Tag Archives: God

April 4, 2025 · 8:53 AM

God’s Word Need An Update?

The church in Thessalonica was new. The believers had recently heard the gospel and put their faith in Jesus. They were enduring persecution from fellow citizens who rejected the good news about Jesus. They needed more instruction in their newfound faith. They needed mature and experienced leadership.

The great first-century missionary Paul had planted the church. But he was forced to leave the city because his life was threatened by violent opposition. Paul writes to them after he gets welcome news that they are persevering in the faith. His letter is filled with both encouragement for their progress to date, and instructions for their continued success.

In one place, the missionary thanks God for the Christians in Thessalonica because of their response to God’s word. They welcomed it “not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

The new Christians did not consider the good news about Jesus to be a human creation. They knew that Paul’s words about Jesus were not his own invention. They recognized the message as something far more, the very words of God. Paul’s proclamation was God’s revelation about eternal salvation by grace through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

For two thousand years Christians have welcomed God’s word, not as a human message, but as it truly is: the word of God. And, for two thousand years, God’s word has also met with doubt, disdain, and denunciation.

“Did God really say . . .?” That was Satan’s question to Eve in the Garden of Eden. His question was meant to plant doubt in her mind about God’s word. That same provocative question is still asked today. It is still meant to plant doubt in hearts and minds about the faithfulness of the Bible.

Is it really God’s word? Or, is it merely a human message? If it is merely a human message, then we are not required to believe and obey, right? In fact, if it is a human message, then we may need to update or alter it from time to time.

Efforts to update and edit the Bible’s message are rampant in our culture. Some people foolishly believe they can improve God’s word. Those who doubt the perfection and authority of the Bible try to retain some of the words in Scripture so they can maintain a façade of godly authority. But they have rejected God’s authority.

If God’s word is no longer the perfect standard and authority for truth and goodness, then what is? What standard is being used to judge and adjust the Bible? Popular ideas based on sinful desires are the guide for editing Scripture. Alternative notions about sex, marriage, family, parenting, gender, and other fundamental truths are being promoted as replacements for God’s revealed design.

Those who doubt God’s word dare to redefine God’s love. They treat love as a synonym for desire. Love is whatever they want it to be. Anyone who disagrees with them is accused of being hateful. But God’s word demands a higher standard for love, a standard exemplified by Jesus. God’s word boldly proclaims the truth, shining as the much-needed light in a spiritually dark age.

In Paul’s letter to the believers in Thessalonica, he went on to remind them that the word of God “works effectively in you who believe.” Their faithfulness to the gospel, despite the persecution they were enduring, was visible proof that God’s word had taken root in their hearts and was working to bear spiritual fruit for eternal life.

Despite the accusations of hatred from those who doubt the Bible, God’s word still works effectively in all who believe. Those who welcome God’s word for what it truly is will always meet opposition in this broken and dying world, but we will always enjoy God’s effective work and eternal hope in our hearts and for eternity.

May we welcome God’s word for what it truly is,

Brother Richard

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December 10, 2024 · 9:47 PM

Following Mary’s Lead at Christmastime

The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son Jesus would be the long-awaited eternal king of God’s people. Young Mary drew three important conclusions from Gabriel’s announcement which she included in her psalm of worship recorded in Luke 1:46-55.

FIRST: Mary had a profound sense of humility in the face of Gabriel’s announcement. Wondering about God’s choice of her, she said, “He has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant” (v. 48). Why should God choose her for such an important task, to be the mother of the Eternal King?!

Mary lived many miles away from the important city of Jerusalem in a relatively unimportant town called Nazareth. She was not from an honored or powerful family. She sprang from working-class stock. From what we know about first-century Jewish culture, Mary was probably a young teenager, perhaps as young as thirteen. She had not lived long enough to do anything of consequence. Who am I? she could rightfully ask.

God has a habit of choosing and using people who are marginalized or even disdained in this world. In 1 Corinthians 1 we read, “Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence” (vv. 26-29).

SECOND: This idea that God will humble the arrogant and exalt the humble brings us to Mary’s second conclusion. God’s choice of her, despite her humility, was a clear sign that he was determined to change the status quo in this broken world.

Mary’s praise included these words, “He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (vv. 52-53). God is the original social justice warrior. Those who abuse their power and wealth to oppress and deny others will answer to him.

God told his people in the Old Testament that they would always have poor people in the land. They were to treat them with kindness. He also warned them against oppressing those who live on the fringes of society, those without influence in the halls of power.

