The Battle Between My Ears

The end of 2024 is fast approaching which means it is time to update my ten year plan. This also means setting goals for 2025: goals that will help me take a step or two forward along my chosen path. I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions, although I guess in a way some of my goals fit the bill. But whether I call them goals or resolutions, I face the same problem that I hear others talking about year after year as we all take on new challenges without giving in by Quitters Day, something I only recently learned was a thing. (In 2025 it occurs on January 10th.)

Setting goals is a relatively new thing for me. I think I made my first serious attempt at creating a ten year plan at the end of 2017. It sounds funny to admit that I never set any real goals for the first fifty years of my life but before then I simply did what others said was best for me. I suspect this was a direct result of growing up as a codependent, where my mom’s alcoholism too often derailed my attempts at achieving something in life. Codependency meant giving up trying to succeed back when I was a teen, becoming convinced that setting goals would only remind me that I was a failure. (I didn’t understand it back then but a lot of that came from the toxic language that was the norm in my home, especially on the days that the bottle was in control.) By letting others direct my path, I could blame them when I failed even though that really did not help me feel any better about the results.

By 2017 I was ready to set real goals but I was not ready to achieve those goals. All too often I lost the battle between my ears. This battle came in the form of an internal voice which generally focused on my fears and my own perceived limitations. As a Christian, I often encouraged others to believe that God would bless them and that they could do all things through Christ who strengthens them (Philippians 4:13). At the same time I often talked myself out of living with that kind of faith, allowing that voice to have too much control even as I recognized that it was an echo of my life before I became a Christian. As a result I fell short when it came to achieving my goals and in moving forward in life according to the will of God.

This internal, codependent, and negative voice talked me out of doing the things that I said I wanted to do, while talking me into wasting time with things that often derailed my progress. Fortunately I’ve learned to argue with this voice, talking myself into doing the things that I know will help me achieve my goals. I’ve found that for me the, “...all things in Christ…,” begins with being able to win the battle between my own ears. God has freed me from bondage to that voice and He has also empowered me to move forward where I once held myself back. Now I am free of the excuses and of blaming others and I am ready to follow God’s perfect will for my life.

With this change in my own thinking I am prepared to update my ten year plan and to set my goals for 2025. Up until now my track record has not been great but as I win my own internal battle I expect that the results in 2025 will be something to brag about by this time next year.

Diabetes: A Journey, Not A Battle

It’s been a while since I posted anything about having diabetes. As you can tell from the title of this post, I’ve changed my point of view. No longer do I see myself in a battle against something. Instead I see myself as on a journey and Diabetes is a traveling companion sent to teach me a few things along the way. No, that does not mean I’ve walked away from my goal which is to start seeing health numbers that look, “normal.” But now I’ve taken advice from another Christian who taught about how a much more serious illness was in fact working to disciple him in his walk as a Christian.

Before I mention where I am on my journey I want to mention that the American Diabetes Association released its, “Standards of Care in Diabetes - 2025,” which includes, “Consideration of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use for adults with type 2 diabetes on glucose-lowering agents other than insulin.” This reminded me of my post, “Continuous Glucose Monitors Are Game Changers,” where I wrote about how, “...living with diabetes and not having a CGM was living with one hand tied behind my back.” I believe a CGM should become a part of the standard of care for most, if not all diabetics, so it was good to see the American Diabetes Association recommend this in their standards.

With the help of my CGM my last blood test was very good. My fasting glucose reading was a 98 with an A1c of 6.5. That’s still in the diabetic range but only by 0.1. My goal for my next check is to get my A1c below 6.3 which would be the equivalent of being in a prediabetic stage. In the meantime, my companion on this journey has helped teach me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I’ve also learned the importance of getting enough protein in my diet and how small changes in my daily habits can pay off with huge rewards.

I’m looking forward to 2025 and to a blood test where every measure is in the green. As I approach that goal, my journey and my learning continue with thanksgiving to God.

Fear of Facing Our Own Shortcomings

I keep a journal where I have become comfortable with being brutally honest with myself. I am also in the habit of going back and reading old entries in this journal which means my younger self gets the chance to be brutally honest with me right now. This happened recently when I came across one of my journal entries in which I wrote about my own pride and my own insecurities. What stood out as I read my own writings was how easy it was to turn the focus on the actions of others. I even wrote a blog post in which I talked about how Christians should deal with someone else’s pride. And while I believe what I wrote on that post to be true, it left out something very important. Sometimes we’re the one with the pride problem or with some other character flaw. And while it is true that our brothers and sisters in Christ should prayerfully and patiently guide us, at some point, when confronted with our own shortcomings, we have to choose to surrender ourselves to the Lord and to allow Him to work in us to get rid of the problem.

My original post was called “Pride or Termites: How Christians Respond to the Problem” in which I described how pride often is a mask covering the real problem of insecurity. I described how we can deal with this real problem in the lives of others instead of knocking them down for the pride that is only a symptom of something bigger. But even if we are prayerfully in full alignment with God, the simple fact is that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Likewise, a brother/sister in Christ can help you see you have a problem but they can’t make YOU do anything about it.

