Music of the Heart

Love your Enemies

2021-04-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

What is an enemy? Merriam-Webster defines it as "one that is antagonistic to another, especially one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent." It comes from the Latin word "amicus" (friend) with the prefix "in" (not). So it means "not friendly." We generally think of an enemy as someone we are at war against. Someone on the other side. These people we can fight against. An enemy is generally perceived as monstrous, or in some way inhuman. You can't fight against someone while also seeing them as a fellow human being. In order to fight, you have to believe that you are justified in hurting them. That your position is more important than theirs. That your life is more important than theirs. You cannot fight in love. You cannot attack someone in love. An attack is always a sign of antagonism and can only come from a desire to injure the other person. Love requires that you wish to protect the person from harm, not to inflict it. To save them from pain and sorrow, not cause it. Sometimes this comes at a price to yourself, but love allows you to take the pain and sorrow onto yourself rather than inflicting it on another.

As Christians, we are taught to love God. That is pretty easy. We are taught to love our neighbors. We learned from Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street that neighbors are nice people. That's pretty easy also. But Jesus very clearly told us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

So enemies are not nice people. Not friends. Not God. Not worried about our well-being. People who act as though we are monsters. People that we see as monsters because of the way they treat us. People who put themselves above us, and their welfare above ours, and even put their wants before our needs. Just like we understand the word "neighbor" to mean anyone in the world, as Jesus explained through the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we can have "enemies" who are part of our own household. Enmity is a state of mind, not a designation of place.

So what do we do when our enemies are those in our own house? What if those who should be protecting us are actually the attackers?

I suppose that most of us have bad days. Most of us have times when we feel less than generous. When we are tired or sick or mentally exhausted. During those times it is hard to act loving even though we know that we should. During those times, we need others to be loving to us. But as parents, we cannot let those days govern our behavior to our children. As spouses, we cannot let those days govern our behavior to our husband or wife. As Christians, we have to act in love at all times.

Our family members are not our enemies. We are bound together in human love. As Christians, the family bond should be even stronger, because we are also bound in Godly love. If we are behaving as if our "loved ones" are the enemy, we cannot be following Christ. They are apparently not loved by us. We need to ask ourselves what our relationship actually is.

Jesus told us to love our enemies. Not to make enemies of our loved ones. We are held to a higher standard. We are to give and not take. To heal and not hurt. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 reads:

Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.

Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered.

It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.

Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.

Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.

Love never fails!

Until we can love like this, we will have trouble in our lives. We will have broken families. We will perpetuate the brokenness from generation to generation. We need to walk in victory in our Lord, Jesus Christ, and break the generational curses and sins that allow us to wallow in selfishness and depression and cause us to harm our family members. This is especially true for parents, who are responsible for the physical, mental, and spiritual safety of their children.

If you have enmity in your life, look at the source. It is not from God. 1 John 3:7-10 explains where this comes from: "Children, don’t be fooled. Anyone who does right is good, just like Christ himself. Anyone who keeps on sinning belongs to the devil. He has sinned from the beginning, but the Son of God came to destroy all that he has done. God’s children cannot keep on being sinful. His life-giving power lives in them and makes them his children, so that they cannot keep on sinning. You can tell God’s children from the devil’s children, because those who belong to the devil refuse to do right or to love each other."

Do you see how important this is? 1 John 4:19-21 reads: "We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”

We have to have love for others. Some people are hard to love. We can only truly love because of the love God has given us. In our humanity, we will always choose our own happiness and comfort over that of anyone else. But we are not called to live for ourselves. "Put yourself first" is the Devil's instruction, not God's. It is the sure path to death and misery. We have to do better. This world we live in is under the "me" curse. Everyone is out for himself. We can't live like this. We have to wake up and allow Jesus to lead us into the truth.

Homeschooling in the Homestretch: or: Don't Worry

2020-08-13T16:58:00.002-04:00

Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.

Matthew 6:34 (CEV)

Next week starts the final school year of Rory's homeschooling life. He is officially a senior. Yesterday, he went to take the ASVAB test to begin his pre-enlistment process into the Army. I'm getting a little sentimental here, as I think of the little kindergartener that we pulled out of school so many years ago. I was so scared I was doing the wrong thing. I didn't know what he was supposed to learn, or how to teach it to him. I pushed too hard sometimes, and not hard enough others. He learned things that other kids in his grade didn't know, and didn't learn things that they did. His sister came along and learned everything at a completely different time and in a completely different manner. We fought, we cried, we hugged, and we laughed. And the whole time I secretly worried that I was doing it all wrong. I worried that when all was said and done, he wouldn't be prepared for the next step. I worried that he wouldn't know what he needed to know after high school. I worried a lot.

Yesterday I brought my "little boy" to a recruitment center to drive for an hour and a half each way with three people he didn't know to take a three-hour-long test. My sheltered, homeschooled 17 year old went off in a huge Ram truck with instructions to call me when he was on the way home so that I could pick him back up. He was left off at the door of the MEPS building by the recruiter who couldn't go in with him because of Covid-19 regulations, with instructions to call him when he was done for a ride back to the recruitment center.

So all day I worried. I worried that he'd get lost. Or in an accident. That he wouldn't know anything on the test. That he would freeze up or take too long or fail. That I hadn't done what I should to prepare him for this.

He came back. He got his scores. His scores were high enough in all categories that he can basically pick any job in the army that he would want. He told me that one section would have been impossible if he hadn't taken the robotics course last year. One section he knew almost everything because he had spent so much time watching car videos (not part of my curriculum!). He wasn't sure about human biology (which he never took), but scored very high on the science test anyway.

So what was the use of all of my worries? I had no idea as I was planning curriculum each year that he would want to enlist in the Army. He didn't either. Even if I had known, I wouldn't have had the least idea what to do about it. But God knew. He made sure that Rory had the information and the skills that he would need to do what he was meant to do.

We aren't completely done yet. There is still a physical to get through, and a year of waiting. But I'm starting to worry a little less. If God means for Rory to do this, then He will make it happen. We just need to trust him, and go forward with the process. And if He doesn't mean for Rory to do this, then all of this preparation is a way to get him where he truly needs to be.

So, to all of you homeschooling parents out there, I want you to know that you're not ruining your kids. God knows so much better than you, because He can see the end from the beginning. We just need to trust him day by day.

Every Pizza Must Have a Porpoise

2019-07-13T10:49:00.000-04:00

When I was in college, I had a class called "The History and Philosophy of Education." It was a night class, and I can't remember much that was taught, but I do remember "Every pizza must have a porpoise."

I would imagine you're confused, but you have to know that:

My teacher had a pretty strong accent - and -
My roommate was also in this class.

Because this was a night class, it was very long and we were given a short break in the middle of class. During one of these breaks, I went to talk to my roommate and noticed a picture similar to the one at the top of this post in her class notebook.

It took me a while, but I eventually realized that the professor had been teaching us that "Every teacher must have a purpose!"

I've been thinking about this, because I'm realizing that every church must also have a ~~porpoise~~ purpose. It is not enough to just be there. It is not enough to show up because we're supposed to, or we've always done it. It's also not enough to keep doing things just because they've always been done that way. Always been done doesn't work anymore. We don't live in that kind of society. We have become much less traditional and more progressive over the years, and maybe that's not a bad thing.

The good part about this is that people are no longer walking through their religion asleep. They aren't just going through the motions.

The bad part about this is that many people have given up religion entirely as something archaic and irrelevant.

The church has been trying for years to be "relevant." We've relaxed rules and modified our music so that we can better relate to the society around us. But is that what people are really looking for? I'm a musician. I like to think I'm pretty good at it, but I know I can't match popular music, even with the best worship team out there. There is no way that the church can compete with YouTube.

We have been trying to get "butts in the seats." But is this a good purpose? We have the idea that if only people would come and hear the message, they would become Christians. But what if that's not true? What if people can sit in church for years and still miss it completely? What if our methods have done more harm to the gospel, than good?

