Christian Writing

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ….” (John 3:16)

In the midst of all the secular expressions of Christmas, we are visually blessed with at least one precious reminder of what Christmas really celebrates. It may be a small rendition on a mantle or a life-size rendition on Kingsport’s Church Circle, but we are always inspired when we see a Christmas nativity scene.

The centerpiece of the nativity is the baby Jesus. Thousands of years earlier, the covenant presence of God with His people centered on an ornate golden box called the ark. Now, the bread of life, the only begotten Son of God, lay in a box used to feed farm animals.

The infant in that manger was both newborn and firstborn, the long-awaited Messiah Savior King, the Word of God through whom all things were created, now made flesh. God is with us! He came in a totally unexpected way.

Kneeling next to the Christ child is His mom, Mary. She accepted from an archangel her life’s calling: be impregnated by the Holy Spirit of Jehovah, become an unwed mother in a culture where that brought shame or even death, and raise God’s Son to adulthood.

This mother watching over her infant son would later watch Him die on a cross. Then, in an incredible reversal of roles, she would be born of God herself in an upper room on Pentecost. What an amazing woman!

Standing over mother and child is Joseph bar Jacob, the best step-dad ever! He too was entrusted to raise God’s Son to adulthood, and so we know he was a godly, humble man. What strikes me most is his courageous faith in accepting such a responsibility under the constant scrutiny of the child’s true Father. Joseph’s courage and faith would carry them to the pagan lands of Egypt and back, and would allow him to teach Jesus both the craft of carpentry and the craft of righteous manhood.

Surrounding the holy family that night are the angels and the shepherds – the glorious, powerful multitude of heavenly host, and the lowly minimum wage earners. It is a fitting contrast for the child who would be called both Son of God and Son of Man – the Good Shepherd who would be anointed to bring His Kingdom to the poor.

The angelic messengers brought news of great joy to those shepherds, and they became the first messengers to bring that news of great joy to others. Be thankful, when you see the shepherds in the nativity scene, for the shepherds (pastors), teachers and other servant leaders of Christianity who proclaim the good news today.

The magi are also present at our nativity scene. Although theologians point out from Matthew that they came to a house in Bethlehem and not a stable, it is clear God wanted them to be part of the birth story.

These highly educated and spiritual men were not kings. They were king-makers, the politically elite of the Persian Empire. While not Jews, they had studied and accepted the centuries-old prophecies of a Jew who became one of their own: a man we know as Daniel and they knew as Belteshazzar.

The magi remind us that God came not just for the poor, but for the rich and prominent. “With God all things are possible.” And as these kingmakers entered that house to honor the newborn king of the Jews with gifts, something happened that reveals yet another Person present at the nativity even though He could not be seen.

I believe with all my heart that the Heavenly Father was present for the birth of His Son. I believe it was His manifest Presence that caused the magi to fall down and worship.
Think about it. The Son had emptied Himself when He came down to take on the form of mankind. Jesus would not receive the fullness of Holy Spirit until He was thirty years old. So the manifest presence of God would probably not come from the child.

Many of us have experienced our Father’s manifest presence in prayer or worship. Don’t you think Mary and Joseph would experience His Presence on that holy night?

Would the Father who was present at His Son’s baptism, and who loved and revealed Himself to Jesus throughout His ministry, not also be present at His birth? I was present at the birth of my two beautiful daughters. Is not our Father a more loving and involved father than me? Would He just send His messengers, or would He come to hold His Son in His own arms?

As I reflected on my belief in prayer last week, God’s spirit rose up in me. I will never look at a nativity scene again without being aware that Heavenly Father is a glorious and majestic part of what I see and sense. Most holy is His name!

I also know that the Father who was present for the birth of His firstborn Son is the Father who chooses to be present at the birth of all of His children: every one of us who receives His Son as Savior and Lord. And He watches over us every moment thereafter, just as He watched over Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

“Where there is no vision, the people perish….” “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint….” “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV, NKJ, NLT)

My last column, published about two weeks before our national elections, declared that “Jesus is the Lord of America”. This column, published about two weeks after those elections, urges Christians to take advantage of that truth. Ask the Lord of America to guide America.

Donald Trump, a celebrity billionaire real estate developer, will be our next President. He will begin his term with a cooperative Republican Congress. Opinions vary widely on how this happened.

Many political pundits say it was, as always, about the economy, coupled with an attitude of rebellion toward “business as usual”. Some Democratic leaders blamed it on the FBI director’s handling of the private e-mail server controversy. Others suggested the Russians tipped the scales by releasing hacked Democratic staff emails through WikiLeaks.

I believe our November 8 election results were God’s answer to a united Christian prayer effort led, in part, by Franklin Graham’s “Decision America Tour”.

