I Struggle With What To Say

I struggle with what to say. Generally, I have a lot to say. Just ask me. Or maybe stay quiet. I’ll fill the silence with an observation or a question.

But, at this time in our country—following the heinous murder of George Floyd—with protests continuing everywhere you look, I struggle with what to say.

Without question I condemn racism and police violence. I agree, Black lives matter.

Yet, what I do question is why. Why after hundreds of years in this so-called “Christian nation” do we struggle so much with prejudice, discrimination, racism, and violence? Why is it that we can not always trust those sworn to protect and serve to keep from doing the opposite? Why haven’t things gotten better despite the life-sacrificing efforts of so many good folks?

As a pastor I see sin. Anger and its malevolent motivator, contempt. Hate kindled by some unseen unforgiveness. Fear that is blind to reason, hard-hearted and graceless. And pride. Pride, of course, is the root of it all. Foolish, judging, selfish, arrogant pride. I see a heart problem.

And, I wish I could fix it. Get folks to sit down together, share a meal, tell stories, and get to know one another. Get folks to set aside their prejudice and fear to give grace and hope a chance. Get folks to truly live the noblest values of the religion they subscribe to. Get folks to love one another. 

Life is better when you love one another. No matter the other. 

I struggle with what to say. 

But I’ll keep loving. I’ll keep serving. I’ll keep praying. I’ll keep preaching. I’ll keep kindly asking others to do the same. And, maybe, just maybe we’ll see a genuine change in loving one another.

Many

Can you count the grains of sand on those adorable baby feet? Could you count the grains of sand on a beach? On all the beaches? In all the deserts? On our entire planet?

No.

The first question—the baby’s feet—would be more than most of us would have patience for. And, frankly, why would you even bother? Those chubby footsies help us make the point that there is a lot of sand on Earth. Scientists estimate that 65 million square miles of our planet is covered by sand—and that’s just surface area. 

The word “many” in the following scripture might make you think of sand.

“And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”

— Romans 5:16, ESV

The “free gift” mentioned is eternal salvation. By grace you are saved through faith. God offers the free gift of salvation to all who confess their faith in His son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior.

People need God’s free gift because of our “many trespasses"—The Understatement of the Ages. Trespasses is another way to say “sins.” This scripture is contrasting God's one free gift with all human sin of all time. Humans beings are sin machines. We can not help but to break God’s law. We naturally do things our own way. Seven billion people inhabit our planet now. An estimated 108,000,000,0000— one hundred and eight billion!—have called Earth home throughout its existence.

The understated "many” doesn’t come close when counting all those sins. The actual number of all human sins of all times might be better described as countless or innumerable.

Yet no matter how many people, no matter how many sins, God offers salvation to ALL who ask.

How many times will we be awed by His free gift?

How many times will we be humbled by His infinite grace?

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior or would like to know more, then click here or contact me. And please share this post, comment, and subscribe.

But If Not

Jesus is on the offensive. Not mean-spirited, but mercifully. He’s warning: judgment is coming; be ready.

Through Luke 12 and into chapter 13 with one answer or parable after another he is extending mercy to his original hearers and to us today. 

Listen in as Jesus tells a parable, an earthly story with a heavenly message, in Luke 13:6-9.

“A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil? ’"

“But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Don’t be too quick to see harsh judgment here. Don’t miss the merciful hope.

God is the owner. He says, they’ve had enough time to grow & do what they should do. 

Jesus is the worker. He asks mercy for one more season. He pledges special attention. He offers hope before final judgment. An opportunity to produce fruit.

We are the tree. We have God’s standard as revealed in the Bible. We welcome Jesus’ mercy and assistance to bear the fruit of righteousness.  

Don’t miss that penultimate phrase, however.  

“But if not…”

If we don’t humble ourselves, don’t obey God’s Word, don’t follow Jesus’ lead, don’t respond to his mercy, then we will be cut down, judged by God.

Those three words—“but if not”—in this context of mercy extended before judgment befalls, lead me to a simple question: What causes your “if not”?

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A Clean Mouth

I’m sitting at my desk this morning. Other than having too little sleep, I just don’t feel right. Then it dawns on me, “You didn’t brush your teeth after breakfast.” Dental hygiene is a priority.

Thursday mornings are tighter than most. Up at 5:15. Brushed my teeth then. Dental hygiene is a priority. Prayer meeting at 6:00am. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Home by 7:15. Getting kids ready for school. Grab a bite. Cup of coffee. Pack my lunch. Off by 7:50. Drop the kids at school. Office by 8:15.

So, I’m sitting here a little foggy headed around 9 going, “What else is wrong with me this morning?” Please, refrain from adding your comments. And then, as I said, I realized I needed to brush my teeth. Dental hygiene is a priority.

What’d I do? Brushed my teeth, of course. Yes, I’ve got a spare toothbrush & toothpaste at work. Top right desk drawer. Because, as you know, dental hygiene is a priority.

Sure enough, once my mouth was clean, my whole body felt better. A little better anyhow. Goes to show you that dental hygiene is a priority.

Maybe there is an axiom here: A clean mouth makes you feel better.

My dentist didn’t pay me to write this. But maybe I’ll forward it to him so he can be proud. And I didn’t write this to convince you that dental hygiene is... you know. I wrote as reminder to me, and to you.

A clean mouth—clean of selfish, prideful, angry, judgmental, gossiping, divisive, wicked, or any unwholesome words—makes you feel better. 

A clean mouth makes others feel better too.

Keep your mouth free from perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.—Proverbs 4:24 NIV

One or the Other

There are two types of people in the world. You are One or the Other.

• Those without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ are One;
• Those with a saving relationship with Jesus Christ are the Other.

Ephesians 2:1-10, written to those already following Christ, contrasts One and the Other. 

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Verse 4, with the word “But”, is the hinge between: before & after; without & with; lost & found; drowning & rescued; death & life; natural & supernatural; One & the Other.

On your own you are One

• dead to God (verses 1 & 5)
• drowning in the world (verse 2)
• living my way (verse 3)

With God you are the Other

• no longer dead to God, but alive with Christ (verse 5)
• no longer drowning in the world, but rescued by grace (verse 5)
• no longer living my way, but living God’s way (verses 6-7)

“Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again,” states 2 Corinthians 5:15. You get new life.

God wants to change your life. He offers you true, eternal life. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins. You just have to commit your life to follow him.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be called children of God,” encourages John 1:12. You can become God’s child right now.

Consider the amazing transformation God offers:

• righteousness instead of guilt
• honor above shame
• power opposed to fear
• purity rather than defilement
• meaning versus emptiness
• community in place of alienation.

Your life may be defined by One OR it can be transformed into the Other.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” assures Romans 10:9. You can be rescued right away.

If you have never committed your life to follow Jesus, then you can pray a simply like this:

God, I know I have broken your law. I humbly ask that you forgive my sins. I commit my life to follow Jesus forever. Amen.

If you did, then let someone know—me or a committed Christ follower you trust—and start your new life of following Jesus without delay. You are no longer the lost One. You have become the found Other.

If you previously have committed your life to Christ but have returned to old ways, then you can turn back to Christ in repentance today. You return like you came, by grace, as Ephesians 2:5&8 teaches. You are created to serve (Ephesians 2:10) as determined by Sovereign God.

One or the Other? Following my way or following Jesus. Serving self or serving God. Which will you be?

Note: This is my Gospel invitation shared at the conclusion of each 2013 performance of This Day of Resurrection.