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Jesus Doesn’t Just Get Us, He Saves Us!

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Like some of you, I watched the Super Bowl. I’ll admit, I know nothing about football, but I do enjoy watching the commercials. Dave forgot about that at first as he had recorded the game and we typically fast forward through all commercials, which we did do with the halftime show. Watching the commercials with an overtime game made for a long program, but the ending was exciting.

What I want to talk about in today’s blog is the two “He Gets Us” commercials during the game. You can read my thoughts on last year’s He Gets Us commercials @ Yes, He Gets Us, But He Doesn’t Want to Leave Us Where He Found Us.

My overall opinion of the 2024 He Gets Us commercials, Who Is My Neighbor? and Washing Feet, were much like last year. They reinforced the secular voices calling Christians who oppose a sinful culture as intolerant and haters. The commercials falsely portrayed Jesus and condemned Bible-believing Christians. That was the inference I got from watching them and I’m sure many others did too.

The two commercials depicted a social justice Jesus who loves everyone. He does love everyone, but He doesn’t love everyone’s sinful actions. Jesus hates sin that destroys the people He loves. He went to the cross to offer redemption, forgiveness, and salvation from our sins. These commercials don’t portray or even imply that gospel truth.

Who is My Neighbor? depicted a variety of people culminating with a final slide: “The one you don’t know, value, or welcome.” Insinuating that these people, or people like them, aren’t visible even to preachers, missionaries, evangelists, outreach ministries, churches . . . . Christians.

As believers, we know the biblical reference is Luke 10:26-37. A nonbeliever probably wouldn’t recognize that reference.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus went on to share the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.

The second He Gets Us commercial had a variety of people having their feet washed by people who looked different than them. The ending slides read, “Jesus Didn’t Teach Hate. He Washed Feet. Jesus Gets All of Us.” If you didn’t see the commercial, here it is. You can make your own determination. But what raised me up off the couch, just like last year, was their implication that if you oppose sins like abortion or homosexuality, you’re a hater. Feeding right into the Marxist, secular, and dare I say, partisan political agenda and propaganda.

Actually, Jesus only washed the feet of his disciples. In Luke 7:36-50 we read the story of a sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears of repentance. “As she stood behind him [Jesus] at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (vs. 38)

Washing feet in the Bible isn’t only a symbol of humility and service, but also a powerful metaphor for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness. It symbolizes the spiritual purification and reconciliation offered through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In 1 John 1:9, we’re told, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The He Gets Us commercial didn’t portray the significance or true meaning of foot washing. Jesus does love all of us, but He wants us to repent from our sin, turn away from it, and ask for forgiveness. That’s the complete message of the Gospels. “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” (vs. 48)

Questioned about the use of foot washing in a CBN interview, Jason Vanderground, president of the marketing firm Haven and co-creator of the He Gets Us campaign, said their goal was to get people to go to the He Gets Us website to ask their questions and learn more about the meaning of the ads. When asked how many people actually responded, he evaded the question and told a story about someone who talked to them in the streets of Las Vegas.

Pastor Inspired to Make ‘He Saves Us’ in Response to ‘He Gets Us’

Interestingly, in Northern Ireland, Pastor Jamie Bambrick was watching the Super Bowl and saw the He Gets Us commercials as a missed opportunity. I totally agree. He graciously said they might be well intentioned, but they “put a Jesus-shaped stamp of approval on the values and actions of our generation common today. Things Jesus considers sin and is strongly against like homosexuality and abortion.”

“I think a lot of Bible-believing Christians viewed [‘He Gets Us’ ads] and went, ‘You know what, this just isn’t a reflection of the Gospel, and it’s not a reflection of our heart toward the lost, either'” Bambrick said.

Pastor Bambrick emphasized that the He Gets Us campaign portrays a false gospel of what the church must do and therefore Jesus would do. The ads imply your sins are not a problem or something needing repentance. You see a message that all God wants the church to do is love, affirm, and accept everyone and their actions, even when sinful. We do love, but we don’t affirm every action and we don’t accept everything as being moral and right.

Christian Post reports that Pastor Bambrick believes the ads were implying that “if the Church calls people to repentance, if the Church calls people to turn from sin, that is preaching hate, which of course it isn’t. . . That is an act of love, it’s an act of grace” he said.

“My experience with most Christians is that we actually love those who are in sin, but we love them enough to want to see them set free from their sin,” he said. “We love them enough that we want to see them delivered and brought to newness of life in Christ; to turn from their sin and be saved from it — both obviously from the eternal consequences of sin, but also in this life, how much better it is to walk with Jesus.”

He went on to ditto my reaction that the perception from the He Gets Us commercials will be that Christians who are calling on the world to turn from their sins are haters preaching and teaching hate. These commercials played right into the playbook of attackers of Christianity who call us the “oppressors” because we’re against killing babies, gender manipulation, mutilating children, and same-sex sexual relationships.

The true gospel is not a message of hate; it’s a message of love that Jesus is calling us to share. He loves us enough to lay down His life to cleanse us from our sins while we were sinners. That’s not hate, that’s amazing love. Love says we see you as someone who can be rescued from your sin!

So Pastor Bambrick felt inspired to make a powerful video ‘He Saves Us’ of people with testimonies of life-changing transformations. The slideshow in Bambrick’s video includes Kat Von D, a tattoo artist and TV personality who became a Christian after renouncing witchcraft; Josh Timonen, who became a Christian after helping atheist Richard Dawkins write a book against God; John Bruchalski, an abortionist turned OB/GYN; and Steven Bancarz, who repented of New Age practices.

Other portraits include former jihadist Mohamad Faridi, former KKK member Mike Burden, former drag queen and prostitute Kevin Whitt, former porn star Brittni De La Mora, former gang leader Sebastian Stakset, former drug addict Jeff Durbin, former trans-identifying woman Laura Perry, and former lesbian activist Rosaria Butterfield.

All slides show their former and current life with the same music in the background as in the He Gets Us foot washing ad. Closing captions on He Saves Us are: “Jesus Doesn’t Just Get Us. He Saves Us. He Transforms Us. He Cleanses Us. He Restores Us. He Forgives Us. He Heals Us. He Delivers Us. He Redeems Us. He Loves Us. Such were some of you.”

Pastor Bambrick said he hopes his video shows “the heart of Jesus” and reflects the love Christians have for those who remain enslaved to their sins.

‘He Saves Us’ is one minute, as was the foot washing slideshow. The two He Gets Us ads totaled 75 seconds. 30 seconds of commercial time during Super Bowl costs $7 million, not to mention the cost of making them. What a waste of money and opportunity.

Pastor Bambrick made his video in an hour, posted it on X, and it immediately went viral with millions of views. Praise God! He said the majority of comments were encouraging and positive.

Here is more of his interview Pastor Makes a ‘He Saves Us’ Ad in Response to ‘He Gets Us’ Super Bowl Ad, and It Goes Viral | CBN News. I hope you’ll take a minute to check it out and especially watch He Saves Us and share.

Let’s hope that He Saves Us and even He Gets Us has people talking about Jesus. We can pray that they open doors for people to seek out the true Jesus of the Bible.

Jesus was perfect as a human. Not one of us is perfect. Even though if you look closely in the first frame of the foot washing commercial, the girl on her knees doing the foot washing is wearing a white T-shirt that says “perfect.” A subtle message that believers see themselves as perfect. Not so.

Jesus was and is God. That’s the Deity and saving grace of Jesus that’s missing in the He Gets Us campaign. “The Father and I are one.” John 10:30

He understands us. He loves us. He wants us to live holy lives. He doesn’t want us to live sinful lives. He Saves Us.

15 For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15

Library Update

On Valentine’s Day, three of us attended the Garden Valley Library Trustees Board Meeting for the second time where we were successful in having removed from their November minutes the reference to us as “people in favor of censorship.” We continued to request that seven books targeted to children with obscene and pornographic material be removed from the library shelves and the online library catalogue.

I read the Idaho 1972 code on the definition of obscenity and pornography to minors. Another person shared the lack of trust in the library being a safe place for children, and a third person shared the American Library Association that presents books and policies to libraries is now being led by a Marxist Lesbian whose intent is to destroy capitalism, the family and subvert Christianity. The board said they would consider these requests, but we’ll need to continue attending future board meetings.

I’m interested to get your thoughts on this blog. Leave your comments here and I will reply.

February 19, 2024
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Once I was Blind, But Now I See!

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This week, I’m doing something I occasionally do and that’s promote a movie with a message that everyone needs to see and hear. I’m talking about the movie The Blind in theaters this week. Dave and I went to see it on 9/29 and even though I knew most of the story of Duck Dynasty’s Phil and Kay Robertson, I really didn’t know how bad it was before Jesus came into their life.

