Get Up - Go Out - Be a Blessing!

I heard somewhere that we have to make a decision that our life is going to count.  But that it's also okay to be a regular person.

What do we need to experience to pick up the Cross?

Satan - Team Player

I've had difficulty writing this article, lest we forget the truth behind it and who doesn't want this truth known. I found everything else to do rather than sit down and address Satan, and yet I had made notes to write this some time ago. In my mind I heard all the reasons why I should not write about this evil one.

No one cares.
You'll be wasting time.
No one reads this blog.

Satan is an accuser and a deceiver.

That's not to say I rebuke him, as only Scripture has that power, and we shouldn't ever attempt to outwit, out play or out last Satan. Without solid foundation in Christ, we're simply easy prey.

Our current culture has elevated Satan to the A-List. He's got carte blanche into every affair, whether that's in Hollywood, the governments, or on Main Street. Carte blanche means he has full powers, delegation (law) and a blank check to do evil. There was a time, not so long ago, most Americans believed in Satan, and his hell. People were not as willing to error in the direction of everlasting suffering. Fear of hell and damnation was preached at the pulpit. Nowadays, churches often don't mention Satan or hell, or the damming of souls for eternity. Those subjects are just not popular with the masses, and today's modern churches have got to get revenue into the pews, even if those souls are not being saved from the manipulations of Satan. Divorce, addiction, pornography, sexual perversions are increasing in the Christian church. The church fails us if it does not tell the truth about Satan and his business of suffering.

He's also good looking.

Satan moves freely in our world in several ways. The easiest is most people in modern America don't believe in Satan. Wikipedia claims, "For most Christians, he is believed to be an angel who rebelled against God—" You see, Satan is free to work in the world because the world has made him the accuser of "only Christians," and no one else. Or, they've made him less demonic, more of a fairytale. Wikipedia also states: "The popularly held beliefs are Satan was once a prideful angel who eventually rebels against God, however, are barely portrayed explicitly in the Bible and are mostly based on inference."


This is not the devil:

Everyone uses Wikipedia for quick reference, right? Do they dig further for the truth? Often our references are no more than our friends or radio personalities. People just don't do the work to get to the truth, rather let others make decisions that will last them for eternity. Satan loves Wikipedia and talk radio.

Jesus Christ had a personal encounter with the devil and that encounter isn't an inference (assumed premises) in the Bible, but a reality, but you won't hear about this in popular culture.

Satan is often sited as a myth. If popular belief is Satan does not exist, then he's free to do as he pleases without opposition. Things could never be better for him. Satan will continue the fraud. He's technologically savvy and can use anything we can use, and more, to spread his lies.

• People have stopped believing in Satan because he is a deceiver. He's convinced the modern masses that he doesn't exist by using many methods, not just radio and Internet. Science has disproved his existence (along with God's), and these atheists (armed with degrees) use their platforms to spread deceptions. Education does not mean wisdom.
• Satan imitates God. His desire is to be God. Some of his work is to counterfeit righteousness and religions. There are many world religions that are spear-headed by Satan, and carried out by well-meaning members that haven't a clue they're following Satan.
• Any one who does not believe Jesus Christ is the Way The Truth and The Light, or in Satan's existence are within the grasp of Satan's Kingdom. Those who scoff at the idea of Satan, work for him, even in ignorance.

We should not forget the Christians even today who are persecuted all over the world for believing this Truth. Nor the apostles who died a martyrs death for Truth. People are afraid. Satan wants you to be afraid. He does not want you to stand up to Truth. He will continue to whisper in your ear that to be tolerant you must not believe in the words of Jesus Christ.

"There are two kinds of people. Believers who build their faith on the words of Christ, and those who do not." Luke 6:46-49

Heaven Sent - The death of a daughter

Just a little over a week ago, my niece, passed away and joined the Lord's Kingdom in Heaven. She was just 27. Before I talk a little about heaven, let's talk a bit about death. God knows what we're experiencing when we lose a loved one. He says, "There is no pleasure in death," (Ezk 18:32), but he also promises the Lord is near in the valley of death, and we pass from death into life (1 John 3:14).

Her passing has me wondering more about heaven than usual and how we get there.

We're promised we're not alone at the time of death. Each of us has a guardian angel. Angels deliver us at our deaths into the presence of God. Angles also deliver messages to God, and we're assured God doesn't need Twitter to keep abreast of all the goings on down here!