Please understand. The prayer tour did not propose any individual candidate, and overall, this united prayer movement included both Christians who supported Donald Trump and those (including me) who were deeply concerned about his character, temperament and history.

The prayer movement was about party platforms, not candidates, and in opposition to a Democratic agenda that would: (1) increase the number of abortions in our nation; (2) eliminate the biological distinction between “male” and “female” that has existed since God created mankind, male and female, in His image; and (3) appoint “progressive” justices to the Supreme Court who would rewrite, rather than honor, our U.S. Constitution.

I have dear Christian friends, black and white, who supported Democratic candidates, and I respect some of the reasons they did so. But the Democratic “transgender” agenda would allow adults who are biologically male to use the same restroom as my granddaughter. It would allow boys who are biologically male to join her gym class and compete on her girl’s track team. That is cultural insanity.

Our Constitution is our nation’s foundational document. To protect the stability of this foundation, a constitutional amendment requires legislative ratification by 75% of our fifty states. Wonderful constitutional amendments since 1789 have been done the right way, including the abolishment of slavery (13th), the right to vote regardless of race (15th) and the right of women to vote (19th).

Regardless of your personal stance on gay marriage, the Supreme Court ruling that made it “the law of the land” in 2015 involved five unelected political appointees who effectively amended our Constitution on their own. If they can do it on one issue, they will do it on other issues – a violation of our government’s separation of powers that equates to constitutional insanity.
As a result of God’s answer to concerted prayer, we will now have justices appointed to our Supreme Court who understand their role. We will also see a revocation of President Obama’s invasive executive orders on transgender rights. But while this is a step in the right direction, it is only a step.
President-elect Trump is, in my opinion, a “wild card”. He has no governmental background, nationally or internationally. He is neither strongly conservative nor liberal. Yes, he loves the limelight, but he also loves to achieve. How well or poorly he leads our nation will, in a nutshell, depend on whose advice and counsel he hears and what guidance he accepts.
Proverbs 29:18 says that without divine revelation and guidance, the people will “perish”, “cast off restraint” or “run wild”. In other words, without divine guidance, we run helter-skelter down the broad path of destruction. (Matthew 7:13-14)

This is why the Lord commands us, “first and foremost”, to pray for those in authority over us. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Our prayers can be used by the Lord to provide President-elect Trump and our other national, state and local leaders with the divine guidance they so desperately need. They can receive discernment as to whether the advice from all those people around them is good or bad. They can receive the wisdom to make good decisions that provide fair and effective solutions to our problems. (James 1:5)
November 8 demonstrates that concerted, united prayer works, but if we stop praying, it stops working. We have been woefully unfaithful in praying for past Presidents. We cannot afford to make that mistake again.

Finally, as emphasized last month, the biblically grounded, Jesus-loving, people-loving Christians of America must come together in this hour – black, brown and white – not just for prayer, but for listening, fellowship and godly, united purpose. For far too long, we have been politically divided as believers and politically yoked to unbelievers, including some anti-Christian groups on the far left and some lingering racist groups on the far right. (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Donald Trump has demonstrated high respect for the Christian leadership of our nation, both black and white. Post-election, he has expressed an interest in repairing both our national security and our inner cities, and in addressing the interests of all Americans. He has selected a devout Christian to be his Vice-President and the leader of his transition team. If we work together, we can have the President’s ear as well as the all-important ear of the Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what I propose is something we have sung together for almost one hundred years. “God bless America, land that [we] love. Stand beside her and guide her though the night with a light from above.”

Let’s begin singing it every day.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’.” (Matthew 28:18)

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:3-5)

Scripture tells us that in the last days, there will be times of difficulty. (2 Timothy 3:1) This national election year of 2016 has been such a time in America, particularly for biblically grounded, Jesus-loving, people-loving Christians. Polarization, rancor, deception, and vitriolic, fear-inducing language are not our “cup of tea”.

In less than two weeks, the elections will be over, praise God! But tragically, the times of difficulty will not be over. To the contrary, the polarization and rancor will, regardless of the election outcomes, only get worse unless somebody does something to change how our diverse American people feel about and interact with one another.
This change will not be led by the present leadership of either political party. Their fundamental tactic for obtaining and retaining power is to promote fear and distrust.
The leadership for this positive change can only come from the Body of Christ.

In order to develop successful strategies for this change, we must as Christians be willing to learn from our mistakes. Some of those “lessons learned” will not be available until after the November 8 elections because at present, outcomes are uncertain, our judgment is still clouded and our focus is too narrow.

There is, however, one lesson that I believe we all need to learn (or re-learn) today, in advance of November 8. Jesus is the Lord of America!
Jesus is the Lord of America despite the sin and darkness that we see around us. Jesus is
the Lord of America despite the increasing number of Americans who do not believe in Him. Jesus is the Lord of America despite the many Americans who profess belief but do little to obey God’s Word. Jesus is the Lord of America despite President Obama’s statement that we are no longer just a Christian nation.