First Peter 4 is a great chapter that gives us an idea of our purpose as God's people. I can't print it all here, because it is too long, but I encourage you to follow the link and read it for yourselves. Here is my summary:

Christ suffered to overcome sin. As followers of Christ, we are not to live for our own pleasures, but can expect to suffer for following Him. We are to love others, be hospitable to them, and use what we have been given to serve others. We are to speak as God would speak, and serve in His strength, so that God will be glorified in all we do and say.

Telling people about Jesus is not enough. Jesus asked his disciples to follow him. He meant this in a physical way, not just "in the spirit." He left instructions to his first disciples to go and make more disciples! That is, followers, not believers. James gives a good rationale for the idea that we actually have to do something as followers of Jesus. Saying we believe is not enough:

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (James 2:14-20)

We have cheapened Jesus. We have made him into a good luck charm, or a "Get out of Hell Free" card. Christianity is not free. It is a calling. And in this world, it is a calling to work, and to suffer. Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." (Matthew 7:21).

The purpose of the church is not to "save" people for the afterlife. That is up to God. Our purpose is to use the power that God has so richly bestowed on us to make this world a better place for the people in it. God made this world, and made people to be a part of it. This is not some sort of testing ground for our "real" destiny. It is what we were made for. If God had wanted more souls for Heaven only, he could have created more angels! He wanted a world that would show his glory. And he gave human beings the job of manifesting that glory on his earth. Instead, we have preached an escapist view that once we get off this cursed planet, our true life will begin. And all you have to do to have eternal bliss is to say you believe in Jesus.

We are living in mortal bodies. This means they will one day die. But humans were not originally made that way. Mortality came because the original people decided to live for themselves, rather than for the glory of God. They lost their purpose. Jesus came to show us that we can overcome that original sin, or missing of the path that God set for us. He came to lead us into our true, God-given purpose. And when we once again turn back to God and fulfill the purpose He has for us, as Jesus did, we will be granted eternal life in Paradise, as God intended for all of us.

Our hope is not in saying a few words, but in the Word of God who became flesh to show us how to live as true sons and daughters of the Living God (John 1).

The church is supposed to be Jesus' body. As a body, we are to do physical work. Let's get going!

Idolatry in the Church

2019-07-06T13:32:00.001-04:00

Definition of idol

1 : an object of extreme devotion

2 : a representation or symbol of an object of worship

broadly : a false god

( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idol)

When you think of idols in the church, what do you think of? Statues, maybe? Throughout the Bible we see idols depicted as images made out of stone, wood, or metal. They appear in the second of the ten commandments:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God." (Exodus 20:4-5a)

Not many protestant churches have likenesses in their sanctuaries. Catholic churches have statues, but I don't think they're looked at as things to worship or serve, so they might not quite meet the definition. However, I want to think about the first of Webster's definitions, above: "An object of extreme devotion." And as I think about it, I would argue that many churches and Christians do have idols today.

Paul identified idolatry with covetousness (Eph. 5:5), and greed (Col 3:5). Jesus identified the great commandment as ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (Matthew 6:27). The second, he said, was ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’(Matthew 6:29). These commandments leave no room for covetousness or greed. But we are a greedy people, even in our worship and service.

The church is described in the Bible as the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the temple of God, and the family of God. All of these refer not to objects made by hands, but to the people who make up the church. They also depict things belonging to God, not man. So any time that we raise the importance of a physical object, ministry, or ritual, we are creating an idol in our mind.

Are you devoted to your church building?

It doesn't matter the age, size, or location of your church, or whether it is plain or ornate; do you feel that without the building, your church would cease to be? This is idolatry. You have taken your devotion to God and transferred it to a building. You cannot love God with all your heart, soul, and mind if you are worried about a property, and you cannot love your neighbor as yourself if you are worried that "those people" would in some way harm your beautiful "church" or the physical items inside or around it.

Maybe you're not that physically minded. You may not care so much about the building or the objects in it. Good for you. But what about your church service?

What is the service like at your place of worship? Is it structured or free-flowing? Are there certain things that happen every week? Month? Year? What if these things suddenly stopped? Or what if something was inserted that was not usually done? What if you had no music? No sermon? No prayer? No quiet time? No offering? What if your church suddenly changed its meeting time to Thursday? Could you still worship? Or have some of these things become idols in your mind - replacing God with worship?

Maybe this isn't a problem for you. You can worship God in any circumstance. But what about your ministry?

Many of us are involved in "ministry," either within the church or outside it. It may be music, Sunday School, community programs, visiting the sick, or even taking care of the building or setting up for communion service. I'm sure I've missed many ministries that you may be involved in! But what if your ministry suddenly stopped? What if your church decided to stop funding the ministry? What if you, yourself, became unable to contribute to the ministry you've been part of? Would this put a rift between you and God? Believe it or not, it is possible to make our service to God an idol. Remember the great commandment? Love God with ALL your heart, soul, and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself, not as God!

I'm going to add one more thing that can be made an idol. Your church. This time I'm not talking about the building, but the people.

God loves all people. We are to love all people. But we are not to love them more than we love God. When serving others and having fellowship with our church family becomes more important to us than our devotion to God, we are allowing them to become idols. If church has become a social club for you, a place to find human companionship, or a group of people to help, you may have started worshiping people instead of God. People are not perfect. If you equate God with the people in your congregation, even with your pastor, get ready to be disillusioned. We are meant to be a family, but we are all fallible people on a journey to God. We can and should help each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but the only one who will never ever let us down is God himself. He is perfect.

Why am I going through all this? Because idolatry in the church is damaging to church members and those we are trying to reach. Any time we elevate something above God, we are cheapening him in our hearts and in the eyes of the unsaved. If we teach devotion to any of the things I've mentioned, Heaven help us! Jesus told people to drop everything and follow him. No one was allowed to follow him until they had given up the things of this world. Unfortunately, we have used the past 20 centuries or so to heap more and more things onto our backs. What if Jesus walked into your church this weekend and asked you all to follow him? How many truckloads would you take with you? Could you go with only one set of clothes and no money as he told his disciples to do? Or would you have to bring your Bible, hymnal, piano, notebook, flat shoes, purse, sunglasses and extra sweater...Oh, maybe that's just me. Sorry!

We're all searching for the "perfect church." Well, the only perfect church is the bride that Christ will introduce at the wedding supper of the lamb. Until then, we have to rely on God to perfect us, and remember that His ways are not our ways. In the meantime, take a look at the idols in your life, and turn back to God himself.

Who Stole the Church?

2019-07-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:43-47 NASB

Where did this go? Where is the Bride of Jesus Christ? What have we become?

I read the book of Acts, and all I can feel is a sense of emptiness. The church I know is nothing like the church described in the Bible. There is no sense of awe anymore, no sharing, and we are definitely not "continuing with one mind."

I haven't posted here in quite a while, partly because I was writing weekly posts on my church website, summarizing the Sunday sermons. But I am getting discouraged with my church and my community. Another church in our town closed its doors yesterday. The attendance at our church is very small. What happened to "the Lord adding to their number those who were being saved?" What are we doing wrong?

Jesus said:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20),

and

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." (John 15:12).

But I see a church that is locked up in its own four walls for a couple of hours a week, and then disappears from sight until the following Sunday. It's like the musical "Brigadoon," where a town appears for one day every 100 years. In the story, this spell was cast to preserve the culture. The people would never be in any century long enough for their way of life to be influenced by it. Is our church trying to do the same thing? Are we so afraid of becoming like the world that we insulate ourselves into our own church culture? And are our children like the ill-fated Harry, who is kept in the town against his will because if anyone leaves the town, the spell will be broken?

What spell are we under, that makes us afraid of the very people we should be ministering to? How can we make disciples of all nations if we won't leave our pews? How can we love one another if we only have this superficial, once-a-week relationship with our fellow ~~hostages~~ church members?

I do not believe that all of Jesus' church is like this. I believe that there are people out there doing great things for God's Kingdom and His children around the world. I am frustrated because I don't see it happening in my town, and I feel that there is a great void here.