Jesus is omniscient and knows with certainty the coming deaths, and the suffering the families experience. Some might lose hope and have doubts about our loved one's salvation, but remember this thinking is a tool of the devil's, to fill our minds with lies. A Christian will go to heaven even if their sin leads to their death. No one is saved because of what he or she does in this life. A person is saved when he or she trusts in Jesus Christ, as my niece did. Amen.

When trying to find any comfort, we can know for certain that our loved ones who are in Christ, and go ahead, are not suddenly out of our lives. Hebrews 12:1 talks about running the race as we are observed by believers in heaven. They can't see everything in our lives, but God allows them to share in our joys, victories and anything that glorifies God. People in heaven do not see the failures, sins, and defeats of their loved ones on earth, nor do they remember theirs. Everything in heaven is for the glory of God. Heaven is not affected by the fall of man.

But what happens at death? According to Genesis 35:18, the soul and body separate "as the soul is departing...." Angels escort us to heaven (Luke 16:22), and we are immediately entered into the presence of God. "...to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:38). And in heaven? We are spirit beings, with active personality (intellect, emotion, and will), and thus we will still be US.

When we enter heaven, all the tragedies and sorrows and sufferings are permanently erased from our minds. God will wipe away every tear," (Rev. 21:4). Also, we will know many people in heaven. Of course there will be many people we don't know, but we'll make new friends. Heaven is God's throne (Is 66:1). There are clouds in heaven, (Matt 26:64) and Jesus uses them to travel, in fact, that's how he's coming back! (Dn 7:13)

There's joy in heaven (Lk 15:17). Heaven is a country (Heb 11:16) and we have a community in heaven (Phil 3:20) There's hope in heaven (Col 1:5). There's steadfast love in heaven (Psalms 108:4), and there's splendor in heaven (Hab 3:3). I can't think of any place on earth as wonderful as heaven.

I'm so happy my niece is in the presence of the Lord, and that she's with so many people she loved (and who loved her) but went before her. She's not alone at all. We'll see her again, that's God's promise, and when we do we won't remember all the heartache we are suffering now.

We're remembering Brooke with butterflies. Each time we see one, we'll know it's a reminder she's safe, loved and waiting for us.

Our Kingdom Counts

Everyday God expects us to take care of his things, no matter how small or where they happen to reside in his Greater Kingdom. As women, it’s important for us to assess our own personal kingdoms instead of looking outward all of the time.

Everything inside of God’s Kingdom needs to be cared for in the same way that we exert our energies on charities, serving the church or the local soup kitchen. Our personal kingdoms count. What we do for our homes and families is more important than serving the greater good of mankind. God has made it abundantly clear how woman is to serve man and the Lord.

“The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18 (NIV)

He didn’t say we’re to serve mankind.

As modern women, it’s often hard for us to get our minds around God’s plans. Unfortunately, society tells us, and even our own churches, that our time only counts when we’re doing for someone else. That could be a paycheck or volunteering. As women what counts is what’s in our homes, and everything else comes after.

If the laundry is piled high, the dinner dishes are still soaking from last night, the kids want ‘me’ time and our husband is glued to the TV, we might be overlooking what’s right in front of us while looking to glorify some other part of the Kingdom.

In Matthew 27:55 (NIV), we read that “Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.” What could the Lord’s needs be? In human form, perhaps they washed his clothing, fed him nutritious meals, made sure he had a clean bed to rest upon. It doesn’t say they were out doing his work, it says they were caring for him, just as God has asked us to care for our husbands, children and our homes.

Instead of groaning when it’s the day you clean house, try and realize that you’re cleaning God’s house. When the kid’s are getting rambunctious, remember they’re God’s kids, entrusted to you to nurture them. When you notice your husband is spending too much time in front of the T.V. or computer, find out why he’s not spending time with you. Are you meeting his needs so that he can meet yours?

If we are blessed with children, we not only feed and clothe them we spend quality time with them. If we’re married, we keep up our looks for the man we stood before God and promised to love and honor all our lives. Personal care is part of the Kingdom too! Drop those twenty pounds that keep you from feeling sexy in his arms. Add a little lipstick if it brightens your face. Let him know how much he matters to you, and tell him with the right attitude, and not because you want something from him.