My friends, Jesus is the Lord of America because He is the Lord! After His resurrection victory over sin and death, Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth by His heavenly Father, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. (Matthew 28:18) Jesus is the Lord of our nation and all nations, “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords”. (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14, 19:16

Jesus is not like the fairy Tinkerbell in “Peter Pan”, who began to fade away when children stopped believing in her. He does not fall off His throne when people fail to acknowledge or submit to His lordship. (Psalm 2) And despite the fears expressed by many Christians on both sides of the present presidential contest, He will not fall off His throne when either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump becomes President.

Sin and unbelief have serious adverse consequences for a nation. (Proverbs 14:34) I grieve over our nation’s confusion about the sanctity of life, marriage, sexuality, racism, respect for law enforcement, religious freedom, the love of money and fame. But my grief does not give birth to despair. Instead, it intensifies my desire, like David in Psalm 37, to trust in the Lord of America and commit my ways to His Way.

The Lord’s Way calls for us to pray daily for all our governmental leaders – those we voted for and those we voted against. (1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17) We may even change a Saul into a Paul.

The Lord’s Way calls for us to bless and not curse. (James 3:10-11; Luke 6:27-27) Blessing does not mean we agree with what is wrong. Blessing opens the door for our leaders to receive God’s wisdom and be protected from the enemy’s deceptions. When you curse a President, you curse the nation. When you vow to cause a presidency to fail, as some politicians in both parties have done, you move the nation toward failure.

The Lord’s Way calls for us to seek the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-6) The biblically grounded, Jesus-loving, people-loving Christians of America need to get together – white, black and brown; young and old; male and female; without regard to political party affiliation. We must love one another, listen to each other and work together under the Lord’s leadership to address each other’s concerns, not just our own. (John 13:34; Philippians 2:4)

We must also stand together to show non-Christians that God loves them and we love them. (John 17:22-23) Truth must be spoken in love because faith works through love. (Ephesians 4:15; 1 John 3:18; Galatians 5:6) Without love, we are wasting our time. (1 Corinthians 13)

Finally, we must form our strategies and make our decisions in faith and love, not in fear and anger, which are simply footholds for the devil. (2 Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 4:26-32)
The most important election in American history will not be on November 8. It will be what Christians elect to do thereafter. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

God bless you, God bless our community, and God bless America.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases …” (Psalm 103:2-3)

“…for I am the LORD, your healer.” (Exodus 15:26)

Healthcare is an ongoing crisis in our nation and our world. Ever-increasing costs are aggravating the problem of limited availability, particularly among the poor, and despite our wonderful advances in medical science, there are still many health problems we have been unable to cure.

The answer to this problem has a name: “Jehovah Rapha”, which translated from Hebrew means, “the Lord our healer”. God gave Himself this name because it describes His heart. God even inspired a song (psalm) that celebrates His desire to both forgive all our sins and heal all our diseases.

Yet the vast majority of Christian churches in America have no healing ministry, and there is very little outreach of divine healing to the lost. Why?

As Bible-believing Christians, we are called to be both hearers and doers of God’s Word. (James 1:22-25). In addition to God’s name as Healer and God’s song of healing, here is what scripture says about divine healing.

In the old covenant of law between God and the Hebrew people, divine healing was a promised benefit for God’s people if they obeyed His commandments. (Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 7:15) Our new covenant of grace with God through faith in Jesus Christ is superior to that old covenant, not inferior. (2 Corinthians 3:5-18)

Jesus reveals the Father because they are one. (John 10:30, 14:8) Jesus’ ministry on earth included preaching, teaching and healing. (Matthew 4:23-24) Anointed with the Holy Spirit, Christ went about healing all who were oppressed by the devil. (Acts 10:37-38) Then He assigned and equipped His disciples to do the same – first His inner circle of twelve apostles and then seventy- two other followers. (Matthew 10:1-8; Luke 10:1, 8)

Jesus forgave sins and healed diseases because both forgiveness and healing expressed His Kingdom authority. (Matthew 9: 2-6, 35) Likewise, His disciples were given authority to heal as an expression of God’s Kingdom coming near. (Luke 10:8) Just as there was no disease in the Garden of Eden and there is no disease in heaven, so there is no disease wherever the Kingdom of God is being rightfully and fully expressed. The keys (authority) of that Kingdom have now been given to us as we are sent to proclaim His Kingdom throughout the world. (Matthew 16:18-19, 24:14)
Jesus declared that “anyone who believes in” Him would do the same works that He did, and even greater works. (John 14:12) He sends us out into the world just like the Father sent Him. (John 20:21) This means we are sent out to express the same Kingdom He revealed, and we are given the same Holy Spirit to empower us. (John 20:22; Acts 1:8) As we fulfill this Great Commission, healing is one of the signs that should accompany us. (Mark 16:15-18)

Just as we are all called to witness but some are given a special spiritual gift of evangelism, so we are all called to bring healing but some are given special gifts of healings and miracles. (1 Corinthians 12:9-10) The apostle James told Christians who were sick to seek prayer from the elders because prayers of faith would heal them. (James 5:14-16) Are those ministries of healers and “elders” active in your church today?