Decades before “Duck Dynasty,” Phil and Kay Robertson suffered a stormy early period of ten years in their marriage marred by Phil’s alcohol abuse and infidelity. “The Blind” captures their story of struggle, redemption, and hope.

When we were finding our seats at the theater, I saw a young teenage couple and asked if they knew what the story was about. They smiled and said they did. I told them how happy I was to see them there and that this film was reaching the next generation. After the movie, Dave and I started talking to a couple sitting next to us and discovered we had the same conservative faith beliefs and burden to protect children in our state’s schools and libraries. We were blessed to make new like-minded friends.

Let me backtrack a bit. Dave and I enjoyed watching the Robertson family with their four married sons’ families and Phil’s brother Uncle Si in their Duck Dynasty reality show adventures. That sparked our interest in learning more about them since the whole family was obviously Christian and they weren’t afraid to talk about their faith, Jesus, and family.

After Duck Dynasty ended, many in the Robertson family branched out with other shows, podcasts, books, and ministries.

Dave and I have a remote connection to the Robertson family. Their third son Willie Robertson’s wife Korie is the daughter of John and Chrys Howard owners of the former Howard Publishing that published my first two books, Dear God, They Say It’s Cancer: A Companion Guide for Women on the Breast Cancer Journey and Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter: Hope, Help, & Encouragement for Hurting Parents. The Howards later sold their publishing company to Simon & Schuster, which still publishes those two books.

I never personally met Miss Kay [as she’s fondly called] or Phil Robertson, but they spoke several years ago in Nampa, Idaho and Dave and I attended. Phil is a bold evangelist and speaks freely about his life before Christ and the change accepting Jesus as his Savior made in his life, his marriage, and his family.

Recently, we heard Phil and Miss Kay interviewed by Kirk Cameron on his TBN program Takeaways. They said that their children felt the couple’s early tumultuous marriage years needed telling to share the miraculous transformation Jesus made in Phil’s life and Kay’s belief in him when he was haunted by the demons of alcohol, infidelity, and childhood memories. I don’t want to give away any spoilers because you need to see the movie, but to quote Phil, “You’ve got to come to the end of yourself to find the beginning of God.”

It’s one thing to read and even hear Phil and Miss Kay’s testimony, but to see it visually in this film is indescribable and inspirational. The portrayal of Kay and Phil is raw, open, and vulnerable. They hold nothing back of how bad things were and how good God is. In the Kirk Cameron interview, Phil revealed something I hadn’t heard before that he had learned of fathering a now 45-year-old daughter during his time of infidelity. She’s welcomed into the Robertson clan.

Their son, Willie Robertson, said in an interview with USA Today Network about The Blind, “It’s the early years of their marriage, so it’s gutting and raw. It’s definitely not ‘Duck Dynasty.'”

 “It tackles big issues – mental illness, depression, alcohol abuse,” Willie said.

Willie and his wife Korie Robertson produced the movie with their Tread Lively production company.

“Mom and dad have been very public about their early struggles, but seeing it up there on the screen really made it real for all of us,” Willie said. “It’s tough for them to open up that part of their life, but they’ve been willing to do it to try to reach others who are struggling. People see the family and ‘Duck Dynasty’ and think, ‘They have everything,’ but this story illustrates we had hard times like everyone else,” said Willie, who was 2 when his parents separated for a time.

“It’s powerful,” Willie said. “It’s a story of hope and redemption that shows you’re never too far gone to be saved.”

“In this movie, ‘The Blind,’ we let go of everything. We’re telling it,” Miss Kay says.

The 10-year span in The Blind depicts what Phil Robertson himself describes as his wild rebellious years of substance abuse and cheating before turning to God and building the clan’s Duck Commander duck-call manufacturing business into an empire in rural West Monroe.

Why would the Robertson’s be so open, vulnerable, and transparent about such a dark time in their life? Because they care more about saving lives than saving their reputation. Their testimony is one of redemption, love, and forgiveness. A wife who didn’t give up hope for her husband and a Jesus who can save even the most despicable wayward person. A testimony shared to bring others to Jesus.

It’s not about how bad you were, it’s about how good God is! He goes after the one that was lost even though 99 are saved. Which gives each of us hope for those we think will never change their life. If God could turn heathen Phil into an evangelist, he can and will save anyone who surrenders his or her life to Jesus Christ and seeks forgiveness for their sins.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. Matt. 18:12-13

Why Share Our Testimony?

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. —Ps. 73:28 NLT

There’s no greater witness to God’s goodness than sharing what He’s done in your life. No one can question your testimony because it’s your personal experience. As we mature spiritually, we move beyond just remembering God’s goodness for our own benefit and start retelling our testimony to help others just like Phil and Kay have done.

We all have varied life testimonies in addition to our salvation testimony. Some of you have heard my “Feed my Sheep” testimony. If not, you can read a little here. I never tire of telling my story as History.

You may not think you have a testimony if you’ve been a Christian most of your life and life has gone smoothly. You can’t relate to Kay and Phil’s story or maybe even mine. God has been walking beside you guiding your life every step of the way. But 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!

Maybe you’re stumbling under the burden of a hidden past you’ve been too embarrassed to talk about and hope will never be revealed. Now may be the time to deal with those buried hurts and hang-ups. Like Phil and me, once they’re out in the open, Satan can’t use them against you anymore.

When I felt God leading me to write Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I had to ask my daughter if she was okay with me revealing the prodigal time in her life before she accepted Christ as her Savior. I assured her that I would also be sharing how I was a prodigal raising a prodigal.

I write her response in the Acknowledgments: “My dearest Kim, you will always be my “baby. To share our story, to bare our souls, is no little thing. I admire and celebrate the beautiful, humble, and courageous Christian woman you have become. When I shared my vision for this book, you were on board and willing to let me expose our lives on these pages, all for the glory of God. That’s no small concession, since our life together has had many twists and turns—some we regret and others we celebrate. I thank God for making both our paths straight. We were lost and now we’re found. I love you baby.”

Kim told me, “Mom, if we can help one daughter and her parents, we need to share our story.” Kim also writes in the book what she was feeling and thinking during her prodigal years.

God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn’t become their future. Like Phil and Kay’s testimony and Kim’s and mine, it’s the opportunity to give purpose to a crisis.

You might not make a movie, write a book, or tell your testimony from a stage, but God will bring people across your path and the Holy Spirit will prompt you to share. 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.

Revealing is the first step to healing!

Just like Phil’s spiraling down and my backsliding years, our testimony isn’t about how bad we were. Our message is the redemption and forgiveness available through our initial salvation or a rededication to Jesus Christ.

When people ask me how I made it through life’s difficulties, the best answer is, “I couldn’t have done it without God.” That’s your best answer too. It opens the door to share your story. By the way, your story doesn’t have to have a “happy ending” like the Robertson’s or mine for you to share it.

Your story becomes your testimony when the focus is on God, not on you. It’s not a time to tell someone else’s story. Stick to details that pertain to you and those willing to let you include them in your story.

When anyone tells me about an encounter with God, or a memorable circumstance in his or her life, I always ask if they’re writing it down because God is going to use it as a life-experience testimony. My ministry tagline is “Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.”

I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul [formerly Saul], a persecutor of Christians before he was struck blind by the Lord on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:1:1-18.

 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.

Later in Acts 22:1-16, Paul told his testimony of transformation from being an enemy and persecutor of Christians to an evangelist sharing the Gospel.

As I watched in The Blind, Phil Robertson’s retreat into the forest almost living like an animal during his darkest times, I was reminded of the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony of living like a wild animal until he also surrendered to God (Daniel 4:1-37).

At the closing of The Blind movie, they showed comments on the screen. One was what Miss Kay said to the former pastor of the West Monroe White’s Ferry Church of Christ who visited Phil in Junction City during his darkest hour, planting a seed that eventually sprouted. Kay said to the pastor, “If you can help save Phil, he will go on to help save thousands.” Which Phil certainly has done!

While many may know of Phil’s tenaciously outspoken faith now, they may not know the hard and twisting road he walked before surrendering to Jesus. The title “The Blind is a play on words and refers both to, “I was blind, but now I see” (John 9:25), and to a shelter that conceals duck hunters called “the blind.“

“I think maybe if these people watch the movie and see how I was, and then they look at me now and see how I operate, [it will give them hope],” Mr. Robertson said. “You got to remember all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God so I’m not the only person that has sinned. The way out is faith in Jesus Christ.”

“I would have never dreamed I would be out there preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ when I was back there getting drunk as a skunk,” he continued. “But when that happened and I was freed from it, [everything changed]. That’s why I’ve been saying ever since that happened and I came to Jesus [what God can do].”

“Our prayer is that people will see the movie and know there’s hope. It’s never too late to be saved.”

“Jesus—that one sacrifice—has made perfect, forever, those who come to Him. If you just think about it, His blood gives us the opportunity to move beyond our sinful self,” Mr. Robertson said. “What do you get when He shows up, when you come to Him by faith? Love, joy, peace, patience…. It’s well worth the effort to follow Jesus faithfully.”