Back when I wrote the termite post I was ready to admit my own pride but I was not ready to do anything about it. It was much easier to turn the focus towards someone else in the form of, “this is what THEY should do,” with the “THEY” being the rest of the church. I should have been asking myself and writing about what I should do. I write this now because I believe this should be a routine aspect of the Chrisitian walk and I am being brutally honest with myself again. Instead of looking at others, Chistians (with an emphasis on me this time) should be talking about what we should do. What should I do when God reveals an area of pride in my own heart? It all starts with yielding to God and being the person He has created me to be.

And Be There…With God

Exodus 24:12

What an invitation. “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there…” This is how Exodus 24:12 is written in the NKJV. The other English versions also have the, “Come up to Me part,” giving variations on the, “be there,” by saying things like “wait there,” or “stay there.” The point is that God wanted Moses with Him on the mountain and that sounds like one of the most awesome invitations ever given.

In Exodus 24 the people give affirmation, agreeing that, “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.” (Exodus 24:3) They repeat this vow after hearing the reading of the Book of the Covenant (verse 7) and Moses sprinkles the blood of the sacrifices on them in order to seal the covenant between them and the LORD. Shortly thereafter Moses, Aaron, Nabad and Abihu, along with seventy elders climb part of the way up Mount Sinai where they enjoy a big meal in the presence of God (verses 9-11).

It’s after this feast that God extends a special invitation to Moses as recorded in verse 12. What an honor it must have been to receive an invitation from God to come up and be there with Him: to receive the Ten Commandments and to learn how to teach them. This is something God did not have to do as He had already spoken to the people and given them the Ten Commandments (chapter 19). He could have very easily just left the stone tablets someplace at the bottom of the mountain with instructions on how to find them. It sounds as if God wanted Moses up on the mountain with Him and in the same way God wants each of us to be with Him today.

Jesus’ death and resurrection are invitations to us all, a sign that God wants us to be with Him. This is why the veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51) and why we are to enter the Holiest by a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19-22). God, through Jesus Christ, is inviting us to come and be with Him. Will you, by faith, accept His invitation? 

Why Worry? God Will Provide!

I once had a front row seat for a demonstration of what worry will do to a person over time as a close family member spent decades worrying about having enough money. They never directly said so but it was clear in the way they lived and in the things that they said that they were driven out of a fear of running out. Making matters worse, their fear was mixed with pride as they continued with their own self effort even in the face of evidence that what they were doing was not getting them what they wanted. In the end they died alone and unhappy, being overcome by the results of an addiction that masked the stress of feeling like the bottom might fall out at any moment.

I watched as this person, who claimed to be a good Christian, struggled against the ebb and flow that is a normal part of life. With their Bible nearby, theirs was a life of fear instead of an example of great faith. Even as they bragged about how they knew the Good Book better than I did, they somehow never came to trust in a very important promise:

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

I wish this was the only person that I knew who claimed to know the Bible well but who never fully accepted Philippians 4:19. In fact, I’ve known dozens of Christians whose lives were more of a demonstration of fear and/or pride as opposed to an example of faith. And yes, as I point my finger at others there are fingers pointing back at me. I was once one who professed faith in Christ but, driven by fear, relied on my own ability to try to earn a living. Just like the others I found that with all my hard work either I never had enough to make ends meet or, when I did, I was too stressed to enjoy what I had.

It took a very odd dream where I was faced with a costly repair for God to get my attention. As I woke from the dream I could somehow tell that God was asking me how I should handle the situation. I knew the answer He expected and responded accordingly, telling God that I would pray. He responded by asking, “Why don’t you?” Since then I have done just that when a need arises and each time God answers with what I need. I’m not yet perfect at doing this and I still sometimes forget to ask. But eventually, when I repent of my own efforts and ask God to provide, I find that His timing is always perfect. He always comes through.

As Christians we all know that God will provide for our needs yet do we…do you…live like He will provide? If you are not a Christian you are missing out on the peace that comes with knowing that you are loved and that God will take care of you because He loves you. So let me ask you something. Do you choose to trust God to provide? It’s not always easy to do but it is a great place to be.

My Toughest Prayer at My Current Life Stage

Back in 2019 I wrote a post in which I talked about my two toughest prayers: two prayers that were (and still are) difficult to say because both involve surrender to God. The first of these prayers is, "Father give me the day I need to grow in You." The second is even more difficult to say: "Father give my family the day they need to grow in You." A lot has happened since 2019 and at times God did choose difficult roads that I never would have chosen for myself, like a family health scare that was hard to stomach at the time but that prevented an even bigger health problem in the long run. These prayers are still difficult for me to say but I still say them, thanking God for what He is doing as He leads me along His chosen paths.

