My first children’s book, From Grumpy to Grateful, is being prepared for publication. For the next few days my readers are getting a preview, to prepare for Thanksgiving, and perhaps to share with the children in your life.

If you missed the intro yesterday, here’s the link:

From Grumpy to Grateful (A Story of Thanksgiving) Introduction

CHAPTER ONE

                “Sunday school?” Bill laughed, even though Jackson wasn’t trying to be funny. “Why would I want to do that?”

          Jackson felt his face getting red as the bigger boy rejected his invitation so rudely.

          “Well …” he began, “we sing songs and hear stories about God and stuff.”

          “God!?” Bill laughed even louder. “You still believe in those fairy tales?” Jackson had never heard Bible stories called “fairy tales” before, and it gave him a sick feeling in his stomach.

          “Fairy tales? No! Jesus really lived, and He healed people! He walked on water! He even rose from the dead after they killed Him!”

          Bill snickered and crushed a beetle on the sidewalk. “Yeah, and that bug’s gonna come back to life any second now.” With that he let out a loud laugh that made Jackson’s face burn. By now the kids next door were looking his way, and he felt like crawling under a rock.

          “Jesus … loves you,” he said, so softly the other boy could hardly hear him.

          “Sure He does,” said Bill sarcastically. He looked tough, but Jackson thought he sounded angry, too. “What did God ever do for me?” he demanded.

          “Jesus loves you so much He died for you!” Jackson suddenly felt stronger as he heard himself say the words, but Bill was quick to answer, and the feeling didn’t last.

          “I told you, I don’t believe in that stuff! What did He … what did God ever do for me?” he demanded again, and Jackson thought he heard a catch in his voice, as if he were trying not to cry. Jackson almost felt sorry for him, but Bill was bigger than he was, and the way he clenched his fists made Jackson back away and stop trying to talk to him.

          “OK,” Jackson murmured, walking away.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we get discouraged sometimes when the people around us reject the gospel. Remind us when we are rejected that You were rejected, too, and that in our rejection we are sharing in Your sufferings. Help us not to let discouragement keep us from sharing our faith. Give us courage to speak out, even when it doesn’t seem that we’re being heard. In Your precious name, amen.

      

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 

I have recently finished the manuscript for my first children’s book, which I had hoped to have published by Thanksgiving of this year. But, like many other things in this strange and unpredictable year, From Grumpy to Grateful has been on the back burner. Still, I thought my followers might like a sneak preview, especially those with children or grandchildren who like to read or be read to. God willing, the book will be out, complete with illustrations, by next fall.

From Grumpy to Grateful will be posted in five brief posts for the next five days. Meanwhile, a note to the adults:

We can take many things for granted, from food and clothes to our freedom, to the people in our lives. It’s easy to look at what God is doing for other people and feel a twinge of envy, not realizing that these people probably aren’t blessed with many of the things we enjoy every day. These people might, in fact, be envying us at the same time! This cycle of ingratitude happens to adults as well as children. Sometimes it takes a crisis, a loss, or a journey into someone else’s world to give us an appreciation for what we have.

Jackson, the little boy in this story, has been hearing about Jesus and the miracles He did – walking on water, feeding five thousand, healing the sick, and raising the dead. Jackson wonders why Jesus isn’t doing impressive things like that for him, and he complains about it to his sister Charlotte.

You may know someone who has gone on a missionary trip to an impoverished region and come back a different person – a very grateful person. Jackson has the privilege of taking that journey in one night, as he dreams about what it would be like to be without most of the things he takes for granted. When he wakes up, Jackson realizes that he is one very blessed boy!

Before reading this story with your child, ask what he or she is grateful for. You might want to write down the response. Then after reading about Jackson’s adventure, ask your child if he or she has anything else to thank God for. I suspect the second list will be longer than the first.