Amen!

If you didn’t receive my September newsletter, here’s the link. I would encourage you to read it.

Some of the “Why Share Your Testimony” discussion above is from my book Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten.

Please leave a comment here. I reply to all comments.

October 2, 2023
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Yes, He Gets Us, But Jesus Doesn’t Want to Leave Us How He Found Us!

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By now, if you watched Super Bowl, or even if you didn’t, you’ve probably heard about the “He Gets Us” campaign. I’m often asked my opinion. Let me preface by saying, I’ll present what I’ve learned and discerned and then you can prayerfully form your own opinion of whether this campaign accurately glorifies Jesus. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

As I researched and prayed asking Jesus to give me wisdom, here’s the first three things I learned.

1. The originators’ motivation is to give Jesus what they refer to as a better “image” or “brand” than they think the church and Christians are portraying. They want to reach the younger generation with a “Jesus of love and understanding.”

2. Their website, offers choices like reading about Jesus in the Bible using You Version reading plans, which I’ve used too. I do much of my scriptural research on Biblegateway.com and they endorse He Gets Us.

3. There’s also a link on the He Gets Us website to join a chat group, but it doesn’t say who you chat with or who’s leading those groups. You can connect to a church, but what’s the criteria for belief statements of the churches? Can any church with any beliefs be on that list? You can also text for “prayer and positivity.”

I wasn’t impressed with the two commercials on Super Bowl. They seemed directed to a social justice Jesus who loves everyone, which is true He does, but Jesus does not love everyone’s sinful actions. Jesus hates sin that destroys the people He loves. That’s why He went to the cross to offer us redemption, forgiveness, and salvation from our sins. Sin separates us from God; reconciliation brings us back into a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The caption on the black and white Super Bowl commercial. “Jesus loves who you hate,” made it sound like we all hate someone. But disagreeing with someone’s actions isn’t hate. Jesus’s message was hate the sin, love the sinner enough to free them from their sins.

22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 8:22-23

As a believer in Jesus Christ of the Gospel, I found the commercials confusing and not true representations of Christ, although the first one was endearing. We should come to Him as children.

There is an argument in favor of the campaign because it was Revealed: Hobby Lobby founder behind $3 billion effort to ‘rebrand Jesus’ (msn.com) and how could he be part of something that isn’t spiritually authentic? Here’s what he had to say about it . . . .

Green discussed his involvement in the campaign, and the Super Bowl ad spots, during a November 2022 interview with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck. “We are wanting to say — ‘we’ being a lot of different people — that he gets us,” Green said. “[Jesus] understands us. He loves who we hate. I think we have to let the public know and create a movement.”

Again, who is David Green talking about that we “hate?”

What’s Missing with the ‘He Gets Us’ Campaign?

The “About Us” page on the He Gets Us website opens with: “He Gets Us is a movement to reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible and his confounding love and forgiveness. We believe his words, example and life have relevance in our lives today and offer hope for a better future.”

The word missing in that introduction prior to forgiveness is “repentance.” I also question the use of “reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible” because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and always, He doesn’t need a choreographed reintroduction.

The campaign founders describe themselves as “a diverse group of people passionate about the authentic Jesus of the Bible.” Who are these “diverse” people? Since “diverse” is a buzz word for CRT and DEI, what kind of diversity? They don’t explain.

They say, “We [who is we?] simply want everyone to understand the authentic Jesus as he’s depicted in the Bible—the Jesus of radical forgiveness, compassion, and love.” Which is true, but again confession and repentance of our sins comes before forgiveness.

They gloss over the actual Gospel with “Jesus is the son of God, who came to Earth, died, and was resurrected, then returned to heaven and is alive today.” What’s missing is the heart of the Gospel: how and why Jesus died a brutal horrific death on a cross to offer forgiveness of our sins by His blood shed for us. I don’t see sin, repentance, or the Cross mentioned anywhere on the website, which appears to be more a depiction of a feel-good Jesus.

Then again, the “diversity” element: “We also have included many voices in our work here—welcoming diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences to help us address the many concerns and issues we all face.”

What I’ve concluded, along with others, is they’re describing a Universalism “religion” where Jesus loves everyone so no matter what kind of life you’re living, it’s okay with Him. All people will be saved because there is no hell! Heretical. NOT biblical.

Jesus was human so yes, He does get us, but He was not one of us. He was God. That’s the Deity of Jesus I see missing in He Gets Us Campaign.

“The Father and I are one.” John 10:30

Natasha Crain wrote an insightful article I encourage you to read 7 Problems With the He Gets Us Campaign. In her article she writes, “Jon Lee, one of the chief architects of the campaign, says the team wanted to start a movement of people who want to tell a better story about Jesus and act like him. Lee states, “Our goal is to give voice to the pent-up energy of like-minded Jesus followers, those who are in the pews and the ones that aren’t, who are ready to reclaim the name of Jesus from those who abuse it to judge, harm and divide people.”

“But in today’s culture, there’s a popular notion that Jesus was the embodiment of love and all things warm and fuzzy, whereas His followers who talk about judgment, sin, objective morality, the authority of Scripture, and so on, are hopelessly at odds with what He taught. The He Gets Us campaign plays straight into that misconceived dichotomy.”

Crain continues, “Christians who adhere to clear biblical teachings on hot topics like the sanctity of life, gender identity, and sexuality, for example, are consistently accused of “harming” others by even holding those beliefs. Those who speak the truth about what God has already judged to be right and wrong are accused of being “judgmental” themselves. Those who understand Jesus to be the Son of God—the embodiment of truth, not warm fuzzies—are accused of being divisive when rightly seeking to divide truth from error as the Bible teaches (1 John 4:6).”

She then asks, “So my question is, when Lee says that he wants to rescue the name of Jesus from those who “abuse it to judge, harm and divide people,” does he mean that he wants to give people a more biblical understanding of Jesus, or does he want to rescue an unbiblical, culturally palatable version of Jesus from followers who proclaim truth that people don’t want to hear?”

When I [Janet] researched Jon Lee, I found an article that describes his goal and premise: “Jon Lee has some words for evangelical leaders who argue that Christian ethics like kindness, honesty, and loving your neighbor don’t apply to culture-war politics. “Good luck,” said Lee, a principal at Lerma, a cross-cultural advertising agency based in Dallas. Lee is one of the chief architects of the “He Gets Us” campaign, a $100 million effort to redeem Jesus’ brand from the damage done by his followers, especially those who say one thing and then do another.”

I personally don’t know of any evangelical leaders who don’t believe in “kindness, honesty, and loving your neighbor.” This only reinforces to me, as Natasha Crain determined, that this campaign led by Lee is trying to paint Bible-believing Christians as not portraying Jesus. We are the “oppressors” against killing babies, gender manipulation, mutilating children, and same-sex sexual relationships.

But wait a minute . . .

Jesus loves the little children!

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. Matt. 18:6

Jesus loves the two genders He created and affirms that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman!

 4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’[a]” 5 And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’[b] 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” Matt. 19:4-6 NLT

Lee and those with him are confusing and confounding Jesus’ perspective on sin and the sinner. When Jesus met the woman at the well, He gently called her out for having five husbands and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. He didn’t say I love you so much and understand how hard it is to be a single woman so it’s ok that you’re living in sin. No, He told her she had found the living water in Him, so go and sin no more. (John 4:1-30)

Jesus loved her to salvation when He told her every sin she had ever done but offered her repentance, forgiveness, and freedom from her sins!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Romans 8:1-8

In Mark 9:40, Jesus said, “Anyone who is not against us is for us.” I encourage you to read some of the links I’ve presented and make up your own mind, but it seems like the He Gets Us campaign is falling in line with the liberal government’s attempt to criminalize biblical Christianity, although many liberals were really upset about the Super Bowl commercials.

The good news is He Gets Us is getting people talking about Jesus. Not often do you see the name of Jesus during a football game! You usually hear His name said in vain! We can hope and pray that people will seek out the true Jesus of the Bible and not just someone’s interpretation of who He is.

Satan tried to tempt Jesus in his humanness, but Jesus NEVER sinned in His holiness. Not one of “us” can say that.

Jesus was perfect as a human. Not one of us is perfect.

So, trying to make Jesus our buddy who gets us is blasphemy because it removes His Deity. He does understand us, but He loves us so much He wants us to live holy lives. He doesn’t want us living harmful sin-filled lives.

15 For we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15

The Younger Generation Is Not Seeking a “He Gets Us” Jesus

The He Gets Us movement claims their goal is to reach the younger generation but when we watch the grassroots revival that started at Asbury University almost two weeks ago, there was no “rebranding campaign.” It was unscripted. The Holy Spirit prevailed and these young people see and feel the presence of Jesus. Thousands have been drawn to Asbury to be a part of a real Jesus movement as I wrote about last week, Revival is Necessary for Survival of the Church.

