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Has the Church Focused too Much on God’s Love and Not the Fear of God?

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Is the Church Focusing to Much on the Love of God and Not the Fear of God

“God is love. He doesn’t care,” she continued.

Those are the words of a “gospel singer” who left her husband to enter into a lesbian relationship. I couldn’t help but think this woman has sung many songs about God over the years and certainly heard as many or more sermons. So how did she conclude that because God loves us He doesn’t care when we sin? He’s fine with it?!

You can tell that she knows this is wrong or why try to justify this relationship?

Then there’s the gay Democrat presidential contender, Pete Buttigieg, who explains his homosexual relationship/marriage, “At a recent fundraiser, he said of his same-sex “marriage”: “[it] has made me a better man [and]…moved me closer to God. If being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far above my pay grade.”

He then added, “That’s the thing I wish the Mike Pence’s of the world would understand, that if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

“The reality, of course, is that the mayor’s quarrel isn’t with Mike Pence. His quarrel is with the clear texts of Scripture that both identify what marriage is and what it is for, as well as how homosexual behavior is sinful. His quarrel is with natural law, reflected in the biological roles our bodies play and the universally embraced connection of marriage and procreation, even by societies not influenced by Christian morality. And of course, his quarrel is with 2,000 years of unanimous Christian witness on marriage and sexual morality.”–The False God of Feelings: Mayor Buttigieg’s Pro-Gay Christianity

Buttigieg is rationalizing that how we live is God’s fault because He created us with the ability to make choices. Yes, it’s true God gave us free will, but we’re accountable for how we use it. We can’t blame God for the bad things we do or the sinful way we choose to live and then say He’s ok when I sin. Naught!

God made Adam and Eve too and He gave them a choice to follow His commands. And we know how their choice turned out. Following the politician and singer’s rational, it would be God’s fault for Adam and Eve’s bad choice so God was Okay with it. Again, naught!

[Tweet “Death and hell became realities when Adam and Eve chose the Devil’s ways and since the day God kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, we all have the propensity to sin, but God is not okay when we make that choice.”]

Death and hell became realities when Adam and Eve chose the Devil’s ways and since the day God kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, we all have the propensity to sin, but God is not okay when we make that choice. The Bible proclaims just the opposite. God is never OK when we give in to Satan’s evil wiles.

But the singer and “Mayor Pete’s” comments are worthy of our discussion because there are many today, even in the church, who agree that our feelings and what we want to do, even sin, is fine with God because He’s a God of love. However, they conveniently overlook the fact that just because He gave us feelings and choices, He also gave us commands and Scriptures to guide us in making the right choices and avoiding the wrong ones.

[Tweet “To say that God endorses sin of any kind in his creation is blasphemy, even when said by those who should know better in the church.”]

To say that God endorses sin of any kind in His creation is blasphemy, even when said by those who should know better in the church.

Satan knows how to twist Scripture and tempt with, “Did God really say_______?” Fill in the blank with any sin. It’s not just the homosexual lifestyle. Last week I wrote about Abortion: The Crime of Passion.

It can be cheating on your taxes, lying, stealing, coveting, taking the Lord’s name in vain, adultery, abuse, and so many more sins of choice.

Scripture is “Inclusive”

A popular word in today’s culture is “inclusive,” which can be used as a weapon for forcing people to accept precepts that go against their faith and beliefs. The Bible also uses inclusive words, but in a different  context. Everyone is born with potential to do many wrong things and we’ve all sinned. Absolutely everyone. Not just the singer or the politician, everyone. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). That’s pretty inclusive. We all have sin in common.

But God doesn’t want us to stay in that degenerate place of sinning. “If you love me,” Jesus says in John 14:15, “you will keep my commandments.”

[Tweet “Sadly, Satan makes evil look good and blinds to the Gospel.”]

Sadly, Satan makes evil look good and blinds to the Gospel. When he turns hearts away from Jesus, we become just as we’re born, selfish and self-determining. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5).

We want what we want and think a loving God would want that for us too.

Wrong!

Yes, God made us with the potential to do many things, but He doesn’t say everything is right. He doesn’t want us to stay sinful.

“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[b]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[c]
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[d]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16     Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[e]
18     “They have no fear of God at all.” Romans 3:9:18 NLT

There is an answer to our sinful nature: ask and accept God’s grace and forgiveness. 

All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:3-5 NLT

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Romans 6:1-2

Buttigieg may feel that his same-sex relationship has somehow brought him closer to God, but if so he would know and honor God’s commandments and sense the Spirit’s conviction.

The singer might think because God is love, he’s ok with her sinning. He is not. He loved her so much John 3:16 says  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, so she could be forgiven to go and sin no more.

What Does It Mean to Fear God?

[Tweet “Have we forgotten how to fear God, but have turned Him into some fake God who loves us so much He has no problem with our sin.”]

Have we forgotten how to fear God, but have turned Him into some fake God who loves us so much He has no problem with our sin? My mom used to say, “Remember God is watching what you do.” That’s a good thing to remember. We’re not getting away with anything. God knows everything.

We always know our parents love us, but there should also be a healthy fear of them catching us doing something wrong because they’re going to discipline us. Not because they hate us, but because they love us. If they let us do anything we wanted from childhood, we would probably err on the side of selfishness and self-serving. That’s why they gave us boundaries and guidelines for life. And if we love our children, we should do the same.

That’s what the Bible is for Christians: a guide in how to live a life pleasing to God. And when we choose to live differently, it saddens Him because He knows we know better. But He will let us live with the consequences of our sinful choices. “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts.” Romans 1:18-32 describes God’s anger at sin. Don’t think that those words don’t apply to all of us.

[Tweet “the consequences on judgement day will be a horrible fate for those who have spent their lives trying to make God the Deity they want Him to be: trying to make God in their own sorry sin-loving image. “]

It’s tough love and the consequences on judgement day will be a horrible fate for those who have spent their lives trying to make God the Deity they want Him to be: trying to make God in their own sorry sin-loving image.

[Tweet “Never doubt there will be a judgement day and how we have lived on earth will define our eternity.”]

Never doubt there will be a judgement day and how we have lived on earth will define our eternity. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

That’s not fear, that’s fact.

Many try to describe the fear of God as simply meaning to be in awe of Him. That’s certainly one meaning, but the meaning of fear more prevalent in the Bible is reverent, respect, honoring, cherishing, fear of disappointing our Great God by doing wrong in His sight.

Just like we never stop being our parents children even when we hurt them by doing wrong, Christians will always be God’s children, but He will never be “ok” with our sin.

Dr. Jeremiah summarizes this contrast between the love of God and the fear of God in his book What Are You Afraid of?

“On many occasions throughout my forty years of ministry, people have questioned me about the subject of God’s judgement. Often they say something like this: “My God would never send anybody to hell or punish someone for doing evil. My God is a God of love.”

I usually answer by telling them that their God does not exist. There is a God to love and there is a God to fear, and He is one and the same! Did He not judge His own Son as a demonstration of His love for the world? And did He not then show His love for the Son he judged by raising Him from the dead? How silly to think that if He is a loving God, He cannot also be a fearsome God. The two attributes complement each other.”

I’m sure you’ve heard many sermons on the love of God, but when is the last time you heard a sermon on the fear of God? 

Don’t wait to hear it from the pulpit, read it for yourself in your Bible. You won’t be held accountable on judgement day for what your pastor did or didn’t preach. No, you’ll be held accountable for how you loved God enough to respect and fear Him by obeying His commands.

