What kind of a people ought you to be?

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:6

God is God.

Fathers' Day 2015

Forgiveness trending

The Christian response of family members to the racially motivated murderer of their loved ones:

 

The response of Coptic Christians to martyrdom:

 

 

 

A survivor speaks

Here is what a person victimized by sexual abuse had to say in response to the Duggars' statement about Josh's past "mistakes".

Updated July 2nd, 2015 to include links:

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/sex-abuse-victim-to-file-lawsuit-against-josh-duggar-report/

http://spiritualsoundingboard.com/2015/07/01/nonfamily-sex-abuse-victim-expected-to-file-civil-lawsuit-against-josh-duggar/?utm_content=buffer64b4b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/biblenewsradio/what-the-josh-duggar-molestation-revelations-reveal-about-how-to-properly-report-sexual-abuse/

 

 

A prayer for the Church: Confession.

We Your people have sinned and we have done evil in Your sight. 

We have preferred our comfort to dealing with evil among us. 

We have been cowards rather than standing up to bullies.

We have put up with people slapping us in the face and called it love. 

We have rebuked those who have walked away from this and assumed they don't love Jesus. 

We have accused anyone who talks or grieves the evil among us of sin. 

We have enabled evil by our cheap grace and niceness therefore we are complicit. 

God, we have failed You and blasphemed your holy Name. 

You are righteousness and we are not. 

You never fail although we do. 

Have mercy on us, Lord, and bring us to repentance. 

Let us be humble before you instead of bringing you the fruit of our pride. 

Let us return to You alone and seek Your forgiveness for fearing men instead of loving you. 

God forgive us!

God restore us, whatever it costs and however long it takes. 

You alone are God. 

Rise up and be glorified among us!

You reign. 

Show Your power and let abusers truly repent and be saved. 

Let those victimized in your name see healing in our time. 

You will build Your church and we worship You. 

Let your name be praised. 

Amen. 

tenderhearted as God

(Source: www.christianpost.com)

Jesus said the meek shall inherit the earth. Narcissism will one day be wiped out, and those who bully, accuse, and abuse others will no longer humiliate God's people.

We Christians need more tenderheartedness, more genuine care and concern for fellow believers from every tradition which does not imply we must compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We need childlike faith and humble repentance, more "true religion" and much less arrogant talk.  We need to come to know Jesus more than our theology books and quit divisive arguing over doctrines since God gives His people freedom to disagree.  We need to stop trying to make everyone else in our own image and start following Christ even if we have to do so alone.

It makes me sick and sad to see God's character, which is love, profaned by people who claim to hold to correct doctrines.  I am aware that the idea of only one true church is not limited to Calvinists. The concern I have is that those who associate with bullies now may answer for it later.  We should weep for those who harden their hearts and yet accuse others of the same.

The fact is God calls us to follow Him. It is a long obedience in the same direction. It is not about head knowledge but heart repentance. A life changed by the Holy Spirit is shown not in apparent adherence to correct doctrines but in a heart work that results in the spiritual fruits described in Galatians.  The church is far bigger than many Christians will allow for and yet perhaps paradoxically smaller than any of us might like to believe. 

Our faith rests in the person of Jesus Christ and His finished work at the cross, not our outward church involvement or our correct articulation of essential doctrines. His call is "follow me", and His character is humble and gentle of heart.  This is the same God who stands against injustice; He is able to be angry at evil, yet kind to the one who needs Him.

The Scriptures say that in the last days people will be lovers of themselves instead of lovers of God.  Could it be that this is what we are seeing in much of our Christianity?  The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  That stand rests secure in Jesus the Anointed One, and cannot be shaken, not even by selfish and cruel "Christians".  There is still time for everyone to repent and trust Him instead of our intellectual understanding of the gospel.  As Jesus said, "the meek will inherit the earth."

 

And that gives me hope.

As a postscript, here are two of my favorite blogs that give me hope for their honest stand.

http://littleredsurvivor.com/

[Update Oct 2020: I can no longer recommend the second blog due to a lack of discernment showed by its author online.]

Here are some blogposts that respond to the events that triggered my thoughts here:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/the-15-and-the-reprehensible-dishonoring-of-christs-martyrs/

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/a-little-pharisaical-southern-baptist-copt-martyrs-christianity/



It also gives me hope when I see people turning evil to good.  Check out this beautiful artwork from the author of littleredsurvivor.com:

 

Is there hope? (rhetorical)

A little poem I wrote out around Christmas this year:

Hope for a New Year.

 

Is there hope for the outcast this Christmas?
For the one of strong convictions?
Grieved by the depth of corruption?
Is there hope for the outcasts at Christmas?
For the ones who are shunned and despised?
For the ones who can’t tolerate lies?
Is there hope in this world for the outcast?
For the one who just doesn’t fit in?
They may label them bitter or divisive.
They may claim that they are at fault.
They all say they refuse to fit in.

Is there hope for the outcast at Christmas?
For the person maligned for their Lord?
Their character called into question-
Their devotion discounted and ignored-
Their heart broken and discarded
In the “Church”, not the world, they are scorned.

Is there hope for all outcasts this Christmas?
In a world that’s about to explode
With a church that is rapidly dying
Where to love and follow Christ seems to mean:
Don’t rock the boat.
Don’t be different.
Be dysfunctional.
Be silent.
Follow the crowd… (?!)

Is there hope for the outcasts this Christmas?
For the families who can’t find the joy?
For the ones who are thrust into darkness
Into grief that they cannot deny.
Is there hope?

Can we stop?
Can we be honest?
Can we feel?
Can we think for ourselves?
Can we grieve?
Can we put aside fake and just be?

Hope’s Light flows from the Outcast in the manger
The kingdom of heaven is of such as these.
I see Hope in the form of the Christ Child.
Jesus Christ, come in human weakness, sets me free.

Yes, there is hope.
Pray God we see.

(Melody Kay Young, December 21, 2014)