...and a time to speak...

As has happened several times before, I was recently struck in a new way by a familiar lyric in a song we often sing on Sunday mornings. We will stand as children of the promise We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward Till the race is finished and the work is done We’ll walk by faith and not by sight (https://store.gettymusic.com/us/song/by-faith/) It was the idea of the Lord Himself being our soul's reward that kind of took me aback. I think it's probably because, like many of you, I have been feeling very discouraged about what constitutes "reward" from a worldly point of view. Reward in the verb tense means to receive what one deserves. This can be in the positive sense or the negative and depending on which side of the social spectrum you fall, opinions vary widely. What do we rightly deserve? Well, in one view, it seems to be true that any amount of distress in one's life deserves to be rewarded with whatever will eradicate it in the quickest way poss...

These past 21 months have been real eye-openers haven't they? What's so funny about that question is depending on where you fall along the spectrum of far left, left, center, right, or far right you totally just said a resounding, "Uh hu. You got that right." in your head with a bit of an air to it. Ironic isn't it? Everyone at the same time having an air of confidence about their particular stance. Doesn't that really just mean that no one actually has that edge? I believe this qualifies as what Solomon would have termed "chasing the wind." But, chase on we will... sigh. Why? Well, for some (uh hum... for sure me), it may be that we resonate in about 100 different ways with the disciple the bible calls Simon the Zealot. Are you kidding me? Being crushed under the weight of Roman oppression for as long as the Israelites had been by the time Jesus came on the scene could make even the most docile into a pit bull, so imagine those of us who live our l...

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you." John 15:18-19 Ugh. From the very first line, this blog post has me feeling kinda blah. I know the verse above to be trustworthy on so many personal levels, but still. Writing it out for the world to see is depressing to another degree. But stick with me! It's also comforting. That's actually the real reason behind this post in the first place. Have you been rejected by friends lately for holding firm to a biblical worldview and not caving to the pressures of culture? Are family members refusing to speak to you because you exude WAY too much Jesus and make them feel uncomfortable in their own skin? Have you been "flagged" by a teacher for ever so gently pushing back on social agendas as they sneakily make their way into your schoolwo...

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;" 1 Peter 2:9 I definitely think this marks the first time in 3 years of writing that I have ever opened with a King James Version of scripture. You may have winced at that first "ye" but don't count it out too soon. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ whose life reflects that "marvelous light" of transformation, you are in that ever important ye! Look again at what this verse says about us who make up the ye. We are chosen! We are royal! We are holy! We are peculiar! Wait, what's the deal with that last one? Let's take a look at some of the reasons why this might be so. Jesus followers must be crazy. (And a whole gaggle of non-believers just said AMEN!) But seriously, what makes us do what we do? What makes us wake up each morning and choose the obj...

Hey believers, I have some questions for you. Where are your eyes focused these days? What are the things that have your full, undivided attention? In what/whom do you place your identity? In this great old hymn, we get a reminder of what can happen when our eyes, and ultimately our full and undivided attention, are locked onto just one thing. That one thing being our Savior, Jesus Christ. Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc Songwriters: Helen Howarth Lemmel I guess I am just a little extra intrigued by the idea of the things of earth growing strangely dim right now because of how determined so many of us seem to be on keeping them in laser focus. In fact, our earthly "missions" seem to be the total opposite of strangely dim. In many cases, they seem to be demanding almost idol-level time and attention from us ...

"Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." Proverbs 11:22 I couldn't let the month of March slip past me without contributing a little something to Women's History Month. Like many of you (including many strong female leaders of bygone generations who are all turning over in their graves), I am appalled by the news coming out of the recent Grammy Awards detailing ridiculous and lewd performances by female artists. It burns me up even further that, in certain circles, these will undoubtedly be hailed as "empowering" and "ground breaking" for all of woman-kind. Has women's history actually taught us nothing? There was a time when women, through no fault of their own, were treated as nothing more than property. For many, marriage was like a self-imposed prison sentence just to avoid starvation out in the street. I can imagine that for those who weren't lucky enough to marry a decent man who would treat th...

" Uphill battle is an idiom that means a difficult undertaking, a struggle, a tremendous task, a challenge with many obstacles. The expression uphill battle is probably derived from the physical task of fighting a battle up a hill, which is a difficult battle to win." If you have been a believer for any length of time, facing opposition to your faith should no longer be surprising. In fact, we are told to expect it (see 2 Timothy 3:12-13  and 1 Peter 4:12-13 ). Although scripture makes it very clear that our fight is not against flesh and blood, it sure seems that way at times. No, the real enemy we face can't be found staring back at us through human eyes. He is found in the "cosmic powers of this darkness" in the heavenly realms (see Ephesians 6:12 ). To be sure though, Satan has us humans so twisted up that we actually believe we are battling one another instead of his army of minions. Don't you know he loves it when friends and neighbors are at each ot...