As women we matter to God in our tiny kingdoms. We must learn to take care of ourselves and our earthly gifts before we take on bigger challenges, and that starts with just looking around the living room and maybe in a mirror.

New Year--is it time to Diet or Ask WWJD?

The only thing I hate about Christmas is the days after.

Advertisers ply us with every kind of desert, candies, cookies, dinners, wine, and before we can digest what we’ve gorged over the holidays, they start selling us diets and exercise equipment. Every magazine starts preaching from the grocery line, and every morning show has diet books, programs with skinny guests selling skinny books and giving us advice on how we can lose ten, twenty, even fifty pounds by Valentine’s Day. Ninety percent of these messages are geared toward women, though that trend is changing. Men have long been a missing link in guilty advertising.

Christmas might be Jesus’ holiday but the day after is the devil’s. He’ll get in our ears and start whispering how we squandered another year, gained more weight than we ever thought possible, are a total loss, but if we want to look fantastic, buy this, or that, or eat this or that, or do this or that, to the point that we're too overwhelmed do anything. January is not the month to start dieting. It just isn’t. In fact, dieting is not a biblical concept and shouldn’t be started at all. Dieting is shame based. Having a healthy attitude about food should not be in the same sentence as diet. Diet’s fail eventually.

After this past Christmas when my father was admitted into the hospital from complications of his Alzheimer’s, the last thing I thought I’d write about is diet, but the word DIET seems to be everywhere I turn (or pictures of skinny bikini clad celebrities frolicking in Mediterranean or Hawaiian winter locals), so I’d like to take a moment to share some of God’s word about our food intake.

God tells us to get wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 But he also tells us that the beginning of wisdom starts the moment we begin to get wisdom. We can apply wisdom to what we eat. We’re all smart enough to know what isn’t healthy to eat and we don’t have to pay anyone, or read anything, or spend a cent for that advice.

The Bible is full of wisdom on how to live our lives; sadly we don’t think to look there for help about our weight. Diet tips are not there, but life instructions are, and the Bible is clear about foods.

Gen 1:30
To every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so.

It is evident God’s going to provide for the lower creatures of this earth. Animals in the wild are in right relationship with food. They eat when they’re hungry, and stop when they’re full. They don’t think about food when they’re not eating.

Gen 9:30
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. As I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

God doesn’t limit our food selection. If God gives us everything, wouldn’t that include carbohydrates? If anything, this verse reminds us to be thankful for the food, and the selections he avails to us.

Mt 6:25
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

How many of us think of food all the time? How many of us eat what we shouldn’t eat and then shame ourselves silly? How many of us stare dejectedly in the dressing room mirror and berate our bodies, even hate ourselves?

When we think of sin, we never include sin to be self indulgent shame. Thinking this way (negative self talk) is out of the body of Christ, and what God wants for us.

Sin is anything whether in thoughts accounts or attitudes, that does not express or conform the holy character of God—as God expressed his moral law. (English Standard Version 2008)

There is nothing holy about hating ourselves or the food God provides, and it’s empowering to view food in a thankful way, rather than curse our blessings.

God revealed something to me one day while I was scanning skinny bodies in People Magazine. I couldn’t help but feel old and fat in comparison, and sad that men in our culture would view me a such.

God pressed on me: Men are everyday bombarded with images that are not God’s women, and Satan lies to them (as he does to you) that these images are beautiful and desirable. God’s women mature to ripeness. Their hips widen and bellies soften to cushion their lovers. Men prefer the softness rather than bones; this is why I made women to blossom in this way.

He also reminded me of false idols.

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Our only concern is our health and if we’re in the danger zone, we could use Daniel’s resolution to abstain from the indulgence of too many goodies, but live in balance and don’t deny ourselves everything.

John 4:34
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Our “food” is to learn God’s will for our lives. If more time was spent grazing the Bible and not the cabinets, how much healthier we’d all be!

John 6:27
Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.

If we start thinking of food as something from God, we’ll come into a healthier relationship with our meals. Put God before food, too.

Romans 14:20
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.

Don’t cause our brothers and sisters to stumble in their success to live a healthy life. Don’t encourage your sister to have another piece of cake, or your brother another glass of wine. If we know someone is trying to lose weight, support is important—silent support, not grumbling, murmuring or mumbling about it, or ever letting on that we’re being that supportive friend or family member. We should not order a stack of pancakes while our sister eats a salad. Be mindful.