I’m at a stage now where the second question carries even more weight. My wife and I have successfully gotten both of our sons through high school with both moving on to “adult life.” One of my sons chose the more traditional path, going to college and then grad school and now he has his first “real” job. He is also married, with he and his wife taking on the challenge of owning a puppy. My other son chose a very non-traditional path with God opening doors and providing each step of the way. The path he has chosen will be difficult but he has embraced the challenge that lies ahead. In both cases it’s difficult to be on the sidelines and yet that is where I need to be: out of God’s way.

When the boys were in school I could fool myself into thinking that I had some level of control. Now they are both well beyond my reach. One thing that has not changed is my desire for both of them to know God and to grow spiritually, giving their hearts in surrender to Him. This means I still pray that same prayer for them now that I did back then, only expanding it to cover my daughter-in-law and my younger son’s girlfriend. "Father give my family the day they need to grow in You." It’s still a difficult prayer because I want to see them all succeed without the difficulties that I know are normal in life and I still have no control over seeing this goal achieved. Fortunately, the One who answers this prayer has not changed and I can rest assured that He will lead my family down the paths where they can enjoy His best, even if those paths are a bit difficult.

What Motivates You on Your Christian Walk?

It’s a complaint that I hear all too often, where someone talks about how they struggle to find reasons to do “Christian things.” I heard it again recently while listening to a podcast where the person being interviewed spoke about how they used to live as if they were going down a checklist of what a good Christian should do. Usually this kind of conversation ends in one of two ways. Either the person completely leaves the faith or they continue to call themselves a believer but one who has discovered some “new” free way to live out their faith. Often this new way leaves the door open for doing things the way they want without checking to see if it is okay with God. Whenever I hear about these checklist Christians it reminds me of my past, back when the motivation for my Christian walk was more dogmatic than it was a loving relationship. That “checklist” part of my life was dry, empty and, to be honest, no different than the codependency I lived in as a teen.

Yes, I was once one of those kinds of people, living as a “perfect” example of a Christian. I read the Bible twice per day, protecting my devotional times with a passion that must have impressed even the biggest zealot. I was determined to get it right, making sure I worked my way through my checklist each and every day. And each and every day I would battle with that voice that said, “Is this all there is?” In those moments when I was honest with myself I knew that I didn’t feel any different than before I was a Christian, which was okay because I had been taught that it was about faith, not feelings. And by the end of each day I would find myself feeling just as sad and just as lost as ever, questioning whether or not this Christian thing really worked.

I believe that I was a saved Christian back in those days, having accepted Christ by faith, but I was not living in the abundance promised by Jesus. The Christian life is not a life of doing what one is supposed to do, which is where many of us begin and continue. As we grow and mature, our actions should more and more come from a response to God’s presence and from a growing love for our Savior. Our day to day activities result from being free to choose what is right and not from the bondage of religious dos and don’ts. From an activity stand point it might not look any different from someone who is checking things off of their Christian list but on the inside it is significantly different. How different is it? It is the difference between feeling like there is a dry river bed inside and the feeling of having a fountain of water springing up inside (John 4:14).

Yes, Jesus came to show and teach us how we should live and we should obey His words. But what motivates you on your Christian walk? Does your motivation allow you to experience the fullness available to everyone, not by works, but by faith in Christ Jesus?

See also:

Serving Without Knowing God 

What Drives Your Christian Testimony?

A Religious Exercise or An Act of Love? 

Why Bethlehem?

Matthew 2:1a

It has become an important part of the Christmas story: That Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, in the southern part of Israel which was called Judea. We learn about it in Christmas church plays and quite often during one of the Advent sermons during the season. We are told about how Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary had to travel from their home in Galilee because Caesar Augustus ordered a census of all the world, forcing everyone to go to the city of their family lineage. (Luke 2:1-5) But why Bethlehem, a city of little significance? What made this area so special that it was chosen by God to be the scene for the birth of His only begotten Son?

We know that God chose Bethlehem based on the words of the prophet Micah spoken around 700 years before Jesus’ birth:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.”

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

As a prophet, Micah was delivering a message that came directly from God, with the early chapters of the Book of Micah speaking of God’s judgment on Israel and Judah. By chapter 5, Micah describes the coming restoration of the people which includes the birth of, “The One to be Ruler in Israel,...”: One ordained to be the savior of us all. As a representative of God, Micah is letting us know that God chose Bethlehem long before Jesus’ birth, shining a spotlight of importance on the City of David.

Before moving on, let me acknowledge that in the Old Testament the City of David was Jerusalem, whereas in the New Testament it is Bethlehem. Jerusalem became the City of David after King David conquered it, taking it from the Jebusites as described in 2 Samuel 5:6-9. According to verse 5 of the same chapter, King David ruled over Israel and Judah with Jerusalem as his capital city for 33 of his 40 years as king. Bethlehem, located just south of Jerusalem (according to Britannica.com), was near the area where David was born and grew up. It was also near where David was anointed king (1 Samuel 16). As the city of his birth it is easy to see why Bethlehem might be called the City of David just like its cousin to the north.

