“We were harassed at every turn– conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us.” (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 )

How anyone can read that Scripture and not see that the Bible is still relevant to our everyday is beyond me. Christians are—in fact—harassed at every turn.  It ranges from genuine persecution in some countries where faith in Jesus Christ is punishable by death …  to areas of the world in which Christians face imprisonment in reeducation camps …  to demands by authoritarian governments to compromise our beliefs …  all the way to the subtle–yet significant–situations of being deplatformed, shadow-banned, or sent to the back of Google’s search results, hidden so far down as to not be seen and therefore rendered unable to engage in commerce or simple evangelism. 

Being “too Christian” can get one fired from a job
or force one to be silent out of fear that will happen.

These things are evidence of conflicts from the outside and sad to say, it results in timid Christians, those burdened by understandable fears from within that undermine the Church overall.  We’ve become a Church that cowers in corners instead of standing boldly, proclaiming in public unashamed, offering our witness, a testimony to the difference our Risen Savior makes.  We’ve become a Church that compromises Biblical truth instead of standing firm on the Word of God. We do it because we don’t want the fierce blowback for being too Christian, too fundamentalist, too orthodox, too catholic, and too narrow.

All this harassment for what? 
For proclaiming good news? 
Stop and think about that.
It’s time for the Church to see that God still comforts the beleaguered!

Why does the world fear professing Christians so much? Why are we such a threat when all we’re doing is proclaiming a Savior for a problem we cannot address ourselves. Were it not for God…as we’re examining in the 2021 Lent devotions…the entire world would be without hope.

Take stock, my friends, of the world’s great animosity and hatred
shown toward those who stand to cause the least real harm. And ask yourself why.

We thank You Lord that You comfort those who are downcast and Your comfort is there when we most need it. We praise You for Your great mercy and kindness, Your love and forgiveness, and thank You for setting an example for us, Lord Jesus.  We see in Your life how to persevere all the way to a glorious finish and in You and by Your Spirit may we each be strengthened in the knowledge of You.  We are grateful You have walked this path ahead of us and You are even now beside us as we walk it too.  Thank You Lord Jesus. Amen.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 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.

God has an enemies list of people who set themselves against God—mock Him, ridicule Him, diminish Him, and brazenly flaunt sin in His face.  (Of course no one wants to think that God would have such a running account, but maybe we’d be wise to consider God’s holiness a bit more seriously.) These enemies of God may think that just because they get away with it today, no one is watching or God doesn’t even exist. Some who do this will go from bad to worse as God gives them over.  God, however, is patient and desires they turn from their wicked ways (2 Peter 3:9). 

Sad to say, many will never turn back to God.  They love sinning way too much.
God gives them what they want which bears a striking resemblance to what they deserve.

But God refines us. And discipline isn’t the same as hardening or judgment.

As we continue exploring “But God…” during Lent 2021 and the ways God helps us live with His peace in the midst of a difficult world, it’s helpful to see that bad things happening are not always indicative of our being enemies or not right with God. Sometimes it’s because we are living right with Him. The entire book of Job is about this very idea.

God has a discipline list for those He loves and wishes to refine.  He tests us, not because He needs to know the results.  We do.  We need to know that we will stand firm in adversity and that by faith, we will be rescued as His cherished people.  Our faith is proven strong not by receiving everything we want, but by holding on even when circumstances are confusing or painful.  God doesn’t leave us hanging by our own strength during these tests.  But He hears us and proves Himself (and by His grace, us!) to be faithful. And we learn just how reliably we belong to Him. Blessed Assurance!

Psalm 66:1 For the director of music. A song. A psalm. Shout for joy to God, all the earth!  2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” 5 Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! 6 He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot– come, let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations– let not the rebellious rise up against him. 8 Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; 9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. 13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you– 14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. 15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. 20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Father God, thank You so much that You’ve given us such a precious message of the Gospel to share with those who don’t know You. May we always be prepared to tell what Jesus Christ has done for us and the hope we have. We thank You that You do not reject our prayers, You do not withhold Your love, but rather You bring us safely to a place of abundance. We endure discipline and times of testing knowing that You are faithful to bring us through to eternal life in You. We praise You, Lord Jesus, Amen .