1 Cor 8:8
Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.

Over eating is not going to exclude you from God, or heaven.

1 Tim 6:8
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

We all need to be more grateful. How about a thankful prayer before we shove it in our mouths? How about thanking God for your comfy jeans and warm sweater, even if they’re a size 20.

Mark 7:19
Since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" Thus he declared all foods clean.

Food is expelled. Remember that next time you worry about that hotdog. Let it go.

Heb 13.9
Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

Food is not your friend.

There’s so much guilt over eating. Pigging out is not a sin. It’s not wise, but it’s not a sin, and there shouldn’t be shame associated with food. Try to remember that all the hoopla on TV about weight loss is just advertising. Someone is trying to make money off your shame. Everything we need to live a more healthy life is in God’s Word. Ask God for help. He doesn’t mind.

The Value of Friends

I have lost friends, some by death... others through sheer inability to cross the street.

Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941), The Waves (1931)

According to a new study, scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles are claiming that women live longer than men and now believe that close bonds between women may be part of the reason why. But from the beginning God’s told us about the importance of friendship. We don’t need a study. It’s right in the Bible! The value of friendship is revealed throughout, even stressing the importance of having friends over family in Proverbs 27:10 (Message) “Don’t leave your friends or your parents’ friends and run home to your family when things get rough; better a nearby friend than a distant family.”

The UCLA study doesn’t mention what kind of friends we should have, or how we get them, or how we keep them, just that we need them.

The Bible teaches us to pick our friends wisely. “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26 (NIV)

We make many friends in childhood when we don’t know anything about good character and the same can be said for early adulthood when we’re “forever young” and sometimes running around with the wrong crowd. Later in life, we find friends through our children, befriending their moms and dads and having the kids in common, or we saddle-up with people from work, simply because we’re in the same building 8 hours a day. We meet people in our church groups, sewing circles, book clubs and sport activities. But meeting someone is just the starting line. Will they get into the race and will it last very long?

Will we turn to look at the lineup and wonder how we’ve surrounded ourselves with, wondering if they’ll be treacherous (Psalm 41.9), of God, (Ex. 33:11) or mutual in consideration (Prov. 18:24)?

A recent poll found the average American doesn't have time for friends. Friendship is cultivated, nurtured and far from the depiction we see on television shows like the fabulously famous TV show, Friends, where the lives of six people are woven as tight as yarn on a loom. But there aren’t many tender sacrificial moments shown, only characters who bump and grind their way through a maze of self-centered egos.

Friendship can't be culled in thirty minutes in a coffee shop, or a bar, nor can it be about us, instead it’s a lifetime of nurturing and sacrifice. When was the last time we sacrificed something for a friend? Or when was the last time someone was there for us? When was the last time we took stock of our friends?

In James 4:4 (NIV) warns, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

We might think this is about material things, but this goes deeper. Are we hanging out with a bad crowd thinking it doesn’t matter if they live an ungodly life; after all, we’re doing the right things? Are our friends selfish? Are they needy? Do they bring us more strife than friendship? Even Christian friends can drain us dry.

We have to turn back to the Bible and see what God defines as a friend. In Judges 11:37 (NIV), God clearly states what is expected in a friendship. Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, which unfortunately meant sacrificing his daughter. When he told her this terrible news, she said: “But grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry." What friend do we have who would “roam the hills” for two months to weep with us? We’re lucky to find one to go to dinner with us and really listen to our problems. People want to talk about themselves, and some friends want it to be all about them, and the minute we have a problem, they’re gone.

It seems the older I get the fewer my line of friends. The Lord reminded me that even Jesus lost friends. “But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” Matthew 26:56 (NIV)

Now I think about how God wants me to have life-long friends. Friends for eternity. 1 Samuel 20:42 (NIV) is such a reminder: Jonathan said, "Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God's name, saying, 'God will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!”

In today’s world we can’t imagine having a friend for life, or one that would befriend our sons and daughters and the generations to come. But this is what God wants for us. He doesn’t want us to have willy-nilly friends that have “conditions on the relationship.” If friendship is conditional, it’s not friendship.