According to a number of sources the word Bethlehem comes from Bet Lehem in the Hebrew language, which means “House of Bread.” The writers at Biblestudytools.com believe this is due to the climate of the area which helped it constantly have bountiful harvests. For Christians the name is an instant reminder of Jesus describing Himself as the bread of life in John 6:35. The “House of Bread” was also an area where the sacrificial lambs were raised for use in the temple in Jerusalem according to a number of sources. And here we are reminded that Jesus was the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), set apart to be sacrificed for all of our sins. So there was quite a bit of significance to Bethlehem being the city of Jesus’ birth.

Why Bethlehem? By God’s divine authority and perfect will, the insignificant farming community became one of the most significant towns on earth. Its name and history would foreshadow the One who  came to save us all from our sins. Bethlehem: the City of David, the House of Bread and most important, the birthplace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that is why we talk about Bethlehem every year at Christmas.

Can They See the City on the Hill?

It was really kind of strange looking, sitting there in the midst of the other train cars. I noticed it as we passed through the railyard early one morning. It was dark outside and all of the other train cars had their lights on both inside and out. But then there was this one, sitting there waiting to go in for repairs. I’m not sure what was wrong with it but it was the only one with all of its lights turned off. The passenger lights on the inside? They were turned off. The lights on the outside that let other trains see it? They were turned off too. Even the signs that normally light up to tell waiting passengers where this train was going were turned off. It was just there among its siblings, completely dark and it really looked very strange.

If that one train car looked so strange sitting among the others with its lights off, how odd would a city look if it were completely dark when it was supposed to be all lit up? Imagine, we would likely be able to see that something was there: perhaps a building or two or three. But without light would that city be the least bit inviting? Would it hint at the existence of life or just leave us wondering what happened? I suspect it would look very strange, not unlike that train car sitting there dead in the rail yard. It definitely wouldn’t resemble anything that Jesus talked about.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14

This is how Jesus describes His followers. We are the light of the world: a brightly lit city on a hill where all can see. That light, shining brightly through those who love the Lord, is the light of God Himself. Its impact is a result of His presence, changing the believer from the inside and then drawing others who are in turn changed by His love. We should stand out but not because of our own efforts. In fact, I fear that many who call themselves “Christians” simply look weird because they are like that dark train car, not relying on the true light of Christ. They should be the city on a hill but instead they are hidden behind a blanket of self-effort and erroneous teaching.

I confess that there have been many times in my Christian walk where I think the lights were all turned out…by me. I’d much rather be that city that cannot be hidden and to do so I know I must be fully surrendered and reliant upon my Lord Jesus Christ. How about you? Can those around you see the city on the hill?

Book Review: Daydreamers

Full disclosure: The author of Daydreamers (Gary R. Hamilton) is my brother-in-law.

Daydreamers is the first book written by new author Gary R. Hamilton and while there are times in the book where you can tell that it was written by a rookie, those moments do not detract from a very compelling story.

Crime is up on the Caribbean Island of Acia Maj and a local news reporter thinks he has a lead on who is behind the violence. With the support of his family and help from a family member with whom he shares a special gift, David Kennington risks his life (and his family) to save the nation that he loves. And while this may sound like standard fare, a number of small twists (including the mystery behind the daydreams) are enough to make this story slightly different. Plus, Mr. Hamilton’s descriptions of the island and its people work to take you on a journey, holding your attention as if you had stumbled into a mystery while on vacation or even while visiting family.

My only knock on the story is that early on it is hard to tell who the story is really about but that is a minor quibble as things become very clear as the story progresses. I give Mr. Hamilton credit for exploring his characters' gifts in a way that allows them to contribute to the story as opposed to becoming a distraction. This makes for a good read and I recommend it for anyone who likes mystery and drama with a touch of travel to far away places.

Daydreamers by Gary R. Hamilton, Published by Austin Macauley Publishers Copyright 2024

God, Diabetes and Repentance

Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic illness is not an easy pill to swallow and I admit my heart sank a little when I was first diagnosed with diabetes. It’s been almost three years since I received that diagnosis: three years of learning and growing (growing emotionally while losing weight so in a way, shrinking). I’ve still got a lot to learn but the greatest lesson isn’t about my physical health, at least not directly. The greatest lesson I’ve learned since dealing with diabetes is the lesson of repentance.

You see, one of the main contributors to my diabetes was my diet where I lacked discipline. (See also All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes) I can trace my diabetes directly to Mega Stuffed Oreos which may have been my personal addiction. According to Nabisco, the serving size for Mega Stuffed Oreos is TWO cookies which brings with it about 180 calories and 17g of added sugars (Based on information from oreo.com). Well…I was eating 5-6 servings in one sitting, easily exceeding the recommended daily amount of sugar and packing in around 1000 empty calories before eating three square meals. Clearly I can only blame myself for my chronic condition and for that gut that kept arriving before I did.