You might want to hang your gratitude list on the wall, refrigerator, or bulletin board and add to it each night. Ask your child (and yourself) “Do you know someone who doesn’t have these things?” then pray together for that person, and watch for changes that come from a life of gratitude and caring.

                                    Ann Aschauer

Prayer: Father in heaven, You take such good care of us, and so often we don’t take notice of what You’ve given us, nor do we thank You as much as we should. Help us to be more aware of our blessings and to thank You continually for Your goodness to us. May we set an example of thankfulness to the children in our lives each and every day, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

Last Easter was different from any we remember, at least for most of us. Many of us were sad that the usual family gatherings were limited, or non-existent, and kids who remembered the holiday as a time for egg hunts and seeing the Easter Bunny at the mall felt let down. But the absence of the “fluff” (and I don’t mean just Peeps) gave us a clearer picture of where our focus as Christians was supposed to be, anyway. After all, the first Resurrection Day began with a profound sadness for those who had followed Jesus, with memories of His excruciating, humiliating death on a Roman cross still fresh in their minds. The ache of inconsolable grief, mixed with residual fear of the Romans, no doubt filled their souls. But soon the devoted women who had come to anoint His body, then the other disciples, who took some convincing at first, knew that the story of their Messiah was not over yet! He had given His life to pay for their sins, then fulfilled His promise, that on the third day He would rise to eternal life – and so would they!

So, if we allowed it, last Easter/Resurrection Day was possibly the most meaningful we have ever had. What’s more, there was evidence everywhere that the gospel had spread to formerly unreached peoples, races, tribes, and tongues in astonishing numbers – as in billions. See “Pandemic: God’s Plan A?”: https://seekingdivineperspective.com/2020/05/08/pandemic-gods-plan-a/

As we look ahead to the holiday known in America as “Thanksgiving” (though admittedly we should be giving thanks every day), it seems we have another opportunity to make the holiday more meaningful. Those of you my age will probably remember Joni Mitchell’s lyrics, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone?” (“Big Yellow Taxi,” 1970) Or as the Mills Brothers put it many years before that, “You’ll Never Miss the Water til the Well Runs Dry.”

Some of us have a had a dry year, to say the least. So, How’s our attitude?

As we possibly get distracted thinking about what we’re missing this year, we shouldn’t lose sight of what we still have. And there’s nothing wrong with being thankful for what we used to have, especially if we didn’t think to give thanks when we had it.

Occasionally God has had to remind me of this truth. A good example is something I experienced decades ago…

I was still a college student, majoring in performing arts. I was also in the throes of a full-blown eating disorder with body image problems that might be hard to understand now. In those days the ridiculously thin and long-legged Barbie doll was considered the ideal female form, and every girl fell short of that model. (What were they thinking???)For years I hated my “fat legs,” although now I realize it was more that my legs are short, which could explain why I could stand and place my palms on the floor without bending my knees. But I digress …

I was at the university gym, heading out to the pool. My lower half was wrapped in a towel to cover what I considered a major flaw, but right by the door someone had decided to put a full-length mirror. (What were they thinking?) As I slipped the towel off to take a quick glance, I felt the usual disgust.

An old proverb says, “I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” What happened next was a similar experience, only the Lord cared enough about me to make sure I would never forgot how blessed I am – as evidenced by the fact that I still remember that day vividly.

As I stepped out onto the deck, I was met by not one, but dozens of special-needs kids. Apparently this was a field trip for them to get out and enjoy a day at the pool. Wheelchairs were everywhere. Some kids were sitting by the pool, dangling their thin little legs in the water, smiling wistfully. Some were still in their wheelchairs waiting for someone to help them into the water. And volunteers were holding others, jumping up and down with them in the shallow end, as the children splashed and giggled with glee.

Shame came over me like a tidal wave. With tears in my eyes, I confessed my despicable attitude and begged the Lord to forgive me. (He did.)

