Thoughtless Loyalty

I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1

If I had to pick only two words to describe my grandmother, those words would have to be “thoughtless loyalty.” Now I know what you’re thinking. “What did he just say”? I know at first glance those two words do not seem to go together at all. In fact, if anything, they seem like total opposites. However, I think that once I explain what I mean you will see that they work together perfectly in this particular area of life that I want us to think about today.

When I was a kid, my grandmother was constantly pointing us to Jesus. She was constantly saying things like, “Jesus likes it when we…” or “Jesus doesn’t like it when we…” It was almost like she said it without even thinking. He was always on her mind, and she was always relating our current situation—whatever that may have been at the time—back to Him and His Word. She was thoughtlessly loyal to her Lord.

I remember her telling me a story a few years ago that illustrated this perfectly. My grandmother works as a cashier in a school cafeteria. One particular day she caught a young boy stealing. In her usual fashion, she looked down at him and said, “Jesus doesn’t like it when we steal.” Being the man of little faith that I am, my first response was to say, “You could have lost your job!” You see, my grandmother works in a public school where it is forbidden for teachers to proclaim the name of the Lord. My response revealed my weakness. Her response revealed her strength, wisdom, and dedication to the God she loves, for she simply looked at me that day and said, “I said it without thinking.”

How I long to have the faith of my grandmother who has proven to be thoughtlessly loyal to her God. She knows that Jesus is the name “which is above every name,” and she is not afraid to proclaim it (Philippians 2:9). It does not matter where she is or who she is with. She knows that there is power in the name of the Lord, and she does not hesitate to speak it. May we all learn to be thoughtlessly loyal to the Lord our God, speaking His name first and thinking about how it will be received later.

May the Fire of Our Devotion Light Their Way

This past Sunday morning the pastor of the church we have been visiting for the last several months talked about his plans for the church in 2013. Perhaps the one thing he talked about most was his plan to introduce the concept of what he called “blended worship.” That is, his plan to integrate more contemporary pieces into the Sunday morning worship service rather than just singing more traditional hymns. He said that he came to the conclusion that this decision is necessary based on the fact that he has noticed that the people of this generation have not been participating in the song service. He said that by integrating more contemporary pieces into the service the younger people in the church would be more apt to participate. But why is this? And is this something that we should really want?

In the past decade or so, I have seen this issue brought up many times. And at some point in these discussions, the following belief is usually mentioned at least once: “We must change with the times.” But where is this written within the Bible? The answer is nowhere. In fact, Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” If Jesus never changes and His Word never changes, then why should we?

I am all for changing for the better, but the only change I see with this generation is all for the worst. I see young people distant from their parents and family. I see teens dropping out of school left and right; and it is not so they can go to work to help provide for their families like it was in the old days, but it is because they are just plain lazy. I see college people strung out on drugs and alcohol. The air is polluted with filthy language and dirty jokes. I see young parents walking through the grocery store with hoods over their heads and earbuds shoved in their ears. But why is this? The answer can be found in Proverbs 22:6 which says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” It really is that simple. We are not training up our children in the way they should go.

In Steve Green’s song “Find Us Faithful,” he says, “May the fire of our devotion light their way.” I grew up watching my mother get down on her knees before a pure and holy God. I spent my childhood having Bible time in my grandmother’s living room. I grew up knowing that every night my great-grandmother would sit down at her kitchen table and continue her journey through God’s Word as part of her commitment to read through the Bible in its entirety every year. I grew up in a household where God and His Word were respected and revered and the principles found in His Word were taught to be essential for successful living. It wasn’t about a religion but a relationship with the one true God.

One of my former teachers who I respect very much wrote the following a couple years ago:

Furthermore, hymns are an enduring thread running through church history. Knowing that Christians throughout the centuries have sung the same rich songs should bind our hearts together and help transmit to our children and grandchildren the spiritual heritage that has been passed down more than 2,000 years. Martin Luther, St. Francis of Assisi, the Wesleys, Fanny Crosby — all are hymn writers from various ages whose work is too rich to lose. We cannot allow the next generation to think that their faith exists alone!

She’s right. It is not an issue of what tickles the ear; it is about one generation sharing with the other a passionate love for the One who gave His life for them. It is not about a tradition, for traditions come and go. But it is about following the example of Jesus Christ who came to earth wrapped in flesh to show us what life is all about. We’ll never reach the younger generation by letting them find their own way. We must get involved in their lives and share our love for Him with them. We must let the fire of our devotion light their way.