When the doctor called with the bad news, I instantly made a big boast about how I would never again touch a cookie. If eating cookies is a threat to my health, I figured I didn’t want any part of those irresistible little… Well, anyway, as you can imagine saying I wouldn't eat cookies was one thing. Actually following through is another. Plus even after kicking my cookie habit I still found that my glucose levels weren’t always what I wanted. It’s far too easy to replace one bad eating habit with another. Add to that serving sizes that were way out of proportion and, after significant initial success in lowering my A1c, I found myself landing on a plateau.

Daily I have prayed for healing, thanking God for lowering my A1c and helping me keep it at a more acceptable level. But I want an A1c that looks like someone who doesn’t even have diabetes and that is what I am praying for. In response, I believe God is reminding me that I have a part to play. I need to repent of my really bad eating habits: all of them and not just my cookie habit. I believe He will heal me but He is also asking me to change my behavior.

Through my diet and my diagnoses God is teaching me the importance of repentance. Salvation is a free gift, given to all believers by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus paid for our sins with His death on the cross. Through His shed blood we have access to the father and have been given the power to become children of God. There’s nothing we can do to earn salvation nor is there anything we can do to pay God back for our free gift. But the free gift (and the love of our Father) should move us to change how we live. In the presence of our God we should be moved to repentance, giving up our old way of life in exchange for a life of righteousness as we follow our Lord.

I’m changing my diet because I want to live in the healing that God has given me. With the help of His Spirit Who lives in me, I will also change many other areas of my life so that I can live in my new identity as a child of the living God. As a Christian are you being true to your identity?

What Did Matthew Believe About Baby Jesus?

Matthew 1:22-25

After describing what the angel said about baby Jesus, Matthew explains how he believed that the birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the promise given in Isaiah 7:14:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (NKJV)

Matthew also believed Joseph’s reasons for not putting his wife away and how Joseph obeyed the command that was given to him by the angel. Both Joseph and Matthew knew that this was an angel (a messenger) of the Lord and I suspect they both saw the angel’s words as having the same effect as if God had said them directly Himself. I suspect Mary had the same understanding.

Because Matthew believed this to be the fulfillment of the promise, he also believed that the child born to Mary and Joseph was Immanuel (God with us) whom Matthew would meet in person almost thirty years later. Matthew believed that Jesus was God and that He is our Savior. His description of the early relationship between Mary and Joseph along with the words of the angel serve to reveal these aspects of Jesus’ true nature. Here in a few short verses we have the angel’s point of view, Joseph’s point of view and Matthew’s, with all of them pointing to one conclusion. Jesus is God and He is our savior.

What Did The Angel Say About Baby Jesus?

In Matthew 1:18-21 an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, giving him guidance on how to handle what must have been shocking (and somewhat hard to believe) news. His betrothed was pregnant and it wasn’t his. Not only that but she claimed that she had done nothing wrong. In fact, she said that she was serving the Lord. It would have been a difficult situation for any couple but to truly understand Joseph’s predicament, we must look at the difference between what we call today a period of engagement versus the step of betrothal and what that meant for any couple back then.

A quick glance at a number of different sources reveals that back then being betrothed was the first of two steps in a Jewish marriage. This step involved an official and very public commitment to each other, marking the moment at which the couple became husband and wife. The agreement was binding and the only way out of it was either to get a divorce or to die. And so I suspect that from Joseph’s point of view, Mary had to have committed adultery and it was his right to make a public example of Mary. Under the Law he could have had her stoned to death but that’s not what Joseph wanted.

As he struggles with what he should do, looking for a way to break things off with his wife without dragging her through the mud, Joseph falls asleep and has a dream in which an angel appears before him. The angel tells him to stop worrying about it and to take his wife. In other words the angel was telling Joseph to complete the second step of a Jewish wedding as was custom at the time. Normally, after the betrothal, the husband would prepare a home to which he would bring his wife. I’m guessing the home was ready (or nearly ready) and the angel tells Joseph to take his wife home. In doing so the angel explains that the child was of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). He also tells Joseph that Mary would have a son: so much for waiting to be surprised.

Finally the angel tells Joseph that he should name the child Jesus and that this son,”...will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21 NKJV) By declaring this, the angel gives Joseph a quick glimpse into Jesus’ true nature. This Jesus was declared to be the Savior, a declaration made by an angel who was serving as God’s messenger. In fact that is the meaning of the word angel: God’s messenger. What a message this particular angel delivered to a simple Jewish man and as God’s messenger, this angel’s words carried the same force as if they were spoken by God Himself

This Jesus is Savior and I believe Matthew was called by God to describe this scene for us so that we, like Joseph, can catch a glimpse of Jesus’ true nature and of how He is seen from a heavenly perspective. Today what we as followers of Christ declare is the message of the angel, that Jesus saves His people: the people of God and God’s children. Do you take this angel at his word? Do you truly understand that Jesus is the Savior of His people and of the world?