In Deuteronomy 23: 4-6 (NIV) God says, “Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live,” making it clear that he doesn’t want us to continue with difficult friendships, hang around with those who aren’t there for us, or cause hurt. Sadly, some friends will betray us, but remember that even while his dear friend, Judas, betrayed him, Jesus was calm and simply told him to do what he’d come for: “While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.” Matthew 47:50 (NIV)

What a beautiful example he left us, that even in the worst of situations with friends, we can be strong and steadfast.

Our first friendship is with God. He wants to be our friend; he wants to lead us into righteousness through his name sake. His friendship is unconditional, loving and for eternity. He can also help us make the right friends if we but ask for help.

I'm Not a Crutch, but Grace

I've come to accept when God says move, I move. Sometimes I don't want to move in the direction he's pushing me, but he pushed me pretty hard after a situation arose last weekend. I'd had a chance to witness to my nephew, and I blew it.

After I prayed about what had happened, and how I wasn't able to articulate what my nephew needed to hear, God showed me a few things in Hebrews. First I'll give His message and then explain the situation I found myself.

"God is a living God."

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:12-13

"Jesus had to die"

Since all of these sons and daughters have flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood to be like them. He did this so that by dying he would destroy the one who had power over death (that is, the devil). In this way he would free those who were slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying... He became like them so that he could serve as a faithful chief priest in God’s presence and make peace with God for their sins. Because Jesus experienced temptation when he suffered, he is able to help others when they are tempted. Hebrews 2:14-18

God's last words to me before I fell asleep, were: "I'm not a crutch but Grace,"

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Woo, this sounds "heavy." It is, and what I'd done, rather not done, has weighed me down like a 500 pound steel yoke! But I see His point about opportunity here and why he's encouraging me to take the step and blog my experience. Satan, on the other hand, is hedging I'll stay stuck in "if only," or "what if," or "could of, would of, should off," or wallow in my short-sightedness, admit defeat and continue to feel miserable. You see, (and I've been dying to use this phrase I came up with) "Satan hedges on the good memory of our old hurts." The old me would have stayed stuck! But I'm confessing what I did, and using it as a wonderful example (to myself) and maybe to others, that there is new life in Christ.

Let's get to the confession part:

I was drinking wine at my father's 81st birthday--and drank too much. Okay, there you have it, I was a guzzling fool. My excuse (we always have one): After months of being dad's primary caregiver (he suffers from stroke-related Alzheimer's disease) I was going let loose and, having on more than one occasion been accused of being a teetotaler since coming to Christ, was going to cut the rug, do the jig, laugh and be happy, and prove to the "fam" that I can still rock and roll.

This is when it gets a bit fuzzy.

About one and half bottles into a Pinot Grigio, my young 20's something nephew decided that now would be a good time to engage me in a conversation about religion. It's no secret that I've converted from eastern religion to Christianity, but this side of the family thinks God is a crutch no matter where he originated, but being Christian is somehow worse than all other religions rolled into one.

My nephew's point was all Christians use God as a crutch (he didn't clarify what my crutch might be, but my love for Christ is a crutch). There's no proof of God and therefore, there is no God, and anyone who believes in God is a fool (I guess I'm the fool, too)! He all but said all Christians are like Homer Simpson's neighbor, Ned Flanders. My nephew elaborated on how we all make our own choices and this dictates our lives.

If my nephew had the vocabulary, he might have quoted, Dan Barker, author of Losing Faith in Faith (Freedom from Religion Foundation 1992), "You are an intelligent human being. Your life is valuable for its own sake. You are not second-class in the universe, deriving meaning and purpose from some other mind. You are not inherently evil -- you are inherently human, possessing the positive rational potential to help make this a world of morality, peace and joy. Trust yourself."

I told him I couldn't debate him if I was drinking, but he didn't take that excuse (and nor should he have).

His key point was we are individually responsible for our own lives, and have no right to impose our beliefs on anyone. We make choices, and that's how it all plays out, anything else is a crutch. He's thinking a relativist view. He doesn't know that yet, but that's what he's doing. It's a Philosophy --that right and wrong are not absolute values, but are personalized according to the individual and his or her circumstances. The crutch part is people who need "a God" don't know how to make their own choices, and are not individually responsible for their own lives.

