Why should we love our enemies?

From 2019 through the middle of 2023, I faced some persecution. Many of my posts during this timeframe reflected on this persecution whether directly or indirectly. I wrote about sorrow, fear, anxiety, sleepless nights, feelings of helplessness, and much more.

Writing now in August 2024 about one year after that season ended, I am still reflecting on the ordeal. I am grateful that it is over and with that, I am also grateful for being strengthened both mentally and spiritually as a result.

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 ESV

While it might initially feel wrong or strange, praying for those who persecute you will change your life. Holding onto bitterness and anger only results in holding ourselves hostage and will only worsen things. Prayer through this persecution is a faith step to give it all to God. This prayer brings freedom, peace, and an unexplainable oneness with Him.

I fully confess that there were many times I failed in this realm, and bursts of anger brought temporary satisfaction which turned to guilt. Those were the moments I regretted most.

Don’t just take my word for it, consider the persecution Jesus faced throughout his life from the religious leaders, people in his hometown, a corrupt government, and ultimately those who betrayed, mocked, tortured, and killed him. He was THE example of praying for those who persecute us. Surely, he was tempted but he never failed and we praise him for his perfect love, sacrifice, and resurrection through which we can receive eternal life.

If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. (Matthew 5:46)

Today’s reading: 2 Kings 4-6; Matthew 5

Problems and Solutions

Joel, Matthew 10

There is an exercise that shows up often in self-help books.  It asks you to rate yourself in seven categories

  • Health
  • Spiritual
  • Financial/Money
  • Career/Job
  • Physical
  • Relationships
  • Fun/Recreation

Go ahead.  On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself in each category.

Now, consider this.  How does your ranking reflect your relationship with Jesus?  Matthew 10:32 says that when we acknowledge Him, He will acknowledge us to the Father.  But, Jesus warns, if you do not acknowledge me, I will not acknowledge you.

A more effective approach to this exercise incorporates Jesus.

Using the same scale of 1 to 10, how well do you acknowledge him with:

  • Your health
  • Your spiritually
  • Your Money
  • Your career/Job
  • Your physical self
  • Your relationships
  • Your fun and recreation

If your responses correlate, as mine do, the solution is obvious.

More Jesus. More Faith.

Today’s readings are 2 Chronicles 24, 2 Kings 12, and Matthew 9. Our focus will be on Matthew 9.

What are you praying and asking God for right now? Do you believe it can happen? More importantly, you believe it will happen?

James 1:6-8 says…

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

God instructs us here to ask in faith. So, what is faith?

Here is what Hebrews 11:1 says faith is..

 1To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.

Are you sure of things you hope for and certain of things you can’t see? I wish as a Christ-follower I could consistently say yes.

In Matthew 9 we see 5 miracles Jesus performed with all 5 of them showing the person who the miracle was performed for or someone close to them showing faith.

  1. Jesus Heals a Paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8) – A paralytic was brought to Jesus by his friends, and it specifically states Jesus healed him when he saw their faith in verse 2.
  2. Jesus Heals a Ruler’s Daughter (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26) – The ruler came to Jesus with his daughter dying and explicitly tells Jesus he knows she’ll live if Jesus lays hands on her in verse 18.
  3. Jesus Heals a Woman with Blood Discharge (Matthew 9:20-22)- The woman had this problem for 12 years but states in verse 21 that if she just touches his cloak only..she believes she will be well.
  4. Jesus Heals Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-30) – Jesus actually asks them if they believe he’s able help them see, and they say yes.
  5. Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak (Matthew 9:32-34) – This one is a little more obscure but we see in verse 32 that the man was brought to Jesus. He wouldn’t have been brought to Jesus if someone didn’t believe Jesus could and would heal him.

There are 2 common denominators in these miracles. The first is Jesus. How many times do we pray for things but then not involve him and try to do it ourselves? The 2nd common denominator is the faith that the miracle would be done. How many times do we pray for something without being sure God will do it?

What do our prayer requests need? More Jesus. More faith.

Our lamp to the world

What a great chapter, Mathew 6!  The entire chapter is the words of Jesus, providing guidance with such great clarity!