Does God Really Care? Yes He Does

Back in 2018 I wrote a post called “Is Your Faith Mature Enough to Move You Beyond Your Ability?” in which I wrote about responding in extraordinary ways by faith in Christ. That post was based in 2 Kings 6:1-7 in which the prophet Elisha miraculously makes iron float in order to help one of his students retrieve a borrowed ax head. As with many other Bible passages, this is one where there are many lessons to learn and I believe one of those lessons is that God cares about His people.

Think about it for a moment. Why would God allow Elisha to use a miraculous spiritual power to retrieve a chunk of iron? I think it is because retrieving the ax was important to both Elisha, and to the student and because it was important to them it was important to God. I believe that although it is unspoken, God was moved with compassion, giving Elisha the ability (and the faith) to make the iron float. In telling this story I believe the Bible reveals an aspect of God’s heart, showing how God is willing to get involved in solving a seemingly minor problem. In fact, because this was a problem for His people, it was a problem that was worth solving for our God who cares for us.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)

Do you find it hard to believe that God cares or that what is important to you is also important to our Creator? In fact God does care about our problems, big and small. Do you (and I) have the faith to allow Him to solve our problems as He chooses, be it in a normal way or a miraculous way?

Book Review: Driving While Black

During the days of the horse and buggy the ability to travel was limited for everyone simply because it took too much time to go any great distance. The train helped, giving those who could afford to do so the ability to travel beyond their own surroundings. However, for African-Americans neither option afforded much of an opportunity for travel. Horse and buggy left African-Americans exposed to all sorts of dangers, especially in the south. Riding a train left African-Americans exposed to a number of Jim Crow Laws and various attitudes which could make travel down right unpleasant. This would all change when the car became something that the average person could afford. Car ownership opened the door to travel for many blacks and in Driving While Black Gretchen Sorin tells us the story of how being able to take road trips changed African-American culture while helping drive the civil rights movement forward.

I have mixed feelings about Driving While Black. The information, a mix of historical record and anecdotal evidence, is very interesting, revealing a part of our history which for the most part remains buried. Even with my family background, and with knowing some of what my past relatives faced, there is a lot that I learned from reading this book. However, there is something about the writing that caused me to struggle when it came to focusing on what I was reading. It doesn’t quite read like a textbook but there was just something that I can’t pinpoint that didn’t allow me to read for longer than a few minutes at a time. As a result I cannot give a full endorsement of this book.

If you enjoy history, this book is one you should consider reading. If you want a perspective that the majority of history books are unable to give, this is definitely a book you should read. If you read only for entertainment this might not be the right choice. I can only give one thumb up for this book, recommending it for those who truly enjoy history and for those who are open to walking (or riding) in another person’s shoes.

Driving While Black by Gretchen Soring, Published by Liveright Publishing Corporation

Should Apologies be Made in Public?

It has been over a decade since it happened and I long ago forgave the people involved, including the person who instigated the entire episode. I was wronged and my reputation was tarnished. I was left wounded emotionally and at times even doubting myself, wondering if I was really the monster that others said I was. But what hurt most of all was the doubt expressed by members of my family who were also close to those who did me wrong. Nothing hurts worse than having loved ones question you about something you did not do. As I said, I had long ago forgiven everyone involved and had not planned to bring the situation up ever again. Yet, after over a decade I was confronted by this situation once again when one of the people involved offered an apology.

Of course I accepted that apology, grateful that it meant that much to this person. I suppose that should have been the end of it, except that I found myself thinking about all of the people who either thought I was wrong or who didn’t know what to think. A few of them have passed away, doing so never having learned the truth. Those who are still alive today most likely don’t even think about what happened but if asked would tell a side of the story which they were told by others. After ignoring the temptation to get angry about it, I found myself longing for a public apology which I likely will never get.

So here is a question for you. Are there times when apologies should be made in public? This has nothing to do with whether or not we forgive others. We are called to do that even without an apology. But in response to a very public wrong, should the apology be just as public? To be honest I don’t need a public apology (which I suppose answers my question) and I know that God knows exactly what happened, which is the most important fact. But that question will probably always live in the back of my mind and I hope that if I wrong someone publicly, I will remember this feeling and let it drive me to apologize in public.

Why Do We Need Black History Month?

It wound up being my favorite class in college: a history course that I took just to get a few easy credits. The teacher stepped into the class on the first day and said something that forever changed my perspective on the study of history. He started by saying that he did not expect us to memorize a bunch of dates leading to a collective sigh of relief that was audible throughout the classroom. He then explained that he wanted us to be able to answer one simple question about everything we would learn that semester. How does each event affect our lives today? From that point on I’ve asked this question whenever I studied our history.

As I sit here in my home in Pennsylvania I’m overwhelmed by the number of people and events that have shaped the world and that set the stage for how the culture in which I am immersed functions today. And yet, as I look back on all of my years in grade school I realize there were so many names and events that were missed for one reason or another during all of those history classes. And the biggest omission of them all were the many contributions made by black men and women: contributions that our approved history books almost completely overlooked.