My nephew's knee-jerk reaction to Christianity probably comes from someone he knew (or someone who knew someone) who was an alcoholic, drug user, or fill-in-an-addictions, when they found the Lord. Life of the party, Bill, became a dull boy, and Bill, without maturity in his new faith, probably tried to convert everyone he knew, in the best way he knew possible, making him a bore as well. Sadly, Bill probably fell off his Biblical wagon and hit the sauce again, proving the nay-sayers point that being saved is a crock. This is an easy argument for non-believers, atheists, agnostics and relativists because it's often true. Jesus finds broken people and he transforms them, but hopefully, as they mature in their faith, their witness won't bore people to tears, and yes, they often backslide back into sin. Temptation is difficult. Ask anyone who tried to quit smoking.

Jesus was transforming people in Judea and telling them to testify to others about their healing. Thus, the healing and sharing the good news, goes hand and hand. Sadly people are more willing to clean up Bill's vomit, than listen to his apostatizing, or support him in his new faith.

My nephew believes Jesus lived thousands of years ago, that he's just a myth, and if he was so great, why did he let someone crucify him?

As God pointed out to me, He's a living God. The way we learn this is when we accept Christ into our lives, we'll see Him working behind the scenes.

Jesus was not a myth. There is documented eye witness testimony, and as Lee Strobel states in his book, A Case For Christ (Zondervan Publishing House 1973), "...eyewitness testimony is just as crucial in investigating historical matters--even the issue of whether Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God." He goes on to say, "...historian Gary Habermas details a total of thirty-nine ancient sources documenting the life of Jesus from which he enumerates more than one hundred reported facts concerning Jesus' life, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection." These include secular sources.

I can only thank my nephew, because I'll never drink so much that I can't gather my thoughts and tell someone the Truth. What did come out of the haze was my poor father, alone at the table, crumbs dusting him and the ground where he sat in his wheelchair, food on his face, his hat askew, like some old stranger we took pity upon. I called over to him: "Dad, do you believe in Heaven?" He said,"What?" I repeated the question. His eyes sparkled and he said, "yes," clearly and concisely. I turned to my nephew and I said, "Don't you want to see grandma again (she died 11 years ago) or grandpa when he passes?" My nephew bolted up out of his seat, and said with new exasperation: "I'm not going to go there," and I could see he was terribly upset by the turn of the conversation. He should be. By his way of thinking, he won't see his beloved grandparents again, and it's his own conclusion.

Being as I'm the "old aunt," and maybe the last person a 20's something would listen too, I found a few blogs written by young people addressing ideas on Christianity and Jesus as a crutch:

Crutch" of Jesus

The Real Crutch

Maybe if my beloved nephew reads God's truth from someone else, he'll search for his own evidence, and maybe find Jesus helping him out along the way.

More resources: Religion is Just a Crutch for the Weak
All About God

But I'm a Good Person!

Something was said at Bible study this week that struck a cord in me:

“Jesus allows us to stand on our own merit if we don’t accept him as Savior.”

What merits would I have without the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ! None!

If we set the scene, and visualize ourselves at time of death, when we’re standing before God, how would we argue our merits? How are we going to answer God’s questions? Many people who don’t know God have no idea that they’re going to be judged. Instead they think God (or some divine being) is going to note what good parents they were, how they worked hard and were wonderful providers, how they went to church (maybe) or at least on Easter and Christmas, never murdered or robbed, nor raised a fist against a brother. God will be pleased that they worked their way into heaven, hand us them E ticket and off they go.

But God knows all that we’ve done (or not done), it’s been recorded, and he knows that we have no merits before Him without the blood of Christ to wash away our sins. He also knows that we had encounters with Jesus that we ignored. We were offered the gift of Christ but arrogantly felt we didn’t need Jesus, only our own self sufficient ways. We never concerned ourselves with death or what might happen then (Satan does a good job of helping us forget that we all die), and minded our own business and wished Christians would do the same!

We tend to think death happens to others, the same way in youth that we think old age is never going to happen, and when it does, it's such a betrayal. The world is full of illusions, and the general population is hypnotized by them, putting off for tomorrow or perhaps never, that which is most important. Their salvation. Instead we’re obsessed with staying young, avoiding death at all costs by not enjoying our lives!