I’d like to say that from that day on I had no body image issues, but I would be lying. It took years of drawing close to Jesus, learning who I am in Him, holding onto His truth rather than my emotions, and things like journaling, Scripture memory, and whatever else He led me to do. In talking with a Christian counselor once, I told him about my journey out of bulimia, which some say is impossible without a counselor! He said if I had come to him, he would have told me to do exactly what I had done. So, I guess I did have a Counselor – a “Wonderful Counselor!” (I hope to write more about this journey in the future, as I know I am not the only one who has struggled with an eating disorder, not by a long shot.)

The point here is that, no matter what we feel we lack, we have something to be thankful for – probably many things. Even if we had nothing at all in this world, if we have placed our faith in Jesus, we have eternity with Him to look forward to, and eternity will quickly swallow up this brief blink of an eye we call “life.”

So, let us GIVE THANKS!!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You gave everything for us, that we could be with You eternally! If the promise of heaven were all we had, we could still thank You forever. And yet, You’ve given us even more! We thank You with all our hearts, today and every day, in Your precious name. Amen

Dear readers,

I have written my first children’s book! From Grumpy to Grateful is a story about how one little boy learned to be thankful. I was hoping to get it published by Thanksgiving, but for various reasons (Covid being the least of them) I am now hoping it will be available by NEXT Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, I would love to give a sneak preview of the manuscript to my readers, especially those of you who have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and/or students who like to read or be read to. From Grumpy to Grateful is a “chapter book,” with five chapters, so it is considerably longer than my usual posts, which I try to keep under 1000 words.

My question(s) for you: (Would you like to read it?) Would it be best for me to (a.) divide the story into five “bite-sized pieces” the length of my usual posts, spaced a few days apart between now and Thanksgiving, (b) post one installment daily Thanksgiving week, or (c) post the whole thing in one long post between now and Thanksgiving so you can read it in one sitting?

Thanks for your input. I don’t take for granted the time you spend reading and commenting on my posts.

Blessings,

Annie

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2a

Although this post is for my American brothers and sisters in Christ, if you are not American, it will someday apply to the situation in your country. Perhaps it already does.

If you are not a Christ-follower, let me explain the term by means of this crash course:

According to the Bible, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) That’s just another way of saying, “Nobody’s perfect,” which I think we can all agree on.

Here’s the problem: The Bible also says, “The wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23a) Wages are what we have earned. And what we have earned by living life our own way is eternal death – spending eternity apart from God, Who is holy and perfect. It makes logical sense. After all, if anyone imperfect entered a perfect heaven, heaven wouldn’t be perfect any more, would it?

So … now what?

The good news that comes after this bad news is in the second half of the verse: “… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:23b) While “wages” are what we’ve earned, a “gift” is given freely, and, thank God, we didn’t have to earn eternal life, or it would never be ours. The sacrifice that paid the price for our sins took place when the perfect Son of God (Jesus) willingly allowed Himself to die on a cross in our place.

But for something to be a gift, it must be received. To be cleansed from our sins, we need to repent (be willing to turn around and go another way), believe that Jesus’s death paid our ransom, and that He has opened up the way for us to live the lives we were created to live, with His help. For a more detailed version of this plan of salvation, these earlier posts might help:

https://seekingdivineperspective.com/2020/01/17/be-attitudes-biography-of-a-believer/

https://seekingdivineperspective.com/2020/01/24/the-be-or-not-be-attitudes-the-road-to-true-happiness-part-2/

Those of us whose lives have been transformed by Christ have been adopted into another family, another kingdom. Paul wrote, “But our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20a) Unfortunately a lot of us, especially in America, seem to be forgetting about our “dual citizenship.” At least we seem to be behaving as if this world is all there is.

Here’s a little pop quiz to see how you’re doing in this time of testing:

1.) Is your hope in the Lord or in a politician?

2.) Is your ultimate focus on your problems or the problem Solver?

3.) Can you rejoice in the Lord, no matter who wins the election?

4.) Are you pleasant and kind to people who disagree with you?