Finally, look at the prophetic description of Christ’s suffering and death in Isaiah 53. We all celebrate the fact that Jesus bore our sins on the cross so we could have forgiveness. (v. 5, 11) But too many of us have failed to embrace the truth that by his stripes (some translations say “wounds” or “bruises”) we are healed! (v. 5)

Note here that some argue this healing is for our soul but not our bodies because the previous verse 4 says in most English translations that He bore our “griefs” and “sorrows”. But those Hebrew words used in verse 4 most commonly mean “disease” and “pain”. And in the midst of a description of Jesus’ healing ministry, Matthew 8:17 gives us the Gospel’s definitive translation: “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases”. It is clear Christ’s blood and death paid the price for our forgiveness of sin, and His pre-death suffering paid the price for our healing. Just as we receive forgiveness by faith, so we can receive healing by faith. (Matthew 9:22)

Finally, for those who still want to argue without any scriptural backing that the healing ministry of Jesus was for biblical times but not for today, I emphatically declare, “JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!” (Hebrews 13:8) He healed in His natural body when He walked this earth, and He wants to heal through His corporate Body today.
If your child was sick and you had the power to heal, would you not heal your child? If you, who are not good, would do that, then how much more will our heavenly Father heal His children, if only they will ask? (Matthew 7:7-11)

The heart of our problem is unbelief. When Jesus went back to his hometown of Nazareth, He was unable to do many healings, or any miracles, because of their unbelief. (Mark 6:1-6) Jesus had never done healings or miracles in their presence before, so they concluded He just couldn’t do them. For most of the Church today, divine healing has not been taught, preached or experienced, and so just like Nazareth, we don’t believe today.

Use God’s Word to purge your unbelief! Become doers of God’s Word rather than your own limited intellect and experience. (Proverbs 4:20-22) Begin to ask so you can begin to receive. The Lord is our Healer!

God bless you, and God bless our community.

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:12-14 ESV)

For many of us, the 2016 Olympic Games were a welcome relief. We were able for a short while to turn our attention away from the dark, difficult things happening in our nation and world, and instead be inspired as we watched athletes from virtually every nation “go for the gold” in wonderful demonstrations of ability, desire, training, effort and endurance.

The athletic achievements of these diverse men and women were terrific, as was the enthusiasm of the equally diverse fans, but what I find even more remarkable is how they all treated each other. Mutual respect, encouragement, and good (even great) sportsmanship were the norm, not the exception. It may be true that only one person or team can receive a gold medal in an Olympic event, but I believe a great many more grasped gold in a way God finds far more important. They embraced the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule, set forth at Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31, is most commonly stated as: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is a simple and straight-forward command from the Lord that we treat others the way we want to be treated.

The importance of this command is underscored when Jesus says, “… this is the Law and the Prophets”. The only other time Jesus used such language was when He described the Great Commandment – that you love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:35-40) In short, the Great Commandment summarizes God’s will for our lives. And we obey God’s Great Commandment to love one another by following the Golden Rule.

As I write this column, the closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games have just concluded. My attention turns back to our nation, where over 75% of our citizens are still professing Christians and, therefore, very much subject to the Golden Rule. How well are we “going for the gold”?

As citizens of a nation more polarized than it has been since the events leading up to the Civil War, I urge all of us to read and re-read 1 Peter 3:8-17 and 2 Timothy 2:24-26. These scriptures explain how we should apply the Golden Rule in situations where there is disagreement or conflict. We are to be kind and gentle, not quarrelsome. We are to stand for what we know to be good, but never repay evil with evil or insult with insult. Instead, we seek to overcome evil with good by showing respect to those who oppose us, and by blessing them.

To make sure we understand how to follow the Golden Rule in such difficult times, Paul also provides in 2 Timothy 3 a description of those who disobey it: the proud and arrogant, lovers of self and money, those who defy the authority of holy scripture, and those who profess faith without actually practicing it. We are told to avoid such people.

So how are we doing? There are notable exceptions (praise God!) but overall, I believe we are failing to make the podium. Many of us are breaking the Golden Rule, and we are vocalizing our support for people on the national stage, both in media and politics, who are smashing it to pieces every day.

