Speaking Out

Titus 3:1-2

The more I read about the Westboro Baptist Church, the angrier I become.

These people do not represent true Christianity. As Christians, we are Ambassadors of Christ. We are supposed to be gentle and humble and live at peace with others (1 Timothy 2:1-2). We are not supposed to be going out of our way to disrupt society and offend people.

The only offensive thing about us is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (John 15:18-19).

I am going to make it a point to pray for Westboro Baptist Church. Join with me in praying that the Holy Spirit will move in their hearts and convict them of their sin and that God sends some real teachers. They are being led astray by false teachers and by what the Apostle Paul called "doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1).

The people at Westboro Baptist Church are taking our Lord's name in vain and spreading hate. We are to share the love of Christ Jesus in gentleness to bring glory to His name.

God is AWESOME!

Always On My Mind

Acts 8:26-38

My wife and I were talking this evening, and she mentioned to me that a friend of hers whom she hasn't seen in a long time called her today. Her friend told her that she had been thinking about her quite a bit, and she saw this as prompting from the Holy Spirit to pray for her. She called my wife to tell her that she loved her and wanted her to know that she was praying for her.

I have always thought that was one of the neatest ways the Holy Spirit works. Someone's name, out of the blue, pops into your head and you can't get them off your mind until you either call them or pray for them.

I just look at it as further assurance that God is concerned for and involved in the lives of every one of His children. He is, after all, our Wise Father who loves us dearly. (Luke 15:18-20, John 3:16)

God is AWESOME!

No Introduction Needed

John 2:23-25

My pastor has been participating in an accountability group with some other local pastors. As an outgrowth of his participation in this group, he has presented the congregation with a challenge. We are doing a 40 Day Spiritual Journey.

The challenge is to read five chapters of the bible a day. The same five chapters. This week we are reading the first five chapters of John's gospel.

On Sunday, he will ask if anyone wants to share something that stood out to them in their reading, or if God had shown us something that we had not seen before. Well, I'm cheating. I'm going to share mine here.

The passage that stood out to me was John 2:23-25. "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man."

I think this stood out to me because it is such a sad statement, and it reminded me of how the condition of my heart was described. (Jeremiah 17:9)

I am thankful that when God looks into my heart, He sees only the Blood of the Lamb that covers it.

Thank You Father that Christ Jesus is my righteousness and that You entrusted Yourself to Him...because you know what is in me.

God is AWESOME!

The Patriot

Jeremiah 20:7-9

We recently celebrated the 236th birthday of our great nation. July 4th is the day we remember the brave men, the patriots of old who fought and died for the freedom that we enjoy today. We celebrate the great men who wrote our founding documents and declared that we are a free people, an independent nation of sovereign states. One nation, under God.

Whenever I think of great patriots, as weird as it may seem, I think of the prophet Jeremiah. He was born to be a prophet (Jeremiah 1:4-5).

Jeremiah loved his country. He didn't like having to prophecy against it. He suffered greatly for saying what he had been told to say.

Jeremiah trusted and loved God more than he hated what he was doing (Jeremiah 20:11-12). In misery, like Job, he pressed on. Trusting God with every word, with every step. Trusting God through every beating. He loved God and his country enough to continue.

I often ponder how a Jeremiah would be received in the United States. Probably much the same as Jeremiah was received in his own country (Jeremiah 20:7-8).

Since we as Christians are called to expose darkness to light and speak Truth, which will bring persecution, I hope we will have the courage to say what Jeremiah said: If I say, "I will not mention Him, or speak any more in His name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

God is AWESOME!