What can we do to change this? Will you pray with me that my church and my community will experience a new filling of the Holy Spirit, like the disciples did on Pentecost? I would sure appreciate it. And I would love to hear your suggestions for how to effectively minister to a small-town community! Thank you! - Robin

The What-Ifs

2018-01-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:1-3

And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”

Deuteronomy 1:39-40

God holds a special place in his heart for children, it seems. They are promised blessings, even as their parents are judged. But why is this? Why should children, who don't know good from bad, be promised the kingdom, while their parents are sent away?

I think it's because God knows that children still understand the "What-ifs" of life.

The older we get, the more education we have, the more we think we have all of the answers. We aren't teachable. We become arrogant. I see this in the modern church, and I think God saw it in ancient Israel, and in the Jewish Pharisees, and sometimes even in the disciples.

There is an atmosphere in the church these days that pastors, teachers, and elders are always right. That they know everything. That there are no more mysteries or questions. Only pat answers.

Children don't think like this. Children have myriads of questions. They look at things with open eyes and open minds. Not through a cloud of dogma. And sometimes they see things that older people don't.

It will come about after this

That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;

And your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your old men will dream dreams,

Your young men will see visions.

Joel 2:28

I think we are in the days that Joel spoke about. But we are missing it. We are so caught up in what we "know" that we can't learn. We aren't leaving room for prophecy, visions, and dreams. The church is stagnant. It is dying, because it is without imagination.

We tend to ignore scientists because we believe they are against God. But God made this world, and he gave people the drive to find out about it. No other species on this earth seems to be concerned about who they are, where they came from, or where they are going. They have done things the same way through all of the years of their existence. Lions have always acted like lions, and apes have always acted like apes. If their environment changes too much, they become extinct, like the dinosaurs did. But not humans. We have continued to adapt. We are naturally weak, and are not suited to a whole lot of environments, but have instead managed to change our environments to accommodate us. We have invented clothes, shelters, and ways of getting food, depending on where we live. We can live in the arctic tundra, or the Sahara desert, by modifying the things around us. No other creatures can do these things!

This ability to adapt our environment, rather than ourselves, has allowed us to expand and cover the globe. But our spirituality has stayed in one place.

I believe that the Bible is true. But I don't believe it contains all the truth that's in the world. I believe God created the world, but I am wary of anyone who says they know that it happened in a specific amount of time and in a specific way, regardless of if they are a preacher or a scientist. Not one of them was there. Scientific thought is changing all of the time, as more and more things are discovered. And the creation story in the Bible, while beautiful, is not very specific. I am also wary of anyone who professes to know how or when the earth will end. Only God knows that. I think we are missing the mark. I think God gave men brains that ask questions. And I think that he expects us to keep asking. Pretending that we know everything we need to know is just arrogance.

And I think we need to listen to our children. It is too easy to "pull rank" on them and tell them what to believe. But that's not doing them, or us, any favors. We are just pushing them down into the same tired mold that we came out of. Joel spoke of sons, daughters, and young men. They are our future, and the future of our faith. The Word of God is not stagnant, nor is it set in stone. We call the Bible a Living document, but do we believe it? Can we accept that God may be giving our children visions that we haven't yet seen, and prophesies that we haven't yet heard? Can they be seeing things with new eyes that are unclouded by the doctrines of tradition? And can we learn to do the same? I think our future depends on it.

Finding your Purpose

2017-11-01T18:28:00.000-04:00

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

How many times have you been told that God has a plan for you? That He made you special? That He made you to do great things for His Kingdom?

And how many times have you looked at your life and wondered whether you're missing it?

Jesus said "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark16:15 KJV).

And here you are, sitting in the exact same house you've been in for the past 20 years, seeing the same people day after day, most of whom are related to you.

Where is the great revelation? Where is the voice from Heaven? Where is the instruction book?

Now I know that all of you wonderful Christian people will quickly inform me that He HAS left an instruction book, and if I would only read His Word, I would find all of these answers.

Well, I have read it, and it seems rather general to me. All except that one time when I was a kid and decided it would be more fun to read my Bible than clean my room, and my eyes fell on Proverbs 18:9 - "He who is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys" (RSV). You never saw a kid clean her room so fast!

But What If...we have this purpose thing all wrong? What if the Bible is not written for you to know YOUR purpose, but to know God's? What if (gasp!) it is all about HIM?

One of our dogmas about purpose is that God has created a special mate for each of us. A soulmate, if you please. If you can only find this person who you are perfectly matched to, you will be eternally happy.

What if I told you this is not in the Bible?

What if I told you this is a Greek myth, perpetuated by Plato?

I have found nothing in the Bible that says God will pick a spouse for you. There are some guidelines as to what kind of person to look for, but nothing saying that God has "created someone specially for you."

Do you know that God is about fulfilling HIS purpose, not YOURS?

Do you know that if you choose not to do God's will, He will find someone else who will?

In Isaiah chapter 6, we find Isaiah in the temple. He is having a vision of God. Verse 8 states: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"" This seems to be a situation of God looking for someone who was willing. Do you suppose that if Isaiah had pretended not to hear, God would have said "Oh, well. I guess no one is going." I don't think so. I think he would have found someone else. His purpose would have been fulfilled. Isaiah would have lost his blessing, perhaps, but it would not have stopped God from getting his message out.

John states in his gospel why he wrote it. And it was not intended as an instruction book, but as a proof of who Jesus is. John 20:31 says: "but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. Paul writes to Timothy: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Our instructions may not be specific. We may never hear the voice of God. We may never be given a "calling." God's purpose for us is to believe in Jesus so that we may have life, and to be equipped for every good work.

So we don't need to wait around for God to direct us. If we have read His word, we will know who He is. We will know His purpose. We will be able to act in His will. We will be able to deal with the ups and downs that this world throws at us. Not because we know our purpose, but because we know God's.

I'll leave you with one of my all-time favorite verses. (Not the one about cleaning my room). It is Micah 6:8 -

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?

So today, be blessed, and be a blessing.

My War Room

2017-06-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the movie "War Room"? We just watched it this week, and I only wish I had seen it sooner. It's one of those movies that make you see your life just a little differently.

I have to admit that I was a little dejected at first after watching it. You see, the "war room" in the movie is a clothes closet, made over into a prayer closet. Now, I've heard people say "when you're in your prayer closet" before, but this really took that concept literally! I was inspired to make my own war room. The problem is, our house boasts a total of three small closets shared by four people for all of our clothes. No chance of a war room there.

I read in a blog since then that you can take a spot in your bedroom, "not your bed," put down a pillow, a chair, a lamp, and make yourself a nice quiet place to sit and pray... Ummm... not likely.

You see, I don't have a room of my own. I share every room in the house with at least one other person and cannot count on any of them being available for my private use consistently.

So you can imagine my frustration.

Okay. That's nothing but the devil talking, isn't it? Is God concerned about where we pray? Are we supposed to wait until we have the perfect spot fixed up? I'm thinking not. I'm also thinking it's a convenient excuse to not spend time with our Heavenly Father.

So I stepped a little outside the box. Are you ready for the big reveal of my war room? (Drum roll, please). My War Room Is............

..............A book.

Yep. A cheap lined journal. Actually, a partially written in cheap lined journal. It won't pass the Pinterest test, but it works. Here's how. First of all, it's portable,so I can use it in any room whether or not it already has another person in it.

Second of all, it's quiet. Part of my problem is that I can't be praying out loud like in the movie. Maybe I could, but sometimes I pray things that are meant to be private, just between me and God, you know? As a result, my prayers tend to go on inside my head, but then I tend to get off track and think about what to have for dinner or whether the kids got their schoolwork done. So I decided to write out my prayers. No one else can hear what I'm writing, and it keeps me on track.

So far, I have spent time in my War Room on my bed (sorry, blog person), on the couch, and at the kitchen table. And you know what? Once I start praying, it doesn't matter where I am physically. I am spiritually in the presence of God.