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2021 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.

It’s easy to feel like a forgotten man or woman.  Sometimes life just isn’t fair at all.  Into such a time, God gives us this reassurance that no hope in Him can ever be extinguished.  God rules.  End of story. While some men of evil intent may have temporary triumphs—which serve to harden their arrogance—in their story’s end, all men will be judged mortal and God will be known by His justice.  As we continue our look in devotionals for Lent 2021, “But God…” will never forget the needy, the oppressed, and the afflicted.  Those who look to Him for their hope and their help will never be forgotten.

Psalm 9:7 The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8 He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. 11 Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. 12 For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. 13 LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, 14 that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. 15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. 16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. 17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.

18 But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. 19 Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. 20 Strike them with terror, LORD; let the nations know they are only mortal. (Psalm 9:7-20)         

Lord Jesus when our hope starts to fail, when the circumstances of this life oppress us and discourage us, remind us, Lord, that even though we are like flowers of the field… here today and gone tomorrow … You have no beginning and no end. We praise You and thank You that our hope founded in You is certain. It can never be extinguished.  We thank You that by Your grace, Your great mercy, and the forgiveness You purchased for us, we can enter into eternal life.  Help us to hold onto our courage, help us to remain hopeful, and help us to faithfully keep our eyes fixed on You, the Eternal God and Judge of nations. Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 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.

Today is Ash Wednesday and our devotional series “But God…” begins.  It’s also a reminder that God is not sleeping or ignorant of our pitiful state.  He is both angered at sin and compassionate towards those who are faithful to repent, suffering under the yoke of sin (whether their own bondage/ addiction patterns or the sins of others). 

In the City of Man, evil and sin have become mundane–background noise, a new normal, a baseline that humanity is perpetually redefining as okay.  In the words of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, we have been “defining deviancy down”.

God reaches a point where He says, “Enough!”  And yet even in His righteous judgment, He puts a limit on His punishment, reins on His wrath, and He shields humanity from the full force of the tsunami of the wages of sin: death.

Not so in one instance the Bible gives us as a learning lesson about the horror of sin and the incredible value of a remnant.  Were it not for a “But God…” we would not be here today.

Genesis 7: 17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished– birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. 6 After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. (Genesis 7:17-8:11)

But God remembered…

Let’s pray,
Forgive us, Lord, for not considering sin as seriously as You do.  Forgive us for the times we trust in man and live by the dictates of the City of Man instead of the higher standard of the ways of God.  Thank You for not giving us what we deserve.  Thank You, that but for Your creating a remnant for Yourself, remembering Noah and all with him in the ark, none of mankind would be here to be saved.  Thank You for the great love shown to us in Christ and pattern this provides for salvation by His blood. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 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.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021. This year’s devotional series focuses on how to live between two worlds while holding onto your faith.

What are these two worlds?
City of Man which exists as a world of troubles, injustice, and strife. 
City of God in which every tear will be wiped away,
everything will be made right, and all troubles will end. 

What’s a Christian to do right now
to live in the City of Man as a resident of the City of God? 
Endure.  That’s about all we can do. 
Persevere.  That’s what the Bible instructs us to do. 
Remain faithful.  That’s what it takes. 

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.

Gracious living in a broken world requires wisdom.
Come pray with me as we seek God’s wisdom in this matter.

Listen and let this worship song written by Paul Baloche about God’s grace minister to your spirit

But for Your grace I could not be saved
But for Your grace I would go my way
I’m forever grateful
That You have been faithful to me, Lord
For Your amazing grace
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

But for Your grace I could not be saved
But for Your grace I would go my way
I’m forever grateful
That You have been faithful to me, Lord
For Your amazing grace
For Your amazing grace
For Your amazing grace

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2021 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.