Why are we doing poorly? We have failed to understand that the way of the Golden Rule is narrow and hard. It does not come naturally. The things that empower athletes to the incredible achievement of winning a gold medal: ability, desire, training, effort and endurance, are also the things that empower people to follow the Golden Rule. And we have not pursued those things as we should.

We all have the ability because, as born-again children of God, we have the Holy Spirit, who can pour God’s love into our hearts and do far more than we can ask or imagine through His power at work within us. (Romans 5:5; Ephesians 3:20) But do we set our minds on the things that are above? (Colossians 3:1-2, 12-17) Do we seek the Lord and His will with all our heart? (Jeremiah 29:13) Do we train ourselves for godliness through consistent obedience, prayer, worship and bible study? (1 Timothy 4:7-16) Do we “make every effort” to grow in faith and love? (2 Peter 1:3-8) Are we running with endurance the race that is set before us, ridding ourselves of the sins and unneeded burdens that hold us back? (Hebrews 12:1-3)

America desperately needs a powerful and abiding spiritual awakening. That will come when enough of us hear the heart of God and “go for the gold”!

God bless you, and God bless our community.

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

God heals the brokenhearted. So who are these brokenhearted people God heals, and how does He heal them?
Dictionary.com defines “brokenhearted” as: “burdened with great sorrow, grief or disappointment”. Our culture most often connects this with romantic break-ups or the loss of close family and friendships. God’s loving presence can certainly be a comfort in those situations. (Matthew 5:4)

Scripture also speaks of “a broken and contrite heart”, that is, a person who has become humble and repentant before the Lord after being convicted in their heart of pride and sin. (Psalm 51:17) Again, God’s grace to wash away our sins provides great comfort as He creates in us a “clean heart” and “right spirit”, restoring the joy of our salvation. (Psalm 51:1-12)

When, however, Psalms 34 and 147 speak of the brokenhearted, their wounds and their crushed spirits, I believe God is looking beyond those who mourn and those who are repentant. The Hebrew word used for “broken” (“shabar”) can mean “shattered” or “crippled”. The Hebrew word used for “heart” (“leb”) refers not just to emotions but to the mind and the will – what we might call the inner man or inner woman.

In short, and in modern vernacular, I believe these psalms reveal God’s desire to heal the crippled soul.
Our neighborhoods (and our churches) include many men and women who have been deeply traumatized, particularly in their childhood. Some were abandoned. Many were sexually or physically abused. Even more were verbally abused on a long term basis, and they can all tell you in no uncertain terms that the nursery saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”, is a lie of the devil.

As a result, these men and women, each beloved by God, struggle with various levels of anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness, isolation, guilt and/or shame. Almost all of them have problems with self-esteem.

Other children, even if not the victims of overt abuse, were taught by their parents or other caregivers what may be the greatest lie of all: that you are supposed to earn love and acceptance. When they did well, they received approval, but when they made a mistake or failed, they received condemnation and rejection. This eventually leads to the assumption that if things go wrong, it must be because you did wrong.

These men and women, also beloved by God, struggle with fear of failure and rejection. Many are people-pleasers or perfectionists, and again, almost all of them have deep-seated self-esteem issues.

God designed human beings to have three basic needs: the need to belong (love), the need to feel safe (peace), and the need to believe your life has value and significance (purpose). Those crippled in soul are challenged in these areas. Yet most of them will not seek healing.

When we are crippled in body by injury or disease, we do not hesitate to seek help. But when we are crippled in soul, the opposite occurs. We fear the stigma of mental illness in our communities. We fear to be seen in our churches as lacking in faith. So we keep telling people, and sometimes ourselves, that we are fine when we really aren’t.

Those who do seek help from secular sources will primarily be provided medication, which may help you cope but will never heal you. The fortunate ones get some benefit from empathic counselors, particularly with approaches in cognitive behavioral therapy that seek to change how you think about life, situations and yourself. But it is almost impossible for secular therapists to help you take those changes in thinking to the deeper levels below your rational mind – to your memories and subconscious where the pain is rooted. You need the power of God to do that.
How can God heal the brokenhearted? Through prayer warriors, biblically grounded Christian counselors (pastoral or clinical), loving Christian community and the experience of God’s presence, the Lord can:

1. Plant hope in your heart that you can be healed.
2. Guide you through forgiveness ministry as to those who hurt you, and often yourself as well, so you can be freed from anger, bitterness, guilt and shame.
3. Convince you both in your outward mind and the depths of your being that you are incredibly loved and valued by God, and that God has family on earth who love and value you as well.
4. Impart His eternal perspective into your memories so that the hurt fades away, leaving behind gifts of wisdom, humility and empathy for others.
5. Free you from any demonic oppression that is aggravating your pain and obstructing your efforts to heal.
6. Set you on the path to the wonderful hope and future God has for you as His child.
Some of this healing can come quickly, like surgery, and some will take time, like rehabilitation. The brokenhearted can be healed by the Lord if only they will respond to His invitation.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
God bless you, and God bless our community