But death comes, and when it does, there we stand at the gates of paradise, and maybe we can get a glimpse of it, which will be even more torturous if we can’t get in! A gated community and no pass! We might look around and see what company we have, and think, I’m in...these look like good people. Then it’s our turn, and we make our way to God and suddenly we’re not so sure and we’re terrified. The fears we’re going to feel is crushing and likely drop us to our knees.

God is going to ask a question we might not be prepared to answer: “What did you think of my son, Jesus?”

Truthfully, you didn’t give Jesus much thought, other than at Christmas time, and then, not too seriously, what with all that had to get done that time of year.

You’ve figured out real quick God can read your mind before you speak.

“Did you hear about Him?” he’ll ask, even though he knows you dodged your cousin John every Christmas just so you’d not have to hear about Jesus, or how you were lost and needed salvation.

“Well, yea, I guess I did, but salvation, it sounded weird. My cousin used to say I was lost, but he didn’t have a good argument.”

“If you knew my Word, you’d know my good argument: You’re lost because of your rejection of biblical revelation (Ps. 19:1; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:19, 20). You’re lost because of disobeying your own conscience (Rom. 2:14-16). You’re lost because of your relationship to the world (Eph. 2:2; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). You’re lost because of your relationship to Satan (Mt. 4:8, 9; Jn. 8:42-44; 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:13; 1 Jn. 3:10; 5:19). And finally, you’re lost because of your relationship to sin (Gen. 2:17; 8:21; Job 14:4; Eccl. 7:20; Jer. 17:19; Mk. 7:20-23; Rom. 5:12; 7:14; Eph. 4:18).

By now you’re slumping, realizing too late that you should have listened to John and opened the Bible he gave you years ago.

God may continue this way: “But you felt you could navigate the world and all its woes alone without the Cross? You felt you didn’t need the privileges of church membership, all the blessings of the new covenant, pardon of sin, favor of God, peace of conscience, the promises of the gospels, and all the riches contained in them, access to the throne of Grace, the comforts of the spirit and the well grounded hope of eternal life?”

You’d never heard it put that way. Maybe if you had you might have considered it more. “But I lead a good life,” you say feebly. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Why didn’t you feed Him when he was hungry," God will ask, "or clothe Him when he was cold, or stop and give him a dollar on the street?”

This where we might feel justified in our answer: “I never saw him hungry, or naked, cold or begging! Of course I would have helped Jesus!”

“Whenever you failed to do one of these things to another human being who was being overlooked or ignored, that was Jesus—you failed to help Jesus.”

“Okay, I can see we’re all connected in a metaphysical sense, but I was a good person!” You can hear the desperation in your voice, because you begin to realize you’ll never see cousin John again, or Grandma Parker, or your own daughter who accepted Christ just this past year.

It’s unlikely we’ll get the chance to have such an enlightened conversation with God, instead we’ll be judged, on our “merits alone,” on our “goodness” which will fall short of the Glory of God, and be herded off with all the others who led good lives, separated from those who accepted Christ, to live in damnation and hell forever.

The number one excuse I’ve heard in my walk with Christ is, “I’m a good and person, and a moral person, and I don’t need to believe in Christ.”

Hell and damnation don't resonate with people nowadays--but nether did it in the time of Christ.

Mercy Me

And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Exodus 33:19 NIV

God gives mercy and compassion to us everyday, we just don’t know that he’s forgiving our every wrong. Yet it’s very hard to return that mercy to the people around us–those scowling grocery clerks, that rude receptionist, that impatient driver–our fathers with Alzheimers.

I’ve recently become the primary care giver for my father, which means, amongst other things, I have to deal with medical and financial institutions. In itself, dealing with off shore call center bureaucracy would be enough for anyone to jump the cliff. I worked in the medical field for well over twenty years, in both billing and administration capacities, giving me a well-rounded knowledge that serves as both a blessing and curse. And, I’ve worked as an administrator and manager, giving me insight into office beadledom. I have some sense of how most doctors operate, and sainthood isn’t on the list of qualities, and I know for fact that insurance companies spend a good deal of effort increasing ways not to pay claims. The sheer insanity of trying to fix an error on the doctors or insurance part will have you crawling on all fours to a mental institution pleading for a straight jacket. But Dad doesn't appreciate the hundreds of hours put into his care, he's much more worried about the mundane.