For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant. Psalm 25:11-14

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Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

June 10, 2019
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Abortion: A Crime of Passion

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With all the discussion lately about abortion, the focus has been on the depravity of late term abortion now legalized in some states, and the life-saving efforts of other states to eliminate abortion completely. But what I haven’t heard in the public discourse is what leads to abortion in the first place: sex!

No one seems to want to touch the underlying cause of 59+ million babies murdered since Roe vs Wade became law at a time of sexual revolution with the advent of birth control pills and the availability of abortion to anyone who wanted it, regardless of age or reason. Though, originally abortion was supposed to be safe and rare, with the advent of Planned Parenthood it became another form of birth control and frequent. Approximately 20% of pregnancies end by abortion!

Boys and girls, men and women, felt the freedom to have sex with whomever they wanted whenever they wanted because if they got pregnant, all they had to do was find the money to get an abortion. And many girls and women have stories that they didn’t stop having indiscriminate unprotected sex after their first abortion. No, they did it again and maybe again…

Feminist actress Alyssa Milano by her own admission wanted women to go on a sex strike when Georgia passed a law prohibiting abortion after a detected heartbeat. She said women couldn’t afford to get pregnant because they couldn’t have an abortion. In other words, abortion, not protection, is your failsafe way to deal with the product of conception: a baby! “Our reproductive rights are being erased. Until women have legal control over our own bodies we just cannot risk pregnancy. Join me by not having sex until we get bodily autonomy back.” So says Alyssa Milano.

What she and many others fail to address is that a few moments of sexual passion and pleasure can lead to a lifetime of living with the murder of their own babies. Today, you hear women, especially liberal actresses and politicians, celebrating the death of their babies, but I surmise that they’re actually angry, hurt, and anguished over what they’ve done. If they can get a group together with similar feelings, they can live in denial knowing they’re not alone. They find comfort in commonality. Like the old adage, “misery loves company.”

[Tweet “Today, you hear women, especially liberal actresses and politicians, actually celebrating the death of their babies, but they’re actually angry, hurt, and anguished over what they’ve done”]

My friend Patti Smith wrote a blog about the devastation of her own abortions: Nobody Told Me the Truth. Maybe that’s you and you were misled or misinformed. Patti learned that God is the God of forgiveness as she learned the truth. I’ve heard good things about Project Rachel: Hope After Abortion. After your own healing, like Patti, God may use your past to help another woman not let it become her future.

[Tweet “Before ultrasounds and heartbeat monitoring, women bought into the lie they were told that it’s just a blob of cells that can’t feel pain.”]

Before ultrasounds and heartbeat monitoring, women bought into the lie they were told that it’s just a blob of cells that can’t feel pain. But now, we know none of that is true. We can see the baby developing and hear the heartbeat at six weeks. We know, without a doubt, that life begins at conception. Yet there are still many lobbying for killing that human being, even after it takes its first breath! Inhuman barbaric depravity is actually celebrated in Congress and some state governments.

[Tweet “The Devil tries to seduce with deception by calling the baby a “fetus,” which sounds clinical and not like a human being.”]

The Devil tries to seduce with deception by calling the baby a “fetus,” which sounds clinical and not like a human being. But I’ve never heard a woman say she’s pregnant with a fetus or a blob of cells. She says she’s going to have a baby: a precious, fragile, defenseless human being that she can “choose” to murder or let live.

Liberals and abortion advocates try to couch the killing of babies by using terms like: A woman’s right to choose. Reproductive rights. Control over our own bodies. Healthcare. A decision between the woman and her doctor. Prochoice. A war on women.

Even a SCOTUS said you can’t call a pregnant woman a “mother”!  A woman who exercises her constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy is not a mother” – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If she’s not a mother what is she?

Read a father’s reply to Ginsburg’s outrageous statement as he discusses that even babies who die in miscarriage still have a mommy and daddy.

[Tweet “Abortion is not a constitutional right.”]

Abortion is not a constitutional right. The Constitution says everyone has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and that includes everyone with a beating heart. You would think a Supreme Court Judge would know that. But that’s how delusional some people have become. Another sly deception is to confuse by denying biology that every baby has both a mother and a father.

Let’s look at some common deceptions.

  1. “A woman’s right to choose.” In 99.9% of situations, a woman does have a right to choose . . . if she’s going to have sex or not. That’s her choice.
  2. “Reproductive rights” start with the right to say yes or no to sex. Sex leads to reproduction. A scientific and biological fact and a right God gave to every man and woman who chooses to have sex.
  3. “Healthcare.” There’s nothing healthy for a woman to have a baby poisoned, burned, dismembered, or sucked out of her womb.
  4. “It’s my body.” It’s not her own body. She didn’t create herself. God did by her parents having sex to create her. Then she used her body to have sex and create a body separate from hers with its own heartbeat, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, brain, organs, skin, arms, legs, sensitivity to pain, and cry.
  5. “Bodily autonomy is a human right.” Autonomy does allow a woman to choose to have sex with her body, but when she creates another body, that little body has autonomy and a human right also.
  6. “Abortion is morally good.” When murder becomes morally good and justified, we’ve definitely regressed to barbarism and savagery. Promiscuous sex is morally wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right.
  7. “It’s a decision between a woman and her doctor.” When a girl or woman goes into Planned Parenthood, they don’t see the doctor until they’re in stirrups and he’s killing her baby. And often it’s not even a doctor performing the abortion.
  8. “Prochoice.” The argument is between prolife and prodeath advocates! That’s something no one wants to say.
  9. “A war on women.” Hmm. How about we stop the war on babies, both male and female.

Abortion is a crime of passion

Why is the Movie Industry so Pro Abortion?

That answer is clear: money. Sex sells. Sex leads to unwanted pregnancy, which often leads to abortion. So Planned Parenthood, Hollywood, elites, and liberals are in the Devil’s circle.

[Tweet “Sex sells. Sex leads to unwanted pregnancy, which often leads to abortion. So Planned Parenthood, Hollywood, elites, and liberals are in the Devil’s circle.”]

Almost every movie and most TV programs show couples going on a date and having sex. Maybe not even the date first. Entertainment exploits explicit sex. Everyone sleeps together, hook ups, casual promiscuous sex is presented as the norm, and sadly, it’s become the norm. You don’t see women saying no or concerned with pregnancy.

[Tweet “Virginity is only said with respect at Christmas with the “Virgin Mary.””]

Virginity is only said with respect at Christmas with the “Virgin Mary.” Young people often don’t even know what virgin stands for today. Girls and women who’ve had multiple sex partners are still married in white, maybe pregnant or carrying their baby and no one blinks at it. I saw a program with girls picking out wedding dresses and one of them laughed, “Maybe I’m pregnant.” It was funny, not remorseful. I applaud the women who choose to keep their babies, I just wish they had also chosen to save God’s gift of virginity for the man they want to spend the rest of their life with because you can only give the gift of virginity away once.

[Tweet “Today’s culture considers abstinence until marriage archaic and laughable and scoffs at anyone who dares to suggest it, or chooses to live by God’s moral principles.”]

Today’s culture considers abstinence until marriage archaic and laughable and scoffs at anyone who dares to suggest it, or chooses to live by God’s moral principles.

And that brings us to a place those of us who have lived a while would never have expected possible in America: infanticide.

Abortion has become the accepted crime of unbridled passion and lust. Sex for murder.

[Tweet “Abortion has become the accepted crime of unbridled passion and lust. Sex for murder.”]

There’s only one entity who could bring us to this despicable time in history: Satan.