Even Tucker Carlson took notice and interviewed the student body president on his show last week. But when the Carlson producers wanted to send a film crew to capture what was happening at Asbury, they requested them not to come. They didn’t want media publicity or any commercialization of what was happening in the Spirit. They didn’t want marketing. They want to stay humbly and purely seeking Jesus. Tucker Carlson was surprised, but also in awe at the authenticity of what is taking place at the revival.

On June 18, 2018, I wrote a blog on my website Why Is the Church Going Dark? I also write for Crosswalk.com and they read my blog and asked if they could post it, so I gave permission. They’ve run that article almost quarterly ever since and posted on Facebook. It continues to receive thousands of views and comments. An oft repeated claim is that dark churches better reach the next generation. Yet we’re watching an amazing revival in a well-lit chapel with stained glass windows in a university filled with young people. No loud bands or famous speakers. The Holy Spirit leads and as of this writing, it’s spreading to other college campuses.

This revival started with a young man suddenly standing up in chapel confessing his sins, repenting, and asking for forgiveness. Only Jesus! No “branding.” No marketing. No pyrotechnics. No tolerance of sin. Only organic repentance and recognition of the need for forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with our Great God. As one professor at Asbury University described it, “A chorus of forgiven sinners crying out in thanksgiving to an almighty God!”

That’s what I feel is missing with the He Gets Us Campaign.

Jesus so gets us that He seeks after each one of us so that none will be left behind. He loves us but He doesn’t want us to stay where He found us wallowing in our sinful life. He offers us a new beginning and new life in Christ. The old shall pass away and the new life abound. That my friends is the Jesus of the Bible so easily found by simply opening our Bibles.

I want to close with a firsthand account from a friend who visited the Asbury Revival. She couldn’t even get in the chapel or auditorium the line outside was so long so she sat on the grass under a tree and could hear the music and the testimonies over the sound system. Here is an excerpt of what she heard about our Jesus.

I heard this during a brief period of testimony. “We are not only the object of Jesus’ affection. We are the agent of it.”

That’s the message. Go. Show. Love.

In a world that screams hatred, we crave what’s holy.

We found it, finally, and it’s spreading. Thank goodness.

Hope and relief. That’s the best way to describe it, and the hills were singing their song.

Definitely worth the trip.

Go. Show. Love. That’s the message. May it spread across the world.

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NLT

I would love to hear your comments and opinions, even if you disagree with me! If you received this blog by email, please leave a comment here.

February 20, 2023
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Only Jesus Can Cancel the Debt that Saves Your Life!

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Biden has created quite an uproar, and rightly so, by claiming he has the power to cancel college loan debts to the tune of 500 billion dollars by charging taxpayers, many who either have paid off their own college loans or never accrued them. He’s not even going full socialist by taking from the rich to give to the poor; he’s going true communist by taking from everyday Americans and in some cases giving to the rich who could pay off their own loans.

The timing is obvious as his poll approval is in the tank and this is a last-ditch effort to buy votes before the November elections. But so many people are enraged at this political ploy, that I’m sure it will backfire with lost votes because it doesn’t matter what political party you support, the 89,000 armed new IRS agents are coming for you and your money. It’s estimated this college loan forgiveness sham will cost every American family $2000. I wonder if that includes the students receiving the loan payoff since they’re taxpayers too!

I had already decided to write on a similar topic, when Biden just confirmed I was on the track God wanted me on.

Originally, I was going to write on cancel culture and how God isn’t worried about it because He was the originator of cancel when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to the Cross to cancel our sin debt. But there’s one important stipulation—you must believe that Jesus not only died on the Cross, He also arose three days later and returned to Heaven to prepare a place for all who would believe and follow Him.

There is no charge to you.

There is no charge to anyone else.

There is no price you must pay for forgiveness of your sin debt.

Your slate is wiped clean! You’re free to live a life honoring Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Such a hard concept for many to grasp and yet so many need to hear this Good News.

For those who are foolishly comparing corrupt Biden unjustly wiping away college debt to Jesus Christ being nailed to a cross in a bloody gruesome death to justly wipe away our sin, I say blasphemy. Anyone who would even try to compare the two is not a Christian and knows nothing about becoming a Christian, but this is certainly an opportunity to inform them of the biblical facts of salvation.

Going to college and incurring enormous loan debt is a choice. It was not forced or imposed on students. It was a life choice, a commitment, and a responsibility they accepted and willingly agreed to pay back.

Jesus went to the cross willingly to offer everyone the choice of accepting Him as their Lord and Savior without imposition or coercion. It’s a choice with no payback. You cannot pay for or earn salvation by good works or effort. You simply trade in your sin-filled life by surrendering your heart to Christ to receive the gift of eternal salvation and eternal life. It’s a commitment. It’s free. It’s available to everyone!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:23 ESV

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Eph. 2:8-9 ESV

16 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. John 3:16

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Rom 10:9 ESV

For those who make the life-saving, life-changing choice, Jesus has already paid the price. No one can make the choice for you or wipe away your sin debt, only Jesus.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Is. 1:18

Why Has College Become So Expensive in the First Place?

One of the things I’ve said about this ridiculous and unrighteous attempt to make innocent people pay for the college debts of others is that the Biden Administration loves to talk about getting to the “root cause” of issues like the outrageous onslaught of people flooding over our borders from other countries. The obvious root cause: Biden is inviting them here!

Why don’t the liberals investigate the root cause of exorbitant fees to attend colleges? Why don’t they investigate the tuitions that require college loans? Many colleges are already receiving federal subsidies. Who holds them accountable for what they’re charging students? These same over-priced institutions are the beneficiaries of all this government bailout and will only be encouraged to raise the tuitions even higher. The root cause: College administrators are also usually large Democrat donors with a huge liberal lobby.

The Biden Administration thinks they’ll win favor with the public by just throwing money at the problem and appeasing their donors and college lobbyists. Sad that college has now become a political tool and students and their families the political football. And we the taxpayers are being tackled and squeezed to pay for debts we didn’t incur.

What Are Others Saying?

I was interested to read what Christian financial expert Dave Ramsey had to say about this latest maneuver from the White House. Here are some of his comments.

“This is so intellectually dishonest.”

He added, “If [student loans] are so bad that you have to cancel them, then why are you continuing to make them? You should at least stop making them before we start forgiving them,” he added of student debt arrangements.

“It’s an obvious political ploy.”

He called the student loan industry “predatory.”

“If you are a $10,000 student loan person and you make less than $125,000, and [your loan] is getting ready to be forgiven — we’re happy for you. We want good things for you,” he said, referencing the notion of getting out of debt as quickly as possible. However, he said, “we’re also simultaneously angry on behalf of the people who paid off their loans and feel screwed — and you know why they feel screwed? Because they got screwed. That’s why.”

So, everyone out there “just paid off all of these other people’s student loan debt, and your grandkids paid them off.”

“This slide toward socialism … is out of control. This is a failed presidency,” he said.

Ramsey also said of the student loan handout, “What about the guy who takes out a student loan next week? What [is Washington] going to do to help him?”

Dave Ramsey reacts to Biden’s student loan handout: ‘Obvious political ploy’ | Fox Business

Former Secretary of Education William Bennet told FOX Business host Maria Bartiromo . . .

“This is a terrible, terrible, idiotic idea.”

“College charges and university charges have gone up so much higher than the rate of inflation — and we will see another increase now by the people who run these institutions.”

Bennett added, “We just keep chasing our tail. Keep increasing the grants, the loans — and they will keep increasing the charges. As soon as the money’s there, they will find a way to charge you for it.”

“The people who paid down their debt — they get nothing out of this. The people who never had debt — they get nothing out of this. The welders, the hairdressers, so many others — they get nothing.”

“So here you are, making a move that’s very bad for the economy, in terms of inflation,” said Bennett. 

“You’re favoring an already advantaged class over others,” he said. 

“You’re violating a basic contract agreement and obligation — when you take on debt, you should pay it back. You signed the paper — you took it on. And you’re not helping people who did the honorable thing.”

The “moral hazard here is pretty obvious,”

And “the only reason we can think that a person would advance this,” Bennett said, “would be for political purposes. They’re hoping that the people who get this [loan handout] will vote for Biden. That’s the only conclusion you can draw.” William Bennett on Biden’s student loan handout plan: ‘Terrible, idiotic idea’ | Fox News

Susan Rice’s response to those who have paid off their debt: “Yes, those who have paid their loans back deserve to be credited, that’s fantastic. That’s to their credit.” What a tone-deaf statement. Is she talking about crediting them back all the money they paid to fulfill their contract? No, I didn’t think so!

While Pelosi admits their going to selectively “relieve people of their obligation.”

How Will God Use This for Good?