Dad knew years ago that he was having small strokes, but he made no preparation for himself in this life or in heaven, and now begrudges my decisions for him, even though he’s made me his Power of Attorney. I can place him in a skilled nursing home, but I can’t place him in God’s Kingdom. Alzheimers has secured that I’ll not have his love here on earth, and his rejection of the Lord, in Heaven. The cross to bear is difficult as I gaze upon his often disgruntled, ireful face.

I don’t believe he’s ever read a Bible so he never had God’s good advice about being a steward, and not just with his money, but to his family. Families are important to God, and even if you want to emancipate yourself from them, God, makes it very clear that we’re to take care of each other, and not in the way of our fathers. Matthew 23:32 states: "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.” The Geneva Study Bible puts it this way: A proverb used by the Jews, which has this meaning: You go on also, and follow your ancestors, that at length your wickedness may come to its fulness.

Dad is doing what his dad did to him. Met a new woman and abandoned his family, grew seriously ill and was manipulated by her to meet the needs of her lifestyle and children. This sounds most as a begrudging daughter who won’t let her dad have his own life, which is entirely untrue. Even my mother would have wanted my father to be happy, but she’d wanted that for her children, too.

Christ could not change the hearts of everyone, nor can I change the heart of my dad, no matter what I do for him. With the expectant eyes of a child, I’d unconsciously (in the beginning) believed dad would be grateful I saved his life (literally) and that navigating and caring for his finances, house and healthcare would bring him joy and reward–bestowing on me loving words of gratitude for his only daughter.

They do not come from him, but the Lord comforts me with his words:

“Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.” Ruth 3:11

And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son (daughter), in You I am well-pleased." Luke 3:22

So back to mercy and compassion. What does the Bible say about our wayward fathers?

To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,
Luke 1:72 NASB

I wish the Lord had said, “show mercy toward our fathers, under these circumstances...” But there are no circumstances that preclude our giving mercy. Everything dad did to me is eradicated under this command. There will be no grudges, only mercy.

Who Is Your Lot?

When God asked Abram to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to the land He would show him, Abram did what we all do: he packed Lot, and Lot eventually became an obstacle to Abram’s receiving the land God had promised him.

We come into the Kingdom “new” in Christ, but how many of us pack up the past and bring it along? Lot could be a person, an addiction, a bad attitude. Lot’s are whatever keeps us from advancing in our walk with the Lord, but they’re not what prevent us from starting the journey.

What if God asked us to remove someone or something before coming into the Kingdom? I think most would miss the call if it was contingent on letting their Lot’s walk off to the East before it was time to say goodbye. Instead, God allows us to pack up our family, friends, problems, addictions, hurts and garbage and set off. Just as God took care of Abram’s “Lot,” so will God take care of ours, in His time and His terms.

Sometimes, like Abram, we’re not even aware of the Lot’s in our life. Maybe Lot is our staying “busy.” We don’t know how to say, no, and don’t leave enough time for ourselves. Maybe Lot is our work. We spend too much time there and not enough with our families. Maybe our Lot is the wrong kind of friend. Maybe our Lot is being a victim. Our wounds have defined us, and even though Jesus is offering us a new life, we’re afraid to let go of the shame, pain and anger that defined us for so long?

As we read in Genesis, God didn’t ask Abram to remove Lot, and I think there’s a reason for God’s patience. He sees something greater for us than the immediate struggle to choose what and who to take with us into the Kingdom.

I have a few Lots in my life, and one of them is a person who is preventing me from advancing forward with an urgent family matter. There’s nothing I want more than God to take care of this matter, but it’s beginning to seem that God’s teaching me patience before he’s going to make his move. But, I’m still impatient and I wonder when God’s going to hear my prayer? Doesn’t he know this just isn’t working? Is God going to intervene, and when? Then I question my faith, and questioning our faith is the work of Satan.

We must remind ourselves that even Abram wanted to know with some certainty that things would work out. Its okay to ask, but don’t lose faith if the answer isn’t immediate. In this “instant” text messaging, email world we now live in, it’s even harder than Abram’s time to take time to wait.

But when God finally took Abram out of the tent and told him to count the stars that would come to represent the number of his offspring, he also said, “if, indeed, you can count them.” We’ve no idea the blessings the Lord has given us, and will continue to rain upon us. In the meantime, we should remind ourselves that Lot was the means by which Abram received the promised blessing. We can gain comfort that our Lots might be the pathway to ours.