[Tweet “No matter how anyone tries to twist God’s Word, he designed sex to be between a married man and woman. That’s it! No exceptions.  “]

No matter how anyone tries to twist God’s Word, he designed sex to be between a married man and woman. That’s it! No exceptions. Everyone who is having sex any other way is sinning. I didn’t make that rule, God did. Many today try to make God into their own image the way they want to live, but you’ll always be going against God’s will for you.

God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them
reflecting our nature . . . Reflecting God’s nature.
He created them male and female.
God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!” Gen. 1:27-28 The Message

There’s no right way to do the wrong thing. There’s no justification for having sex and killing a baby because the sex was convenient, but the baby is inconvenient.

So what can you do about these atrocities?

  •  Let your voice be heard in your state’s legislature.
  • Be a voice for the voiceless. Boldly and unashamedly stand for prolife as an abolitionist.
  • Mentor women who are having indiscriminate sex, considering an abortion, or had an abortion. I give ideas about how to do this in my book Mentoring for All Seasons.
  • If you’re having sex outside of marriage, stop now!

[Tweet “Our culture today is playing God by choosing who can live and who should die. That’s not going to end well.”]

Our culture today is playing God by choosing who can live and who should die. That’s not going to end well.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8 A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’[a] which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

Revelation 14:6-12

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June 3, 2019
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An Easter Morning Testimony

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IMG_4102

I thought you would enjoy a flashback with me. Our church puts on an Easter Sunrise Cowboy Breakfast down at the river behind our church for the community. It’s a great outreach.

I love that in Idaho, Sunrise Service starts at 8:00 am! When we lived in California the sun rose at 6:00 am.

My husband, Dave Thompson, was asked to give his testimony one year and he allowed me to share it with you today. Enjoy and be blessed.

Dave’s Easter Testimony

I learned about God and Jesus in my teens, but in my early adult years – I became a self-made man.

Robert Ringer’s book Looking Out For Number One became my motto – in his book he talks about don’t let anyone take your marbles, so I walked over and through everyone or anyone in my way to achieve my goals.

I was a successful corporate executive married with a young family with a large home in an influential community. I had it made, so I thought, until it all came crashing down! I was eventually divorced, my family split up.

It was then I began a real relationship with Christ.

I dedicated my life to Jesus and reversed my motto, and let the only Real #1 look out for me. He does so much better than I could ever do.

When you think about it . . . who could better look out for you than the One who is:

Omnipresent – always with you

Omnipotent – all powerful

Omniscient – seeing all and everything ahead goes before you preparing the way.

So you ask: What has Christ meant in my life? Everything!

He has taken me with all my sins and prideful ways, and made me His child, an adopted heir. He loves me more than anyone else could, or I could ever love myself.

[Tweet “[Christ has taken me with all my sins and prideful ways, and made me His child, an adopted heir. He loves me more than anyone else could, or I could ever love myself.”]

Further, I would have never met the love of my life, my beautiful wife, Janet, if it were not for my relationship with Christ. You see, we met in a church small group at Saddleback Church and have grown together in a true marriage triangle relationship with Christ at the apex.

My wife, Janet’s writing and speaking ministry, About His Work Ministries, was born out of our love for Christ and His church.  Many lives have been changed by Him using her, us, and our experiences, challenges, and trials as vessels to help others.

[Tweet “When you give your life and your time to Christ and make yourself available, He molds you and makes you into who He wants you to be and uses you and the gifts He has given you to help others.”]

When you give your life and your time to Christ and make yourself available, He molds you and makes you into who He wants you to be and uses you and the gifts He has given you to help others.  In fact, our ministry tagline “Sharing life experiences and God’s faithfulness” defines our life in Christ.

[Tweet “If you are a self-made man or woman stop playing king of the mountain, give up your fight to stay on top and let the only one who belongs there take your place.”]

So if you are a self-made man or woman stop playing king of the mountain, give up your fight to stay on top and let the only one who belongs there take your place. He will give to you more abundantly than you could ever imagine. He will not only renew your mind, but He will change your heart.

Happy Easter and God bless you all!

We hope you had a blessed Easter and a chance to tell someone, or many someones, that Jesus is Alive!

Testimony originally given on Easter April 1, 2013

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April 22, 2019
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Climate Change Won’t Kill You, but Moral Change Will

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Climate change won't kill you but moral change will

Today, many are calling it a “moral obligation” to warn us about climate change before it “kills us.” But these are some of the same people who advocate legalizing immoral change destroying our country. They have no concern for killing babies, every second of every day; in fact, they champion it, but stop eating hamburgers now! That’s their real concern.

[Tweet “When’s the last time you heard a pastor speak on Romans 1:18-32 and speak about the truths of God’s anger toward sin?”]

Our pastor recently spoke on Romans 1:18-32. When’s the last time you heard a pastor speak about the truths of God’s anger toward sin, many of which our culture idolizes and tries to force on us as “tolerant” and acceptable. God is never tolerant or acceptant of sin. Never! I put a link to these verses because I want you to go read them and then think about the moral change happening in our country today.

You can’t study the great Book of Romans without addressing these verses, and yet many churches, pastors, and Christians are not only ignoring them, they’re trying to whitewash them out of the Bible. God’s Words ignored because the world tells us they’re irrelevant and don’t actually apply to a 21st Century culture or even worse that they’re “hate speech!”

[Tweet “God’s Words ignored because the world tells us they’re irrelevant and don’t actually apply to a 21st Century culture or even worse that they’re “hate speech!””]

Many have applauded my last few blogs, and others have said I’m preaching to the choir. Well that’s exactly who I want to reach. I want the “choir” to get out of their safe pews, take off their protective, comfy choir robes, move out of the safety of like-minded people groups, and take a stand for God’s Words and God’s ways before moral change completely envelops our country.

[Tweet “Today the biggest problem facing America is how humans are redefining morality not how humans are changing the climate.”]

Today the biggest problem facing America is how humans are redefining morality, not how humans are changing the climate.

In my blog, 5 Examples of How to Join God in Bringing Good out of Evil, I made the point that everyone knows right from wrong and has a conscience. People who are doing wrong, know that it’s wrong, but they do it anyway for any variety of reasons: greed, power, social pressure, self-gratification.

[Tweet “People who are doing wrong, know that it’s wrong, but they do it anyway for any variety of reasons: greed, power, social pressure, self-gratification.”]

Romans 1:18-23 (NLT) reminds us that every living human being has to acknowledge God. Even those who are so worried about the climate change are looking at the air they breathe, the forests, the water, the animals . . . and so: 19 “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 Forever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.”

So anyone who doesn’t acknowledge God and his ways, leaves himself or herself wide open for Satan to take hold of their mind, will, and actions. They become dark and confused . . . “utter fools” . . . which aptly describes many of the secular population.

[Tweet “Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge God and his ways, leaves himself or herself wide open for Satan to take hold of their mind, will, and actions. They become dark and confused.”]

And don’t we see a flood of dark, confused, “foolish ideas” today. We’re baffled how adults can actually champion with a straight face the absurdity of “the new green deal” with no cows, no planes only trains, every building in America rebuilt and on and on…and if you don’t get on board you’re going to die in 12 years, which was also predicted in 1989, 1999, and will still be “12 years” in 10 years from now! Foolish!

Or foolish talk of Socialism for America. Or defending and lying about an illegal coup to take down a duly elected president. Or an actor who gets away with a sloppy contrived hate hoax. Or rich parents thinking they’ll never get caught cheating their children’s way into college. Foolish! Dark!