I write down Bible verses that come to me, write what they mean to me, and then write out my prayer. I think it will be a great help actually to look back and see what I've prayed for, instead of forgetting almost instantly. I'll be better able to see God's hand in my life.

If you haven't seen the movie, I would highly recommend it. But don't take it too literally! If God didn't give you a huge walk-in closet, it doesn't mean he doesn't want to spend time with you. Use whatever God has given you. It's worth it!

2017: The Year of Love - Who should you Love?

2017-03-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in this series for a little while. Partly because I've been through some unloving things, and partly because our country is in such an unloving state, and I really didn't know where to go.

If you have been following, you will remember that the last post, "Step one - What is love?" focused on 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. Did you do your homework? Did you find out what love is, and what it isn't? If you haven't done that, take a minute to look at it now. You will also remember that love is not a feeling, but an action.

Okay. Now we are ready to find out who we need to apply this action to. I admit, this is a tough one. If you have ever been misunderstood, betrayed, abused, or treated badly by anyone, you know that it is hard to love them.

But Jesus didn't leave anyone out. Look at what he says in Luke 6.

²⁷“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

³⁵But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Did you get all that? Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.

Bottom line: Your actions do not depend on who they are. Your actions are a result of who you are. You are children of the Most High God. And He is merciful. The prophet Daniel said in chapter 9 -

⁹The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.

And James, in chapter 2 -

¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Mercy triumphs over judgement. To be loving is always better than to be right.

This is a hard lesson for these hard times. We in the United States are feeling divided and fractured. It seems that every group is against every other group. Take your pick. Political. Racial. Religious. Everyone is judging everyone else based on who they think they are. But that is not our job. Our job is to show mercy to all. Everyone. Whether they agree with you or not. Whether or not they are merciful to you.

So here is your homework. Make yourself a sign or a note or a memo or whatever you need to do so that you will see it often. Write down these three verses:

Daniel 9:9

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.

Luke 6:36

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

James 2:13b

Mercy triumphs over judgement.

Let these words sink into your heart and your mind. And the next time you are tempted to lash out because of something that someone else does, remember who you are. And be merciful.

Previous posts in this series:

2017: The Year of Love

Step one - What is Love?

Who is Your President?

2017-01-21T17:56:00.000-05:00

I very rarely write political-type posts, but I just really have to get this off of my chest.

I keep hearing people say "Trump is not MY president." What does that even mean?

Are you an American? Then Trump is YOUR president.

If you are an American citizen, you agree to abide by the constitution of the United States. Part of that includes how a president is elected. It also includes the duties of the president, along with those of the rest of the government. If you abide by the constitution, and the President was elected and is acting according to the rules written there, whoever is elected becomes YOUR president.

I did not vote for Trump. However, he is now my president. I didn't vote for Obama, either, or Clinton, or either of the Bushes. But all of them were my president. I actually cannot think of any president that I voted for, right back to elementary school when I chose Ford over Carter in our little class election. But they have all been my president.

I haven't agreed with all of them. I have been known to call my congressman when I didn't agree with a bill that was being considered, and to show up at the state capitol to speak to representatives there. But unless I wish to renounce my citizenship to the United States and move to some other country, I have to acknowledge that the government here is MY government, and the president is MY president, and my job as an American is to use the proper methods to make my wishes known. It is also my job to deal with whatever the majority decides.

This is a democracy. I keep thinking about what Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address.

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

This country seems to be pulling apart almost as badly as it did before the Civil War. Although now instead of along state lines, it is being shredded in so many directions that it is almost impossible to see what it began as. But the threads are still there. And they can be sewed together again.

Please, join me in working toward unity instead of division, and in praying for our leaders as we are instructed by God, rather than tearing them apart with our own hands.

2017: The Year of Love - Step One: What is Love?

2017-01-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I proclaimed 2017 the Year of Love, and I promised to come back with some ideas. But before we get to the how, we need to understand the what. What is love?

The word "Love" is pretty over-used these days. We love our spouse, our children, our parents, our pets, and ice cream. We might love our favorite TV show. We might love the color green. Or maybe we love roses. Of course, we love God. The English language doesn't give us a whole lot of options for differentiating between these types of "love." But we really can't put ice cream and God in the same category.

I think the biggest problem is that we treat the word Love as a feeling. So any time we feel fondness for something or someone, we say we love it or them. But this Year of Love is not about a warm, fuzzy feeling. This year, we are going to learn love as an action. Not as something we feel, but something that we choose to do.

In order to do something, we have to have some instruction. So here's your first step. From 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the Contemporary English Version of the Bible reads:

Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
    proud, or ⁵rude.
Love isn’t selfish
    or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
    of wrongs that others do.
⁶Love rejoices in the truth,
    but not in evil.
⁷Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
    and trusting.⁸Love never fails!

If you notice, this is a short list of what love is, and what it isn't. So your first assignment is to get a piece of paper and make two columns. Head the first column "Love Is" and the second "Love Isn't." Then go through these verses and sort them out. The passage begins "Love is kind," so the first word in the "Love Is" column would be "kind." If you don't like this version, feel free to get out your favorite bible and look up the scripture.

That's it! Keep watching for the next post in the series. And please feel free to share it with your friends. Let's use this year to spread love!

Previous Posts in this Series:

2017: The Year of Love

2017-01-01T09:12:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Isn't it funny how something as simple as a calendar change can set us in a new direction? I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions. In my experience, I get about two weeks in and mess up, if not sooner. So I'm not making one this year either.

I do have an idea, though, and I wondered if you would like to join me?

I am declaring 2017 the Year of Love. Now, I am not an official person who can make official declarations and make everyone comply. But that's okay. Love doesn't work that way, anyhow.

Love is a very personal thing.

So why make a declaration? Because I need it for myself. Last year was tough. I have heard that statement all over the place, in all different ways. It was tough politically, tough inter-racially, tough financially, tough even in the vast amount of iconic people who passed away. As we pull ourselves into a new year, we are the walking wounded. We are dragging all sorts of baggage, and limping along.

But there is hope.

I propose that we leave our baggage at the border. Walk into this new year unencumbered by hate and hopelessness. Picture yourself stepping over that line from 2016 to 2017 and leaving all that hate and pain and fear behind.

I have some ideas about how we can make this happen, and I'll be writing about it soon (no, that is not a New Year's resolution to keep up on my blog!) But since this is January 1, and also a Sunday, I'm going to leave you with a song to start your year off right. Enjoy!

When You Fast

2016-07-27T22:03:00.000-04:00

Fast - as per Webster's online 1913 dictionary - verb -
1. To abstain from food; to omit to take nourishment in whole or in part; to go hungry.
2. To practice abstinence as a religious exercise or duty; to abstain from food voluntarily for a time, for the mortification of the body or appetites, or as a token of grief, or humiliation and penitence.

I've been involved in a few discussions recently about fasting, so I'm trying to figure out what it means, and why you should or should not do it. So, I'm looking up fasting in the Bible. It seems like it was done mostly as an atonement for sins (1 Sam. 7:5-6), a cry for mercy, or a mourning, as when Saul died (2 Sam 1:12). People fasted in order to ask help from the LORD, as when Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast for all of Judah because of the fear of their enemies (2 Chron. 20), or the fast of the Jews when Haman plotted to have them all killed (Esther 4).

Jesus also equated fasting with mourning, when he explained that his disciples had no cause to fast while he was still with them (Matt. 9:15). He also understood fasting as a way to greater faith in God, telling his disciples that they were unable to cast out a devil because their faith was small, and then saying in the next breath that it would only be cast out by prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:18-21).

The early church fasted when they needed to make decisions (Acts 13:1-3). Cornelius the centurion fasted and Peter was sent to him to bring him the gospel and baptize him (Acts 10).