THIRD: Mary is relating all these things to the child God has miraculously conceived in her. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises God made to his people throughout their generations. Her song of praise reaches its climax with these words, “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors” (vv. 54-55).

Two thousand years before Mary sang her song of praise, God made promises to that great man of faith Abraham. Included in those promises, God said that he would bless all peoples on earth through Abraham, that is, through one of his descendants (see Genesis 12:1-3).

Jesus is sent by God to bless all peoples. Jesus is the one who has humbled himself so he can exalt those who are humble enough to trust him. Jesus is the one appointed by God to be Judge on that great and awesome day. As Jesus put it, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30).

Like Mary, we rejoice in our humility before the Lord, knowing that he has chosen to lift us up by the work of our Savior: Jesus Christ. Like Mary, we believe God’s promise to make all things right through the rule of his promised King: Jesus Christ. And like Mary, we worship God for including us in this great work of eternal salvation!

May the Lord give us eyes to see and hearts to sing at his great Christmas work,

Brother Richard

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November 13, 2024 · 8:58 AM

Will We Suffer Persecution For Our Faith?

Did the outcome of our recent election protect freedom of speech in America or endanger it? The political party we support will probably determine our answer to that question. What about freedom of religion? Are we holding our ground? losing ground? Not many would say that we are gaining ground on this vital liberty.

Whatever our beliefs about freedom of speech and freedom of religion at this moment in our nation, we should be aware of two things. Followers of Jesus continue to suffer persecution for their faith in other parts of the world. Christians in America may not join in that suffering anytime soon, but we should always be aware of the possibility.

David Lin is an American pastor who was recently released from prison in China. He was incarcerated there for almost twenty years. Hundreds of other American citizens are still imprisoned in China.

The Chinese government is using AI (artificial intelligence) and face recognition software to persecute Christians and other religious groups. The people have no religious freedom, despite the government’s claims. Instead, religious oppression and persecution are commonplace.

Sadly, some voices in the U.S.A. are casting doubts on our traditional beliefs in freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Some even want to scrap our federal constitution and replace it. They obviously want a governing document that does not include freedom of religion.

What should we do? As Christians, we should be exemplary citizens. We should be informed, vote according to our beliefs and values, and serve in government if and when God calls us to do so, representing him to the best of our abilities.

But how should we think about the increasingly negative attitudes about Christianity in our country and the persecution of believers abroad?

We tend to ask the question: Why does God allow his people to suffer oppression and persecution? Sometimes God uses governments to discipline his people. God used Babylon to discipline his chosen people Israel in the Old Testament.

But oppression is not always God’s discipline. God allowed Pharaoh to oppress Israel so he could demonstrate his power and convince Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Israelites that he is the one and only true and living God.

What is clear, however, is the fact that God does allow governments to oppress his people. This is the testimony of Scripture from both Old and New Testaments. Why?

Sometimes God allows his people to be tested. Job was a man of extraordinary faith. Satan accused Job, saying that Job only trusted God because God protected him, making his life easy. Remove the protection, Satan challenged, and Job’s faith would collapse. God allowed Satan to test the strength of Job’s faith.

Revelation 13 reveals a time of great persecution against Christians at the end of this age, persecution that will be worldwide. God urges his people to be faithful when facing tribulation for their faith in Jesus despite the cost.

Persecution for faith in Jesus is as old as the church itself. In the early days of the church, Peter was arrested for telling people about Jesus. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, the same ones who turned Jesus over to be crucified, they threatened Peter and the apostles. And just to get their point across, they flogged them. These beatings were vicious. Sometimes people died.

Surprisingly, Peter and the apostles were rejoicing. Rejoicing! Why? Because they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus. They weren’t seeking pain or persecution, but if it came to them, they were honored to endure it to demonstrate their faith in Jesus.

Every follower of Jesus does not suffer persecution or oppression, but many believers have suffered for their faith over the past two thousand years and many brothers and sisters in Christ suffer today in certain parts of the world. Whatever our struggles may be, we tend to ask the same questions. When ‘squeezed’ we ask: Is Jesus really Lord? Should I keep my faith in Jesus? The answer from God’s word is emphatically, Yes!

God agreed to allow Satan to test Job’s faith, but he placed limits on Satan’s attacks against Job. Satan was not allowed to take Job’s life. At the end of this age, God will only allow the Antichrist to run amok for forty-two months. God decides the limits.