Matthew 6:23-24 (NIV):

“But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

In these verses, Jesus emphasizes the importance of having a clear and singular focus on what is spiritually beneficial. He uses the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body, indicating that what we focus on influences our entire being. If our focus is unhealthy or misguided, our whole life becomes filled with darkness. Conversely, if our focus is healthy and rightly directed, our entire life is illuminated.

The subsequent verse underscores the impossibility of serving two masters, specifically God and money. Jesus highlights a fundamental truth about human nature and priorities: we can only truly be devoted to one ultimate pursuit. If we attempt to split our loyalties between God and material wealth, we will inevitably end up favoring one over the other.

  1. Clarity of Vision: Our spiritual and moral clarity is crucial. What we focus on and prioritize will shape our values, actions, and ultimately, our character. Ensuring that our focus aligns with God’s will brings light and purpose to our lives.
  2. Single-Minded Devotion: Divided loyalties lead to conflict and inconsistency. Jesus calls us to a single-minded devotion to God, as this is the only path to true fulfillment and peace. Serving God wholeheartedly means placing His values and commandments above all else.
  3. The Danger of Temptation: What we allow our eyes to see is what we eventually tolerate and allow.  The more normalized we become to coveting, pornography, or temptation (adultery, deceit, gluttony, etc.), the more we accept these things as normal and do not recognize their negative impact on our relationship with God.
  4. Trust in God’s Provision: Trusting God to meet our needs frees us from the anxiety and preoccupation with material wealth. This trust allows us to live generously, serve others, and focus on spiritual growth, knowing that God will provide for us.

In essence, these verses teach us that our life’s direction and quality are determined by where we place our focus, devotion, and what we allow ourselves to “see.” By choosing to serve God wholeheartedly, we invite His light into our lives, guiding us toward a fulfilling and meaningful existence.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT.

Entertainment Is Overrated

2 Kings 2-3, Psalm 48, Matthew 4

I really enjoy podcasts.  Huberman Lab, Morgan Housel and Seth Godin are a few of my favorites.  They are great for a long walk in the morning with my young dog, Louise.  I’ll eagerly pop in my ear-pods, ready to be entertained, enlightened, and encouraged.  I do this most days.

Guess what?

Instead of peaceful I am stressed

Instead of motivated I am discouraged

Instead of encouraged, I am disappointed.

What gives?  These guys are experts, right?  If I can think like them, work like them, exercise the right way, eat well, sleep appropriately and get the right amount of vitamin D, my life will go well.  Nope.  Truth is, I can’t do more and maybe I can do what I do better, but sometimes I just need to be.

This week I’ve done it different.   Rather than listen to voices through earphones, I talked to God.  I was mesmerized by the fog and entertaned by the singing birds.  I felt the cool breeze on my face and the summer dew on my feet.  I watched ducklings following their mama and geese protecting their young from this unexpected predator named Louise.  I enjoyed my reflection in the calm pond and marveled at the extraordinary honking of bullfrogs.  Peace.

Psalm 48:9-10 revealed the Truth for me.  Peace comes not from who I can be, or who I want to be.  Peace comes from Who God is.  Who He was and who He always will be.  That, my friends, never fails.

O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

as we worship in your Temple.

As your name deserves, O God,

you will be praised to the ends of the earth.

Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

Hearing What I Like

Today’s Readings: 1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18, Matthew 2

14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

We all love to hear what we want to hear.  When we have the support from others it can make you walk with some additional confidence or add a chip to the shoulders.  Here are some times when this may occur

  • idea at work
  • plans for spouse or family
  • dinner choice
  • the way that you may vote for something
  • talking about the decision that someone else made

The list can go on and on. In 1 Kings 22, the prophet Micaiah prophesied to King Ahab of Isreal and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, who were preparing for battle against the Syrians.  Now, the other prophets told them they were assured victory because these prophets wanted to fit it, not ruffle any feathers, and sustain their current position even if it meant not telling the truth.  I think there can be times in our lives when we tell others what they want to hear.  When looking for affirmations you go to those that you know will agree with you.

Ahab didn’t want to go to Micaiah because he knew that whatever he said it would be the truth.  Ahab says that he only tells him bad things and doesn’t want to hear what he says.

I love reading and hearing the truth daily through His Word. Micaiah was a prophet who told the truth because people would say he genuinely walked with God and did not just say what others wanted to hear. At church yesterday, we discussed those you could list and turn to when needed—those who would give you genuine Godly feedback, wisdom, or clarity when needed.  Micaiah would be one of these people.