I think the best passage about fasting is found in Isaiah 58:1-11 -

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

²Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

³Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

⁴Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

⁵Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

⁶Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

⁷Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

⁸Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

⁹Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

¹⁰And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

¹¹And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

So God is not really impressed by our sacrifice. I guess that makes sense. He provided the ultimate sacrifice in the life of his own Son. Anything we could possibly do in our fleshly, selfish way can only pale in comparison. And simply going without food, entertainment, or comfort is not helpful to anyone. Our Christian walk is not really dependent on what we abstain from, as much as it is dependent on what we do with our resources. We could go without food and spend our food money on clothes. We could sacrifice our favorite TV program and spend the time reading a trashy novel instead. Whereas we may look like we're doing something for God, we're really just trying to look good without having to suffer.

God expects us to spend our lives for others, as he poured his out for us. Going without a meal may do nothing for us or for our relationship with God, but giving our meal to someone who is hungry will go a long way toward building His kingdom here on Earth. Skipping TV won't help us to hear God's voice if we replace it with anything other than God, but skipping TV to help someone who is sick or in trouble, or using that time to read the Bible and pray, can bring us closer to Him.

So...Should you fast or not? I think that depends. First, search your heart. Are you fasting to try to convince God to give you something you desire? Then it is probably not a good idea. Are you fasting to come closer to what God wants of you? Then it may be the right thing to do. I do not find anywhere that we are commanded to fast. What we are commanded to do is to love one another, and to take up our cross and follow Jesus. And since the cross is an instrument of death, we are to take seriously the admonition to die to self. Which means that our desires no longer matter, but only the desires that God has for us. And that, my friends, is a true fast.

Fighting the Wrong War

2016-07-09T17:28:00.000-04:00

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

(Ephesians 6:12)

It has just occurred to me that we are fighting the wrong war. We are spinning our wheels, fighting the symptoms rather than the disease. What happens when you have an infection, but only treat the fever? The infection gets stronger, because the fever was not the problem, only a symptom. In fact, fevers are part of your body's defense against infections. In defeating the symptom, you gave more power to the disease.

We have a war on drugs, a war on cancer, a war on aids, and a war on terrorism. I am sure there are more wars going on, but these are the ones that come to mind immediately. But what if all of these wars are not fighting the disease, but only the outward symptoms? Or in the case of drugs and terrorism, the misapplied cures?

As Paul said to the church in Ephesus, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." Terrorists are flesh and blood, as are drug dealers. Cancer and aids are part of our flesh and blood. But they are not the enemy. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NASB).

We would do better to fight the real enemy here. Not the symptoms.

We are fighting against "spiritual wickedness in high places." And we can't fight spirit with flesh. The battle is in the spiritual realm. We have to fight spiritual battles.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.And of some have compassion, making a difference:And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

(Jude 1:17-25)

Our job is first of all to pray. And then to have compassion and relieve what suffering we can. To save those we can, and to keep ourselves in the love of God. If we do this, we may just win the right war.

Divided We Fall

2016-07-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand (Matthew 12:25).

I am sad. I look around, and all I see is division. Black divided from white. Democrat divided from Republican. Christian divided from Muslim. Man divided from woman. This is not right. It is not healthy. It is not helpful. And it is not Christ-like.

There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

(Colossians 3:11-15)

Brothers and sisters, we are in difficult times. But so was Paul when he wrote Colossians. It was during the persecution of the new Christian church by the Jewish authorities. The verse in Matthew is a quote by Jesus. He was speaking to the Pharisees, who were accusing him of casting out demons by the power of the devil. In the same chapter, it states that the pharisees were holding a council to determine how to destroy him.

My family and I attend a very small church in a very small town. But it is one of the most diverse churches, culturally, that I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of. We are a family made up of blacks, whites, Hispanics; immigrants and people who have lived here for generations; rich and poor; law enforcement officers and former offenders; democrats, republicans, and independents; old people and little children. And when we meet together, we are one. We are family. It doesn't matter what color you are, or how old, or your job or your political persuasion. We are all brothers and sisters In Christ Jesus.

Now I realize that this country is not made up only of Christians. But that is part of the beauty of it. There is a poem inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. It is a poem called "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus:

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

This is the America that I love. Not the one where everyone is trying to get their own way and to make everyone else agree with them. The one that "Glows world-wide welcome." The America that was built on freedom. Not Tyranny. Not Selfishness. The America that worked together through tough times to come out stronger. Not the one that fell apart when the going got tough.

We have to get back to that. We can't let ourselves be divided and conquered. We have to band together as ONE nation. White AND Black. Republican AND Democrat. Christian AND Muslim. Men AND women. And ALL Americans. That is our heritage. And it is the only way we will survive.

Why did Jesus have to Die?

2016-03-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

So we're coming up hard on Easter here. There are advertisements for egg hunts and pictures with the Easter Bunny. Sometimes it seems as if the real meaning of the day was buried in the tomb almost 2000 years ago and somehow failed to emerge. All that came out was a stuffed, fake facsimile of new life.

But that isn't true. We know it's not. We are told every year that Jesus rose again. That His death was for us, that somehow he died for our sins.

I have gone to church almost my whole life. I have heard the message every year since I can remember. I have sung the same songs over and over. I have chosen to believe in Jesus, that he can save me from my sins. But it is so...hard...to...under...stand...how.

It seems like every time I try to understand the end I have to go back to the beginning. To get to Jesus' coming return, you have to get to why he left to begin with. To get to that, you have to understand why he came, and to get to that you have to read the Old Testament. Maybe not all of it, although I think that would help, but at least the beginning - how things began.

We have to go back to the garden and the snake and the woman who was deceived and the man who chose his wife over his creator. And why he had to choose at all.

It seems a little mean of God to plant a tree as a test. Why not just leave the tree out? There would have been nothing to tempt anyone, would there?

Well, I think there would have. I think it wasn't so much the tree that was the problem, but the ego. It wasn't that Adam and Eve were hungry for food. They had all the food they could ever want. Fresh, organic, non-GMO food in fact. For free. But they forgot something. The garden wasn't put there for them. They were put there for the garden.

And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 2:5-9, 15

So there was a reason for man to be on earth. To take care of it. To make sure there was enough food for all of the creatures God had made.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Genesis 1:28-30

By taking the fruit from the forbidden tree, man was saying that he was in charge, rather than God. He took his life upon himself. He decided that he could take better care of himself than God could, and he broke the contract of his job. So he was fired. He wanted to be independent, so God let him be. He was banished from the garden, and had to figure out how to feed himself without God's help. He had to figure out how to take care of the animals. But there was no way back.

God still talked to people. He didn't abandon them. All through the Bible there are people who were able to talk to God one on one. There were those who listened to him. But there were very few who would listen to them. Generation by generation people continued to try to get to that perfect place on their own. Striving and working to subdue the world which they should have had dominion over from the beginning, but lost because they wanted dominion over themselves.

So now we come to Jesus. How can the death of one man save the world? His death was terrible, but he was not the only person ever crucified. It was actually a pretty common punishment for the day. What was the difference?

First of all, Jesus was not just a man. He was Emmanuel, God With Us.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:20-23

Can you imagine this? Because man would not bow down to the rule of God over his life, God came down and submitted Himself to the rule of man. He died a man's death on a man's torture device. He did something which no one would ever have had to do if man had submitted to God in the beginning.

Can you imagine? A life without sin? Without all those "bad people" who make us lock our doors and worry about the security of our credit cards? There would have been no reason for the Romans to invent a way to torture and kill criminals. There would have been no wars, because wars are always fought out of greed. There would have been enough of everything for everyone. This would have happened without all of the different forms of government that people have tried to come up with to replace the rule of God, their creator.

So Jesus died. He turned the world upside down. He rose again, victorious over the sin that is self-will and self-preservation and every other word that starts with self. Because he gave himself up.

So how does this save you and me?

It shows us that it is possible to give up our strive for self-_________ and to depend on God. It shows us that we can get off the merry-go-round that is our striving, get-all-we-can-get existence. There is a way back.

When we say "yes" to Jesus, we are accepting His rule over our lives. We are giving up our allegiance to this world. That is why he said to take His yoke. To lay our burdens down.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

So as we go toward Easter, remember where you came from. You are a citizen of God's world. Not the world that we have made, but the one He created in the beginning. You are not meant to have to try so hard. You can have Eden. But you have to give it up. Take off the self, and put on Christ.