If, as I asserted previously, there is discernment of hills to die on and ones to die to, I’d like to offer this pattern which mirrors the thoughts of Gavin Ortlund in his book “Finding the Right Hills to Die On” about issues that chronically divide the Church.   Summarized by Challies : In theological triage, Ortlund identifies four ranks of doctrines:

• “First-rank doctrines are those that are essential to the gospel itself.
• Second-rank doctrines are urgent for the health and practice of the church to such a degree that they tend to be the cause of separation at the level of local church, denomination, and/or ministry.
• Third-rank doctrines are important to Christian theology, but not important enough to be the basis for separation.
• Fourth-rank doctrines are unimportant to our gospel witness and ministry collaboration.”

I would like to suggest Ortlund’s ideas can be applied to the intersection of faith and politics as well. This is incredibly important for any Christian trying to live his or her faith in the public square, being in the world but not of it. Or as Scripture says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).

It’s important because we’re not supposed to be keeping the aquarium clean but fishing for men.  That happens only when we engage with others who do not know Jesus…and that’s the public square.

Our faith should not be private since that’s not the Gospel way.

Our first priority should be what is essential… the character of God, the Gospel’s meaning, and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (free proclamation as His command).  Without these the Gospel is meaningless and our faith is in vain.

Our second priority should be those items urgent to the Gospel meaning and proclamation as a human endeavor, our witness itself.

Our third priority are items of importance to Christians but aren’t necessary to fulfill the Great Commission.

And our fourth rank might be those things unimportant to Gospel witness and for earthly social benefit alone.

Pairing those ideas with what I wrote in 2013 about Understanding the Christian Right, Understanding the Christian Left, and Bad Company, I’d like to suggest that we read 1 Corinthians 15:1-19 in light of “First Things.”

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them– yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Lord Jesus, thank You that our hope is not in vain.  We praise You for the Gospel of Your saving grace, the redemption of mankind by Your shed blood.  Keep our hearts focused on items of first importance, for Your glory’s sake.  Amen.

Come’on, Barb!  What are Christians supposed to do, just lie down and take it?
Yes and no.
What does it mean to submit to leaders whom God has given for His purposes
when we look at Scripture
and don’t believe that those leaders stand for the same things God stands for? 
I hear you.

This truly calls for discernment and it’s hard, I know. 
I can sum it up with this, “Discernment is knowing which are hills to die on, and which are hills we die to.”

We need more men of Issachar who understand the times.  If you go back to 1 Chronicles 10 to 13, there are some stories, each interesting on its own, but worth connecting to understand and apply to our world. 

David had been promised (by none other than God Himself) that he was to be king.  In 1 Chronicles 10, King Saul falls on his own sword and the Lord fulfills His will (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).  David had been chased throughout the wilderness and had assembled a group of like-minded individuals who sought David’s rule and reign throughout Israel.  But some conquering would still have to happen.  So, David assembles this army of “mighty men” and the Scriptures point to swords and spears, “every weapon” at their disposal and “ready for battle” as their disposition.  They were ready to fight, ready to make David king, and they were warriors!

Huh. The men of Issachar in that list of mighty men don’t have weapons for their names (1 Chronicles 12:32).  Theirs was a different weapon altogether: discernment.  They understood the times. 

Scripture continues and David says, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” (1 Chronicles 13:2-3). 

Time out.  Hill to die ON: Free worship of God. 
Inquiring of Him in the way God Almighty commanded.

Of course, a good intention (done man’s way) becomes a problem as the story continues.  A hill to die TO.  Their way instead of God’s way.  They chose man’s way, and Uzzah paid with his life (1 Chronicles 13:7-10). God is not to be trifled with, disrespected, or mocked.  There’s a holiness that God demands from those who worship Him. 

After Uzzah is struck dead, David’s reaction is much like that of many Christians post-election in the United States whose passion for God surpassed their submission to Him.  David was clearly shocked, sad, confused, etc. because he had all the best intentions.  He was angry with God and afraid of Him because Uzzah’s death didn’t seem right.  After all, he was just protecting the Ark… to keep it from falling off the cart… (SPOILER ALERT: the cart was the problem)  

Let’s apply these Scriptures to what has happened with so many Christians feeling like God didn’t come through for them or answer their prayers.  Among those who voted for Joe Biden, we can surmise some of you are still very happy, but there is increasing evidence some have regrets and feel played.  At the very least we can—irrespective our votes—recognize our brothers and sisters in Christ are trying to understand, perhaps like David feeling angry, doubting, or betrayed.  They, like David, had the best of intentions whether with a D or an R next to their vote.