[Tweet “How deceived the churches, denominations, pastors, and Christian speakers/authors who are foolishly ignoring Romans 1:24-32 and trying to convince us that these sins aren’t really sin”]

But what about the foolish confused churches, denominations, pastors, and Christian speakers/authors who are foolishly ignoring Romans 1:24-32 and trying to convince us that these sins aren’t really sin. I just read an article “French bishops spokesman calls homosexual relationships ‘something of God’. Here’s what God’s something says about it:

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God [and the way he created them sexually] he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. . . .Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:24-32 NLT

So what are we to take from these verses that describe the same world today that Paul described in Rome? And almost every family today has one of these issues described in the above verses. God says he doesn’t release people to sin, but if they won’t listen to him, he does withdraw his loving restraint. (Romans 1:24) Like so many claim today, they do have a choice and a right to do what they want, and God will let them make that choice, but He’ll also let them suffer the consequences.

[Tweet “Like so many claim today, everyone has a choice and a right to do what they want, and God will let them make that choice but He’ll also let them suffer the consequences.”]

So does that mean we should give up on them? Absolutely not! But it does mean that we don’t get caught up endorsing what God calls wicked by redefining sin. That’s not helping them. If we say that because we love someone it means their sin is Okay, we’re essentially giving up on them and their eternal salvation.

[Tweet “If we say that because we love someone it means their sin is Okay, we’re essentially giving up on them and their eternal salvation.”]

C.S. Lewis summed it up this way: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.”

I would add that all who are in Heaven choose it too.

Climate change is nothing compared to eternity in Hell. That’s what kept me on my knees praying for my daughter, and I hope there’s someone you’re staying on your knees for too. Because if you’re truly a Christian, you know that Heaven and Hell are real. Pastor Greg Laurie recently wrote a devotional where he said:

“I want to do everything I can to warn everyone I know so they won’t end up in that horrible place. Tell them about what Christ has done for you. Tell them about the hope of Heaven. Tell them about the forgiveness of sin. And tell them what the repercussions are if they don’t believe. Don’t leave that out. Don’t dilute it. We have the hope of Heaven, but we don’t want anyone to go to Hell.”

But let’s make that clear. “You don’t get to Heaven by living a good life. And you don’t end up in Hell by living a bad life. Heaven is not for good people; Heaven is for forgiven people. Everyone who turns from their sin can go to Heaven. This is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross.”

[Tweet “We’re not helping or showing love to anyone when we condone their sin. And much of what the world endorses, God condemns. “]

This is why we celebrate Easter. This is the message churches should be sharing. We’re not helping or showing love to anyone when we condone their sin. And much of what the world endorses, God condemns. And so should we. When immoral evil is condoned and legalized, as Christians we don’t tolerate it or obey it. We fight it with everything we have in us.

O.S. Hawkins says in his book The Believer’s Code: “Yet the Bible gives clear instructions: we are compelled to disobey civil law when it is in direct opposition to God’s laws.”

[Tweet “Today, you will be called all sorts of horrible names when you don’t go along with immoral laws. But so what?”]

Today, you will be called all sorts of horrible names when you don’t go along with immoral laws. But so what? Jesus said: “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:20).

If we offend with the Gospel, then Glory be to God. Hardships and persecution are all part of a life devoted to Christ.

[Tweet “If we offend with the Gospel, then Glory be to God. Hardships and persecution are all part of a life devoted to Christ.”]

Don’t shy away from calling sin a sin. Even in our own lives. We sin too. Hopefully, not in the ways described in Romans 1:18-32, but in other ways unpleasing to God.

[Tweet “Don’t feel like you have to defend God. He can defend himself. He’s made his presence known to everyone, some just choose to ignore him”]

Don’t feel like you have to defend God. He can defend himself. He’s made his presence known to everyone, some just choose to ignore him. But God is always good in His invitation: His call to everyone is to repent and be saved. Not saved from climate change, but from moral change.

[Tweet “But God is always good in His invitation: His call to everyone is to repent and be saved. Not saved from climate change, but from moral change.”]

John 3:18 says,  “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

It’s not just that someone is a sinner; it’s that he or she rejected God’s solution to moral change in his or her own life.

“God is saying, ‘I love you. I don’t want you to go to Hell. I put My own wrath on my Son, whom I love, so you can be forgiven.’ That rejection of Jesus is what brings judgment. It isn’t going to be a sin question in the final day. It’s going to be a Son question: What did you do with Jesus?” Pastor Greg Laurie

[Tweet “The most loving thing you can do as a church and as Christians is to not give up on someone you know who has rejected Jesus. Climate change is nothing compared to an eternity separated from God.”]

The most loving thing you can do as a church and as a Christian is to not give up on someone you know who has rejected Jesus. Climate change is nothing compared to an eternity separated from God.

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

If you haven’t already read last week’s post, Why You Should See #Unplannedmovie.

If you haven’t seen Unplanned, please go see it and take someone with you. Lives are depending on the truth of the immorality of abortion to be known.

April 8, 2019
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How Not Mentoring Millennials Implodes a Political Party. What Can the Church Learn?

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How Not Mentoring Millinnials Implodes a Political Party! What Can the Church Learn?

Let me say right from the beginning that this is not a political blog. But it is a blog about what happens politically, spiritually, and personally when generations don’t heed God’s instructions, Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. —Joel 1:2-3

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know the Man who does, Jesus Christ. The Lord knew everything we would encounter in life and in our country. There’s nothing new under the sun. The culture may change, but the Bible is timeless.

[Tweet “There’s nothing new under the sun. The culture may change, but the Bible is timeless.”]

Here’s what I do know. If we’re encountering a problem in our world, God gave us the answer. We just need to seek it out and apply it. I can’t find anywhere in God’s Word where we’re told that young people don’t need guidance, direction, and mentoring before they take on important and influential roles.

[Tweet “Young people need guidance, direction, and mentoring before they take on important and influential roles.”]

For those of us past the age of millennials, we were all their age once when we thought we knew everything and were ready to change the world. But God knew that it was important for us to temper our enthusiasm with wisdom from those who have gone before us, whether it’s in business, ministry, parenting, politics, or just living life.

[Tweet “The Bible and God tells us that one generation should teach and train the next generation”]

Throughout the Bible God repeatedly tells us that one generation should teach and train the next generation. Titus 2:1-8 is a familiar mentoring passage written to older and younger men and women. But so often neither generation, the young or the old, realizes the value of mentoring.

These men and women understood, Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you (Deut. 32:7).

  • Moses mentored Joshua before Joshua took over the role of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.
  • Elijah mentored Elisha as his successor.
  • Barnabas mentored Paul and Paul mentored Titus, Timothy, and Mark.
  • Ruth followed Naomi and wanted to know her God.
  • Young Mary visited with her elderly relative Elizabeth as they both had miracle pregnancies.
  • Even though Saul was a bad king, David obeyed him until it was his time to be king and he learned from Saul how not to rule.

The younger people didn’t ignore or usurp their elders. They wanted to learn from them so that someday they would be ready for their God-given roles.

What Happens Without Mentoring?

In 1 Kings 12:1-24, a young son of Solomon, Rehoboam, tried to take on a leadership role he wasn’t ready to assume. His subjects implored him, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Rehoboam told them to go away for three days and then he inquired of the elders who had served his father what he should do. They wisely replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

Do you remember who he listened to? The wise elders or his arrogant young friends?

Yes, he took the advice of the young inexperienced entitled young men who were looking for power with Rehoboam, not what was best for the people.