Jesus died to save you. And me. Anyone who will come to Him. God came and did what no man would do. And because He did, we can be what we were meant to be in the beginning.

Why I Can't Believe in Evolution

2016-02-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

I am not a scientist, nor do I play one on TV. I can't pretend to know the ins and outs of any scientific theories. I was also not around when the earth began, so I don't pretend to know exactly how or when that happened.

I am a Christian, so I believe in God who, according to His own account (the Bible), created the Heaven and the Earth. I also believe that He created all of the living things on the face of the earth.

I am aware that there are Christians who believe in the evolutionary theory. I am also aware that there are Christians who believe that the earth and everything in it were created in exactly six twenty-four hour days. There are those who believe in a gap between the creation of the earth and the recreation that we see today. And there are those who believe that each "day" mentioned in Genesis was actually a long age.

As I said, I wasn't there, and I don't know which of these theories is right.

However, I cannot believe in evolution between species.

I believe that species can adapt to changing conditions, such as Darwin's famous Galapagos Island finches. But I cannot believe that reptiles became birds or that monkeys became humans.

Here's my basic problem. If evolution is supposed to be a way for animals to become more advanced, why are the less advanced species still around? If monkeys evolved to be human, why in the world are there still monkeys? Did some decide it was better to stay monkeys and others decide to do something else? This kind of belief, I'm sorry to say, takes more faith than I can muster.

The Bible says that God created man (and woman) in His own image. Man was created separate from the other animals, and was given dominion over them. It says that Adam named the animals himself.

What does it mean, to be made in the image of God? Well, I don't think it has to do with our bodies. I admit that our basic body structure is not all that different from many of the other creatures which share our world. But we are different. And I think that difference was given to us in the beginning, not developed slowly over millions or billions of years.

Our recorded history is short. Some believe it is around 6000 years long. But if you look at that history, I don't see that people have gotten better and better, as if we have been evolving. I see that people through the ages have been inventive and creative and relational, and I think these are some of the ways that we were made like our creator. I think about people like Galileo or Leonardo Da Vinci or Benjamin Franklin. None of them invented the computer or figured out how to fly to the moon. But they could have. And the people who did do those things used the knowledge handed down from them in order to do it. You can't say that Steve Jobs was more intelligent than Benjamin Franklin because he came 200 years later. It isn't true. You can't say that modern art was done by a more evolved person than a cave painting. Think of the knowledge that has passed down through the generations so that artists today can create the things they do, and imagine a cave person having the same resources as a modern photographer, for example. Who is to say they wouldn't have been able to do the same things?

Animals continue to live in the same way they always have. In the wild, they still make the same types of homes. If you move an animal from its regular habitat, you have to take care of it. If you move it to a part of the world that it is not adapted to, it will die. If you move a person, however, they will adjust. People can invent ways to keep themselves warm or cool, and to get appropriate food. And then they go on to create art and music and poetry and literature and ways to communicate and to leave information for those who come after them.

The Bible says that God formed Adam from the dust of the earth, and then breathed the breath of life into him. It doesn't say this about any of the other creatures. Another word for "breath" is "spirit." God gave Adam His own spirit. And Adam and Eve were told to multiply. They should have passed that spirit down to their descendants. But they chose to give it up. When they ate of the forbidden fruit, and realized they were naked, they were missing that spirit. It had left them. God has stayed with men ever since then, any who would accept Him and listen to Him, but His spirit was only external for thousands of years. Then Jesus came. God as man. And when He died on the cross, the spirit of God was again made available to all of us. We can again contain the breath of God. This is a gift not given to the animals. And sadly, it is not given to all people. You have to ask for it.

You are not a more intelligent ape. You are a unique creation, meant to be a son or daughter of the creator. He wants you to be with him, just like you want your children to be with you. You just have to ask. And you have to believe. Yes, this too takes faith. You can choose to believe in a random sequence of events which has somehow led from a "sludge" to the Mona Lisa and Google, or you can believe that you were created as a unique person by an intelligent creator who planned this world and gave you the ability to think and to create in turn. You can believe that you are a cosmic accident, or a beloved child of a God who wants you to be with Him forever. I'm going to quote Joshua, and say "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

A Little Wild

2015-11-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

A Little Wild

In the heart of every child,

God has left a little wild.

A place that no one else can claim.

A place that He alone can tame.

A child's soul contains a land

Untouched by any human hand

Where never any man has trod

Except the child, himself, and God.

A child needs to have some space

Far removed from life's hard race.

Peace and quiet, open air,

Time away from strife and care.

Space and time, a place to be

Alone, with just his God and he,

Where he can find the time to muse,

To think and dream, not win or lose.

A little space that's just as wild

As the place inside the child.

A space not engineered at all,

Where he can listen for God's call.

The call of God upon the child

Into that place that was left wild

Becomes a vine, which as it grows

Entwines with what the child knows.

The lessons learned, the wisdom won,

The memories of things he's done,

The books he's read, the games he's played,

And even he who once has strayed

Will, when his wandering days abate

Find once again the secret gate.

And as he opens up the door

Will find himself alone once more.

But not alone, for God is there

Waiting patiently with care.

For even if we choose to roam,

We always have a way back home.

Whose God is their Belly

2015-11-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

Philippians 3:18-19

I was reading in Philippians the other day, and this phrase caught me: "Their god is their belly." I immediately thought about how obsessed we are with food in this culture. And I do mean "WE." I cannot let myself off of this one. Much of my life revolves around planning, buying, and making food. It has gotten worse since Rory was diagnosed with food allergies. And ironically the less money we have available, the more important food seems to be.

One of my husband's pet peeves is people posting pictures of their dinner on Facebook. But really, food is everywhere. And it seems like over the years it has become more important.

Everyone is concerned about their diet. But it's gotten much more specific than it used to be. Years ago, if someone said they were "on a diet," you assumed that they were cutting back on food in order to lose weight. That is no longer the case. We now have a plethora of diets available, which are all meant to make us healthier in some way or another. And they all involve a lot of thought about what food you are eating. Or not eating, as the case may be.

Aside from the health issues, we expect food to be pleasant. It has gone beyond sustenance to pleasure. We have multiple versions of everything from coffee to cheese to breakfast cereal to bottled water, and everyone has an opinion about which one is best. Our small local grocery store has a huge section allocated to pet food! Even our dogs and cats have somehow acquired "discriminating tastes."

I am not a historian, but it seems that we have entered a strange era. We now have so much to eat that we have to manufacture ways to burn off the calories. We spend money on food that we don't need so that we can spend more money at the gym working it all off. What would happen if we just ate the right amount for our lifestyles to begin with?

Now here's where the really scary part comes in. The verse I quoted at the beginning of this post calls people "enemies of Christ" whose "God is their belly." The passage ends with "who mind earthly things." I wonder. In our obsession with food, are we making it an idol? Has it become our God? If I think of the amount of time I spend each day doing worrying about food, compared to the amount of time I spend with God, I am ashamed. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Yet we do worry. I confess that I get a little nervous if I don't have a full cupboard. If I really thought about it, I would realize that I have enough food for quite a while. It may not be worthy of Pinterest, but I won't starve, and neither will the rest of my family, or even my pets.

The sad thing is that there are people starving. While I worry about my three squares a day, there are people who are lucky to get one bowl of rice. Maybe this is part of the "enemies of Christ" thing. Because how can I spend all this time and money and energy on making sure I have enough pleasureable food to be comfortable and full, while ignoring those around me who are neither?

I took one of my kids for bloodwork at a lab this summer. While we were in the waiting room, there was a television tuned to the Rachel Ray show. Of course, she was making a delicious looking meal. There was a man who was also waiting for bloodwork who had to come in fasting. He commented that he was so hungry he could taste what she was cooking through the TV screen! And he had only missed breakfast! How many people do we offend this way every day with our food talk? And why aren't we ashamed to do it?