The Democrat party has become godless and evil. But let me encourage you that God is bigger than all of this! He sees everything.

Biden doesn’t have the authority to cancel college debt with the stroke of a pen on an executive order. He’s not a king. He’s a President that must follow the Constitution and present this proposal to Congress, which he’s choosing to bypass. So far, they’re letting him, but we can only hope there are soon legal challenges to this obvious pay-for-votes bribery scheme. The Bible warns . . .

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. Pr. 22:7

Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings does have authority to cancel our sin debt and just like I did in this article, the discussion about this unjust extortion by the Biden Administration opens the door for us to discuss the free salvation available through a relationship with Jesus.

We simply turn the conversation to sharing our testimony and the Gospel with those who haven’t yet asked Jesus to forgive their sin debt.

We present the living Word, Jesus Christ, to a dying world.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Rom. 10:13

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August 28, 2022
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America Needs Truth Not Tolerance

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You might’ve noticed that I took a little longer to resume Monday Morning Blogs after Memorial Day break. I came down with a distressfully messy cold over Memorial Day, then a scratch on my cornea so I was trying to limit screen time while it healed. As hard as we tried to protect Dave from the cold, a week later he started coughing and sneezing too. A summer cold is not fun, and we take so many preventative supplements and eat so clean and healthy, I don’t know how it snuck through, but we’re both on the road to recovery now.

As always, the Lord has put a message on my heart to share that cannot be ignored, especially as we’re living in times that seem to resemble Sodom and Gomorrah and yet few are pushing back. Even many Christians and churches have decided to take the “safe” stance of tolerance as our children are being taught to believe that sin is normal and acceptable.

I mentioned to you previously that Dave and I enjoy watching Flashpoint on the Victory Channel and have shared it with many who become followers of this program that addresses current events with a biblical view of how Christians should respond to and engage in the culture. A recent show caught my attention, and God grabbed me with the assignment to share it because I knew what was being said was so true. I took notes as fast as I could and will present some of them here for you to consider.

Why Must Every Christian Know and Honor Biblical Truth?

Brenda Keesee, the author of Fight Like Heaven: A Cultural Guide to Living on Guard, responded to the Flashpoint host Gene Baily’s question about what pastors can do to help fight the spiritual warfare now going after our children, specifically trying to indoctrinate them in the “LGBTQ” lifestyle. She pointed out that the last generation was indoctrinated with abortion and the “women’s movement” and now that the enemy’s socialist/Marxist agenda has successfully normalized the gay way of life, it is now accelerating efforts to normalize transgenderism and gender confusion. When you give Satan a successful foothold, he moves on to the next victory!

You might’ve seen the disgusting clips of parents in Texas actually taking their children to a drag bar for a “Pride event” and having the young kids participate in perverse acts. What kind of parent would do that? Maybe a parent thinking they need to raise their children to be “tolerant” of all lifestyles. That’s what the liberal agenda and media drill into us that we’re prejudiced and intolerant when we don’t accept perversion instead of protecting our children and telling them the truth. Not wanting to be called names like “intolerant” or “homophobic” or worse, we cave to an immoral culture. This can happen even among Christians who would rather be woke tolerant than bold truth tellers.

New York City has paid $200,000 of taxpayer money to bring drag queen story hours into 34 public schools for children as young as three-years old! The events involve cross-dressed drag performers reading to schoolchildren at public schools, libraries and other LGBTQ centers, but have expanded to include coloring activities. Photos show drag performers instructing children in classrooms how to apply drag makeup. 

According to a reading list the non-profit shared online, performers read a variety of books ranging from classics like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “The Rainbow Fish,” which discuss topics like growth, acceptance and diversity, to others that more overtly discuss gender identity, such as “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish Swish Swish” and “The Dragtivity Book.”

Sometimes the parents were informed other times not.

Where is the outrage in the pulpit? Where are the pastors teaching the truth of what the Bible says about sinful living from the Bible not tolerance and acceptance from the culture?

Sadly, many are quiet and give the devil just the victory he’s celebrating today. You might have seen that abortion activists stood up in the middle of Joel Olsteen’s church while he was preaching and undressed shouting obscenities. That’s demonic. Something you would see demon-possessed women do in the Bible. But if Joel Olsteen has never spoken out against abortion, he left his door wide open for Satan. Even as this was occurring, he didn’t address it. He missed a perfect opportunity to say why abortion is biblically wrong and he didn’t take it.

Here are some shocking statistics:
1 out of 2 Christians don’t believe in absolute truth.

2 out of 3 Christians believe that absolute moral truth is determined by whether it furthers my beliefs.

There’s no definitive right and wrong. No moral consensus or compass. No reliance on biblical truth.

Does that shock you like it does me?!

Let’s Look at What the Bible Says About Truth Versus Tolerance

Before we look at God’s truth, it’s important we’re all understanding the terminology and definition of truth. I came across and amazing article and I’m going to share parts of it in this blog as well as next week when we look at the shocking realization that America is a Republic and NOT a Democracy, which the Democrats keep trying to tell us it is.

Let’s agree on some definitions of truth, fact, positive knowledge, and opinion.

Truth is defined as: “the body of real things, events, and facts.”  Simply said, truth is something real, a fact.  

Fact is defined as: “something that has actual existence,” or, “an actual occurrence.” It defines “in fact” as: “in truth.” Therefore, fact is truth, truth is fact, both are real, and one supports the other. 

Positive is defined as: “real, unqualified, and incontestable.” 

Knowledge is defined as: “the condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning.” 

Therefore, positive knowledge would be real, unqualified, and incontestable truth or fact. 

Incontestable means “indisputable” and “unquestionable.” In other words, BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF A DOUBT.   

Contrast those with the definition of opinion: “a view formed in the mind,” and, “a belief stronger than impression and LESS STRONG than positive knowledge.” Opinion, then, is LESS STRONG than either truth or fact which are both positive knowledge, meaning, opinion is not only “in the mind,” it’s make-believe and fantasy.

Fact and truth are real. Opinion is make-believe. 

Fact and truth are undebatable. An opinion is debatable. A fact or truth is something that really happened and is shown with unbiased words. An opinion is a perception of something that is expressed with biased words. A fact or truth can change opinion, but opinion cannot change either fact or truth. 

The only time fact or truth won’t change an opinion is when the person holding that opinion is either incapable of logical thought or behaving irrationally, or, in the case of a psychopathic mindset, lying, meaning, someone who might be mentally ill. Article IV Section 4 – Reclaim Our Republic Because Truth Matters

So when we speak biblical truth it is God’s irrefutable, undebatable, undeniable fact and not simply an opinion!

We determine truth by what does the Word of God say. Whether it’s popular or not, if God says it, we go with it! And that’s a fact. You can listen to different opinions, but we don’t tolerate or accept them as truth if they’re contrary to God’s Word, the Bible. The only infallible truth.

We’re not left to wonder and come up with our own definition of truth, Jesus is the Truth. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The Belt of Truth is the absolute truth that holds all the other parts of the armor of God together. When we don’t operate out of God’s Truth, we’re conceding to losing the spiritual battle. Truth is more than information. God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit, but without the Belt of Truth, our sword falls at our side useless. (Eph. 6:10-18)

Love speaks God’s truth. Not in a mean-spirited argumentative way or beating someone over the head with the Scriptures, but when Satan in the desert or demons in His ministry confronted Jesus, the only response He gave was to quote Scripture.

God’s Word is a weapon that the Holy Spirit will use to give life to the world, but we must know our Bible to use it and live by it effectively. Polls show that there are 28 million less Bible readers than a year ago!! I pray that doesn’t include you.

72% of Pastors don’t think the Bible is absolute.

1 in 6 Christians can’t identify current events with Scripture.

Many Christians base their faith on soundbites like: God is love. God loves everyone. Love the sinner not the sin. They’ve let this misconception of “theology” slide into “tolerance of sin” without realizing that when someone chooses to keep on sinning and not separate from that behavior, it becomes who they are!

God hates sin. He sent His One and Only Son Jesus to the cross to provide a way out of sin not to live in sin.

Love without truth is not love. We hurt people when we don’t share the truth. If I love someone, I need to bring the truth to him or her so that they can be free from the wages of sin, eternal death.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31

If there’s no truth, there’s no conviction, no repentance, no salvation.

You will never read in the Bible about God or Jesus tolerating sin and God was very specific in Romans 1:18-32 to outline exactly what is sin. He also said that for those who choose to keep on sinning, He will turn them over to the life they’ve chosen and the resulting consequences. He did NOT say it’s OK to keep on sinning and I’ll tolerate it.

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

There are six things the Lord hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family. Pr. 6:16-20 NLT

Jesus Is Love but He Never Compromises on the Truth!

Let me close with an example of how Jesus lovingly shared the truth with a Samaritan woman living in sin.

