Image is Pure Love in True Unity (Lent 15, 2023)

We often hear that “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
While Christians are one in the Spirit and one in the Lord,
Jesus says that they’ll know we are Christians by
…wait for it…
our unity.

Not a superficial unity like the silent types of Beth Moore, Timothy Keller, and so-called Christian conservative journalist David French might proffer in recent scolding by Tucker Carlson. To them, drag queen story hours for children are no biggie. No need to say a word. Transgenderism? Jesus died for them too. Oh yes, they admit (if only by their silence), surely Jesus would approve of being inclusive by the world’s standards.

Far from it. If you wonder why Jesus returns with Judgment, our silence is our accuser.

Where did we go so wrong as a nation? Jesus said in John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one– 23 I in them and you in me– so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “

A Christian’s message should not be about
diversity, inclusion, transgenderism or anything else.
It should be about sinners in need of a Savior.
There’s only one Savior and His Name is Jesus.

Focus for Lent: It’s time for Christians to stop and repent of being silent about (or worse, vocal spokespeople for) the culture and start talking about sin again.

Questions for further thought:

When Jesus created man and woman in His Image, male and female (just two, ahem), did He dream happily of a day in which mankind improved upon His work with 71 other genders, complete with mandatory pronouns, and they would greet Him in their multiplicity at His return? Or is He appalled at our lack of moral judgment?

Why are so few Christian leaders able to stand up for the Bible and they meander about in ambiguities to avoid being offensive? The pastor in Canada whose segment Tucker Carlson featured, was arrested for having the audacity to peacefully interrupt a drag queen event … for children. The pastor was thrown to the ground that night and the next morning was thrown behind bars for mischief and disturbing the peace. As he was being hauled away, he said through the bars on the vehicle door window, “This is what happens when you go against the grain.” So, how many so-called Christian leaders rose to his defense? How many are simply too comfortable with their book sales and speaking engagements, upscale wardrobes and popular pulpits…or their paycheck…to protect kids and stand with those persecuted for speaking God’s Truth?

Prayer: Lord God help us to be like Jesus who came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. May we serve one another and to do so sacrificially, even if it costs us something we hold dear. Lord, empower us, embolden us, encourage us to do what is right in Your eyes. We ask Lord, that You would protect the children of this nation, in this world, from the evils that come against them. Shield our most vulnerable from evils that could kill them or harm them or abuse them. We ask Lord that your Holy Spirit would guard and protect children from what the devil has planned. If Christians cannot bring themselves to stand up for kids and to protect them with the truth of Your Word, Oh Lord, who will we be willing to protect? Children are our most innocent and vulnerable among people. We ask Lord that You would empower us–even admonish us–to do what is right, to seek Your face always, and to serve one another with an attitude like that we see in our Lord Christ Jesus. Amen.

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If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2023 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014.
Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations. We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17.
ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ. It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
Last year’s devotionals, Revelation in 40 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.