God is the ultimate power and authority. Satan can only go as far as God permits. We can be certain that God has not lost control, that Satan has not taken charge, that random forces have not become our master. And we can be certain that God still loves us and has a plan for us and wants the best for us. We can still enjoy his blessings now, sure that our struggles will give way to great glory forever.

May God empower us to remain faithful to him despite the cost,

Brother Richard

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October 27, 2024 · 9:44 PM

Too Many Rules!

Religion stifles personal freedoms, right? Too many rules. Too much of the thou-shall-not! mentality. If the human race grows up and dispenses with religion and all its suffocating rules, then we can finally be liberated to experience true happiness. So we are led to believe.

The recent trend in our nation has certainly been to omit religious influence in making public policy. Efforts to simply display copies of the Ten Commandments in public schools or government buildings are met with vigorous legal challenges. Obviously, there are forces in our country that wish to expunge all reference to God and religion from public spaces.

Those who crafted the founding documents of the U.S.A. distinguished our nation by promising religious freedom to the people. Citizens are guaranteed protection from State-imposed religious beliefs and practices. This bold stroke of liberty stood in sharp contrast to the generations of religious oppression perpetrated against millions by toxic collusion between corrupt religious and government institutions.

Let the Church be free from State coercion and let the State be free from Church manipulation!

Respect for the distinctive roles of Church and State finds support in the Bible, especially in the teaching of Jesus. When asked about paying taxes, Jesus said that we should give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. He made a distinction between government and religion. And he exhorted us to give to each its due.

Jesus made no effort to enlist the power of government to advance his spiritual agenda, nor did he use his message as incitement to violent rebellion against oppressive governments. He forbade his disciples from using violence, even to protect his own life.

Proper respect for the different roles of religion and government has long been expressed in our culture by the phrase “Separation of Church and State.” This separation, however, is interpreted in different ways by different groups. Some are more concerned with protecting the Church from the State, others are focused on protecting the State from the Church.

Those who desire a secular culture have found the idea of a separation between Church and State to be useful in promoting their vision for society. They perceive and promote the separation of Church and State as a wall, an impenetrable division that allows no meaningful dialogue or influence between the two. As a result, religion will have no voice in government if they have their way. And they seem to be making progress.

Nevertheless, progress at expelling religious influence from government has had some unpredicted results. First, it is not clear that freedom has been increased. Second, it is certainly not clear that the number of rules has decreased.

Our secular champions for freedom have produced a plethora of rules that encroach on almost every sector of life. They even dictate what pronouns we must use. They demand that we stop using words like “mother” and “father.” They insist that we agree with absurd notions (for example: men can get pregnant and give birth).

They constantly redefine the rules of language. Certain terms are suddenly deemed to be racist or something-phobic. Or you might be labeled a climate denier or an election denier or a birther or another type of ‘bad’ person. If we ask the wrong question, we are a threat to democracy or to science or to some other important institution, thus justifying government to abuse its power and silence our voice.

This often bizarre list of rules expands with alarming rapidity. It also changes arbitrarily. What you could say or do yesterday may be unacceptable today. (And yesterday’s actions are always judged by today’s rules.) Fear of saying or doing the wrong thing becomes its own pathetic prison.

This expansive and unpredictable secular law code makes the Ten Commandments look far more reasonable and sensible!

The Bible says we have a choice. To be free from righteousness (God’s commands) is to become a slave to sin (selfish destructive desires). Conversely, to be free from sin is to be a servant to righteousness. (See Romans 6:15-23).

The attempt to find freedom and meaning by shedding accountability to God is futile. Without God’s standards, there is no real meaning or purpose to our existence. Surprisingly, we find freedom when we choose to serve God. Why? Because God is more than rules and laws. God is love.

God’s love leads us to perfect freedom. How? God’s love does not depend on rules, but on faith. When we simply trust Jesus, we have God’s love. His commands are still helpful, but they are not the basis for earning his love. His love is his gift to any who will receive it by faith in Christ.

The world only loves those who follow its rules. If you don’t believe so, try using the wrong pronoun or asking probing questions about man-made climate change. See how the world responds.

In Galatians 5:1 we read that it is for freedom that Christ set us free. The verse goes on to exhort us not to submit again to a yoke of slavery. Jesus called on the weary and burdened to follow him, taking on his yoke, which is easy, carrying his burden, which is light (see Matthew 11:28-30).