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19)

On Monday, the Fourth of July, we celebrated the 240th anniversary of the official beginning of the American Revolution. We call this Independence Day, but we did not achieve independence from the oppressions of the British crown on July 4. We declared our independence and initiated a revolution that would ultimately win that independence. Without a revolution defined by forceful commitment, courage, unity and sacrifice, our “land of the free” would not exist.
Today we are desperately in need of another revolution so this nation can be liberated from grave oppressions that are leading us all into destruction. As in 1776, our oppressors are rulers, but they are not men or women. They are neither the political establishment nor those seeking to become the new political establishment.
The “crowns” that are the true source of our oppression today are rulers of darkness under the lordship of Satan, the evil one.
Our candidate options in this election year are the worst I have ever seen, but even if they were better, they would be insufficient. Our solutions cannot be political because our root problems are not political. They are spiritual and moral – the result of a culture that has become more and more subjugated to these rulers of darkness. Our political situation is a symptom of this subjugation, not the cause. We need a revolution.
Our revolution is for the nation, but it must begin in the Church. As Christians, we are the only people who have the power to defeat this enemy. (Matthew 16:18-19) Yet, tragically, much of the Church has come under the same subjugations experienced by non-believers. It is time for the Body of Christ to break free so we can lead others to freedom! (Romans 8:19-21)
First, it is time to revolt against the rule of “mammon” – the love of wealth. (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10) Materialism has become the defining characteristic of our country. This leads to greed and covetousness, which motivate both those who have but always want more, and those who don’t have and want without effort what others have obtained.
Because we cannot wait to have things when we can afford them, we are also immersed in government and consumer debt we have no feasible way of repaying. All of this is causing ever-increasing socio-economic tension that will someday erupt into violence.
Second, it is time to revolt against the powers of “religiosity”, that is, religious practices that are devoid of a loving personal relationship with God.
Paul called this having a “form of godliness but denying its power”. (2 Timothy 3:5 NKJ) Many people today are satisfied with professing faith, attending services and performing liturgical practices without seeking to draw near to God or serve Him in any meaningful way.
Religiosity was also the sin of the scribes and Pharisees confronted by Jesus. (Matthew 23:13-39) Yet some denominational and congregational leaders continue to control, contain or appease their people rather than empowering the personal relationship and divine calling each Christian is to have with the Lord.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

James 4:8 is my life motto.  God promises if I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me.  What excites me most is that He repeats the invitation over and over!

First God invites me:  “Draw near to Me, Doug.”  When I draw near, God draws near just as He said He would.  And then He repeats the invitation so that I can draw still nearer.  When I do, He draws still nearer, and repeats the invitation again – nearer and nearer until I am in the fullness of His loving embrace.

The crucial question, of course, is. “How do we do our part?”  God clearly knows how to draw near to us, but how do we draw near to Him?

First, we must want to draw near.  Most professing Christians in our nation do not appear to have this as a priority in their lives.  Either they have not been taught this is an achievable goal, or they are afraid of the changes (and loss of control) that could result if they leave “religion” and enter into an intimate relationship with the Lord.

To all of us, God says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Second, we must recognize increasing intimacy with God is a lifelong process.  It is the progressive answer to what Jesus prayed: that we would become one with Him just like He is one with the Father. (John 17:20-23)

Scripture gives us guidance on steps we can take throughout our life to draw nearer.  Just as two examples, study the progression of the Beatitudes taught by Jesus. (Matthew 5:1-12)  Then study the steps to maturity of faith and fruitfulness described by the apostle Peter in his last letter. (2 Peter 1:1-11)

Third, we can on a daily basis seek to draw nearer to God in prayer.  My primary goal in this article is to offer an eight-step process for your prayer times that can help you draw near to God.

Step #1 is “Remembrance & Thanksgiving”.  As we remember all the Lord has already done for us, our hearts are filled with gratitude.  We enter His gates with thanksgiving. (Psalm 100:4)

Step #2 is “Praise & Honor”.  Our remembrance of all the wonderful things God has done will point us toward His immeasurable love, goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, power and majesty.  God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is so worthy of our praise and honor.  Through that praise, we enter His courts.