I also wonder what I'm teaching my kids. I fasted one day - just between supper one day and supper the next - in order to take the time to pray. Lily was angry at me! She thought I was going to die! Really! Somehow I have given her the impression that if she doesn't eat three meals a day, she will honestly not survive. I don't really believe this, but I must act that way. God forgive me! In trying to make sure my kids have enough food, I have passed down this lifestyle to another generation.

Next week is Thanksgiving here in the United States. The food holiday. Other holidays have gifts, but Thanksgiving is all about the food. As we spend the day eating with our families and friends, let's remember the real reason for the holiday. Let's give thanks to God for his care of us. The God of Life, not the God of our belly.

How many?

2015-11-14T20:03:00.001-05:00

Just listen.

God is Light!

2015-11-02T08:12:00.000-05:00

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

John 1:4-5,9

Lunar eclipse

What do you picture when you picture God? A wounded man on a cross? A huge man with a flowing white beard sitting on a throne? A warrior with thunderbolts in his fist? Morgan Freeman?

Do you know what God really looks like? He is so bright that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai from speaking with Him, Moses' face shone so much that he had to wear a veil so he didn't scare the people of Israel! (Exodus 34:29-35)

What do we know about light? First of all, light dispels darkness, not the other way around. If you go into a dark room holding a light, it lightens the whole room. Even a tiny light will make the whole room a little bit lighter. Anytime you add light, the darkness goes away. But it doesn't work the same with darkness, does it? You can't bring a piece of dark into a room and have the light go away. Because light is something, but darkness is nothing. It is only the absence of light.

You can, however, block light. If you put something in front of a light source, it casts a shadow. If you put something all around a light source, the light will still be there, but you won't be able to see it.

So, you can't get rid of light. It is always there. But you can block it so that you can't see it.

It is the same with God. Nothing we do can get rid of God. The worst demons in hell can't get rid of God. They are there because they have already been defeated. They were put in a dark place outside of God's light.

Sometimes we put ourselves in a dark place outside of God's light. We build up a barrier to block His light. We live so much on a physical plane that we can't see the spiritual. So we put all sorts of stuff in between ourselves and God. Of course, we want God, but we also want _________________. Maybe it's a house, or clothes, or money, or food, or a significant other. It might be books or our favorite TV show or music. Maybe it's a nice yard. Maybe it's a family. Maybe it's "me-time." Maybe it's our health. We all have different "stuff" that is important to us.

God never said we couldn't have "stuff." He knows that we are mortal, and have need of things or our mortal bodies will literally die! He would not expect us to live all alone on the North Pole with no food, clothing, or shelter. The problem comes when we make our "stuff" to be more important than God. When we refuse to give something up even if we realize it goes against God's principles. When we refuse to help someone else because we are selfishly keeping everything for ourselves. When we spend all of our time worrying about things we want or need. When we spend time that we should be praying or reading our Bibles or going to church doing things that we think are more fun, or that make our physical selves more comfortable.

Do you want to see God? Really see Him? Break down those walls that you have set up around yourself! Spend time just praising Him, not asking Him for more "stuff." Accept what He has for you. Stop looking at the world around you for the standards you live by. Look to God. Read His Word and then ask Him to clarify it for you. Spend time with other Christians by getting involved in a local church. And when you go to that church, don't look at the other people with your physical eyes, noticing all of their idiosyncrasies or their "hypocritical" behavior. Look at them with spiritual eyes. They are hurting, searching people just like you who are trying to find the way to God. If you look closely, you can see God's light shining off of them, just like it did from Moses, or as the moon reflects the light of the sun.

And above all, don't be afraid of the darkness. Remember - it is nothing! It is only the absence of God in your life.

Pulling Down Strongholds

2015-10-07T22:14:00.000-04:00

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

There is so much talk of guns these days, and so many people think that the answer to all of our problems is to be better armed than the other guy. I don't really want to get into a gun debate, but I thought about it when I read these verses. "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh" says Paul. And Paul knew about weapons. He had been in charge of capturing and killing Christians. I don't think this was done in a peaceful manner. I imagine that they were sent out with weapons to ensure compliance, as well as their own safety. But I can't remember anywhere after Paul's amazing conversion that it mentions him using a weapon.

The truth is that we do have strongholds that need to come down. But they are not the strongholds we are worried about. We are worried about protecting our lives. We are worried about protecting our health. We are worried about protecting our possessions. We are worried about protecting our rights. We are worried about protecting our freedoms. But these things are all carnal. Worldly. Of the flesh. Paul is talking about something other than the flesh. Our strongholds are not the things we worry about. They are the worries themselves! They are our imaginations (arguments and theories). High things that are against the knowledge of God (pride and pretentions). Our thoughts. Our disobedience.

It is pretty easy to fight against those who attack us. It is pretty easy to fight against those who attack God. It is not so easy to fight against our own minds. We cannot pull down the strongholds of our own minds. Our prejudices and arguments and thoughts have been built up over years. We have bought into the lie that it is all about us, and that we need to look out for number one. We have had years of indoctrination through everything we hear, watch, and read. We have been taught this by well-meaning instructors our whole lives. This way of thinking has become our way of dealing with the world. It has infiltrated itself into our family dynamics, and even into our churches. It informs everything we do, and affects every relationship we have.

So how do we break down the walls? We don't even know where they are. They are so overgrown that we don't know where to start.

Paul says that our weapons are not carnal, but "mighty through God." Jesus said that we need to humble ourselves, and we will be exalted (see Matthew 23:12). Maybe it goes along with the "admit you have a problem" philosophy. "Hello, my name is Robin, and I am all about ME. It has been one second since my last selfish thought." The difference is that with God, we can truly change. People who have gone through AA can go for the rest of their lives with the knowledge that one drink could send them back into that downhill spiral to alcoholism. People who have turned from their old ways of life to following Jesus Christ are born into new people. The old life has been buried. Those old strongholds are broken and cleared out, and we get to start over again.

Sometimes it's not instantaneous. Sometimes there are hidden places that we forgot to turn over to God. We suddenly realize that we are back to walking in the flesh and warring after the flesh. But now we know what to do. We humble ourselves before God. We confess and we turn away from those sins. And we are delivered again, clean before God. Jesus took care of that for us. He died, so that we would live. He took our punishment. He took all of our dirt and stains and left them in the tomb. If we are dying in our sins, it is our choice to do so.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 8:31,32,34,36

We are not mighty in ourselves, no matter what we can bench-press or what our stock portfolio says. But we are mighty through God. He will pull down those strongholds if we will let him. And then we can be free indeed.

School's In!

2015-09-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

I know it has been a while, but we've had a crazy couple of months. Both of the kids were diagnosed with Lyme Disease this summer, and we've been dealing with all sorts of medications and doctor appointments. We also finally got our summer vacation in the first week of September. Oh, well - better late than never! Anyway, we are now back to "normal" to some degree, and are a few weeks into our homeschool schedule.

It seems to be in vogue this year for people to post pics of their homeschool rooms. Well, our homeschool room looks suspiciously like our kitchen and living room, so I'll spare you the visuals. I would like to tell you about the schedule we're using, however.

This year, Rory is in 7th grade and Lily is in 2nd. Obviously, they have different requirements for math and language arts. I have found a way to do many of the other subjects together, though. So each day we have two subjects that we do together. I tried to figure out a weekly schedule that would cover all of the subjects in a week, but that has never really worked for us. The problem I have is that some weeks we have to miss a week day and make it up on Saturday, or we only have half a day to work because of an appointment or field trip, or we get really involved in one subject and run out of time for another.

