Anne Kennedy on Alistair Begg

I thought this piece by Anne Kennedy on the recent controversy regarding Alistair Begg’s advice about attending a gay wedding was so so good: Alistair Begg and the Loving Thing

If you’re behind the internet times, a recording recently surfaced of Alistair Begg advising a grandmother to attend the wedding of her gay grandchild. Begg has, sadly, decided to defend this advice.

I’ve been deeply encouraged by Begg’s preaching and teaching over the years, so this was quite disappointing. I join Anne in praying for Begg’s repentance on this issue.

When we talk about meeting people where they are, as Jesus certainly did, so often we forget that Jesus did not and does not meet people where they are and then leave them as they are. He calls them out. He transforms them. He works salvation and repentance in the hearts of people who would otherwise be lost to hell. And while we certainly cannot do the work of the Holy Spirit, we must speak God’s word plainly, lovingly, courageously. Trusting that God’s word is sharper than any two edged sword. Trusting that Jesus is more loving than we could ever conceive of being. Otherwise we have the appearance of godliness while denying it’s power. We’re told to avoid such people (2 Timothy 3).

³² Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. ³⁴ You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

³⁶ You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷ For,

“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”

³⁸ And,

“But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”

³⁹ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. —Hebrews 10:32-39

Dear Marigold

You are nearly one year old! I cannot believe how quickly your first year has gone by. Time is moving so quickly it almost hurts and at the same time I love watching you learn and grow. You are sweet and joyful. You scrunch up your nose when you get excited or are trying to get us to laugh. You love your big sister and big brother and my goodness are they smitten with you! Whenever your Daddy enters a room your little feet cannot pitter patter fast enough to get to him. You have orange hair that looks like fire when you’re in the sunlight. I like to think that God really delighted in surprising us with your orange hair when we chose to name you Marigold when I was only 20 weeks pregnant with you.

My sweet girl, I didn’t think the world could get any crazier than when your brother was born. That was presumptuous of me. Sometimes I get scared; what kind of world will you grow up in? What sort of challenges will you have to face? Will your daddy and I have the time to train you in the way should go before you have to face what this world with devils filled will throw at you? I don’t have the answers to those questions. But I do know this: “Had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put there,” (Charles Spurgeon). Marigold, we serve a loving and gracious God. We serve a God who works ALL THINGS together for our good and His glory.

The longer I live on this earth the more I realize that we simply cannot know what’s around the corner. Life can hit you in the face with death, cancer, depression, pandemics, and a whole host of other struggles and heartaches without warning. God tells us in His word that we WILL have trouble in this world. My dear girl, let the troubles and heartbreaks of this life untether you from this world. Let them drive you deeper into the steadfast and loving arms of Jesus. And take heart! Because Jesus has already overcome the world and we can look forward with certain hope to the world come.

And in the face of so much death and destruction there is also much beauty and joy that God has given to us in this life. I cannot wait to take you, God willing, to see the ocean one day; I long for you to be overwhelmed by its beauty and its vastness. Right now I’m staring out of our dining room window at a tree with bright yellow leaves that are so brilliant that it looks as if it’s been set on fire. Besides the beauty of God’s creation, He has given us a beautiful family with so much love. And He has surrounded us with an amazing community of believers. We’ve cherished both of these blessings more deeply since the death of your grandpa one short month ago. In recent days we’ve tasted the bitter and the sweet more potently than before.

No matter what this life throws at you I pray that God fills your heart with hopes and dreams and the tenacity to go after them. I hope you remember that every good and perfect gift is from above and that even the best and most beautiful gifts in this life are mere shadows of what’s to come in eternity with Jesus where there will be no need for lamp or sun because God himself will be the light of the world. More than anything, and I do mean anything, I pray that God would bring you to saving faith in Himself through Jesus. I pray that you would be rooted and built up in our faithful Savior and that you would be established in the faith.

I love you, baby girl. And Jesus loves you best.

Love,
Mama

Jesus is Better Than…

5 year old: Can we watch peppa pig, mama?

Me: No, baby. That show teaches things that God says are wrong. I can’t let you watch that show.

My kids are young. They are sponges and parakeets. To introduce confusion and contradiction would be cruel and I’d be failing at teaching them in the way they should go.

I’m not saying there is only one way to handle the moment that we’re living in. I’m certainly not saying we can hide our kids away from the world for 18 years and then release them into it and expect things to go well. And I know boycotts aren’t cool and we can’t boycott every business that thumbs its nose at our beliefs—keeping our families clothed and fed are necessities.

I am saying that we have opportunities right now to show our kids that Jesus is better than our favorite tv show or our favorite store or our favorite social media platform. There are some very simple and very small sacrifices we can make and we can even have our children make that will serve their faith well into the future.

Perhaps the Lord isn’t convicting you to give up the same things that the Lord is convicting me to give up—I get that. I’m not your Holy Spirit. And if covid times taught us anything I would hope it taught us that extra biblical commands and binding a brother or sister’s conscience is sinful and cruel. We can have strong convictions and believe in things without telling our brothers and sisters in Christ “if you love Jesus and your neighbor then you can’t shop at Target” or “if you love your neighbor, you’ll wear a mask”. We can practice being truthful and open about our convictions while recognizing that we are not the Holy Spirit. We can pray more than we speak. And we can examine ourselves and make sure that we encourage people to conform to the likeness of their Savior, not to the likeness of ourselves.