The people said forget it then. We’re leaving. Those who stayed, rebelled against Rehoboam and he barely got away with his life.

We’re seeing something similar happen with the Congressional Democrats. Young, freshmen millennial women, who weren’t mentored or given wise counsel in how to be a constructive team player in Congress, came into office with their own agendas discounting the experience of those who went before them.

[Tweet “Instead of senior Congressional leaders reining in the freshmen for some mentoring, they seem intimidated”]

But instead of the senior Congressional leaders acting as mentors for the freshmen, they seem to be intimidated by them. The experienced elders are cowering to the inexperienced Millennials. They’re letting these three women set the agenda as ridiculous, rude, radical, and rudimentary as it is. They’re even letting one proclaim she’s “the boss,” and it looks like she is.

Why are Democrat presidential hopefuls endorsing the harmful philosophies of these three women instead of educating them on the pitfalls and dangers of Socialism and anti-semitism? Because the freshmen are getting more attention and press so the contenders for the party nomination feel they must join them, even if it means destroying America.

How could older legislators let the young immature legislators come in as wrecking balls and then bow down to them? Why? Because the seniors think this is what they have to do to get the millennial vote. Sell their souls and the good of the country for party power even as they lose their personal power.

[Tweet “Democrats are immobilized by their own identity politics.”]

The Democrats are immobilized by their own identity politics. Now they can’t seem to discipline or restrain the three women “of color” (which now just means not white) for fear of being called misogynist, Islamophobic, or racist. The same slurs they sling at Conservatives are boomeranging to haunt them.

Three freshmen Congresswomen are in charge while the elders are impotent. And just like the story of Rehoboam . . . they could soon see their party running for its life.

I don’t think this is how Millennials want to be wooed. They’re smarter than this. I don’t think we all raised a generation of arrogant, entitled, foolish, disrespectful, loud-mouthed young people. If I’m wrong and these three women are representative of the next generation, then our country will be in a steady dissent. If the older generation is afraid to confront them, they will indeed be a generation that watches their accomplishments disintegrate.

[Tweet “The older generation’s legacy will be that they tried to please the next generation instead of taking the time to mentor them.”]

What Can the Church Learn About the Importance of Mentoring the Next Generation?

I pray the older generation’s legacy in the culture and in the church will not be that they tried to please the next generation instead of taking the time to mentor them, love on them, and show them how to live godly lives in an ungodly culture.

Mentor them don’t ignore them.

Mentor them don’t appease them.

Do the young people in your church know about the evils of Socialism, anti-Semitism, abortion, and infanticide? Or is your church letting the culture and liberal media brainwash them?

We need to speak out against the wave of anti-Semitism, and yet, so far the only Christian leader I’ve heard denounce it is Governor Mike Huckabee in his monologue for his program on TBN.

It’s the church’s responsibility to educate the next generation, so that the evils of the past don’t become their future.

[Tweet “It’s the church’s responsibility to educate the next generation.”]

Mentor them about the fallacies and faults of Socialism. 

Show them that Socialism isn’t free, but you will lose your freedoms.

[Tweet “Socialism isn’t free, but you will lose your freedoms.”]

[Tweet “Each generation is responsible for the actions of the next generation.”]

Each generation is responsible for the actions of the next generation. What did we teach or not teach them? What kind of role models were we? How much time did we spend molding them into responsible citizens? They’re our legacy. Our responsibility. If we’re alarmed at what’s going on today, we have to ask ourselves: How did we let this happen?

I’ve stressed so often in blogs like this one that Generation Gaps Were Never Part of God’s Plan! In my book Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, I give ideas of how the generations can learn from each other and work together, just as God planned for us to do.

I encourage you to read my blog for Crosswalk: The Forgotten Link Between Seniors and Discipleship/Church Growth.

If you’re a Millennial, I would love to hear your thoughts. How can we reach your generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help them be ready to take over the responsibility of running our free Democratic country, without ruining it with Socialism or Communism? How can we prepare them to continue God’s earthly kingdom and His church?

In an Op-ed Newt Gingrich writes about what he sees happening between the congressional generations: “To the new Democrats, the leaders are like the grandparents. And I don’t mean this in a positive way that could foster an opportunity for maternal or paternal mentorships.” Instead, “these new Democrats are throwing a party – and the grandparents aren’t invited.”

“One generation commends your works to another, they tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

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March 11, 2019
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Words Matter

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Words Matter When You're Using Substitutes for Profanity

“Dude!” My thirteen-year-old granddaughter said to me. It caught me off guard and then we both laughed. It’s a word she and her peers use talking to each other. I think she says it so often, that it didn’t even connect she was talking to Grammie. I took it as a compliment that she considered me “one of the girls.”

But there are other words that I do take issue with and I take the time to explain to all the kids why they’re not acceptable or appropriate. The culture has substituted commonly used words for vulgar words, and when you look up the definitions, you learn that they have the same profane meaning.

I don’t want my grandsons and granddaughters to become accustomed to using these substitute profanity words, usually said in anger towards someone else or something they’ve done themselves that makes them mad. Or other times, they’re using what I call “lazy language” instead of expressing their feelings. And it’s not just kids. Christian adults do it too.

[Tweet “Nowhere in the Bible will you see God approving of us using worldly language. “]

Nowhere in the Bible will you see God approving of us using “worldly” language. In fact, he says we’re supposed to be in the world, but not of the world. (John 17:15-17) He wants us to be examples of how to deal with frustration or anger without resorting to profanity or words that mean the same thing.

You may think I’m over the top on this, but I don’t think living a pure and righteous life for the world to see—and teaching the next generation to do likewise—is going too far. God tells us to, “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22).

Jesus warns, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.'” (Matt. 12:34). So whatever is in our heart, is what comes out of our mouth. If you hear yourself, or your kids, saying some of the following words, do a heart check. What caused the outburst? Why are you that angry? Why have the world’s euphemisms slipped into your . . . or their . . . vocabulary?

There will be some who will say that using these words are the only way to reach the next generation, and to that I would say . . . that’s a rationalization directly from Satan, not from God. Or Satan convinces you that if you don’t talk trash, kids will not think you’re relevant. Try and find one example of the Bible making that point. Instead, it says:

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.” Matthew 18:6-7 (NLT)

When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, Jesus didn’t start cursing at him. Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God.

So I know you’ll be surprised to see some of these words in a blog from me, but it is disturbing how often we hear them causally used, even by Christians. I’m going to use xxx for the vile word. But sadly, I know like me, your mind will fill in the word.

I’ve looked up these definitions of commonly used offensive euphemisms or phrases.

For starters this is what euphemism means:

noun 
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
  1. “friggin’,” “frickin’,” or “freakin’”

“Frickin’ is a minced oath, because it has no real meaning of its own but is used because of its sound similarity with “fxxxing.” In other words, “fxxxing” has to be common before anyone would know what you were saying when you say “fricking.”

It was a vulgar word, not used in polite society, but not originally a swear word as such. Nowadays “frigging” is used as a euphemism for “fxxxing,” both the act and the word. It is a swear word but not an extreme one.”

I’m sorry, but there is no degree of swearing. Profanity is profanity. You notice how the definition says it was considered a vulgar word in the past but not now. The culture has normalized it, as well as the “F” word it replaces, and you hear these words used all the time.

  1. “Crap”—is usually said in anger or frustration. Or to describe something undesirable. When you look at the definitions below, it’s clear this has become a more “acceptable” word for another “four-letter” word. It could also mean describing clutter or useless items. Why not just say clutter or junk?

noun

  1. something of extremely poor quality
  2. excrement

verb: defecate.