Jesus first found common ground with her in asking for a drink of water while she was at the well, even though He a male Jew traditionally wouldn’t be talking to a Samaritan woman.

Then He intrigued her curiosity by suggesting she ask Him for living water and an opportunity for eternal life.

Next, he tactfully, called out her sin of living with a man who wasn’t her husband, which she admitted. Then He told her . . .

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:4-42

Jesus didn’t tolerate her sin, He confronted it. He showed her love by leading her out of her sinful life. He offered her eternal life, and she shared her faith with others who became believers! Who do you know living in sin who needs to be loved with the Truth? Tolerance hurts, Truth loves.

Let the Word of God guide you, not the culture.

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matt. 18:2-4 NLT

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June 13, 2022
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A 2021 THANKSGIVING Prayer

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Many of you read my blog regularly, some are new followers. Even though we may never have met, while others I know quite well or we’ve had the opportunity to meet and fellowship together, I want you all to know that when I write this Monday Morning Blog or my monthly newsletter, you are on my mind. I’m wondering what you’re thinking about world events and how I can encourage you with the Word of God.

Often you tell me that a particular blog was just what you needed to hear and we both know that it was God using me as His messenger. To God be the glory. I appreciate all of your comments and always acknowledge with a response.

As I read Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I noticed the heading for Chapter 1:1-11, 27-28 in the NIV translation: Thanksgiving and Prayer. I thought how appropriate to personalize this passage as my Thanksgiving Prayer for all of you.

My Thanksgiving Prayer Personalized from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians in Chapter 1

Adapted from Philippians 1:1-11 (NIV and NLT)

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus . . . Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every time I think of you my dear family, friends, peeps, church family, readers, blog/newsletter followers, brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow authors and speakers, I give thanks to our God. In my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the first day you heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began a good work within and through you and me, will carry it on until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

So it is right for me to feel this way about all of you for you have a special place in my heart. Whether I am chained to the computer writing the next book, blog, or newsletter, or defending and confirming the gospel and the value of mentoring, all of you share in God’s grace and ministry with me. We’re connected spiritually through prayer, praise, communication, and social networking. God knows how much I love you and long for you to be blessed with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: That your love may overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to focus on what really matters, so that you may be able to discern what is best for you and those you love and cherish, and live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—as you guide, encourage, parent, serve, and mentor others. Be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Live a Life Worthy of the Gospel. Live as Citizens of Heaven. Adapted from Philippians 1:27-28 (NIV and NLT)

Whatever happens, above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I know you personally or never meet you but only hear about your great work, I will know that we stand firm in one Spirit, and one purpose, fighting together as one for our faith, which is the Good News of the Gospel. Don’t be frightened or intimidated in any way by those who oppose or offend us. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that even God himself will save us.

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this battle together. You and I have struggled in the past, and we’re very much still in the midst of it, but don’t lose hope. Jesus will be back soon! Praise God, Hallelujah!

Personal Message From Janet

This Thanksgiving, and every day, go and represent Christ to a depraved and fallen world, so that because of your witness and sharing the Good News of Jesus there will be more saved than lost (“destroyed”) when Christ returns. We see how eminent His return could be as we watch our world seemingly spinning out of control, but we also remember that God is always in control and He is close to all who seek and love His guidance and direction.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving a day filled with joy, peace, and gratitude for the many blessings we each have because we serve a great and glorious God who will never leave us or forsake us.

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. Ps. 95:1-2 NLT

Let this be our prayer together as we gather with others this Thanksgiving: For I decided that while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 1 Cor. 2:2 NLT

I thank God in remembrance of each of you.

Happy Blessed Thanksgiving,

Janet

PS: You may have noticed that there was no Monday Morning Blog last Monday, November 15. We had a hectic week prior and enjoyed a wonderful time with guests visiting with us from California over the weekend and I just ran out of time and energy. Occasionally, I will take a break and I’ll try to give you warning, so there also will not be a blog the Monday after Thanksgiving, November 29. But I will post my monthly free online About His Work Ministries Newsletter on that Monday. If you don’t already receive the newsletter, you can sign up on my website or contact me and we’ll add your email address.

Here are several previous Thanksgiving blogs for your enjoyment:
Love Your Body—How to Survive Holiday Eating
Love Your Body—Give Yourself the Gift of Health

If you receive this blog by email, please leave a comment here and share what you’re thankful for this year. I read and respond to all comments.

November 22, 2021
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Don’t Let Vaccines Divide the Church!

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Yesterday, I stopped by our local medical clinic and a flyer on the door said that flu shots were now available. I, like many of you, have wondered why the flu has seemed to go dormant during COVID. What happened to the flu?

But what struck me as most interesting is that flu shots aren’t as controversial as Covid vaccines. I don’t remember ongoing debates about whether to get the annual flu shot. Or those who chose not to get the flu shot being villainized even though the flu is extremely contagious, hospitalizes thousands, and results in many deaths. Still everyone seems to concede that whether you get that jab is completely up to you and your doctor.

During flu seasons, the healthy didn’t wear masks and schools and businesses all stayed open as usual. The White House and the media weren’t in cahoots that if you didn’t have the flu shot you were a bad person, a murderer, probably a Republican, and should lose your job and livelihood.

Fast forward to 2021 when a vaccine that scientists, medical professionals, and we the people admittedly know very little about its effectiveness or side-effects is being touted by the White House, the media, and many converts as the savior of the universe.

Let me stop right here and say that I am not anti-vax. I am anti-mandates! I am anti-government draconian overreach. I am anti-forced medical treatment. I am anti-vaccine passports.

I am pro doing research and prayerfully making an educated informed decision about what you choose to put into your own body.

My Pastor’s Thoughts

Several weeks ago, our pastor started his sermon sharing how he had paced the floor and struggled with the topic God wanted him presenting to us. I understand that struggle because I confront it every week when deciding the topic for this blog.

He said he felt called to talk about the “elephant in the room.” I wondered which of the many elephants in our world today he meant. We’ve been studying in the Book of Acts, but I could see from the study notes that this Sunday morning we were going to be in Romans 14:1-12 and his topic was “Freedom of Choice.” He went on to explain that the choice he was referring to was whether to get the vaccine and how we as Christians should relate to each other about vaccines.

He pointed out that Paul wrote Romans 14 to a culture of Jewish and Gentile Christians in conflict. At issue was what food they could eat and days to set aside for worshipping God. Today we have the great divide between vaccinated and non-vaccinated, even in the church.

But verses 4-10 underscore why we are not to judge others’ health decisions. It’s between each person and the Lord.

4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

As individuals, we’re all held accountable to God for our own choices and decisions not for those of others. Don’t boast about being right, strive to be righteous. Paul explained this concept in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

The Gospel Outranks COVID

We can certainly each have our own opinions, as I do, but we need to let the Holy Spirit guide our speech and actions with each other and with the world. I’ve said many times that I personally wish Christians were more diligent about sharing the Gospel than their political, Covid, and vaccine opinions.

It’s a given that we’re all going to die at our appointed time and of course we want to take care of ourselves and our health as best we can, but what’s most important is knowing that we will spend eternity with Jesus. And that should be our main concern for those God puts into our lives!

Yes, we want to protect them from Covid and any other earthly harm, but what about their forever-heavenly life?! Are they ready to die at their appointed time? Have we shared Jesus with them? Do we pray as hard for their spiritual health and wellbeing as we do for their earthly health?

I once had a conversation with my oncologist who said he was an atheist. I told him your goal/purpose is to save my earthly life and I’m so grateful; but my goal/purpose is to help others experience salvation for their eternal life.

God gave us free will. He doesn’t mandate that we all become Christians and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior for now throughout eternity. It’s our choice. The most important decision we’ll ever make to save our life is ours alone. No one can make it for us.

Also, no earthly person can replace or have the authority of God even though unleashed power and ego can make some misguided people feel like they are a god. In speaking about vaccines, Biden said last Thursday in a speech to the nation, “This is not about freedom or personal choice,” as he mandated that all businesses with 100 or more employees must have all employees vaccinated. Does that sound like the President of the free world or a dictator trying to outrank God and eliminate our free will and choices?

What about all the employees who’ve already had Covid and have antibodies precluding the need for a vaccine? Doctors were trying to harvest their antibodies for blood transfusion treatments last year. Now we don’t even hear about that. What about the health care worker shortage exacerbated by firing employees who don’t succumb to this tyrannical rule? Or small business owners barely staying afloat? Or teachers who choose not to be vaccinated causing a teacher shortage?

I do believe we’re political pawns as the real goal of Biden is to take credit for having a large percentage of Americans vaccinated, even if by coercion. While ironically, he’s encouraging millions of unvaccinated illegals to flood our southern borders!

Biden ended his speech with, “My job as president is to protect all Americans.” Unfortunately, we’ve yet to see Americans be Biden’s priority. If he really cared about Americans’ safety, he would close the borders!