And when an organization like Instagram openly peddles child pornography I can ask you, my fellow believers, to consider, what ought we do with that information? Please, ask the Lord what He might be asking of you in this moment with this information. If, in these absurd times, you find that the Lord isn’t calling you to give up anything, I would encourage you to seek Him and His word all the more earnestly. If we’re unwilling to sacrifice our reputation, our shopping habits, our social media engagement, or our television/streaming habits then what are we willing to sacrifice? When persecution comes knocking on our door will we be ready? Where is Jesus calling us to die to our flesh, take up our cross, and follow Him? How can we be in the world and not of the world? What does that look like in 2023?

Let us be guided by His word and empowered by His Holy Spirit. Let us spur one another on in good works. And when the time comes let us, as the disciples did, walk away rejoicing that we were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.

Repent and Believe

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”—2 Timothy 3:1-7

I can hardly look at the news without being accosted by lies. Lies about what a man is and what a woman is. Lies directed at my children and your children and your grand children. Lies so perverse and so destructive that they lead to hell on earth and beyond. I can easily begin to despair. What sort of world are my children going to face in 5-10 years?

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”—Hebrews 10:39

We do not shrink back. We do not fear, for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self control (2 Timothy 1:7). We do not commiserate with one another, we exhort and build one another up. We bear one another’s burdens. We pray for one another. We speak God’s truth to one another. We lay hold of the promises of God and we press on. Because He has already won the victory. He goes before us. He equips us.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” —Ephesians 6:11-20

With the full armor of God we press onward. We remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the evil one. And we know that we can wrap up biblical truth in the prettiest of bows and the world is still going to hate us. We can care about people’s feelings and deal delicately with them and they will still call us bigots. In fact, we can care about people’s feelings to the point of leading them straight into hell.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”—John 15:18-19

A time is coming and really is already here when the mushy middle will have to pick a side. There is no more time to lament that you’re politically homeless; of course you are! You’re a Christian and you were never meant to find a political home! There is no more time to be silent as the world has made clear that it demands full allegiance to its Satanic lies. There is no more time to pretend that the enemy does not seek to devour your children. We can be winsome and bold at the same time. Speak straight truth. Speak God’s truth. God is infinitely more loving than we are and something we never see in scripture is our Lord coddling people for the sake of their feelings. We see mercy, grace, love, justice, righteousness. We don’t see sugar coating. We don’t see a middle way. We see repent and believe for the kingdom of God is at hand. Carl Trueman puts it this way:

“Harkening to Jesus’s words is not an excuse for sloppy scholarship any more than it is an excuse for indifference to injustice and evil. Nor does it justify treating with contempt those with whom we disagree. Christians who act despicably should not complain when they find themselves despised. But Jesus’s warning surely reminds us that we do not need to take our cultural despisers seriously; still less ought we to side with them against those who actually share our faith. Christianity tells the world what it does not wish to hear. We should not expect to be embraced by those whose thoughts and deeds contradict the truths of our faith. Nor should we seek to make our faith more palatable, lest the salt lose its savor. Accommodating the world’s demands is a fool’s errand…”

Repent and believe in the gospel.—Mark 1:15

40 Years

This summer my siblings and I, our families, and our parents will descend upon a beach house in the great state of Florida to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary.

40 years. My mom was 19 and my dad was 21 when they got married. They’d have my sister 13 months later. By the time my mom was 25 and my dad was 27 they would have three children.

They would be the first to say that they’ve made it to where they are only by the grace of God. And that it hasn’t all been sunshine and roses. It hasn’t been a fairytale. In fact, it’s been better than a fairytale because it’s been true. It’s been forgiveness and restoration. It’s been for richer and for poorer. It’s been in sickness and in health. It’s been clinging to Jesus and cleaving to each other in the face of cancer and losing parents and jobs. It’s been raising kids in a culture that seeks to devour us and praying that God holds us tight as they’ve had to let us go. It’s been tear soaked prayers. It’s been tears of joy over new life and growing families. It’s been stupid arguments and words you wish you could take back. It’s been holding each other up in the good times and the bad. More than anything else, it’s been growing together in Jesus.

I’ve been in their lives for 34 years and I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve seen my parents happier together than they are right now. They do practically everything together. Not in a weird co-dependent way, but in a way that there really isn’t anyone else they’d rather spend their time with. They’re two of the most generous and genuinely humble people I know. They relish being Papa and Umi to their grandkids and their grandkids relish every moment spent with their Papa and Umi. They are quick to laugh at themselves. And quick to lend a helping hand—dropping any and everything to help—especially their kids.

I’m beyond grateful for their example of faithfulness in the big and small things. I thank God that He saw fit to build a family through the two of them.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! When we descend on that beautiful beach, my prayer is that, in the midst of what is sure to be controlled chaos, you look at each other, your three children, our spouses, and your 9 grandkids, and you marvel at what God has done through you and enjoy every single moment.