When the world’s ways get too heavy, Jesus is ready to invite us home to God’s love and God’s ways. In him we find rest for our souls.

May the Spirit of God enable us to appreciate and experience God’s freedom to the fullest,

Brother Richard

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September 4, 2024 · 11:41 AM

The Most Important Election?

This is the most important election in our lifetime!

I’ve heard that warning in previous elections. More than once.

Each time, it seems to be true. It seems as if the very future of our nation and perhaps even our world hangs in the balance. Each political party proposes a vision for culture that is so different. How can we co-exist?

From time to time someone asks me: What can we do? What should we do? The bureaucratic machine appears to be invincible, unstoppable. Human history appears to be on a pathway to self-destruction.

First, take heart. God predicted this struggle long ago. Three thousand years ago, the Psalmist was moved by God’s Spirit to ask why the nations rage and the peoples plot against the Lord and his Anointed One (see Psalm 2). Two thousand years ago, Jesus informed his disciples that nations and kingdoms will be in death struggles until his Second Coming.

Second, trust God’s plan. God started with one man: Abraham. Abraham left his family and country because he trusted God. From him God built the nation of Israel. Through his chosen people Isarel, God brought us the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

God did all this despite the rage and conspiracies of the other nations. He did it despite the failures and disobedience of his people Israel. Behind the curtain of these political struggles, spiritual battles rage. The Bible records the failed attempts of nation after nation to destroy his chosen people, Israel, to stop God from sending his promised Savior. Nevertheless, God’s Anointed One, Jesus, was born just as God promised.

The Enemy tried to destroy Jesus, thinking the cross would be his demise. It wasn’t. It was his greatest victory.

God continued his kingdom plan with Jesus. Although crucified on a Roman cross, God raised him from the dead. From the crucified and resurrected Christ, God built a church and proclaimed the gospel to the nations. He did it despite the rage and conspiracies of the nations. He continues despite the weakness of the Church.

Nations rise and fall. Leaders come and go. Philosophies dazzle and are forgotten. Meanwhile, God’s kingdom endures. History’s testimony is clear. God’s kingdom advances despite the opposition, despite the appearance of weakness in God’s people.

When Jesus was about to ascend to the Father and entrust God’s kingdom mission to his disciples, they had a question for him. They were interested in the future of the nation of Israel. Jesus didn’t deny the importance of Israel, but he redirected their attention to the nations. Jesus’ followers were to be his Spirit-empowered witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Jesus told his disciples to witness in Jerusalem (nearby), in Judea and Samaria (the surrounding region), and to the ends of the earth (no limits). God loves the nations. When we follow Jesus, his love in us will compel us to share that compassion. The greatest expression of God’s love is to proclaim the good news about eternal life by faith in Jesus.

On another occasion, Jesus put it this way: Go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus expects us to be active. “Go!” he tells us. Whether we go across the street or around the world, we must move out.

But doesn’t God care about justice and righteousness and godliness in our nation and our neighborhoods? Yes, he does! How are we to pursue those worthy goals? Political methods win political victories. Political victories are fleeting.

Eternal victories require spiritual ‘weapons.’ The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Spirit-empowered gospel witnesses have changed our world in the past. In the book of Acts, they were accused of turning the world upside down! We have the same gospel and the same Spirit. We have the same mission. We have the same ability to turn the world upside down.

Be informed. Vote. Serve in public office when God calls you to do so. But never let these good things be a replacement for the best thing: bold proclamation of the gospel. Let’s labor for the fruit that lasts. Let’s compete for an imperishable crown.

May the Lord inspire and enable us to make eternal marks now,

Brother Richard

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July 23, 2024 · 11:37 AM

God-Talk In The News

I love it when God is in the news. He has been the subject of news stories a couple of times recently. Both instances are related to the current race for the White House.

After a disastrous showing in his debate against former President Donald Trump, current President Joe Biden faced calls to step down as his party’s nominee to serve as president for the next four years. He refused to give up. He insisted on staying in the race.

In an interview on ABC News just days after the debate, Biden was defiant, rejecting the notion that he should step aside and let someone else run against Trump. Pressed by his interviewer, Biden conceded that if the Lord Almighty told him to quit, he might quit. Might?

President Biden seemed to correct himself a moment later by saying that if the Lord Almighty came down and told him to quit, he would quit. But then he added that the Lord Almighty is not coming down. Hmmm. I took that to mean that he was not expecting God’s advice, nor was he seeking to get God’s advice.