3:00AM Thought

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:1

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have read the above verse, yet I have never, not once, grasped its true meaning. Even last night, as I was reading in my quiet time, I read right through it without thinking, but then something made me go back a read again. It was when I reread it for what must have been the five thousandth time that it finally clicked. It is easy to believe in the existence of a Creator God, but it is oh so much harder to believe in the One who came to "seek and save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Jesus is Emanuel, God with us. He came be with us, to walk us, to talk with us, all on a daily, minute-by-minute basis. But He also came to destroy that which He hates the most--sin. But it just so happens that what He hates the most is what we as humans love the most. That Bible says in John 3:19, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." The truth is we love our sin, and we don't want to give it up. Therefore it is hard for us to believe in the One who came to take away that which we love the most.

As we enter into the new year, let me challenge you as well as myself to believe in the Savior as well as the Creator. And if you have yet to trust Christ as the Lord of your life, I invite you to do so before it is eternally too late for you. If you will turn from all sin and trust Jesus alone to save you, He will save you today and keep you saved forever.

That's What Christmas Is About, Mr. O

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

I seldom watch The O’Reilly Factor myself; however, my mother likes to watch it, so I sometimes catch bits and pieces as I pass through the living room. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been hearing him talk about calling Christmas what it is—Christmas. For example, when Rhode Island Governor, Lincoln Chafee, insisted that the Rhode Island State House Christmas tree be referred to as a “holiday tree,” Bill O’Reilly called the Governor out on the matter. O’Reilly said that the tree is not a holiday tree; it is a Christmas tree. That, I agree with. However, I do not agree with Mr. O’Reilly’s reasoning behind his argument simply because it is not right. Mr. O’Reilly said that it should be called a Christmas tree because it has been an American tradition for centuries. This, however, could not be further from the truth.

Bill O’Reilly has been a supporter of Christmas for years. He even sells a variety of products on his website that proclaim, “We Say Merry Christmas!” However, over the last couple of weeks, I have been made aware that his reasoning for doing so is in reality very anti-Christmas. We do not call Christmas Christmas because of any kind of tradition; we call Christmas Christmas because that’s what it is. It is called Christmas because it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It always has been and it always will be.

Many people have commented and said that it is not right to call Christmas Christmas because Christmas is a religious holiday, and it is not right to force one particular religion on everyone. Bill O’Reilly’s response to this last night rather stunned me, to say the least. O’Reilly said that you do not have to believe that Jesus was God in order to celebrate Christmas. He then went on to compare Christmas to Martin Luther King Day, saying that we should remember Jesus for the influential man He was just as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the influential man he was. This comparison is ludicrous in every way. Yes, Dr. Martin Luther King was a very influential man, and his contributions to society should be remembered and respected. However, Jesus was not just any influential man; Jesus was the God Man. Jesus was sent to be born of a virgin, to live a sinless life, and to ultimately die on an old, rugged cross for the sins of all people. To forget this is to kill the spirit of Christmas altogether.

When the angel appeared to Joseph in the night, he said, “And thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). That, my friends, is the one and only true meaning of Christmas. When we celebrate Christmas, we are not celebrating the birth of just any influential man; we are celebrating the birth of the One who saves us from our sins—“the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Perhaps the number one reason Mr. O does not understand that Christmas is so much more than any other American tradition is because he has never experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ in his own life. Well, I am here today to tell anyone who does not know Jesus as Lord that, if you will turn from all sin and trust Jesus alone to save you, He will save you today and keep you saved forever.

Why I Vote Republican

Disclosure: Some may mistake this as a political post and therefore deem it unfit to be on a Christian blog. Therefore, if you are not concerned about the core issues of life, I suggest you stop reading now.

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:13

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 127:3

The first presidential election I really remember was that of the year 2000. I was nine years old at the time. And although there had already been two previous presidential elections that had taken place during my short lifetime, that was the first one where I was really aware of what was going on. That was also the year I decided that I would always vote Republican, no matter what.

I remember asking my mother why she always voted Republican, and her simple answer has stuck with me ever since. She said, “Well, Republicans tend to be against abortion and gay rights, and Democrats are usually in favor of those things.” That was all she said. Those were the only two reasons she gave, and they were good enough for me. And you know what? They are still good enough for me now, too.

My mother taught me that we ought not to vote for a person based on anything other than his core moral standards. And if you will look at both of the two main political parties, you will see that they are divided based on morality and morality alone. My mother’s response that day set an alarm off in my little, nine-year-old head that the political party you vote for matters. When you vote for a particular political party, you are voting for a way of life.

So I urge you. Do you know the core beliefs of the political party you plan to vote for this November? It’s like Adrian Rogers used to say, “It’s not about Republicans versus Democrats; it’s about right versus wrong.” They cannot both be right. Pick the right one, and stand by it for life. Your country’s wellbeing depends upon your vote.