Pretty disgusting!

Blasphemy 
noun
  1. “OMG”—This stands for “Oh my God” and is usually used as an exclamation not in reverence. It’s taking the Lord’s name in vain, unless used to praise the Lord. Like Satan did with Eve, he whispers in your ear, “Did God really say you shouldn’t say this?” Actually, yes, He did. Ex 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
  2. “Jesus!” Or “Jesus Christ!” Yes our precious Lord and Savior’s name when said in frustration, anger, or to exclaim about something unbelievable, not respectful, is profane blasphemy. Recently, Tim Tebow a vocal Christian athlete displayed an amazing golf swing and someone yelled, “Jesus!” Tebow’s quick response, “loves you.”
    [Tweet “Tim Tebow a vocal Christian hit an amazing golf swing and someone yelled, “Jesus!” Tebow’s quick response, “loves you.””]

That’s exactly what we all want to become proficient at doing. Coming up with a response that’s not offensive or scolding, but let’s the other person know in a kind way it wasn’t appropriate.

As for our children and grandchildren, we want to remind them of Proverbs 8:8, “All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.” Like every area of raising children, train them in the way they should talk.

[Tweet “Like every area of raising children, train them in the way they should talk.”]

These are just a few words that matter and I’m sure you could come up with more.

What other word do you hear that are inappropriate for Christians?

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Ps 19:14

You might also want to read my blog “Oh Be Careful Little Ears What You Hear.”

If you received this blog by email, leave a comment here.

February 25, 2019
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Tell Me the Old, Old Story of Jesus and His Love

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Tell me the old old story of Jesus and His love in your testimony

Several weeks ago, Dave and I flew into Alamosa, CO. to keynote at the Southern Colorado Women’s Conference. We met a wonderful group of women, and I’m pictured above with the sweet women who worked so hard to make this annual conference possible. Dave and I had quite an adventure as we took an 8-seater tiny plane from Denver to Alamosa. Let’s just say my 6’4’ hubby had to bend in half to get to his seat. When we arrived, only his bag arrived with us!

Treasured memories. That’s a cedar chest in the center made by the pastor for his lovely wife Kay!

The theme of the conference was “Remembering the Goodness of God,” which the conference coordinator chose after reading my book, Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten. The decorations were amazing designed to help us remember our treasures. Dave has traveled with me to many conferences and retreats and he said he’d never seen such beautiful and detailed decor.

On Friday night, I gave my testimony, and then Saturday morning, I talked about eight of the twenty-three ways I share in Forsaken God? to remember God’s goodness in your life, starting with sharing your testimony. There’s no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what he has done in your life. No one can question your testimony because it’s your personal experience.

[Tweet “There’s no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what he has done in your life.”]

 We often start conversations with questions like:

  • How was your day?
  • What’s going on in your life?
  • How are you doing?

Or when meeting someone new:

  • Where do you live?
  • What do you do for a living?
  • What church do you attend?
  • Where did you and your husband meet?

But when is the last time you asked:

  • What is your spiritual journey?
  • What’s your salvation story?

When’s the last time you told someone about your spiritual/salvation story?

Many think the Great Commission is just for the disciples and pastors, but it’s for every follower and believer of Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be an evangelist to share your story.

[Tweet “There’s no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what he has done in your life.”]

God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:18–20 The Message)

You and I are Christians today because those twelve disciples did just what Jesus instructed them to do. They shared the gospel they had experienced with anyone who would listen . . . and with many who didn’t listen.

We receive the Advocate—the Holy Spirit—when we become Christians and our charge is the same as the disciples: you must testify with everyone you meet.

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:14–16 The Message)

[Tweet “Your spiritual journey is your testimony that describes your life before you turned it over—or returned—to God”]

Your spiritual journey is your testimony that describes your life before you turned it over—or returned—to God and how you’ve transformed into a new creation in Christ.

You may not think you have a testimony if you’ve been a Christian most of your life and life has gone smoothly for you. Well, that smooth life didn’t just happen. God has been walking beside you guiding your life every step of the way. That’s your testimony to others who worry about losing something by turning their lives over to God. You’re a living example of how good God really is!

[Tweet “God can use every experience for His good and glory”]

If you have a hidden past you’ve been too embarrassed to talk about, now is the time to deal with those buried hurts and hang-ups. God can use every experience for good, but not if we don’t let him. The Bible tells us “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), so hidden sin holds us in a death grip that silently destroys us spiritually, and often physically, from the inside out.

Exposed sin loses its power.

We don’t have to waste energy and emotion worrying about others discovering our past. We can “thank God we’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set us free to live openly in his freedom!” (personalized from Rom. 6:18 The Message).

Think back to an experience where you know it had to be God who rescued you and how you might make that a testimony to his goodness.

Ways to Remember God’s Goodness—Share Your Story—Make It Your Testimony

[Tweet “The most effective encouragement for trusting God in the present is remembering His Goodness in the past.”]

The most effective encouragement for trusting God in the present is remembering His Goodness in the past. As we mature spiritually, we move beyond just remembering God’s goodness for our own benefit and start retelling our testimony to help others.

Every time you give God the glory for something in your life, you testify to God’s goodness.

[Tweet “Sometimes God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future”]

Sometimes God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future.

When we don’t share our story, we don’t share His story.

Being willing to share how God helped you through difficult times requires vulnerability, approachability, and responsibility. It’s your witness to His faithfulness. It’s the opportunity to give purpose to a crisis.

Otherwise, you might spend your life feeling sorry for yourself—living as a victim instead of victorious.

[Tweet “Revealing is the first step to healing.”]

Revealing is the first step to healing.

Your story doesn’t have to have a “happy ending” for you to share it. You give your testimony to show God’s faithfulness regardless of the circumstances, and to assure others they’re not alone or to stop someone else from making the same mistakes you did.

Every day you encounter opportunities to share your testimony, and every time you tell it, you’ll remember how good God has been to you. Let your loving heavenly Father guide you.

Sometimes you’ll only share a short snippet—less than three-minute—an “elevator testimony.” Other times, the whole story.

Tell me the Old Old STory of Jesus and His Love as your testimony

Women sharing their 3-minute testimony with each other.

Don’t dramatize how bad you were; characterize how good God is!

Your story becomes your testimony when the focus is on God, not on you.

[Tweet “Your story becomes your testimony when the focus is on God, not on you.”]

Don’t tell graphic details or anything to make someone else or you uncomfortable. It’s not a tell-all, and it’s not a time to tell someone else’s story.

If you haven’t written out your spiritual testimony, think of it in five parts:

  • Your life before Jesus.
  • How, when, why you realized you needed a Savior.
  • Making the commitment, or re-commitment, and surrendering your life to Jesus.
  • The change in your life since becoming a Christian.
  • What being a Christian means to you. How does knowing Jesus help you do life?

In Psalm 71:15, the psalmist admits he’s not sure if what he says will help, but he’ll tell his story and let God choose how to use it: “My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.”

Some people may reject or rebuff your testimony. That’s not a sign to stop telling it; you plant a seed, and God does the watering. Peter reminds us always to be ready to share our testimony.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Pet. 3:15–16)

So don’t worry about how God will use your testimony, or how someone will receive it. Just be willing to speak up when you feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and He’ll use it for God’s purpose. Sometimes it will be in a spiritual setting, other times when you least expect it. Be ready to share with or within . . .