What we have seen instead from the White House and their media arm is an obsession with creating divisiveness and dissent in America. We cannot, we must not, let that infiltrate our churches. The Holy Spirit is the spiritual lifeblood of Christians and we need to let our speech, thoughts, and actions be under the Spirit’s direction. I do believe, along with many others, that spiritual revival is the only hope for America.

We are not each other’s enemy. Satan is our enemy! “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Satan wants to destroy the church and what better way than to have us infighting over a vaccine instead of uniting to share Jesus during a time when many are living in fear and uncertainty.

I don’t think God is done with us yet, but He needs His army acting as one under His command. So whether you get the jab or you don’t, here’s a closing word for you from the apostle Paul.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Eph. 4:9 NLT

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Phil. 2:1-2 NLT

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September 20, 2021
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Have We Forgotten How to Disagree Amicably?

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Last week, I posted this comment on Facebook on a smiley face background,

I did it!! Walked into Walmart w/o a mask. Only person who said anything was a woman w/o a mask too who said “Nice to see your face!”

After a year of wearing masks, I must admit, I did feel a bit emboldened as I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription.

Even as you read my Facebook post, some of you might have thought, “You go girl!” While others are thinking, “You’re endangering fellow shoppers.”

As a side note, the county I was in had lifted the mask mandate weeks ago but private and corporate stores like Walmart and COSTCO still had their signs up requiring masks. I’ve also had COVID and the vaccine (another controversial topic) so I wasn’t a threat to anyone. I was just smiling and breathing freely as we’ve been doing at our church for months. It was invigorating, a flashback to “normal.”

I honestly wasn’t prepared for the tremendous response this post would receive. I should’ve been ready for it though since masks have become the latest source of division and disagreement among Americans, including Christians.

We just experienced a divisive election with controversial consequences and there’s no end of things to disagree about with COVID. Anyone spending time on social media knows that people say things to each other they probably would never say face-to-face.

So I braced myself as I saw the comments on this post flooding across the screen and even speculated if I should delete it. But then, something so inspiring happened. A dear friend who has suffered severely from Covid posted her perspective and with love and tears, we both kindly shared our experiences and perspectives while maintaining and confirming our sweet friendship and vowing to continue praying for each other.

Relieved that we made it through as two Christians who care about each other and appreciate the other’s opinion, I noticed that another friend who read our discourse wrote this comment . . . “I appreciate your ability to discuss this hot topic with respect and civility and both of your points of view are valid.”

Wow! To everyone reading the comment trail on my post, my friend and I had unknowingly been an example of how to present our opposing sides amicably because we cared about each other. Shouldn’t that be how all Christians communicate when they disagree?

The answer of course is yes, but do we? Why don’t we always remain civil even when we don’t know the other person we’re communicating or disagreeing with? Can’t we still be amicable and show respect? What a witness that would be to a watching world!

My daughter is very good at presenting an opposing position, often using humor. I’ve never seen her attack another person for their beliefs, even when she vehemently disagrees with them. She’s actually much more tactful than I am and I applaud her because that’s a gift.

If It’s In Your Heart, It’s Probably Going to Come Out of Your Mouth!

Jesus warns, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). So whatever you say is residing in your heart. Even when we try to take back a comment or claim we really didn’t mean it . . . Jesus says we did mean it. It was in our heart all along. We can apologize for saying it, but we can’t take it back.

It’s especially important that the body of Christ learn how to disagree without being disagreeable. God wants Christians to be of one accord in all our relationships, both personal and spiritual. He gave us numerous guidelines in the Bible because He knew that as humans filled with pride, ego, differences, and opinions, we’re going to disagree.

That’s also the beauty of unique personalities. Often seeing things through someone else’s view gives us a new perspective. But what the world needs to see from us as believers is that we live in peace with one another, whatever it takes to achieve it. A house divided cannot stand, and with all the division in our world today, the church must stand together firm in the belief that our God reigns and His Word determines how we navigate our relationships.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Ps. 119:11

Five Ways to Disagree Amicably!

1. State your opinion, but don’t force it on the other person.

Friendships should be a safe place to disagree. If you have a variety of friends, you’re going to have a variety of differing opinions. You can learn from each other.

In our couples small group, we get into some heavy exchanges of opinions, but we always know at the end of group we’ll pray, have dessert and coffee together, and leave as friends. After one evening of especially heated discussion, one person prayed that they were grateful we respected each other enough that we could express our thoughts openly, but still maintain our friendships.

We’re still brothers and sisters in Christ, even though we don’t agree about everything.

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

2. Don’t devalue the other person.

Don’t attack their character. Remain humble.

Use “I” statements; avoid “You” attacks. State the benefits of your position rather than the hazards or negatives of their beliefs.

No name-calling allowed.

I think we would all agree, say it to my face, not behind my back. If we’re not willing to confront someone, then we shouldn’t say it at all.

Respect must be extended for it to be received.

Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. 1 Peter 2:17 NLT

3. Consider your motives.

We get into disagreements because we want the other person to acknowledge we’re right. Sometimes we care more about being right than “our truth” helping the other person.

When one of my granddaughters was in third grade, she was sharing Jesus with two classmates of a different faith and they ended up in a disagreement. I asked my granddaughter whether her motivation was compassion for her friends’ salvation or wanting to be right.

If it was their salvation, she should share about why she loves Jesus and He loves her. If she just wanted to be right, she probably focused more on how wrong their faith was and that made them mad. She agreed she would be far more effective showing them Jesus’s love than trying to win an argument.

People will know the love of Jesus through the love we show them.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Rom. 13:8

4. Establish that your relationship is more important than the disagreement.

When you see a conversation turning into a disagreement, stop! Establish between the two of you that your relationship means more to you both than the issue at hand. If you both agree that continuing on would be harmful, then change the subject.

No disagreement is worth losing a friend, acquaintance, or a family member.

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 2 Tim. 2:23

5. Let it go and pray!

Often a disagreement drags on because one of us won’t give up, or we take the bait to engage instead of letting it pass.

We want the other person to come around to our way of thinking because we’re sure our way is the only correct way and we have a great argument to support it. Tempers and voices rise or dash across the screen, usually with extra !!! We say things we wish we hadn’t. Relationships fall apart.

It takes discipline to let the other person have the last word and then let the issue go.

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

Dear Lord, Satan is trying with all his might to divide your house and your people. We pray Lord with all our might that we would not let that happen. We would remember that a house divided cannot stand. Help us to be the peacemaker in our communication with relationships, friendships, and families, without bending or compromising on the Truth. And Lord, if it must be that there are those who choose to no longer be our friends or in a relationship with us, guard us against a bitter heart. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen

“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” 1 Cor. 3:11

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

PS There won’t be a Monday Morning Blog for the next 2 weeks but hope to be back April 12th.
You might enjoy reading my article 5 Refreshing Ways to Welcome Renewal Beyond Easter. Happy Resurrection Easter to everyone!

March 22, 2021
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How Should Christians Respond to Conspiracy Theories?

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Conspiracy is a word we hear often these days in the news. I receive many unsolicited videos and articles about potential conspiracies. They often arrive in my Facebook Messenger or sometimes by email. I don’t open any of them, ever, and I would advise you not to either.

I’m writing about conspiracies today solely because the word jumped out at me as I read Jeremiah 11:9-10 in my morning quiet time and I knew the Lord wanted to get my attention:

Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. They have returned to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. Jer. 11:9-10

I don’t think I’ve ever noticed conspiracy in my Bible reading before even though there are many conspiracies discussed throughout the Bible.

2 Samuel 15:12-13 NLT describes the attempt of David’s son Absalom to overthrow him. How heartbreaking to have your own child conspire against you: “While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum. A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, ‘All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!’”

In the story of Esther, her uncle Mordecai revealed a conspiracy to kill Esther’s husband King Xerxes:
“During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.” Esther 2:21

Saving his life greatly endeared Mordecai to the king, so jealous Haman, the king’s highest noble, conspired to kill all of the Jews including Mordecai and Esther.

In the New Testament, a group of Jews conspired to kill the apostle Paul.

12 The next morning a group of Jews[a] got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. 14 They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Acts 23:12-14 NLT

We know well the story of the conspiracy to kill Jesus. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. Matt 26:59

Conspiracies Usually Have an Evil Intent

David wrote in Psalm 64:2 “Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers.”

David well describes the definition of conspiracy:

  • An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act.
  • n. A group of conspirators.
  • n. An agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime or accomplish a legal purpose through illegal action.

True, you might conspire together to throw a surprise birthday party, but usually conspiracies have a sinister intent.

Our country went through a four year conspiracy that continues even today, as villainous people conspire to take down President Trump.