Enter the "Loop Schedule!" I figured out at the beginning of the year the subjects we were going to do together, and then figured out approximately how many times we should do each of these subjects in a week. Then I put them together in a list, which looks like this:

Science (Insects)
World History
Science (Birds)
American History
Health
American History
Science (Benjamin Franklin Experiments)
American History

So for the first day I schedule the first two items on the list. If we finish both, I go on to the next two for the next day. When we reach the end of the list, we start back at the beginning. This has worked really well so far! If we only have time for one subject in a day, I simply move the other one onto the next day and go from there. If we have a regular week, we can finish the list in four days and start again at the beginning. If we miss a day, we simply continue the list on the next day we have school. Each of my kids has four different books they are responsible for reading on their own each week, so I scheduled them in a loop also. We spend around an hour on the together subjects, and then they each spend the time they need on their individual reading, math, writing, piano practice, etc. Depending on the day, they may work on some of these things before we work together, or we may start out together and then they work individually. Either way, they know what needs to be done each day and are getting very good at making sure their own work is completed.

I hope you enjoyed a little peek into our day! So here's the obligatory homeschool room picture -

Lily making a birdhouse with Dad in our other "homeschool room," the big outdoors!

Unfortunate Miracles

2015-09-10T19:43:00.000-04:00

Two days ago, the brakes went out on our van. There is no miracle involved with that. Since the car is 10 years old and has almost 100,000 miles on it it's probably a miracle that the brakes didn't go out sooner. The miracle about it is when and where it happened.

We had just returned from a week-long visit with my family in another state. The trip there or back takes about 9 hours (8 without kids, but that's another thing), and is over 400 miles long. So, we got home, parked the van in the driveway, unloaded all of our belongings, and started getting things organized. At this point my husband realized he was missing a wire for his ipod, so we opened the van up to see if it had fallen on the floor somewhere. When I opened the back door, I realized that the cover for the brake light that is in the window had fallen off. Mike put it back on, but then thought we should check the brakes to see if the light still worked. The brakes went all the way to the floor, and brake fluid shot out everywhere.

Can you believe it? All of the driving we had done, most of it going at high speeds on the highway, and this happened when the car was sitting still in our driveway.

Of course our first reaction was "oh no, now we have to get it fixed" followed closely by "how much is this going to cost, and how are we going to pay for it?"

But after that, the realization hit that we were about 5 minutes away from a severe accident with our kids in the car. If that had happened on the way home we could have all died. If Mike hadn't misplaced his wire we would never have opened up the back of the car again before we drove it, and we would have been in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the hill near our house.

Mike called it an "unfortunate miracle." And then I got to thinking. Most of the miracles Jesus performed were unfortunate miracles. They didn't prevent problems, they fixed them. The wedding party had run out of wine before he turned the water into more. The woman had had an issue of blood for 12 years before she was healed. Lazarus was in the grave 4 days before he was brought back to life. And Jesus had known ahead of time that he was sick!

So many times I lament about my difficult circumstances. I get upset because things are happening to me. It is easy to look to heaven and cry out "Why me" and "Where are you, God?" when things are going wrong. But when things are going well, I tend to pat myself on the back about my abilities.

Psalm 23:4 says "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Do you see? "Though I walk through." Not around, or away from, but through. God is with us through everything. The rod and staff are tools used by the shepherd to guide the sheep and protect them without getting so close as to spook them.

We need to stay near the shepherd. He can tell when danger is near, and will protect us. If we stay near, he will use his rod to defend us from evil. He will use his staff to guide us in the direction we are supposed to go in.

God never promised us a life free from hardship. He did promise to stay with us when it comes. He send his son, Jesus, and Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit when we commit to following him. We are never alone, and we are never out of reach of God's protection and his guidance.

²³Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

²⁴He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

²⁵These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

²⁶But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

²⁷Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:23-27)

Don't miss the miracles! They are still happening every day. Open your eyes, and you may be amazed at what you see!

What is Right?

2015-07-19T17:31:00.001-04:00

"What do you mean I don't belong at the table?"

The world seems to be going crazy. What used to be wrong is now right, and what used to be right is now wrong. And what are right and wrong, anyway? Can anyone really know? Doesn't it depend on who you are, or where you are, or what you want, or what someone else wants? What if what's right for me is wrong for you? Or vice-verse? Can't I just live my life the way I want to and you do the same? How dare you say I'm wrong, anyway? Who died and made you judge? Doesn't the Bible say "don't judge?" then how can you tell me that I'm wrong? If you can't agree with me, you must hate me. What, are you perfect or something, that you can tell me what to do? Well, you know what? I don't need you anyway! I have other friends who believe in me. If you don't.....

I'm sorry. I guess I got a little carried away, there. But this is what I see happening around me. The air is charged with animosity. All in the middle of "Love wins" is this ball of hate. It's as if people are looking for a fight. With anyone. With everyone. It doesn't matter who. Just poke me one time, and that'll be the last time. I'm not going to wait for you to explain. I'm not going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I'm going to unload all of my pent-up frustration and anger. So don't step wrong, or you've got it coming.


Double Rainbow

This double rainbow appeared outside our church a few weeks ago - in fact it was around the same time as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. It is now the law in the United States that people are allowed to marry others of the same sex, instead of marriage being defined as between one man and one woman. Ironically, the rainbow has become a symbol of the LGBT movement. Caitlyn Jenner is receiving an award for courage because "she" determined that God was wrong and made "her" the wrong gender to begin with. So I'm wondering. Is God wrong? Is it possible that God is mistaken about all of these people and their sexuality? And has all of this "love" and "acceptance" made life better for the people of the United States, or anywhere else on this sphere we call home?

We are studying the book of Judges now in our Bible Study. The judges were leaders who were set over Israel by God after the death of Joshua and the elders who were with him. We read in the second chapter of Judges that "there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served Baalim: And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger (Judges 2:10b-12).

This is disturbing. The book which we had just finished was the book of Joshua, which ends with the victorious Israelites entering the land of Canaan. They had defeated their enemies with amazing feats and with God's help. Do you hear the trumpets? Victorious!!! And yet, the next generation - the children of those valiant men and women, KNEW NOT THE LORD! How can this be? How could they have gone so far to fall so low? And you know what? This happened OVER and OVER and OVER!!! The book of Judges is made up of chapter after chapter of God raising up a judge over Israel who delivered them from their enemies and turned them back to God, and every single time the next generation went back to following other gods and back into captivity and oppression.

Don't you want to yell across the ages - "Hey you! Don't you get it? You are supposed to do what God says! He gave you rules and he told you to teach them to your children! To write them on your foreheads and on your doorposts so you wouldn't forget them! Hey you! Why don't your children know what is right???"

Why don't our children know? Why does each generation get farther and farther away from God, and away from His laws, and away from the laws that were set up by our founding fathers? Why are we straying so so so far away? Generations from now, when people look at our history will they want to scream at us as I would like to scream at the ancient Israelites? Will they say the same thing: "Why don't your children know what is right?"

Because they don't. They know what they like. They know what is politically correct. They know what makes them happy. They know that bullies are bad. They know that religious bigots are bad. But they do not know what is right. They are taught that everyone is allowed to live the way they want. They are taught not to say someone else is wrong, even if they believe something else. They are taught that what they believe is their own opinion and it doesn't mean everyone else has to believe or behave the way they do. They are taught that there is no right and wrong, only shades of gray. They are not taught what is right.

The rainbow was given by God as a promise and a reminder. It did not condone the behavior of men. It was a covenant with all of the people and animals which would ever populate the earth from then on, that God would not destroy the earth by a flood again. (Genesis 9:8-17) It was rather in spite of the evil that man can do. In Genesis 8:21, God said "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every living thing as I have done."

I wonder, those people who have made their profile pictures rainbow colored on Facebook, who fly the rainbow flags and display the rainbow bumper stickers, do they know what that rainbow means? It does not mean that what they are doing is right. It means that God will not give them the punishment they deserve in this world. But I fear for our children. They don't know that this life is not the end. That they have an immortal soul which will not die with their bodies, but will have to pay the price for their actions. They don't know that the price is paid for those who repent, or turn away from their sins, and who follow Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They don't know that going against God's will is sin, that sin is payable by death, and that they are in danger. And they don't know that there is a way out, a way to freedom and eternal life with God. Because they are not taught what is right.