A hill to die ON is something so foundational and fundamental
that were it to be lost, the Gospel is compromised.

King David hadn’t stopped believing God was real or deserved to be worshiped.  But he had to abandon doing things man’s way.  A hill to die TO is the one we bring to the altar and sacrifice it to God, asking Him to make things right, inquiring His way forward, and accepting that His ways are not our own. After all, Saul was king for a good 40 years before David succeeded him.

So, let’s bring it home:

Taxation: a hill to die TO
COVID response and mask mandates: a hill to die TO
Social justice as federal mandates: a hill to die TO
Minimum wage: a hill to die TO
Federal debt: a hill to die TO
Prescription drug costs: a hill to die TO

Freedom of religion: a hill to die ON
Freedom of speech: a hill to die ON
Representation meaning something important: a hill to die ON

The lists go on, but the more things I list, the more people will tune me out.  Seriously though, do you see how the Gospel can thrive with a mask mandate, high taxes, high debt, etc.?  But in cases of our freedoms, the Gospel is forced underground when those freedoms are taken away.  It doesn’t mean the persecuted Church can’t grow because it will…when God is in charge.  But in the triage of concerns, the Gospel thrives best when we’re free to share it. Therefore, let’s make our proclamation of the Gospel be our top priority…the hill to die ON.  And let’s take the rest and make every thought captive to Christ who represented us on the Cross and represents us now before God.

Let’s pray 2 Corinthians 10:3-7.  Lord, though we live in the world, we [accept that we] do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, [Your truth as our weapon, has] divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience [in our churches to hold Christians accountable], once [our] obedience is complete [and in order.  Please, Lord, do not let us judge] by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, [we] should consider again that [every Christian belongs] to Christ just as much as they do.”  Grant us discernment for which are hills to die on and which are hills to die to.  Keep our doctrine pure and help us to watch our lives and doctrine closely as evil has its moment. We lay it all before Your throne, Lord Jesus, and offer ourselves to You as living sacrifices, ready to do Your will, Your way.  For Your glory. Amen.

Continuing our look at how Christians should respond to last week’s Inauguration, let’s acknowledge something we can call reality. For the Christians who voted for Joe Biden, you got what you wanted.  For the Christians who didn’t vote for Joe Biden, you didn’t get what you wanted.  But in both cases, God got what will further His will.  Just like in 2016.  Hence what Dr. Michael Brown (who I offered as one example) said in 2016 and now says in his recent post (Joe Biden is president – by the sovereign will of God (wnd.com) ) is once again, true.

How should Christians respond?  Argue among each other about the faults and flaws of the one who is President and the one who was before and ran for a second term?  Nope.  Trash their wives and kids because of their family name?  Nope.  Rip theologians and pastors who don’t agree with you?  Nope.  Look to doxx the enemy voters and send them to re-education camps?  That’s one Big Nope.

I, for one, will not do what some Christians did at the election of Donald J. Trump.  I will not set myself against my fellow Christians who voted for Joe Biden or Donald Trump.  I will never hate either individual or their voters.  Here’s why:  They all bear the Image of God.

The “Hating Christians” are the reason people outside the family of faith hate Christianity
and hate Christians. 
It’s hypocrisy at the most insidious level on the part of Hating Christians
and it reflects poorly on Jesus Christ.

The hate that consumed the past 4 years of American life was never grounded in an understanding of earthly reality or Gospel truth.  People who aren’t Christians are doing it out of ignorance.  People who claim Christ have no excuse.  There is no way that hatred each other was ever grounded in faithful Christianity!  We witnessed Christians tearing apart other Christians, protesting them, threatening them, insulting them, and digging non-stop for that speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5).  And that, my friends, was horribly, terribly wrong.