As I struggled with God asking why He would want me to write about conspiracies, I received an email from Pastor Shane Idelman with and excerpt from his article God’s Not Done: 3 Ways to Benefit from Trials.
…let God build you up rather than allowing the ‘negative Nellies’ to pull you down. Don’t let them cloud your judgment with doomsday prophecies and worst-case scenarios. How do we know that God is not breaking us down to build us up? Nowhere in the Bible are we encouraged to let conspiracy theories and doom and gloom flood us with fear…The Bible tells us to do business and to fight with prayer, fasting, worship, and the Word until He returns. We are to cast down fear, not embrace it.”

There it was again: conspiracy. Shane’s wise counsel was to not let conspiracy theories dominate our minds or cause fear.

Then scrolling through FB, I saw a friend shared Brian Haynes article Conspiracy Theories Among Christians. I agree with his conclusion:

“Conspiracy theories are a waste of time and energy for the follower of Christ in my opinion. We just need to know the King (Jesus) and the Kingdom agenda and then we do our part to abide in Christ and bear much fruit and so prove to be his disciples NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE (John 15). Even if one of the hundreds of conspiracy theories flying around out there are true and we find that out, what are we going to do? “See, I told you so?” How does that forward the Kingdom of Jesus?”

A friend posted on Facebook: “Lately, God’s been impressing on me to limit the ‘voices’ and ‘noises’ I hear and listen to—I need to be mindful and discerning.” I commented on her post that this was exactly what God was telling me to share in my article.

Discernment is vital.

We’re inundated with reams of information today, but we need to sieve through what’s true and what’s important for us to know, and let the rest go. We pray: “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.” Ps. 119:125

Pray and Intercede

What was the one thing Esther and her people did when confronted with the very real conspiracy to annihilate them? They fasted and prayed.

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:15-16

Most of us aren’t in a position like Esther to physically influence the outcome of actual conspiracies like Russiagate or the impeachment hoaxes, but we can spiritually intercede and pray for truth to prevail.

God wants us living in peace not a perpetual state of anxiety or chasing after every conspiracy theory we hear about.

“Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” Is. 8:12-13

Christians should turn their attention, energy, and prayers to this truth . . .

***The Eminent Return of Jesus Christ is NOT a Conspiracy Theory.***

The return of Jesus is a documented truth that should consume us, unite, us and mobilize us.

Spiritually arm yourselves and stand firm in the faith.

We shouldn’t be gossiping or spreading hearsay conspiracy theories, we should be sharing the Truth that on Jesus Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

Share the Good News of Jesus Christ! Let a light shine from your heart that draws the questioning lost to you. Be ready to answer their questions and help them find the saving grace of knowing Jesus as their Savior.

Don’t cower or hide. Share your testimony. Be a witness and reach out in love to people while there is still time. Don’t be ashamed of telling others about the most important person in your life, you just might save their life.

For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. Psalm 33:4-5

Spirit of God, fill my heart and mouth with petitions you want to hear. Overcome the evils of this world, change the headlines I read, through my intercession. May the prayers of your people prepare a highway into the hearts and minds of many. Amen (Salt & Light Devotional)

PS: I received many private messages thanking me for last week’s blog. Here it is if you didn’t get a chance to read it: The Power of the Spirit in Us is Mightier Than the Power of the President’s Pen!

February 8, 2021
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5 Ways to Disagree and Still be Friends

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While playing a card game with my grandchildren and their mommy, mommy suddenly “went out” on the first hand before any of us had a chance to play our cards. I was sitting across from my young granddaughter, who was next in line to play. As realization set in that the game was over, her face went from shock to anger as she erupted into a meltdown throwing her cards across the table, leaping out of her seat, and tearfully yelling she would never play with us again!

We tried to contain our smiles knowing she was upset for the moment, but would recover and return to the fun. I hope that as she matures, she will learn how to lose gracefully.

Sadly, during this presidential election cycle, just like 2016, we’ve witnessed adult meltdowns among friends and relatives who find it difficult, even impossible, to maturely disagree politically and still remain friends. Many tell stories of family members disowning them. Political disagreements turned personal.

Tragically, we watch with horror young people and adults displaying violent meltdowns in the streets of many of our cities with looting, burning, destruction, assaults, vileness, and even murder, without any local control! This seems to be the 2020 way for many liberals to express their political views.

I’ve had many “unsubscribes” to this Monday Morning Blog when I say we all should vote for a political platform and not a person. Even though they’ve followed me for years, I am no longer their friend because we disagree on a presidential candidate.

Political disagreements are not the only cause of divisiveness. I have family members who keep their distance because I’m a Christian. You probably do too.

COVID has introduced a sundry of issues for “friends” to disagree over. I wrote a blog recently Don’t Let COVID Divide the Church! We’re On the Same Team. In this article, I also discuss the reasons not to waste your time getting entangled in social media disagreements. I have seldom seen anyone with an opposing view leave a comment, “I see your point.” Typically, they just want to prove their point!

We all have a right to our beliefs but it shouldn’t end our relationship, our friendship, or our family ties.

Five Ways to Disagree and Still Maintain the Friendship

1. State your opinion but don’t force it on the other person.

Friendships should be a safe place to disagree. If you have a variety of friends, you’re going to have a variety of differing opinions. You can learn from each other.

In our couples small group, we get into some heavy exchanges of opinions, but we always know at the end of group we’ll pray, have dessert and coffee together, and leave as friends. After one evening of especially heated discussion, one person prayed that they were grateful we respected each other enough that we could express our thoughts openly, but still maintain our friendships.

We’re still friends in Christ, even though we disagree on some spiritual and perhaps political issues.

Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. Phil. 3:15 NLT

2. Don’t devalue the other person.

Use “I” statements; avoid “You” attacks. Ask why they believe the way they do. State the benefits of your position rather than the hazards of their beliefs. No name-calling allowed.

Don’t attack their character. Remain humble.

Respect must be given to be reciprocally received.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:10 NLT

3. Consider your motives

We get into disagreements because we want the other person to acknowledge we’re right. Sometimes we care more about being right, than “our truth” helping the other person.

My granddaughter was trying to share Jesus with two friends of a different faith, and they ended up in a disagreement. I asked my granddaughter whether her motivation was compassion for her friend’s salvation or wanting to be right.

If it was their salvation, she should speak with passion about how much she loved Jesus and He loves her. If she just wanted to be right, she probably focused more on how wrong their faith was and that made them mad. She agreed she would be far more effective showing them Jesus’s love than trying to win an argument.

Our friends and family will know the love of our Jesus through the love we show them.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 NLT

4. Establish that your friendship is more important than the disagreement.

No disagreement is worth losing a friendship or a family member relationship.

Nothing is that important.

When you see a conversation turning into a disagreement, stop and establish between the two of you that your friendship or relationship means more to you both than the issue at hand.

If you both agree that continuing with the conversation would jeopardize your relationship, then change the subject.

Heather and I have been friends for years, and I love what she says about our friendship: “I have been aware of your position on politics as long as I’ve been your friend, and it hasn’t mattered. If you were not aware of mine, perhaps it is because I am much more interested in building and maintaining friendships than in debating politics.”

In my book, Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I share a time when my daughter and I differed on several major issues, but we still loved each other. We didn’t talk about them every time we were together, but we did talk about things we agreed on. We loved each other unconditionally because our mother/daughter relationship was more important than our differences.

Over the years, we’ve disagreed on other topics and we’ve practiced the same respect for each other. Love is more important than our disagreements.

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

5. Let it go and pray!

Often a disagreement drags on because one of us won’t give up or we take the bait to start a disagreement instead of letting it pass.

We want the other person to come around to our way of thinking because we’re sure our way is the only right way and we have a great argument to support it. Tempers and voices rise. We say things we wish we hadn’t. Friendships and relationships fall apart.

It takes discipline to let the other person have the last word and then let the issue go.

Recently, I was at dinner with a group of Christians and I assumed we all had the same political views. We had been friends at church for years but had never discussed politics. Suddenly, one of the women asked what I thought of “Trump.” When I expressed favor, she started to say “Even though . . . .”

I could see where this conversation was going. I had arguments for what I knew she was going to say, but instead I decided to kindly reply, “I don’t think this is the time to get into a political discussion” and changed the subject.

Because we had never discussed politics before, I didn’t know she was liberal while I’m a conservative. But I knew we had been, and would continue to be, friends.

Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. Pr. 18:1-2 NLT

Lord, Satan is trying with all his might to divide your house and your people. We pray Lord with all our might that we would not let that happen. We would remember that a house divided cannot stand. Help us to be the peacemaker in our relationships, friendships, and families, without bending or compromising on the Truth. And Lord, if it must be that there are those who choose to no longer be our friends or in a relationship with us, guard us against a bitter heart and remind us to pray for a softening of their heart also. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Note: This is an adaption and update of an article I wrote for Crosswalk after Donald Trump won the 2016 election. Not much has changed this year except it’s escalated to violence in the streets not just for a few days, but for months. I pray not only friendships but also our country survives the 2020 election.

September 7, 2020
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