lesbian woman that I’d never really considered. That perspective gives me more compassion. And compassion must precede drawing someone to Christ. 
• I heard about finding the undiscovered need of our Customers, and it inspired me to gather with some of my team afterward to suggest a radical idea I’d like to try which will feed into a common need of all CIOs, and result in far larger, more valuable engagements and end states for our customers. 
• I heard about Community from the father of Malala, a woman in Pakistan who works feverishly for women’s rights in the middle east, focused on education, which they do not generally receive. 

My company calls this EPIC2 … Execution, Passion, Integrity, Customers, Community. And this aligns very nicely with my faith. It doesn’t cover the entirety of my faith by any stretch, and it certainly neglects the most important thing: faith in Christ. But it was an outstanding reminder to act (Execution) on what I know, and to continually hone what I know through continued study of scripture, and constant learning about others’ experiences. It was a reminder to make the main thing the main thing (Passion), sacrificing many if not all of my other wants for what is most important – glorifying God. Taking up my cross daily and loving my God with all my heart, soul, strength and loving my neighbor well, as I’d want to be loved and understood. It was a reminder to always do what’s right, acting with love and compassion without avoiding truth (integrity), even if that gets messy or uncomfortable or unpopular. And it was a reminder that we are called to community, so that we can lean on one another, empathize with one another, have compassion for one another and, ultimately, point everyone to the saving grace of Jesus who is the center of it all. 

Such an encouraging and energizing night it was. I’m thankful to you Father, that you use people who may not even be your sons and daughters (yet), to communicates your truth and wisdom. You are good, and I love you and trust you. 

It’s in Jesus’ name that I pray. Amen.

What is human life? There are many thoughts on this...

Life. What is human life? There are many thoughts on this, from philosophical to biological to theological. Hitler thought biologically and philosophical. As did Stalin, Pol Pot, and other infamous characters in history. Slave owners thought in this way, too ... as do child and woman sex traffickers and organ harvesters.

As a Christian, all the above is pure evil. But here's the thing: What should we expect when God's view is removed from, or ridiculed in, a society? What is the eventual, natural byproduct?

It doesn't happen fast. It's oh-so-gradual. And that is how scripture describes the enemy - as a predatory cat, not pouncing fast and immediately, but slowly and methodically.

Calculating, cunning, devious.

How did we get to "My body, my choice"? Not immediately. If someone said this in the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties... people would have looked at them as though they'd lost their mind. "My body? Your husband owns your body and you own his!", would be the common response. Can a woman prostitute herself? No, that's illegal. Immoral. Can she commit suicide? Again no. Illegal and immoral.

Let's think about the statement. "My" is the dominant, forceful word in the statement. It's egocentric, selfish, partially if not completely blind to others. Little consideration for the non-self.

And let's further analyze "My body my choice!" Who's body? Your body is not the one who will be killed if you choose the wrong way. Your body is involved, oh yes, but it's not going to be mortally impacted. Science shows clearly that at conception there is a net new human being, living. And that human, like all humans, is made in God's image. Bearing His likeness.

Finally, where 'my body, my choice' really applies is before sexual intercourse. At that point, I can completely agree. But all choices have consequences... always. You cannot then choose to eliminate the consequence. You cannot kill another human being (your own child for God sake!) to cover up the choice that's been made.

And, by the way, it's never a mistake, not to God. Even in the event of rape or incest. While those acts are horribly wrong, the life that has subsequently been created is never ever wrong.

So, how will we be remembered as a society? An "enlightened and Progressive society dedicated to women's rights"? Or a "selfish, evil society of killers of the most vulnerable and innocent of us all"?

God help us.

Lord, wake this country up. I know you will. In Jesus name, Amen.

My take on the incoming President (for what it's worth)

The Donald. Yes, he is your President, too.

The Donald. Is our President. The Donald. If you'd told me this was to be the case 10 years ago, I would have chuckled a little, then said, "Okay ... anyway ...". The Donald. Hmm.

So, what are my thoughts? First, I don't know that it matters what my (our your) thoughts are at this point. He's our President. Period. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto God that which is God's (sorry to get all King James on you). He is our nation's leader now and, like every President in our history, there is a large swath of the populace that did not vote for him or want him. But we must acknowledge that he IS our President, and give him some respect and our support: encouraging him, praying for him, and sending letters to him and other leaders and/or speaking up when appropriate and necessary. But we must support all of our leaders - nothing good comes from working against them, and even less comes from sophomoric endless complaining.

So, what do I think?

• He was far from my first choice. I liked Ben Carson. Still do. If he runs in the future, he has my vote.
• He is narcissistic. He thinks he's a pretty big deal, in a bigly way. This is not unlike the President who just vacated by the way, if we're honest, although he was a master at feigning humility. Trump wears it, front and center.
• He is a horrible public speaker with what seems like a limited and not incredibly creative vocabulary. His use of hand gestures during speeches is distracting at best.
• His hair. Oh my.
• He's pretty darn clueless regarding race. Yet, so am I (but I'm learning). Note, I said "clueless", not "intentionally hateful". Ignorance is not good, but it's not evil either.

But I don't think that's all there is to him. Here are some more of my thoughts:

• Most importantly, I am hopeful that he really is a "baby Christian" as the likes of ben Carson, Franklin Graham, and others I truly admire seem to believe. I've not met President Trump, but they have ... so I can only go off of what he's said in speeches and what the talking heads have to say. His past is riddled with ridiculous statements, comments that sound pretty racist and sexist, and so on. There's no defending him there. But becoming a Christian (if in fact He did sincerely become one) means two things: (a) He's a new creation spiritually, and will change given time, and (b) he still has the rough edges that will be chipped off and smoothed down over time. Again, it is my hope that he really is a baby Christian.
• He has a bit of the Ross Perot effect, in that I think he has the potential to cut out the fat and make the US run more efficiently, especially in the business sector. So much waste and so many opportunities to improve. Despite his bankruptcy, etc., he DOES know business and he is a shrewd negotiator.
• He has a wonderful community of advisors surrounding him, in general. Some are questionable, granted, but just the spiritual advisors that he's chosen? If he leverages them often and truly listens and grows through those interactions ... he will be a different, more compassionate and loving man. No doubt.
• Half of America wanted him. They can't all be racists. In fact, I'm betting there's only a small whack-job percentage that really is truly racist and see him as their White Power President. Looking down upon people is a sin, in and of itself. And assuming they are stupid, or hateful, or whatever, is condescending and arrogant. They are American, too, whether you agree with them or not. And they've spoken. The election is over.

My greatest hope is that he is now a Christian. Eventually, that will mean he loves and cares for everyone: Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Atheists, etc. Blacks, whites, latinos and asians, etc. Conservatives, liberals, right-wingers and left-wingers. For the short term, I expect more stumbles - no doubt. Count on it. But medium term, I have HOPE. Because God makes all things good. Do you hear that? All things.

Have hope with me.

Much love,

Greg (just one American)