5.) When people are nasty towards you, do you treat them well anyway?

6.) Are you more interested in winning people to your God, or to your party?

7.) Do you have compassion on people going through suffering, even when you believe they brought it on themselves?

8.) Do you pray for your enemies?

9.) Can you walk away from an argument without wanting the last word?

10.) Do you let your behavior and attitude preach the gospel along with your words?

In these days of uncertainty, it seems everyone around us is stressing out. People are anxious about the outcome of the election. People are suspicious, as evidence of vote tampering are popping up everywhere. (Yes, people are cheaters – does that come as a surprise to any of us???) People are fearful about what will happen to our country if the “wrong” sinner is elected to office. People are angry with the “other side” for real or perceived wrongs. People are terrified of the violence that may break out – and oh by the way, we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Rage, fear, and despair are the norm for “everybody.”

But, brothers and sisters, we are NOT called to be like “everybody!” We are called to be lights in the darkness. Peter wrote,

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (I Peter 2:9)

Sure, it’s getting darker all the time, but the darker the sky gets, the brighter and more visible the stars shine! Paul wrote,

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” (Philippians 2:14-16a) [emphasis mine]

Have you caught the vision yet? These dark times are not a time to get sucked into the world’s mindset! If we are behaving with the same attitudes as everyone else, who is going to be interested in what we have to offer in the way of God’s Truth? Everyone has their own “truth,” and unless there’s something different about us, ours will seem like just one more opinion.

BUT, if we show ourselves to be different from the world, because we are citizens of another world – NOW we will stand out, and those who are seeking something better will be drawn to us.

This is a golden opportunity, friends. Let’s not blow it! This is a test. Are we passing?

Prayer: Lord, You have called us to be citizens of another world, one so much better than the one we’re seeing now. Help us not to get sucked into the darkness, but to shine Your light more brightly than ever. May we show the difference You make in our lives, in the name of Jesus, who called us out of darkness into Your wonderful light. Amen.

So, the next year the “trunk or treat” was forced indoors because of severe weather. No problem! As Providence (God) would have it, I got assigned a room with a fireplace – which made a pretty good “Empty Tomb.”

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scripture every day to see if what Paul said was true. – Acts 17:11

An episode of the TV series “West Wing” shows Charlie, assistant to the President approaching C. J., the press secretary after a press conference where she has evaded a question and/or put some spin on the facts.

“People aren’t stupid, y’know,” he tells her.

“In an election year everybody’s stupid,” C.J. retorts.

“NO,” Charlie says pointedly, “in an election year, everybody gets treated stupid.”

You got that right, Charlie.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of having my intelligence insulted every time I turn on the news. The only reason I can think of that journalists would continue trying to influence the public with innuendos, half-truths, misquotes, and downright lies – not to mention censoring any story that doesn’t fit their agenda – is that somehow it’s working. I don’t think the majority of Americans are stupid, so why is this strategy so effective?

I’m guessing it’s because the press is counting on the fact that most voters aren’t going to fact check everything that’s reported. Whether this is a matter of being too busy, other things taking priority, or just plain laziness, few of us take the time to verify what we are hearing – or what we seem to be hearing.

Recently I took this pet peeve to social media, where attention spans are short, in the form of three posts, over a period of several weeks.

Post #1:

YOU’RE NOT STUPID. Has this happened to you? You’re watching the evening news, and the reporter quotes a statement made by someone, then looks into the camera and asks suspiciously, “But is this really TRUE?” Then he throws out a series of random facts and statistics loosely related to the topic at hand, and you’re wondering, “Wait … that doesn’t really answer the question …” or “That wasn’t really the point …”

(He reminds me of the guy putting a ball under one of three cups, then moving them around and around until you’re not sure where the ball is.)