  • Bible study group or small group.
  • Mentoring relationships.
  • Others going through something similar.
  • Conversations acknowledging God’s goodness in your daily life.
  • Social media.
  • Unbelievers or skeptics.
  • Support Groups.
  • Where else?

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” —1 John 5:11–12

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

—Psalm 73:28 NLT

What testimony does God want you to share and who needs to hear it? Who needs to know the reason for your hope?

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

*This blog uses excerpts from Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.

Remember the goodness of God so you don't forsake Him in your life.

 

October 22, 2018
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Why We Need Mentoring by Tammy Keene

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Tammy Keene is the leader of the mentoring ministry Touching Another Generation, TAG, at First Baptist Church of Riverview. I’m looking forward to meeting Tammy and speaking at her church in 2019. Tammy knows I’m on a book deadline and offered to write her thoughts on mentoring, and I welcomed them. This will be a two-part post, so check back next week for the conclusion. So here’s Tammy!

Why We Need Mentoring by Tammy Keene

Why We Need Mentoring by Tammy Kenne leadero of Touching Another Generation Mentoring Ministry

I have the privilege of leading my church’s women’s mentoring ministry, Touching Another Generation, TAG. We model our ministry after the Titus 2 woman, and our key verse is Psalm 145:4, “One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts.”

In the past when I shared my testimony, I would begin with God’s call on my life in 2015. After reflecting on the blessings that I’ve received, God has illuminated another truth in my life, mentoring has been a lifelong process.

[Tweet “Mentoring is a lifelong process”]

Mentoring has enriched my life!

[Tweet “Mentoring is necessary for women”]

Mentoring is necessary for women, and I know that God uniquely designed me and gave me this passion for mentoring.

Janet Thompson’s Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry DVD kit was an invaluable tool to create a mentoring ministry at my church. Her step-by-step approach provided the information necessary to launch and sustain our mentoring ministry. The kit provided me with a ready-made outline for our first Orientation Coffee and Kickoff Event including the following:

  • From Lucibel Van Atta’s book – Women Encouraging Women:

“Mentoring isn’t just another activity to scrunch into our already over-crowded calendars. It is a relationship, a commitment, a step of faith. A faith defined as giving God the opportunity to fulfill His promise through our lives. And this is indeed what pleases God, ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God’ (Hebrews 11:6).”

  • A Mentor is ‘someone close and trusted and experienced.’ Mentoring requires no special talent. All God asks is for us to take seriously the task of nurturing and building up other women.
  • As Christian women we are to share with another Christian woman how Christ has helped us through the joys and pains of our lives. We are to remind our younger sisters in Christ to go to Christ and let Him walk beside us, comfort us, and guide us.

[Tweet “Mentoring is an intentional relationship, sharing your faith journey with another woman”]

  • Mentoring is an intentional relationship, sharing your faith journey with another woman because women need women!
  • A mentor is someone who has experienced life and is willing to walk alongside of a sister in Christ.
  • A mentee is simply a spiritually younger woman willing to be mentored by an experienced sister in Christ. She may not have all of the answers but she is willing to walk alongside of you.                       

Mentoring is a two-way relationship!

[Tweet “Mentoring is a two-way relationship!”]

           Why mentoring?

  • It’s biblical.

God instructs women to model godly behavior for other women.

3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered. Titus 2:3-5 (CSB)

The Apostle Paul provides specific instructions for teaching sound doctrine with a specific admonition to women. We’re responsible for training godly women, how else are they to learn what is expected of them?

           Why mentoring?

  • It’s a blessing. God will bless you through the relationship.

Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26 (CSB)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.  Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort also. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy. Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2

[Tweet “Mentoring not only blesses us, but we are able to bless others.”]

Mentoring not only blesses us, but we are able to bless others.

A mentor in Janet Thompson’s book, Mentoring for All Seasons, stated: “Comfort with the same comfort we received from God in our difficult season. God puts people in our path going through something we’ve experienced and survived with his help and he expects us to reach out to them with the power of his love, healing, and forgiveness.” (p. 186).

And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

          Why mentoring?

  • It builds you. God will use the mentoring relationship to build your confidence in yourself, but especially your confidence in His Word.

[Tweet “God will use the mentoring relationship to build your confidence in yourself, but especially your confidence in His Word.”]

Having a mature sister in Christ will help keep you focused on putting first things first, which will build your confidence. Character building is encouraged by having a godly woman walking beside you. When you’re in a mentoring relationship, you have another woman to share prayer requests and life challenges. Having a godly woman to walk alongside of you as you walk through life’s daily challenges is a blessing, but it also will illuminate the biblical foundation built through the relationship and the strengthening of your relationship with God.

In the fall of 2014, my husband and I learned that at the end of the year we both would lose our jobs. I know that God was teaching me to trust Him in all things, but especially with our careers. I reached out to my mentor Tisha and asked her to pray for wisdom and discernment with our job search.

As she faithfully prayed, I kept her updated with my search and interviews. It was the middle of January, she prayed that God would knock my socks off and He did. I had seven interviews scheduled in one week! I actually had to cancel one. Tisha was modeling a very important lesson, pray specifically and wait for God to show up! God answered our prayers and my husband and I both had new jobs by March.

How has mentoring blessed your life?

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

Tammy Keene is the founder and leader of Touching Another Generation Mentoring Ministry at First Baptist Church of Riverview. I love this picture of Tammy!

Tammy Keene writes about Why Mentoring Is Necessary

September 24, 2018
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Hope for the Lonely By Jennifer Slattery

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When I started the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry, the common theme I heard from women joining the ministry was, “I’m lonely!” Others said, they had friends, but no Christian friends and they felt lonely without another woman to share their faith. Our guest blogger today, Jennifer Slattery, has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. 

Hope for the Lonely By Jennifer Slattery

Hope for the Lonely by Jennifer Slattery gives hope to women who struggle with lonliness

She’s the woman whose kids are grown and so busy launching their new lives, she feels there’s no room for her. She’s the young adult who, after accepting a job halfway across the country, spends every evening alone. And she’s the mother, the wife, or caregiver who, for countless reasons, spends her day engaging with hundreds of virtual friends on Facebook wishing one of them would step away from their screens to see her, truly see her.

[Tweet “She’s the mother, wife, or caregiver who spends her day engaging with hundreds of friends on Facebook, wishing one of them would step away from their screens to see her, truly see her.”]

We’ve become the lonely, disconnected generation. According to statistics, nearly one quarter of us don’t have anyone we feel we can rely on and half of us don’t have a single confidant outside of family. This means, on any given Sunday, there’s a 50-50 chance the woman sitting next to us is deeply in need of a friend.

[Tweet “From the beginning of time, God placed the need to connect deep within our hearts.”]

We weren’t meant to live in solitude. From the beginning of time, God placed the need to connect deep within our hearts. This need, embedded within us, was designed to draw us closer to one another and closer to our Savior.

In a perfect, grace-filled world, that’s exactly what would happen. But sin invaded the creation God once called very good and tainted our relationships and wounded our hearts, driving wedges between us.

Sins’ isolating effects

If you're lonely God can help. There's hope for the lonely says Jennifer Slattery

We long for connection, but we fear this at the same time, because true relationship requires risk. A risk that leaves us vulnerable to pain and open to rejection.

[Tweet “We try to change who we are to gain acceptance in an attempt to fill the gaping hole within instead of surrendering our hearts, longing, and pain to Christ.”]

