Entries from November 2008 ↓

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. — I John 4:9-10

I am going to let you in on a little secret: God loves you.  I’m serious; I know that I (and I imagine that a lot of people) tend to forget that sometimes, especially when I have not been on my best “Christian behavior.”

All of us who breathe regularly are in a constant struggle with sin.  The guilt and shame associated with that can really bring us down.  The feeling of unworthiness can be a spirit-crusher that makes us want to give up completely.  That is part of our nature as humans; we do it all the time.  How often do we give up on a diet (that we are going to follow this time if it kills us!) after we eat that extra piece of cake at the birthday party?  We are quitters.  But guess what? God isn’t like us…He doesn’t give up.

Take a look at Paul.  Now here is a guy that was in no way, shape, or form worthy of God’s love.  I have done my share of sinning, but my professional résumé has never included “hunting down and killing Christians” or “holding the coats of Pharisees while they stone deacons.”  Paul’s did; he struggles with his past on a regular basis just like we do.  In Philippians 3 he talks about “forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead” (v. 13).  Man, did he have a lot of stuff to forget!  But, he also gives us a word of encouragement about our sin later in his letter to the Colossians.  In Chapter 1, verses 21-22 he writes, “And you were once alienated and hostile in mind because of your evil actions.  But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him.”

Holy, faultless, and blameless…those are powerful adjectives.  All of those feelings of guilt and shame that we hold because of sin are completely negated because Christ came and offered Himself as a propitiation for our sins.  We can “approach the throne of grace with boldness” because God has reconciled us through His Son (Hebrews 4:16).  God’s love for us in unwavering.  Nothing can pluck us form His hand.

“Though the mountains move and the hills shake, My love will not be removed from you and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says your compassionate Lord. — Isaiah 54:10

Well, it seems that the holidays have arrived.  The Home Depot has their display of Christmas trees lined up in front of the store and this afternoon I saw the Hershey’s Kiss commercial where the little candies are playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”  In less than a week, Nashville’s Mix 92.9 FM will be switching to the 24-hour Christmas music format.  And, once again, I fail to see why I am receiving “Christmas Tree Application” requests on Facebook when we are still a month out.

However, it seems that I caught a little bit of spirit today.  It was not Christmas spirit (sorry, mom) but rather the spirit of the less-tinselly holiday of the season: Thanksgiving.  I am not entirely sure what sparked it, but at about 1AM this morning a feeling of thanks just descended upon me as I sat in front of my computer.  And it has not left me all day.  I have found myself thanking God for everything that even comes into my field of vision, and it has been wonderful.

“Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High.”  Psalms 50:14

Gratitude is a funny thing.  As I thanked God today for everything from turtles to dirt to protecting me as I was pulling electrical wires, I noticed that I really had no room for negative feelings.  I have been quite stressed and anxious about a couple of things (mostly my distinct lack of full-time employment) for the past few months and, for the first time that I can recall, I was not even thinking about them today.  I just did not have time to worry about those little things; I had to give thanks for all that He has given me!

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:6-7

Today has been wonderful.  My prayer is that this overwhelming gratitude will not depart from my spirit.  I realize that God has blessed me beyond all human measure and that He will continue to send those blessings my way simply because He loves me.  My God, thank you for not abandoning me during a time of despair.  Thank you for taking care of every need in the way that you see fit.  Thank You for loving me as one of your children.  But most of all, thank you for loving me enough to send your Son so that, one day, I can say “Thank You” to your face.

So, we all made it through another election! I have not heard any news reports of mass rioting and looting across the nation, so all seems well for the time being. Seriously, though, I think everyone is fully aware of the gravity of yesterday’s election. These United States are stepping into a new era, an era that will (hopefully) enter the history books as a time of change for the betterment of its people.

A congratulations is in order for President-elect Obama. He ran a very good campaign, one that was well-planned and and implemented in a way that managed to have voters turn out in record numbers. He ran a relatively-clean campaign and managed to focus most of his advertisements on the positive aspects of his own campaign rather than the negative portions of the McCain-Palin ticket. That grace was certainly not reciprocated, and I tip my hat to Obama’s campaign manager for not stooping to his opponent’s level.

I am anxious to see what policies will be enacted during his administration. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be some large changes to the way our society operates, both good and bad. Mr. Obama has never shied away from voicing his pro-choice beliefs, so hopes that Roe v. Wade will be overturned can most likely be shelved until the election of 2016. On the other hand, I believe that the poor and underprivileged in this country have been marginalized and financially raped by greedy heads of large corporate entities, and I truly hope that a Democratic White House will do its best to keep these vultures at bay. Of course, there is no guarantee that this will happen, but it has a historically better chance than if a Republican president was elected.

Well then, regardless of your opinions about his policies of qualifications for the office, there can be no argument that Mr. Obama has claimed a hands-down victory for the White House. So, what does the Bible tell us, as Christians, about our responsibility to a figure of authority? How are we to support future President Obama? By praying for him (I Timothy 2:1-8), submitting (yep, it says that) to him (Titus 3:1-2, Romans 13:1-7), honoring him (I Peter 2:13-18), and by seeking righteousness for the entire nation (Proverbs 14:34).

Another overarching theme found in nearly all of the aforementioned verses is the command to us that we are to refrain from slanderous speech and arguing amongst one another. The call for bipartisanship has become such a political cliché, but the Bible commands just that. And so does common sense. The election is over and Barak Obama is going to be our new president in two months. Short of tragedy, nothing is going to change that. So it is in our best interest, as both Christians and citizens of the greatest nation of the world, to come together with those who voted differently than us and pray that Mr. Obama, his cabinet, and his advisors are sympathetic to the direction of our God. Submit to their authority unless it directly contradicts the commands of the Lord. And use the next eight years to show that Christianity is a religion of peace and love, not hate, bigotry, and ignorance.

God has placed in the position of power the man that He wants in power. Nothing happens in this universe that God did not directly cause to happen. We have no reason to fear the coming administration. We know that God’s plan is not always obvious to our finite and simple minds. But we can have faith. We can have faith to know that He is in control and that, whatever happens, it will all culminate in in Christ’s return to this earth to bring His faithful back to worship the Father for all of eternity. And that, my friends, is a pretty happy ending.