You’re thinking, “I don’t get it …”

It’s not that you’re stupid. You’re being TREATED stupid! Most Americans aren’t as stupid as the media think we are, but how many of us are LAZY? Do your own research. In other words, FACT CHECK THE “FACT CHECKERS.”

YOU’RE NOT STUPID, Part 2

No, you’re probably not stupid, but are you LAZY? Sure, it’s easier letting someone else tell you what to think than to do your own research and think for yourself. But is it worth sacrificing the truth just to save yourself some mental effort?

Beware of general statements regarding someone’s character: “____________[person] is _________ [insulting label].” Even – especially – if the statement begins with “EVERYBODY knows …” or “It’s a well-known fact … “

Check it out. Has that person, in fact, DONE anything to merit that label? [Hint: the more the unsubstantiated statement is repeated without any facts to back it up, the greater the chance that somebody made it up.]

YOU’RE NOT STUPID (But are you LAZY?) Part III: BEWARE OF THE SOUND BYTE!

They do it on both sides, quote something the “bad guy” allegedly said, then “prove” it by playing a sound byte – usually just a few words, a few seconds long.

(Note: The shorter the sound byte, the more often it’s played, the greater the chance it’s being taken out of context and “proves” NOTHING.)

Find the original speech/interview/debate and read or listen to the WHOLE THING. You might be amazed at what was REALLY said and what the few highlighted words were referring to. I DARE YOU TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND. You might just end up changing it, and that’s OK. “A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to-day than he was yesterday.” (Alexander Pope)

Remember that every human is fallible, and few, if any, of them just wake up one morning and decide to be evil – although they may be pulled in that direction if fed enough random sound bytes and they refuse to examine the context. (“Don’t bother me with facts, I’ve already made up my mind.”)

P.S. THE SAME APPLIES TO RANDOM VERSES OF SCRIPTURE QUOTED OUT OF CONTEX.

That last statement points to another choice you have that is even more crucial, where more than your country is at stake. Whatever decisions we make now (as individuals and as a nation), there will come a time when we (as individuals and as a nation) will no longer exist in this world. After that is eternity. And eternity is a very, very, very long time.

A grain of sand compared with a bucket of sand is very small. Compared to a whole beach it’s even smaller. And that grain of sand compared with the sum total of all the sand in the world – beaches, deserts, bottom of the oceans … Now how small is it?

And yet that grain of sand in the Sahara is still bigger than this life compared with eternity! So why are we so absorbed in the present? God has shown us the way to eternal life, through His Son Jesus. His words were written down for people to read through the centuries, and He has give us His Spirit to guide us as we seek the truth.

When it comes to eternity, don’t let someone else tell you what to believe. There are countless gurus using convoluted logic, stereotypical assumptions, and quoting verses from the Bible out of context. Don’t be lazy! Check out for yourself what the Bible really says. Read long passages, whole books of the Bible, even the whole Bible, asking God to help you understand and apply what you’re reading to your life. I’d love to hear about what you have discovered, especially revelations that changed your mind about any former assumptions.

If you don’t have a Bible, let me know. I’d be happy to send you one.

Prayer: Lord, You told us, “Seek, and you will find.” Forgive us for being too focused on lesser things to think about eternity. Help us to be more diligent in seeking You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. – Galatians 5:14-15

 I am about to take a break from social media. A brief visit to Facebook used to be a pleasurable time of looking at what friends have been up to, seeing pictures of their cute kids and life milestones, and sending birthday wishes.

But lately what used to be friendly interaction has been sinking into the muck of angry nit-picking, unfounded claims, conspiracy theories, convoluted logic, and rabbit trails leading to unrelated issues, and explosions of unchecked rage. (What’d I say?)

I don’t know about you, but I am getting sick to death of all the attacks, accusations, lies, and threats.

(Wait … that sounds like a list of stuff the devil does …Hmmm … )

What’s really disturbing is the extent to which those identifying as Christians are engaging in this behavior. I’m not sure if they feel they are wielding the Sword of the Spirit in some sort of virtual Crusade, or if they have temporarily forgotten their mission – or taken leave of their senses altogether.