Biden’s statements about the Lord may be confusing, but he introduced God into the public conversation. I always welcome that!

It didn’t take long for God to make the news again. Former President Donald Trump was speaking publicly about surviving an assassin’s bullet by the slimmest of margins. The attempt on his life happened while he was delivering a speech at an outdoor rally. At just the right instant, the former president turned his head and avoided death. The shot came so close to hitting its target that it bloodied Trump’s ear.

As the former president recalled this harrowing experience, he gave credit to God for saving his life. Others spoke about the providence of God or the hand of God’s protection in preserving Trump’s life. The circumstances certainly seemed to go far beyond mere coincidence.

Not everyone was comfortable with such talk. Some people seemed agitated by assertions that God acted on Trump’s behalf. Predictably, they invoked the separation of church and state as support for their criticisms. Their well-worn arguments always seek to silence those who dare to include God in the public dialogue. They imply that God talk is somehow a threat to democracy.

As Baptists, our heritage includes strong support for the separation of church and state. In the formulative stages of our nation, our Baptist forefathers insisted on religious freedom. They believed passionately in the distinctive realms of authority that distinguish religion and government. They worked hard for constitutional guarantees to protect the church from state control and to recognize the legitimate realm of authority granted to the state by God.

But a wise separation of powers does not require a foolish silencing of honest dialogue. Recognizing the legitimate realms of church and state does not force private citizens or government servants to edit their beliefs about the most important subject of all: our Maker and Savior. Separation of church and state should never be used as an excuse to silence the truth.

We live in an age that has been called the ‘cancel culture.’ Some believe that their political opponents should be canceled and excluded from public discourse. Sadly, it seems that a significant number of Americans are having second thoughts about our fundamental liberties: freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

One thing I know for certain: You cannot cancel God. Those who are hostile to God may be able to intimidate people into silence for a while, but God isn’t going away. God-talk isn’t going away. God is big enough to handle our dialogue about him, no matter how difficult the questions may be.

Let’s rejoice when God is in the news. Let’s keep God in the conversation.

May the Lord inspire and enable us to speak the truth with love,

Brother Richard

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July 10, 2024 · 4:21 PM

Church and State: David or Daniel?

The State of Louisiana just passed a law requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. This new law will undoubtedly face multiple legal challenges. Several groups have already announced their opposition, citing the separation of Church and State.

Opponents of Christianity have often used the separation of Church and State as a legal tool to deny Christians influence in the public square, including public schools. Sadly, this approach has been successful in many cases.

Why are the Ten Commandments so controversial? Why do we need a law to simply post the Ten Commandments for school children? Why do so many people see Christianity as a threat?

When King David ruled Israel some three thousand years ago, citizens expected the government and religion to work hand-in-hand. Aside from the occasional power struggles or corruption, the king and the priests shared common goals and worked together for the benefit of the nation. They recognized that national prosperity required a solid spiritual foundation.

At the beginning of our nation’s history, a friendlier and more cooperative relationship existed between the State and the Church. Citizens agreed that spiritual guidance was good and necessary for secular institutions. The Ten Commandments were not controversial. They were welcomed.

Our founding documents denied the government power to prohibit the free exercise of religion. It was common at the time for European governments to favor one expression of Christianity over all others, often coercing citizens and sometimes persecuting them. As a result, our founders limited the federal government from respecting an establishment of religion.

These wise words in our First Amendment were not intended to create an absolute wall of separation that refused any cooperation between Church and State. Primarily, they were intended as protection for the Church from a coercive State.

Things have certainly changed! We now live with growing hostility toward Christianity. Groups wish to use the government not to respect an establishment of religion, but to silence the voice of Truth.

Predictably, pagan expressions are encouraged, often promoted in attempts to compete with and defeat the efforts of Christians. If Christians start Bible clubs in schools, opponents start Satanist clubs. If Christians teach kids about sexual integrity and purity, opponents send drag queens to twerk for the kids at the library.

This is not the first time that God’s people have lived in a world that is hostile to godliness and spiritual truth. Some four hundred years after David was king in Israel, the people had become defiant and disobedient toward God. They refused to listen to his warnings. He expelled them from the Promised Land. They found themselves living in Babylon.

In Babylon, God’s people were a minority. They were often despised and treated as outsiders. Sometimes they were treated like enemies of the State. One man hated them so much that he tried to use the power of government to destroy them completely (see the book of Esther).

Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego lived during this difficult period. They were carried away from the Promised Land against their will. They were forced to live in Babylon, a pagan land hostile to their beliefs. Despite the risks of persecution, they decided to remain faithful to God.

Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den for praying to God. His friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship idols. They stood for God and God stood by them.

Followers of Jesus in the U.S.A are finding circumstances to be more like Daniel’s were in Babylon than David’s in the Promised Land. But we need not despair. Even when we find ourselves in a hostile pagan culture, we can follow Daniel’s example. We can choose to be faithful to God despite the short-term risks and difficulties. God is faithful. We will share in the victory!

May the Lord inspire and enable us to always be faithful to him and to his truth,

Brother Richard

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June 5, 2024 · 6:51 PM

Who Tells You What To Think?

We love Vacation Bible School! The Bible verse for VBS this year is Romans 12:2. “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (CSB).

This present age will tell us what to believe, what to value, how to spend our time and our money, who we should be trying to impress, how to ‘get ahead,’ and how to define our identity.

Social media, internet, sitcoms and movies, news reports, influencers and popular opinions, celebrities and political leaders, all these and more tend to pull us in their direction, to conform us to this age. This age has a thousand avenues into our hearts and minds.

This evil age will not encourage us to believe God’s word, to value God’s ways, to spend time and money seeking and serving our Maker and our Savior. This wicked world cares nothing about pleasing the Lord or advancing his kingdom. This world avoids talking about or thinking about eternity, accountability, or judgment.

This wicked world is so pervasive and so invasive that it seems impossible to resist. In fact, without help, we get swept away by the beliefs, values, ideas, and lifestyle of this world. What can we do?

First, we decide not to give in, not to be conformed to this age. Second, we present ourselves to God to be transformed. Note that Romans 12:2 does not say, “transform yourself.” It says, “be transformed.” We don’t have the strength to overcome the ways of this world. We need someone who has the power. God is the one who is able.

God’s transformation starts with our thinking. It says that we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In this world, people tend to be skeptical of God’s way of thinking. They tend to believe and trust friends, feelings, influencers, celebrities, anything but God or Jesus or the Bible.

As Christians, we have decided to trust Jesus. We believe his words and meditate on them. We think about how to live according to his words. God’s Spirit enables us to discern his will. In other words, we learn to recognize what is truly good, what pleases God. As Romans 12:2 says, we realize that God’s will is perfect.

Those who are conformed by the wicked ways of this evil age may have some fun for a season, but they are chasing the wind. The things of this world always leave us unfulfilled, needing more, endlessly searching but never satisfied.

In contrast, God’s will is perfect, whole, complete, without error or omission. We need nothing more than God’s will. God’s good and pleasing will touches every part of our lives, every circumstance, every need. When we pursue and practice God’s will, we need no supplements.

We no longer see social media as the world does, or the internet, or sitcoms and movies. We don’t decide how to spend our money and our time based on the world’s values and ideas. We choose to do what pleases God. We choose God’s good and pleasing and perfect will.

We pursue God’s will not because it makes our lives easier. In fact, we find ourselves at odds with the ways of this world. Nevertheless, we choose to be transformed because it is right in God’s eyes. It pleases God and that pleases us!

May God bless our kids and bless us with a fun and fruitful VBS in 2024,

Brother Richard

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May 8, 2024 · 8:51 AM

Is God Failing?

Things looked bleak. It seemed like everyone was giving up on God, turning away from worshiping him. There was a new god in town: Baal.

Elijah refused to give up on the God of Israel, the true and living God, Maker of heaven and earth. God blessed Elijah with a miraculous victory over the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18-19).

Despite the great victory over Baal’s prophets, things didn’t seem to get any better. Elijah’s life was threatened by the evil queen, Jezebel. She was a devoted follower of Baal.

Elijah was afraid. He was discouraged. He fled.

The frightened prophet ended up in a cave on Mt. Horeb. God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The prophet explained that everyone had abandoned worshiping God. He was the only one left and they wanted to kill him.

God told Elijah to stand on the mountain in his presence. When he did, there came a mighty wind, but God was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then fire, but God was not in the fire.

After the fire was a still small voice. Elijah covered his face and went out to meet the Lord. The discouraged prophet told God all his troubles, how he was the only true worshiper left, how they were trying to take his life. What was the point in carrying on?