Just as I Remember

The other day my mother was watching television when I noticed a commercial for a Hallmark movie entitled Love’s Everlasting Courage. It looked interesting, so I looked it up. When I searched the title on my computer, I discovered that the full movie was available on YouTube, so I decided to watch it. I grew up watching Hallmark movies with my grandmother. All of the Hallmark movies my grandmother had shown me promoted faith, hope, love, and family togetherness. However, I have also seen bits and pieces of some of the more recent Hallmark movies, and to be honest they all missed the mark by a long shot. Therefore I didn’t expect much when I decided to watch this one. But I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Love's Everlasting Courage was just as wonderful as the movies my grandmother and shown me and then some.

This movie is chock-full of wisdom. So much so that I believe it is impossible to catch it all the first time you watch it. I plan on writing several blog posts about some of things I learned from this movie. Below, I have included the link to the movie as well as some quotes I wrote down while watching:

• “A man does have to go off and find his way, make his own life; but he shouldn’t forget where he came from.”
•  “Giving up hope is for the hopeless.”
•   “When things seem to overwhelm you, slow down and focus on the task in front of you. Take care of it and move on to the next one.”
• “The truth of God’s love is not that He allows bad things to happen; it’s His promise that He will be standing right there beside you when they do.”

Love Personified: Remembering Mrs. Shirley

Husbands, love your wives,

even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

Ephesians 5:25

Yesterday morning at the beginning of the worship service, the pastor announced that Robertson McQuilkin will be visiting our church one Sunday in October to bring a special message about marriage. I, of course, was elated because I know who Robertson McQuilkin is and would very much like the chance to meet him in person. However, as I thought more about the subject last night, I remembered a very special lady who was a neighbor and dedicated member of the church that I grew up in. Mrs. Shirley had multiple sclerosis, commonly known as MS, and each Sunday I would watch her husband care for her as if she was the most important person in the world.

I attended church with Mrs. Shirley for eleven years. And every Sunday for those eleven years, I would watch her husband wheel her to their pew, lift her out of her wheelchair and position her comfortably on the pew, and then push her wheel chair to the front of the sanctuary before returning to her side. Then, when the service had ended, Mrs. Shirley’s husband would walk to the front of the sanctuary, bring the wheelchair back to the pew where Mrs. Shirley was sitting, place her gently in the wheelchair, and proceed to wheel her through the winding hallways of the old church building to the wheelchair accessible door where she would then wait for him to bring the car around and lift her once again out of her wheelchair and into the car.

I watched Mrs. Shirley’s husband carry out that same selfless routine every Sunday for eleven years. However, what I did not see was him lifting her out of the car when they arrived home. I did not see him prepare Sunday dinner. I did not see him feed his wife. I did not see him wash and put away the dishes. I did not see him vacuum the floors and dust the furniture. I did not see him help Mrs. Shirley into her bed at night. I did not see him prepare her breakfast and help her get dressed the next morning. I saw none of that, yet I know he did it every day for more than twenty years.

Growing up, I thought nothing of seeing Mrs. Shirley’s husband meet her every need. However, today, I look back and see one of the greatest love stories ever written. He didn’t have to wait on her like that. He could have shipped her off to a nursing home, and the society in which we now live would have supported him one hundred percent. He could have divorced Mrs. Shirley and married someone else who could wait on him, and the society in which we now live would have supported that decision one hundred percent also. However, he chose the biblical route. He chose to love Mrs. Shirley as Christ loves the church, and that meant dying to himself, putting her needs before his own.

In response to a comment made by Pat Robertson about a year or so ago concerning divorce and Alzheimer’s, Joni Eareckson Tada said the following:

At the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, we encounter thousands of couples who, despite living with serious disabling conditions, showcase the grace of God in their weakness every day. Marriage is designed to be a picture of God’s sacrificial love for us. Alzheimer’s disease is never an ‘accident’ in a marriage; it falls under the purview of God’s sovereignty. In the case of someone with Alzheimer's, this means God's unconditional and sacrificial love has an opportunity to be even more gloriously displayed in a life together![1]

I know what Joni said is true because I have witnessed it firsthand. Mrs. Shirley and her husband were love personified. As one lady said of her parents, “It was the ‘being there’ when nothing was left but the bad. It was one taking care of the other in the most humbling of ways. It was one depending on the other with as much faith as she had.”[2]

I know that it was only by the grace of God that Mrs. Shirley’s husband was able to care for her in such a selfless and sacrificial way for all those years. It was that same grace that sent Jesus to that old, rugged cross to die for crimes He had not done (2 Corinthians 5:21). And if you will turn from all sin and trust Jesus Christ alone to save you, that same grace will save you today and keep you saved forever.

---

[1] http://www.epm.org/blog/2011/Sep/16/robertson-mcquilkin-and-joni-eareckson-tada

[2] http://amykingbyrd.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/ruby-anniversary-reflections/