Christians – or as some are calling themselves today, “Christ-followers” have been given a task to do, known as the Great Commission. Jesus’ last words to His disciples before ascending into heaven were:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

What does it mean to “make disciples”?

I’ll tell you what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean recruiting more people to the political party I deem the most “biblical.” It doesn’t mean winning a battle of words convincing as many people as possible to wear a face mask – or take off the face mask. It doesn’t mean calling out people for inadvertently using words or phrases I consider racist. It isn’t public shaming or virtue signaling.

I’ve never seen effective evangelism achieved with a sword. I have yet to see someone’s mind changed on social media, especially through someone else’s tirade. I’ve never seen someone respond to a well-worded diatribe by crying, “What must I do to be saved?!” I’ve only seen the venom get deadlier as people dig their heels in and the rage escalates.

As I scroll through the communication that fills endless cyberspace, I see most of the Church is NOT going about the business of the Great Commission – the pure mission, not to be watered down or polluted by the politics, he-said-she-said, who’s lying, etc.

How did we get so far off course?

Of course, we have our principles and convictions, and as people with the rare privilege of choosing our own leaders, we have a duty to prayerfully vote on candidates and issues. Just know that any candidate is going to be less than perfect, and that we humans have a way of magnifying the flaws of those we don’t like while getting enraged when others magnify the faults of our candidate. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: if this nation doesn’t return to God, and soon, it won’t matter which sinner is in the White House, we are finished. Someone said years ago that if God didn’t judge America He should apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. That statement seems truer now than ever. So yes, if a truth needs to be spoken, an injustice pointed out, an honorable act recognized, by all means speak up. But do so prayerfully, and resist the urge to pontificate or get sucked into the combat zone. (And remember to be humble; you could be wrong!)

Know that there are groups and subgroups that want to dictate the opinions of their followers, but don’t drink the Kool-Aid! Our convictions should flow from our relationship with the only One whose opinion matters.

Know that anyone who takes a stand for Christ will be hated by some. I for one just want to make sure when I’m despised it isn’t for being a despicable person, saying and doing despicable things. 

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.  I Peter 4:15-16

I’ve noticed a lot of messages these days can be found on yard signs, bumper stickers, T-shirts (a.k.a. “bumper stickers for people”), and even masks. They can be nasty, corny, snarky, or stupid. I have a T-shirt that says, simply, “America needs Jesus.” Period.

God help us.

Prayer: Loving Father, we do not deserve Your favor, and yet You have been so gracious to us, forgiving our sins and adopting us into Your family. We have not always born the family resemblance that would identify us to the world as children of God. Forgive us for the times we have allowed ourselves to be sucked into the world’s strife and hostility and have let our emotions rule us, instead of Your Spirit. Let us not wait for our emotions to confirm the Truth. We know that Your Truth stands on its own and needs no confirmation from anyone. Let us not wait for our emotions motivate us to do right; let us do right, whether we feel like it or not. Help us to live with You as our Sovereign, not our emotions. In the name of Your precious Son Jesus, amen.

They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and is now complete. He must become greater, I must become less.”              John 3:26-29

Two weeks ago I wrote about the “worship protests” going on in some of our major cities. I had expressed concern that the whole gospel, including the “bad news” of our sin and separation from God, leading up to the good news of forgiveness and redemption, was in danger of being sugar-coated and incomplete. But watching the gatherings streamed, I did hear the whole gospel preached one night when the music was finished, and I pray the people caught what was being said, and that this evening wasn’t just a temporary emotional buzz from some great music.

However, reading the thread of comments raised a second concern for me.

“I wanted to be baptized! Come back to [city]!” one viewer pleaded. I responded to that person that if she has confessed her sins, repented, believed, and given her life to Jesus, she could go to her church (or find a church) and have the pastor baptize her [and explain baptism more thoroughly!]. I was hoping she wasn’t just wanting to be baptized at a gathering with somebody famous, so she could post the pictures on social media. (Forgive me if that sounds cynical.)