It is every bit as wrong now as it was then.  As I wrote yesterday, true Christians take this to heart:

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”  (1 Peter 2:11-17)

More on the idea of submitting to authority soon, but for now just know, it’s a sinful desire to hate anyone. Therefore, anyone who loves God should stop from their present gloom and doubt—or heaven forbid, their desire for retribution against their fellow Christian—and instead, see everyone’s dire need for a Savior and that only Jesus Christ will do. 

Let’s pray, Lord Jesus, please use this time of political turmoil to open the eyes of people–both wayward Christians and those who have never known You.  We ask, Lord, that people would find hope in the shed blood of Christ for sin.  May they repent and believe what the Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) as an expression of His great love.  We ask Lord that those Christians who are consumed by politics (denouncing Christian nationalism or elevating social justice in non-Gospel terms) or failing to see the larger picture of salvation in Jesus Christ as being predominant would repent of their hypocrisy so that the world might see Christ in us instead of Christians who hate.  Let love be our language.  Let peace be our response.  Let the Gospel be our banner for Your glory, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Still taking a break from the series on Epiphany to address a current and important need for calm, peace, and faith as millions of Christians experience doubts about God’s goodness and sovereignty.  Irrespective of your view of the recent Inauguration, one thing is true: millions of Christians feel confused.

Given the volume of people reading my post from 4 years ago called Prayer for a Peaceful Transition of Power, some of you may wonder if I still believe it.  You bet I do.

Dr. Michael Brown echoed thoughts I had in 2016 about Donald J. Trump’s election and he has reiterated them in his recent article entitled Joe Biden is president – by the sovereign will of God (wnd.com).   Stick with me here.

This is not so much a political article or political post as it is a reflection on the larger picture with the goal of forging peace and a sense of understanding.  
Peace with each other.  Understanding each other. 
This is a wrestling with what we don’t understand instead of wrangling with one another. 

More people could use a “Dead Baby Theology.”  Sounds horrible, I know, but I’ve lived it.  It’s highly useful, and I’m glad God gave me the opportunity more than 20 years ago to wrestle with Him and His goodness in the face of something no one calls good.  My faith has been stronger for it.

When my third child Julia Marie was stillborn on my due date 3 days before Christmas in 1998, I didn’t know it, but God was giving me a theology lesson like no other.  You see, some events aren’t so easily reconciled as saying “It’s God’s will.”  Once and done in simplistic platitudes.  In fact, the more we wanted something that seemed so good … but that we didn’t get, the harder it is.  To make matters worse, in some cases what we got (death) can be called “bad” unapologetically—even Scripture calls it an enemy—but oh how we prayed fervently for the opposite (life)! 

Did God betray us, let us down? 

Some doctrine requires wrestling for months, even years due to questions like those.  I concluded that you can’t take a dead baby photo, put a nice frame around it, and call it good.

So, it begs the question:  Why does a good God allow something that is so clearly “not good?”  The answer, of course, is for the eternal good He alone can bring from it.  The bigger picture is crystal clear to God Almighty.

True Christians take this to heart:

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”  (1 Peter 2:11-17)

Just like with my stillborn daughter, some things are hard to understand.  But God’s perspective is eternal.  His interest is in furthering His kingdom by seeking and saving the lost, not so much elevating the United States, even though nations of the world without religious freedom admire that part of our Constitution.  So, friends, join me in praying that the events of November 3, 2020 and beyond will open the eyes of those who are truly lost—too deep in politics to see the problems of this world are … primarily spiritual.  Let’s pray,

Father God, we acknowledge that Your ways are not our ways.  We submit to You and ask that You would give us—not answers to the hard questions, some of which we are incapable of understanding—but that You would give us… Yourself.  More of Jesus in our lives and in our world.  Give us the mind of Christ and Your peace that transcends understanding.  May we know Your Holy Spirit’s comfort.  Help us to be still and know that You are God. Amen.

Taking a quick break from Epiphany because the Lord laid on my heart that someone needs to hear this.