God responded to Elijah’s discouragement in two ways. First, he gave Elijah some things to do. It was no time to give up and stop working.

Second, God told Elijah that he was not alone. Seven thousand had not turned away to worship Baal. They were still faithful to the Lord.

Generations later, the Apostle Paul referred to Elijah’s experience. In Paul’s day, most Jews were rejecting Jesus as God’s promised Savior. Like Elijah, some people were questioning God’s work, wondering if it was failing.

Paul pointed out that God had a remnant chosen by his grace. God always has a remnant chosen by his grace, in the Old Testament, in the early days of the Church, and now.

Today, followers of Jesus may be tempted to adopt Elijah’s pessimism. We can easily feel outnumbered by those who have turned their backs on worshiping and serving God. After all, how would we assess the spiritual condition of our nation today? Things do look pretty bleak.

How would we assess the spiritual condition of the churches in our nation? It would be easy to give in to discouragement because of the spiritual decline we see all around us.

Remember God’s answer to Elijah. I have left seven thousand for myself. The first-century apostle put it like this: “In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.” Chosen by grace means it is according to God’s sovereign choice and plan. God has not lost control of the situation!

God’s people have always tended to be a remnant. If this is true in our day, we should not be surprised. Elijah implied that God was failing. God assured him that was not the case. Neither is God failing today.

Elijah was acting out of his fear of Jezebel. Elijah’s trust in God should have been greater than his fear of Jezebel. Our trust in God must be greater than our fear of this world’s powers.

God gave Elijah work to do. It was no time to quit. It is no time for us to quit. God has work for us to do because his kingdom plan is advancing toward the inevitable victory.

God does some of his best work when things look bleak. When Jesus was dying on the cross, God was providing salvation for the world. We can trust him and continue his work, for his work will overcome all obstacles and lead us to the ultimate triumph.

May God’s Spirit inspire and enable us to be faithful despite discouraging circumstances,

Brother Richard Foster

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April 3, 2024 · 5:28 PM

Praying Like Jesus

Jesus prayed to Abba. Who is Abba?

Abba is an Aramaic word. Aramaic was the language spoken by Jesus and his fellow Jews in the first century. It had taken over from Old Testament Hebrew as the common language in Israel.

Abba was a familiar term in the first-century Jewish household for addressing one’s father. Some people equate it with our word daddy,but that might be too informal. Something like dad is a close English equivalent, maybe papa.

Other Aramaic words appear in the New Testament. Mark’s Gospel records Peter’s eyewitness accounts about Jesus’ life and ministry. In some instances, Jesus’ words had left such an impression on the fisherman, that he related them in Aramaic then translated them into Greek for his audience.

When Jesus raised a little girl from the dead, he said, “Talitha koum!” which is translated, “Little girl! I say to you: Get up!” On the cross, Jesus cried out, “Eloi! Eloi! Lama sabachthani!” which means, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” These were certainly unforgettable events.

Abba is the word Jesus used to address God when he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before he went to the cross. “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup from me! But not what I want, but what you want.” In his humanity, Jesus struggled with the suffering he faced. Through prayer, he bowed to his Father’s will.

Jesus’ striking familiarity with God was a dominant feature of his ministry and teaching. In fact, Jesus irritated the Jewish religious leaders with his unusually intimate relationship with God.

It’s not that Jews or the Old Testament never spoke about God as Father. The Israelites did think of God as their Father. But Jesus did so in a new and remarkable way that made them uncomfortable.

And Jesus taught his disciples to do the same. “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father (Abba) in heaven.’” Followers of Jesus for 2,000 years have imitated Jesus in this practice. It is a sign of being Jesus’ follower, a sign of having a close relationship with God like Jesus does.

In Romans 8:15, we read that God’s Spirit enables us to cry out, “Abba! Father!” Of course, that’s just the beginning of the prayer. The content comes next. What is your prayer to the Father? How do you complete this prayer right now? Abba, Father! Thank you for. . . . Abba, Father! You are my. . . . Perhaps you have a cry for help. Abba, Father! Please. . . .

We have in our hearts the Spirit sent from the God of heaven and earth. And, we call the God of time and eternity our Father! The one who spoke the universe into existence and who gives us life, he is our Father!

Let’s rejoice over our privileged position before the Lord. And let us take full advantage of our access to the Almighty. Pray without ceasing!

May our Father in heaven always hear and answer your prayers,

Brother Richard

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