Step #3 is “Reverence & Humility”.  As we praise God, our increased awareness of His holiness and vastness will trigger an awe and reverence for Him.  This is the “fear of the Lord” as experienced by those who know God loves them unconditionally.  It was a crucial ingredient in the early Church that is tragically missing in much of the Church today. (Acts 2:43, 9:31)

The companion to reverence is humility – our awareness before God of how small, imperfect and dependent upon Him we are.  Only the humble can draw near to God. (Luke 18:11-14)

Step #4 is “Repentance & Forgiveness”.  As we humble ourselves before the Lord, our awareness of our continuing shortcomings leads to a desire to be forgiven and a desire to change.  This is not a time of condemnation because it happens in the atmosphere of God’s amazing grace.  We are forgiven, and while we remain a work in progress, we know we are God’s work in progress.

We are also God’s children.  Step #5, “Childlikeness & Intimacy”, is where we truly draw near.

My friends, the key to abiding intimacy with God is “childlikeness”.  Maturity in the eyes of the world is less dependence on your parents, and the development within yourself of more of what you need to succeed.  But maturity as a child of God means ever increasing adoration of, trust in and dependence on our heavenly Father and our eldest brother, Jesus, the Savior King.

Childlikeness brings not only trust and dependence, but delight in life, expectation, and eagerness to learn and do.  The Kingdom of God belongs to the childlike. (Matthew 19:14)  The things of the Kingdom are revealed to the childlike. (Luke 10:21)  Those who humble themselves with childlikeness will be called greatest in the Kingdom. (Matthew 18:2-4)

When God’s children come with childlike hearts to spend time with their Father, the Father rushes to embrace and bless them. (Luke 15:20)

Step #6 is “Experiencing & Receiving”.  You will wonderfully know God’s presence.  What you receive will vary in every prayer time depending upon what God knows you need – comfort, assurance, direction, revelation, healing or other blessing.

Step #7 is “Responding & Releasing”: doing what the Lord directs us to do with what we have received.  This will often lead to a time of intercessory prayer or other acts of ministry to others.

Step #8 returns us to where we began: “Thanksgiving & Honor” to the One from whom all good things come.

Each step in this prayer pattern prepares us for the next, so I urge you to take your time and not skip steps.

I would love to hear back from some of you after you practice these eight steps toward our Father.  They have never failed to draw me near to Him, and there is no place I would rather be.

God bless you, and God bless our community.

^“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

When we think of living in peace and joy with God, most Christians think of life in heaven and, ultimately, life in a new heaven and new earth.  There will be no more tears – no more death, sorrow, or pain. (Revelation 21:4)  God will dwell with us and the glory of God will be our unceasing light. (Revelation 21:3, 23-25)  It will be Paradise, wonderful beyond our imagination! (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:3; Revelation 2:7)

What far too many of us fail to understand is our opportunity to live in peace and joy with God today.  Romans 14:17 is the key to several scriptures that offer this opportunity, and my goal in this column is to discuss how we can use this key to “enter in”.

First, we must remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He offers us His peace: the peace that surpasses understanding, while we still live in this broken world. (Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27; Philippians 4:7)  Once we learn how to fully receive this great gift, we can go through the challenges of this life with an untroubled heart and an inner sense of well-being and safety.

Second, we must remember that Jesus wants to fill us with His joy while we still live on this earth. (John 15:11)  The Gospel is “good news of great joy”, the joy of our salvation.  (Luke 2:10; Habakkuk 3:18)  We are invited to rejoice always, even when we are being persecuted for trusting Jesus, because the Lord will use both good times and difficult times for our benefit. (Philippians 4:4; Luke 6:22-23)

Once we learn how to fully receive this great gift of joy, the enemy’s attacks of depression, negativity, and unhappiness will have no way to penetrate.  We will feel in our hearts like the blessed people we are. (Ephesians 1:3; Matthew 5:3-12)

How then do we receive these amazing gifts of peace and joy?  Romans 14:17 tells us to focus on three things.

Focus on the fact that you are already part of the kingdom of God because you have put your trust in Jesus and submitted to His Lordship. (Revelation 1:5-6)  You are entitled by His grace to what His kingdom offers.

Focus on the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every born-again Christian.  God will dwell “with” us in the new heaven and earth, but God dwells “in” us right now!  He who is in us is greater than all of our enemies and all of our problems. (1 John 4:4; Romans 8:31-38)  God is able right at this moment to do far more than you could ask or imagine through His power at work within you. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Finally, focus on righteousness.  But don’t focus on your righteousness.  Focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, as Jesus instructed in His Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 6:33)

My friends, if I focus on my righteousness as the key to having peace and joy, I am in trouble.  I continue to fall short every day.  Times of righteousness in my thoughts, feelings and behavior may allow me to have some times of peace and joy, just like times of good circumstances in my life.  Most people can be fairly happy and content when everything is going well.