Why do we need Black History Month? I honestly wish that we didn’t need it. I wish that the text books did a better job of telling the story of how blacks and other minorities did important things so that we all can ask how their actions affect us today. But alas, with a few exceptions, those contributions are left out, leaving us with the need for a month designed to remind us not to leave people out.

Who Speaks into Your Life?

 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

Unless you live in a monastery there are probably people around you who try to speak into your life, passing on their point of view about you and about the situations in which you find yourself. Sometimes their comments are helpful. Sometimes they're no better than background noise. Most of the time those comments are well intentioned but that doesn’t always guarantee that they are what’s best. So how do you know when to listen and when to politely say thankyou and then move on? One surefire way to know is to prayerfully see if the words spoken to you line up with what God says in the Bible.

A few years ago I had a coworker share their fears about the future of my job. At the time our company was facing a number of challenges and our leaders were exploring a number of avenues, trying to find the best path. It was in this climate that my coworker spoke of how they felt my job was on the line and gave me advice on how to handle the situation. It was clear that this person meant well and was concerned about my future. At the time what they said made a lot of sense.

Taking things at face value, the advice was sound and I was a day away from doing exactly as the person suggested. What stopped me? Actually I should say: Who stopped me? God stopped me, as that night He spoke to me during my prayer time. It wasn’t an audible voice and yet it came across loud and clear, revealing the fear behind the advice. By the end of that prayer time I understood that God had a plan for me and would provide for my family whether or not I got laid off. The next day I took what God revealed to be my next step, moving forward in the confidence that God would not drop the ball.

Today, I am still employed at the same company, which is doing better than it was a few years ago. Not only that but I just received a promotion. Yes, the person was right about my job disappearing but neither of us could see the blessing that I am receiving in moving from one position to another. This is God’s plan and He knew along what would happen even though I could not see. Where my coworker understandably spoke out of fear (and out of concern) the Spirit within me spoke out of adoption and out of all knowing wisdom. I thank God for His plan and for speaking to me that night when I needed His advice.

While I am grateful that my coworker cared enough to give advice, that advice did not line up with God’s plan because this person was not seeing things through God’s eyes. Do the people around you give you advice that comes from a Biblical point of view or from what seems right to a human (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25). Who do you allow to speak into your life? Whose advice are you willing to follow? Is their advice godly or will they lead you onto the wrong path?

There’s Nothing I Can Do About It

It was a show of blatant disrespect, the kind that people later try to justify because they know they are wrong. There I was trying to make what I thought was an important point but someone else kept talking over me. They felt that the point I was making didn’t apply at the time, even though later on someone else asked the very question I was trying to answer. Somehow the answer was important when the other person asked the question but wasn’t important when I, knowing the information was needed, tried to anticipate what would be asked. Later on the person tried to explain why they interrupted me, as if the explanation somehow made it less disrespectful.

Fortunately, God has done quite a bit of work on my heart. Having been brought up under the cloud of codependency, my old self would have reacted poorly. I would have started yelling or done something else that would have made me look like a fool. If I didn’t yell, I would have made some sort of passive aggressive comment when the question I was trying to answer was asked later on. Somehow I would have found a way to mess things up so that in the end all anyone would have talked about was my own immaturity instead of that of the person who was really at fault.

In the past if I somehow managed to hold my tongue I would have felt compelled to try to change how that person thinks about me: I would have tried to earn their respect. If I had lost it, I would have gone to grovel at the person’s feet, taking full responsibility for my wrong and for theirs. Why? Well that is a symptom of codependency. It’s a drive to get people to like and respect me while fixing problems that I didn’t create in the first place. Along with that, codependency tells me that I am usually wrong and the other person is right, even when they treat me (and others) poorly.

What I’ve learned over the years is that there are some people whose hearts are not in the right place. They have an agenda to push and they are going to do so no matter who gets embarrassed or even hurt. I can’t make people like that respect or even like me. I cannot do anything to make them treat me any differently. In fact, there is nothing I can do about it. But that does not let me off the hook. While I am not responsible for the actions of other people, I am responsible for how I respond. I am responsible for making sure that my heart is right and that, in the end, I can walk away knowing that I responded as God wants.

Saved By One

It’s a well known Old Testament story. In Genesis 19 two angels show up at the gate of Sodom where they find Lot sitting there doing…well…the Bible doesn’t tell us but he is there. He immediately stands up and invites these angels to spend the night at his house. Eventually the angels agree to do so but their evening is interrupted when the men of Sodom surround the house looking for trouble. In the end, the Angels escape, dragging Lot and his family behind them, and God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Before this all happened, these same angels visited Abraham (Genesis 18). This time the LORD was with them and Abraham saw three men approaching. During their visit with Abraham, God tells him what He has in store for Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham intercedes on behalf of the cities, with God eventually promising that if He finds ten righteous people in Sodom He will spare the city. Imagine, had there been ten people who feared God, God would have spared the city. But there were not ten and Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

The Gospel tells us that salvation is available to all because of ONE righteous man. The Bible tells us that as God surveys the earth, He finds zero righteous people. In fact, all of our good deeds and good living are but filthy rags before the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and none of us can pay the price needed to avoid the punishment we deserve because of our sin. Like the men of Sodom we all should face destruction and there are not ten righteous for whom God would spare us. But there is one: Jesus Christ whose death on the cross paid for all of our sins.