  • Known for walking with God –  “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Ephesians 5:1  “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:16
  • Not being afraid of telling the truth without regard for himself– “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful” Proverbs 12:22 , “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” Ephesians 4:25-28

Dear Heavenly Father – Help us always to seek Your truth so that we don’t rely on what we just want to hear.  Help us seek Your counsel and provide that truth to others without fear when needed. I thank you, Lord, for this story and the mercy You have shown me when I have taken the wrong course, just like Jehoshaphat.  Give me a heart and courage like Micaiah to face the world daily grounded in your truth so I can be the husband, father, friend, leader, son, sibling, and example of You and the truth You have shown us through Your Son Jesus.  Amen 

 

Don’t Give Up

Today’s Reading : I Kings 19-21; II Chronicles 17; Psalms 129; Matthew 1

Perseverance. Integrity. Tenacity.

Sometimes in life, the hardest thing that we can do is to keep going. Sometimes we feel that too much is put on us and we want to give up. We want to stop the course of our race. We want to give into complacency. 

Over the summer we have been able to enjoy the fun filled adventures of sports ball. The girls have been playing softball. Oliver played basketball from October until two weeks ago. The one thing that Jillian and I constantly remind the kids to continue to play and don’t give up. We as a family made a commitment to the teams and to the organizations they need us to stay committed to the team and not give up. 

Many times throughout the summer, the traveling was overwhelming. There are many times that the heat of the event was overwhelming. There were times where we lost multiple rounds of softball or basketball. But we, as a family, decided that we were going to continue to persevere through the hardships of the sport. We would not give up. We will continue to push forward for everything that we stand for. At the end of the season, we all felt accomplished and our integrity for the group didn’t falter because we did not give up.

 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

I Kings 19:3-8

In this chapter of Kings, Elijah wants to give up.  He just completed some of the most grueling part of his ministry. He wants to give up, he runs away and he is given comfort from God in the form of the shade under a broom tree. The broom tree has several meanings in the Bible and it is a focal point of rest, restoration, and resolution.  Even though Elijah wants to give up, he still submits to God‘s will. God understands his heart and his mindset. God allows Elijah to retire from his ministry, but he sets up the way to continue his ministry.

Sometimes we want to give up. Sometimes we want to just let it all fall apart. But if we are in a relationship with God, He will allow us to continue his ministry in a different manner. He will set up everything to make a smooth transition. 

No matter what you’re going through.  No matter what the circumstances are, God has your best mind. God sees and hears what you’re going through. If we continue to connect with Him, he will show us ways to grow and transition to the next level of our ministry and in our lives.

Finishing the Race

Ever since I can remember, my mom has been a person of faith. She’s always been a prayer warrior, an avid student of The Bible through study and memorization, and one who has sought to lead others to Christ. My mom loved to lead the children’s choir in church when I was a kid, she’s led countless Bible studies, and has had a loving heart for marginalized or disadvantaged people. Her paintings subtly reflect Christian messaging and her love of God’s creations.

She loved the unlovable. She hated the sin, but loved the sinner. I can still hear her singing the words “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight”.

Her mission field was planet Earth. The golf course, the swimming pool, her kid’s sporting events, her neighborhood, a local university’s foreign student hosting program, family gatherings, the hospital, you name it. She talked about Jesus until she could talk no more.

I was also recently reflecting on my mom’s insistence that we attend vacation Bible school (VBS) every summer when we were kids. I don’t recall ever wanting to go, especially since VBS started immediately following the never-ending elementary school year. In my mind, it was summer break, and that meant “do what I want, when I want”. It was only after VBS that summer was in full swing. Reflecting on it now though, I recall having fun and learning at VBS even though it wasn’t my decision to go.

Same with church on Sundays. I used to pretend I was sleeping or be as quiet as possible on Sunday mornings with the hope that my mom would somehow forget to go to church or decide that I didn’t need to go, yet that never happened.

Regardless of any of the decisions she made for us that I didn’t like, I know now it was 100% meant for the spiritual growth of my father, my sisters, and me. What has marked her entire life is she never gave up on us nor her God, no matter what happened. There were certainly times when frustrated with each of us she rightfully gave everything over to God, but this didn’t mean she gave up.