But things in this broken world don’t always go well, and I don’t always do right.  If I rely on my righteousness or my circumstances, then the best I can hope for is a life where I sometimes have peace and joy and at other times live in worry and stress.  That is not the kingdom.  That is not God’s will for our lives. (John 10:10)

In order to focus on God’s righteousness, ask yourself these questions.

• How much does God love you right at this moment?  How long will that love last?  Can anything separate you from this love?
• How forgiving is God?  How many of your sins have been paid for by the cross and forgiven?
• How good is God?  How good are His intentions for you right at this moment?  How long will He continue to have those good intentions toward you?
• How capable is God?  How wise, knowing and powerful?  How able to accomplish whatever He purposes to do?  Do you have any enemies or problems that can defeat Him?
• How near is God?  Will He ever leave you or take His eyes off of you?
• How trustworthy is God?

Romans 15:13 tells us God will fill us with peace and joy as we believe in Him.  In other words, peace and joy are the fruit of the Holy Spirit we receive by trusting in God and His righteousness. (Galatians 5:22-23).  If we trust Him at all times, then we can at all times have peace and joy in His presence. (Psalm 62:8)

I may only see dimly and know in part while I walk this earth. (1 Corinthians 13:12)  But even when seen dimly and known in part, God’s kingdom and righteousness are awesome! Darkness is increasing in our nation and in the world, but God’s light will not be overcome. (Isaiah 60:1-3)  Live in peace and joy with God!

God bless you, and God bless our community.

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ (Luke 10:25-29)

Like many of you, I have been preoccupied lately with our nation’s presidential primaries. For me, they have “primarily” been a reflection of what is wrong with our nation rather than a source of hope for our future.

Christie and I have wrestled with which candidate we can support and even how we should pray. Then, during a recent snow day, we watched a 1941 black & white movie called “Meet John Doe”.
The movie was produced and directed by Frank Capra, who also directed the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. The setting is America shortly before we entered World War II, and two themes are interwoven.

The first theme portrays how those with financial and political power will use the media to manipulate the public for their own agendas. Sound familiar?

The second theme concerns how the every-day citizen can break free from being a pawn in these power struggles and find a life filled with more community, hope and joy.
Gary Cooper plays a homeless man hired by a newspaper to be “John Doe” and give speeches to the public that are actually written by one of their reporters. The messages encourage the public (the other “John Doe’s”) to see they are neither helpless nor hopeless because they can care for one another. “Be a better neighbor”. “Treat each other every day like we treat each other at Christmas.”

These simple messages ignite a wonderful movement. John Doe clubs are formed all across the nation. As people connect, they help each other. Lives and communities are transformed.
For the rest of the plot, see this great movie. The summaries on the Internet do not do it justice. What I have described here is sufficient, however, to explain what the Lord spoke into my heart as I watched.

“Be a better neighbor” and “Treat each other like we do at Christmas” really mean we are to love our neighbor. All Christians know this is part of the Great Commandment: love God with all you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. What too many Christians in America are failing to do is correctly answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

Jesus identified our neighbor in Luke 10 through the parable of the Good Samaritan. The rifts between his Jewish audience and Samaritans provided a perfect example to make His point. How many examples do you think the Lord could make use of in our nation today?

Then, just in case we choose to somehow limit the lesson of the Good Samaritan, Jesus adds the lessons of love in his Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:43-48) Don’t just love people who agree with you or are nice to you. Love the people who are opposed to you. Pray for them. Show them hospitality. Don’t treat them the way they treat you. Treat them the way you want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)

As a Christian gladly submitted to the authority of the Bible, I believe abortion and homosexual marriage are contrary to God’s will. And I believe Islam’s insistence that God has no Son is a horrible lie deceiving millions of people.

I also believe in fiscal responsibility, national security, the proper interpretation of our Constitution, and enforcement of the law.
On the other hand, politically speaking, I hate the residual impact of our nation’s history of racism, particularly in how it has trapped the urban black poor, and feel we should spend the time and money necessary to correct those wrongs. I hate pollution even if it doesn’t cause climate change. And I know illegal Mexican immigrants would never flock to our country if there weren’t American employers eager to put them to work.

How then am I to feel toward and treat the many people out there who oppose my values and beliefs? My Lord says I am to love them. I am to value their lives, have care and compassion for them, and treat them with respect.

This does not mean I set aside my beliefs or fail to share them. I am also not asked to ignore the steps necessary within these bounds of love to provide security for my family, community or nation.
God has made it clear to me, however, that if I don’t get love right, I won’t get anything right. (I Corinthians 13:1-3)

My proposal to all Christians is that in this election year, and for every year thereafter, we become active members in God’s version of a John Doe club: the “Love Your Neighbor” Club.
And when we are looking for our best candidates for President, look for those whose words and lives of service reflect that they are active members as well.

God bless you, and God bless our community