I have nothing against leaders with charisma. But it’s something the Church needs to be very careful with. I’m certainly not blaming this man for the shallowness of some of his fans, but I do hope he is making it clear that they are not to be fans of him, but followers of Jesus.

This is not a new problem in the Church. Nearly two thousand years ago the apostle Paul dealt with this issue in at least one of his congregations. It seemed that for some of the Corinthians, loyalty to their favorite leaders was causing divisions.

One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful I did not baptize [many of you]”                                                                                                                                                  I Corinthians 1:12-14

The Church doesn’t need our own rock stars, and we don’t need to practice name-dropping in our spiritual conversations. God isn’t impressed with name recognition, and we shouldn’t be, either. Anyone with a gift – and that would be any one of us – has been given that gift to advance the gospel. When we use our gifts the way He desires, it pleases Him, no matter how great or small those gifts might be. In the gospel of Matthew Jesus tells the parable of three servants who were entrusted with their master’s money while he was away on a journey. Two of them – the one who had been given five talents and the one who had been given two talents – each doubled the value of what they had been given, and they received identical praise from their master:

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” – Matthew 25: 21 & 23

I want to hear those words, don’t you? What matters isn’t the size of the gift, it’s our faithfulness with whatever we’re given.

This is why it’s disturbing to see some people respond to revival by sitting on the sidelines and letting the celebrities do the work. One of the comments on the thread was, in essence, “Come to my city! We need revival here!”

To use Paul’s logic, “Is this singer the source of revival? Was this singer crucified for you? Are you expecting him to do it all? – Could he possibly do it all!?” I’m sure he would be the first to tell you “NO!” He is a vessel, not the source.

I couldn’t resist responding to this comment with, “If your city needs revival, gather your church and get busy!”

The large evangelistic gatherings taking place in our cities will be effective only if they are encouraging the Church to spread the Good News everywhere. Otherwise, when the night is over and the band has moved on, everyone will go back to “business as usual,” and no lives will be changed.

To summarize: I see two mistakes we should all be very aware of:

1. [Last post] We can’t sugar-coat the gospel, leaving out the fact that until we come to Christ in repentance, our sins are separating us from God. If we just sing happy songs and dance around for a couple of hours, sweeping our sins under the rug, we will remain lost in our sin.

2. And for those who have been reconciled to God through Christ’s death on the cross, we should NOT sit back and leave evangelism up to a handful of worship teams, however charismatic they may be! The Great Commission was given to all believers. Let’s “get up off our blessed assurance and do it!”

Friends, let’s not waste another day. Time is too short, and the harvest is too great!

Prayer: Precious Lord, Your Church has wasted so much time! We have been absorbed in our own cares and neglected to care about the needs of others, especially their need to know You. Help us to look to You for the ability to carry out Your Great Commission each day. Show us the opportunities that are right within our reach, and use us to extend Your life-giving love to all who will listen, in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17

I believe what happened in D.C. over the weekend – “The Return” – was the most important thing that has happened in this country in decades.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly Christians, showed up to confess, repent, and pray for God’s forgiveness and the healing of our nation. What made this event different from some other Christian gatherings was that they weren’t assembled to point fingers at the ungodly unbelievers, but to confess their own sins, as individuals and as the Church.

The call for repentance wasn’t written for unbelievers. God doesn’t expect unbelievers to behave like believers. WE (the Church) have been given His Word, His commands and direction, and “To whom much is given, much will be required.” – Luke 12:48 If the nation is a mess, the responsibility is on us. It seems to me God is being very reasonable.