My mom has suffered from back pain for as long as I can remember. She’s also suffered from foot pain and numbness. She’s also had to cope with severe depression and bipolar disorder with much of this a mystery to many as the related behaviors have been difficult for us to understand. Equal to or worse than the physical and mental suffering, my mom grew up in a home where she felt unloved and not valued. I believe her heart for the downtrodden and outsiders is much because she identifies with these people groups. In parallel, she’s experienced the unfathomable love of Christ her entire life so she’s wanted others to feel the same love, no matter how unloved they are by the people of this earth.

As she nears the end, she has trouble communicating, walking, eating, and other normal activities. Her time is near however with each day there is peace in knowing Heaven will soon gain another beautiful soul, and her pain and sorrow will turn into eternal joy.

I love you mom.

Today’s reading: Ecclesiastes 10-12; 2 Timothy 4

Safety, Danger, and Ridiculousness

1 Kings 17-18, Psalm 119, Jude

I am a Christian.  Maybe you too have said that before.  It is a statement of belief.  In general, it means that you believe in Jesus.  Maybe you would add the Trinity or the Bible to the list of things that a Christian believes.  What about baptism, or tithing, or attending Church?   Many people would call themselves Christians but not engage in those things.  So, some Christians differentiate.

Instead of simply “Christian,” many choose the more descriptive label of “Christ-follower.”  Christ-follower turns belief into action.  Christ-followers use Jesus’ instruction to order their lives, thoughts and activities.  I’ve used this term to describe myself too.  There is however, one term that I have not used; slave.

Jude begins his chapter with it.  He says, “I am Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ.”  It’s a powerful word.  A term that carries a heavy burden.  Slaves have no rights.  Slaves have no personal identity.  Slaves are fully surrendered.

Being Christian brings us safety.  Christ-followers is dangerous but becoming a slave, now that’s ridiculous.  Just like Jesus.

Hide and Seek

Today’s readings are 2 Chronicles 15-16, 1 Kings 16, and Philemon.

This last week our kids have been playing a lot of hide and go seek. They may go months without playing, but then all of the sudden they get really into it again. I must say they are improving from a few years back when Hudson was about 2 and Reese was about 5, and I go upstairs after counting to find Hudson in the hallway pointing and saying, “Reesey’s in the closet!” I always know these days when I come home from work that they have been playing when my closet is in disarray and if I go in theirs and it is the same.

I couldn’t help but think of this when reading about King Asa in 2 Chronicles 15-16. King Asa was a descendant of David and the 3rd king of the southern kingdom of Judah after the divide of Israel my brother, Chad, gave us some background on Monday (https://www.biblejournal.net/2024/07/22/seeking-counselo/).  While he is generally thought of a good king who was “wholly true to God” (2 Chronicles 15:17) and who worked to destroy the idols of Israel (2 Chronicles 15:8), even removing his mom from being queen mother for her idol worship, King Asa unfortunately made some mistakes later that did not please God.

First, despite the fact that Asa called on God to help him defeat the Ethiopians and Libyans, he did not call on God when there was a threat from Baasha, king of Israel. He instead took silver and gold from the temple and gave it to Ben-hadad, king of Syria, to try to help build an alliance with them for assistance. God understandably wasn’t too pleased that he both took riches from His temple, as well as turned to another earthly king for help instead of Him.  Not only did he make some mistakes in anger after being called out on his folly, but the final mistake Asa made in his last days was that after becoming sick and diseased in his feet, he still turned only to physicians and not to the Lord for healing.

Asa, although a godly man, stopped seeking the Lord and he didn’t finish well. So, my question to myself is, am I seeking the Lord in everything and always? Are my “closets” in disarray because I’m so diligently and actively seeking Him? Or am I just hiding…or maybe seeking other things instead of Him?

The good news is that God knew even good people who love Him would make mistakes, and He sent us Jesus to die on the cross to forgive us. And also we are told here in this same chapter…

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth, to give strong support for those whose heart is blameless toward Him.”

2 Chronicles 16:9a

Whether or not we are seeking Him, He’s always seeking us and ready…even when we don’t realize it. And when we learn from Asa’s mistakes and seek Him, we have His strong support. What an awesome thing to find strength, hope, and peace in.

Let us all say today, “Ready or not Lord…here I come!”