The presence of ten righteous people would have protected Sodom. Today, there is one righteous man through whom salvation is available. In Christ Jesus we are saved by One.

Who’s In Your Inner Circle? Who Should be Out?

Over my five and a half decades of life I’ve had the misfortune of being in some toxic relationships. It started within my own family where one of my parents was an alcoholic, trapping me in a codependent relationship. Fortunately, in Christ I have been healed of the injuries that resulted from that relationship. But there have been others who wanted to pour toxins into my life. Some I could easily move far away from my inner circle. One in particular was a coworker who regularly tried to sell me on a very negative view of life. God eventually moved that person out to arms length where they could no longer make me a captive audience for their pontifications. As with this coworker, there are people who need to be held at a distance. Sometimes they sneak into our inner circle and we need to be honest and intentional about moving them back out.

In the Bible Samson allowed someone into his inner circle who never should have been there. He found Delilah to be attractive and seemed to enjoy her company. But at some point she became a negative influence as she worked on behalf of her people in order to try to betray Samson. In Judges 16:15-17 the Bible tells us that she pestered him to the point where “... his soul was vexed to death,...” (Judges 16:16 NKJV). Eventually he gave in to her pressure tactics, telling her the secret to his strength. As a result he lost his hair, his strength and the presence of the Lord in his life (Judges 17:20). In the end, because Samson kept Delilah in his inner circle he wound up paying a very steep price.

There are some relationships that we can’t get away from (like with an alcoholic parent). There are others where we can’t completely push the person out but we can keep them at arm's length, like coworkers or even church brethren. There are some relationships that we should get out of but the emotional attachments make it difficult. In all of these situations we need to call upon our God, asking for direction. We need to pray for the other person and for the grace to respond properly. It’s true that sometimes God puts us in a situation to influence people in the name of the Lord. But I believe there will be times when the Lord opens the door and tells us to move a person far, far away. When that happens, we need to pray for the courage to do so.

What Is Your Golden Calf?

 “...And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

Exodus 32:24

It would have been amazing had it happened as Aaron described. He cast the gold into the fire, “..and this calf came out.” Did it climb out on its own or did it just float to the top. More importantly did Aaron truly believe his own lie or was he simply unable to make up anything better on the spot? In fact, he wasn’t the only one buying into explanations that defied what the people experienced and saw with their own eyes. And yet they were comfortable believing in a golden calf, choosing it over God even while seeing and hearing the storm that resulted from His presence on top of the mountain.

In fact they had witnessed a number of different events and things that should have told them to trust in the God of Jacob over some man made statue. Back in Egypt they had front row seats for the battle between the God of Israel and the gods of the Egyptians. With every plague God proved Himself superior to the beliefs of the Egyptians and over their idols. With one parting shot He then proved Himself superior to Pharoah, who was supposed to be the closest to the gods or perhaps even a god himself.

The people of Israel were led out of Egypt, following a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21) which represented the LORD going before them on their journey. They saw the Red Sea parted so that they could cross it on dry land (Exodus 14:15-22) and as the Egyptians tried to follow their army was drowned (Exodus 14:23-31). When they needed it, God provided water (Exodus 15:22-27; 17:1-7). He provided bread from heaven and meat for them to eat (Exodus 16). He gave them victory over the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). Afterwards, He brought them safely to Mount Sinai where they saw the lightning and they heard thundering along with the sound of trumpets, and they trembled as they witnessed the smoke that covered the top of the mountain. Yet, even in the face of all this evidence of the presence of God with them, they chose to worship a golden calf just because they had to wait a few days for Moses to come down from off the mountain.

Not only do they worship and have a feast in the calf’s honor but they also gave this…thing…credit for the deliverance they had received from their LORD (Exodus 32:4). What a slap in the face. And yet while it’s easy for us, as we read the narrative, to become critical of the people of Israel, there is a question each of us has to ask in order to see what is in our own hearts. Do you and I remain loyal to our God or do we have a golden calf to which we turn in order to cope with the difficulties of life?

What is your golden calf? What are you turning to (or giving credit to) in place of God? Is it your money or your ability to find answers on your own? Is it your job? Is it your control over circumstances? Is it the government or a political party or certain politicians? True, you might not have an object that magically appeared but are there things or people whom you believe in more than you believe in God? When times are difficult or when the answers seem too far off, are you any different than Aaron and the people of Israel?