I have written lately about some “worship protests,” praise gatherings in some of our major cities and my mixed feelings about them. ( https://seekingdivineperspective.com/2020/09/25/so-whats-the-problem/ ) What was different about “The Return” was, yes, we prayed for healing and revival and God’s blessing on our nation, but only after several hours of confessing and grieving over our sins as a Church.

We have been wrapped up in our own comforts, while others struggle daily to survive. We have been concerned about our rights, while the rights of others have been trampled. We have spent many hours a day staring at our screens and few hours, if any, in prayer to the God who has given us everything. The cries of suffering people have reached our ears, and we have responded by turning up the volume on our headphones and drowning them out. We have pointed fingers at those we consider the worst sinners without stopping to consider why they are engaging in such behavior – perhaps because the Church didn’t welcome them, and they had to go elsewhere for acceptance and love? We have condemned unbelievers without making the slightest effort to share our faith and help them become believers. While our nation is in a freefall, we have occupied ourselves with endless hours on social media, chatting about inconsequential trivia and getting into endless arguments over personalities, politics, and controversial issues – battles that only get nastier with time, and haven’t changed a single mind or heart.

How long do we expect God to put up with us? How many times does He have to warn us, and how many times can we continue ignoring His warnings, procrastinating, or leaving all the work up to someone else? How long before He is fed up and destroys us, as He has other civilizations that rotted from the inside out? He has every right to, and yet He hasn’t. His love and patience are beyond our understanding.

Although about a quarter of a million people showed up for the Return, the mainstream media apparently didn’t consider it newsworthy. But God knew about it. The mainstream is currently obsessed with the Presidential election, but if this nation doesn’t turn back to God soon, beginning with the Church, it won’t matter who’s in the White House. Our nation will be destroyed. I believe we’re already seeing the beginnings of it – pandemic, hurricanes, fires, and social upheaval.

The events we see happening around us resemble God’s judgments on evil civilizations in the past. Jonathan Cahn spoke at length about Israel – God’s own people – and how they sinned against Him, blatantly committing idolatry, adultery, violence against one another, even sacrificing their children to foreign gods. And God judged them as a nation, allowing the Babylonians to come in, wipe out their cities, destroy their Temple, and carry them off into captivity for 70 years.

God has and will judge evil civilizations.

HOWEVER … He is also aware of individuals, and just because our nation may be sinking into the depths of depravity doesn’t mean we as individuals have to go along. There are still many, as we saw at “the Return,” who love God and want to live godly lives. When we repent (turn from our sins and desire to live differently, to live righteous lives that will please God), He sees, He knows, He is ready to forgive us and help us, even if it means giving us the strength to go against the tide of the day.

Jesus’ death on the cross is still valid payment for our sins, for the sins of anyone who will place his/her faith in His atoning sacrifice. If a believer or unbeliever acknowledges his sin, grieves over it, asks forgiveness, and trusts in the atoning work of Christ, (s)he will be forgiven and received, no matter what others may be doing. And when death comes, as it comes to us all, that individual will live on as a child of God, in the eternal place prepared for His own. That’s the good news!

Whether the people around you are turning to God or going their way, as Jesus said,

“… what is that to you? You must follow Me.” John 21:22

(I can hear my mother’s oft spoken words, “If ‘everybody else’ jumps off a cliff, are you going to jump off a cliff?”)

And here’s more good news! If enough of us do this, it could turn the tide in America. God has promised,

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – II Chronicles 7:14

And God keeps His promises!

Prayer: Oh Lord, You have been so patient with us. Help us to be sensitive and obedient to Your Spirit. Help us not to be sucked into the lifestyle of the wicked, and not to pass judgment on them, but to set a better example for all those around us by being godly, loving, and filled with the hope that comes from knowing You, in Jesus’ name. Amen

P.S. If you missed the event, you can watch it at thereturnsimulcast.com/the-return. If you can’t watch the whole thing, do listen to Jonathan Cahn’s prophetic message to America, starting at about 2:53 on the second video (Saturday morning). (I admit, it gave me chills and made me cry.)