So we hide, or strive to change who we are in order to gain acceptance in an attempt to fill in the gaping hole in our soul through our own strength. I’ve seen this again and again, and the casualty that results after years of defensive, destructive living.

I’ve seen the pain. I’ve heard the stories of abandonment and betrayal, of fear and self-protection. Of longing for relational intimacy.

What we fear

[Tweet “Statistics say women fear loneliness more than a cancer diagnosis”]

Statistics say women fear loneliness more than a cancer diagnosis

Think about that for a moment. They fear feeling insignificant, unknown, and unseen over contracting a potentially terminal illness. And yet, that doesn’t really surprise me. We all know the joy of spending a lazy, giggly day with someone we love. When a dear friend was dying of brain cancer, what pained her most wasn’t her loss of vision or speech or motor skills, but the time she’d never have with her three little boys. Those moments were precious, made all the more so because she knew they wouldn’t last.

[Tweet “Relationships matter. They’re a core part of who we are.”]

And so, I get it. Relationships matter. They’re a core part of who we are. Who we were created to be. Of course, we ache when that necessary piece of life is missing. But even in our pain, there’s hope, because we follow a reconciling, uniting God. The Hand that formed us from the dust, that breathed life into our mortal lungs, and created within us a need for connection, unites us by His blood.

God can help

He’s our Creator and Provider, which means, if He planted this need deep within us, He will fill it. But it might take time. It’ll take pushing through hard conversations, holding tight to relationships when others don’t behave as we’d hoped. It’ll take digging deep into our hurts and fears and insecurities and handing those over to Jesus.

[Tweet “Friendships require digging deep into our hurts, fears, and insecurities and handing those over to Jesus.”]

It’ll take finding an imperfect yet grace-filled church family we can plant our roots deep into. Because here’s the deal—we don’t need random, superficial relationships. Those will only leave us feeling empty and depleted.

[Tweet “we don’t need random, superficial relationships. Those will only leave us feeling empty and depleted.”]

We need unity. Sisterhood. A strong and committed family.

Are you lonely? There's hope by Jennifer Slattery

And as much as we need this, our sisters do as well. You may have heard the phrase: If you want a friend, be one. The same sentiment applies here, because nearly 50% of the women you and I meet in a given day are lonely. Deeply lonely. Painfully lonely.

You can be their friend. You can help fill that hole. As you do, maybe you’ll find your hole fills as well.

Did anything resonate with you today?

  • How might past hurts and the fears those can generate be keeping you from deep and lasting community?
  • How might surrendering those to Jesus bring you to a deeper level of freedom and friendships?
  • Or perhaps God’s calling you to reach out to someone else. What might it look like to truly be Jesus to that person?

Share your thoughts, examples, and suggestions with us in the comments below, because we can all learn from and encourage one another!

If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

Pictures above courtesy of Unsplash.

Hope for the Lonely by Jennifer Slattery

Jennifer Slattery is a writer, editor, and speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and writers across the nation. She’s the author of six contemporary novels and maintains a devotional blog found at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.  As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. Visit her online to find out more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband.

August 20, 2018
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7 Principles For Making Wise Choices by Dawn Wilson

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Today’s guest post is from a dear friend and author, Dawn Wilson. I’m chained to the computer writing a new book with a short deadline. I found it interesting that Dawn’s blog provides us seven principles for making wise choices and the first chapter in my book is “Brave Choices.” I also just finished Chapter Eight “Brave Discernment.” Reading Dawn’s post gives me some new thoughts to consider. I know it will you too because we all make zillions of decisions from the time we get up until we go to bed, and each decision is a “choice.” Enjoy!

 7 Principles For Making Wise Choices by Dawn Wilson

Some people make choices in a “spaghetti” fashion, throwing options at a wall to see what sticks. They’re not sure what to do, so they guess at what God might bless and use.

I used to do that, and ended up making some bad—or not the best—decisions. I concluded it’s far wiser to ask God how to make better biblical choices.

7 Principles for Making Wise Choices by Dawn Wilson

Discernment comes from understanding our inclination toward sin and foolishness, and from knowing the Word of God (Hebrews 5:13-14). The Bible offers clear principles to guide us in making wise big decisions and everyday choices.

[Tweet “The Bible offers clear principles to guide us in making wise big decisions and everyday choices.”]

This is good news whether we’re searching for answers ourselves, or encouraging and mentoring others. Few in our culture have a biblical framework for making healthy, positive decisions—spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially and physically. We especially need to give new Christ-followers principles for developing discernment and making wise choices so they won’t be easy prey for the enemy.

Principles for Making Godly Decisions

  1. Conscience Principle

Our conscience is the part of our human psyche that causes mental anguish and guilt feelings when we violate our value system. We have feelings of well-being when we conform to our value system. This is often referred to as our moral consciousness—moral awareness—or moral compass. A weak or immature conscience is the product of a faulty value system. Our conscience can be hi-jacked by worldly beliefs, the enemy’s lies, or our own sinful nature. But as believers mature in the faith, our conscience strengthens in the will and ways of God.

[Tweet “Our conscience can be hi-jacked by worldly beliefs, the enemy’s lies, or our own sinful nature.”]

Ask:

  1. Counsel Principle

Our Heavenly Father counsels His children, Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor according to Isaiah 9:6, and He left us another Counselor, the Holy Spirit. We also find counsel in Scripture. God also equips us with wise counsel from Christian teachers and mentors.

Ask:

  1. Convictions Principle

Convictions aren’t our opinions. They’re our firmly held beliefs that ultimately determine who we are and what we do. Convictions often chart our course for life, because they drive our choices. They help us set healthy boundaries. We have convictions about our relationships, career, time, finances, health, entertainment, and our spiritual priorities.

[Tweet “Convictions often chart our course for life, because they drive our choices.”]

Ask:

  1. Cause Principle

Our motives—the underlying reason for our actions—matter to God. We can serve God from impure motives, but He won’t be impressed! The Bible says our motives will be exposed, and impure motives can hinder our prayers, so we need to carefully check them.

[Tweet “We can serve God from impure motives, but He won’t be impressed!”]

Ask:

  1. Control Principle

Jesus cautioned believers to consider whether we call Him Lord, but still want to be lord of our own life.

Ask:

  1. Consequences Principle

There are good and bad possible consequences of our choices. If we’re wise, we’ll anticipate these natural consequences before moving forward.

Ask:

  1. Concern Principle

[Tweet “It’s so easy to think about our own agenda and not consider how our choices affect others.”]

We live in a selfish world. It’s so easy to think about our own agenda and not consider how our choices affect others. This isn’t a biblical way to live.

Ask:

The more we seek the Lord’s direction for our decisions, the more we will benefit ourselves, bless others, and bring glory to God.

[Tweet “The more we seek the Lord’s direction for our decisions, the more we will benefit ourselves, bless others, and bring glory to God.”]

You may find some principles easier to act on than other principles. What is the hardest one for you to follow regarding your choices?

If you received this blog by email, leave a comment here.

7 Principles for Making Wise Choices__

Dawn Wilson and her husband Bob live in Southern California. They have two married sons and three granddaughters. A former journalist for Christian newspapers, Dawn now assists author and radio host Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth with research and works with various departments at Revive Our Hearts. She is also the founder and director of Heart Choices Today, publishes UPGRADE with Dawn, and writes for Crosswalk.com and TrueWoman.com. Dawn occasionally travels with her husband Bob with Pacesetter Global Outreach.

https://www.facebook.com/dawnmariewilson

https://twitter.com/dawnmariewilson

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Ben White at Unsplash

August 6, 2018
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