The Mushy Middle

I’ve read Lore Ferguson Wilbert for almost 10 years. I’ve been blessed by a lot of what she has had to say. She’s far smarter and much more insightful than I am. Two years ago she wrote about how more and more she finds herself in the mushy middle on a myriad of issues:

“…this mushy middle is where I increasingly am on many issues. The older I get, the more complex the world seems and the greater the need is for nuance and care around all our words. But, what I want to write about today is the belief that we in that mushy middle are on a journey toward one side or another because I think that’s what this generation of Christians uniquely faces—meaning you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t…Like the life of a Christian, I have no sweet resolution for this piece. My aim is to leave you feeling a bit, well, mushy. You have to go and do the work of what it means to inhabit your space with grace, peace, faith, hope, and love, and I guarantee you it will not look like my space and it probably won’t garner a movement of Instagrammable proportions.”

Yes, I’ve been mulling this over for two years. Because it keeps coming up. I see more and more believers advocating for this “middle way” or “mushy middle” as Lore puts it. And I keep finding myself feeling more and more unsettled every time I see it promoted.

Of course Jesus transcends politics. But, to say that God’s word is unclear about most things is intellectually dishonest and flat out untrue. Of course it can be confusing. Of course people are going to disagree and argue. Of course we’re going to have to wrestle through difficult passages and sometimes, like Jacob, we go to the mat with God Himself. If we’re looking for neon signs to guide us through each scenario and issue we face in life, then obviously we’re not going to get that.

If we’re hitching our wagons to a politician, a political or social cause, or a party platform, then yes, we need to reevaluate and recalibrate. We need to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. But glorifying the mushy middle will only drag you down to the dregs; like that last sip of coffee with grounds in it, we should spit it out.

I don’t want the mushy middle. I want rock solid truth. The mushy middle won’t help me withstand the storms of this life. The mushy middle won’t carry me through the flood waters when they inevitably sweep over me. The fire will rage and you must walk through it. BUT, fear not! Because our great God will be with us every step of the way.

If I go the way of the mushy middle I’ll find myself capitulating every which way to be palatable to a culture that’s headed to hell in a handbag. If I go the way of the mushy middle I won’t be a light shining in the darkness; I’ll be a flashlight with dead batteries.

Yes, let’s speak the truth in love. And let’s also realize that sometimes (perhaps most of the time), no matter how lovingly we tell the truth, people are still going to hate us. Because they hate God.

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ John 15:18-25

Today everything seems political. Everything seems divisive. We can’t let that scare us into silence simply because we don’t want to be viewed as political or divisive. We do not co-opt the world’s language or ways, but we do speak. We are truth tellers, image bearers, and ambassadors for our King.

Today when the world is trying to convince us that women should have the right to kill their pre-born babies and at that same time tell us that they can’t define what a woman even is, we ought not hesitate to speak the truth; that God created every single person in His image. Male and female He created them. And that being His image bearer makes all of us worthy of life. He knit us together in our mothers’ wombs! He knit us together! Friends, there is no middle way here!

I’m 12 weeks pregnant. According to my pregnancy app (yes, there really is an app for everything) my baby is the size of a kiwi and can now open and close his or her fists and curl his or her tiny toes. All of my baby’s vital organs are in place. My baby’s heart is beating rapidly. We even got to hear our baby’s heart beat 4 weeks ago and I’m waiting with bated breath for my appointment to hear that precious heart beat again. This baby, every baby is an absolute miracle formed and sustained by God. We should tremble in utter terror that we as a country have destroyed 63 million babies. We should be weeping and truth telling. We should be begging God for mercy and asking Him, begging Him to end this horrendous evil in our country.

By His grace, God removed my heart of stone and gave me a heart flesh so he could pierce it with His truth and love, so that He could shape it into his likeness. I fail daily and yet He is steadfast and sure.

The stakes are too high. The commands are clear. Put on the full armor of God and tell the truth. Even if your voice shakes.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20

**Link to Lore Ferguson Wilbert’s blog post: https://www.sayable.net/blog/2020/6/10/love-islove-is-not-and-the-mushy-middle

War and Peace

The newest Supreme Court justice cannot (will not) define what a woman is because she is “not a biologist”. My alma mater (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville) issued a no contact order to a Christian graduate student because other students found her beliefs offensive. A member of the Finnish parliament was put on trial for hate speech because she believes in the biblical definition of marriage. These instances are just a drop in the bucket of what is happening and what’s to come.

“Learn your doctrine in peacetime so you can deploy it in war. When you know who God is, you can trust him for what he does.” —Tim Challies shortly after the sudden death of his son

We’re still in relative peacetime—I don’t think it’s going to last for long. So get ready.

Last night I was laying in bed thinking about the madness of the world we live in and what my children are going to have to face. It’s so easy to give way to fear and worry.

And Jesus loves my children better than I ever could. He made them for such a time as this. And he’s entrusted them to me for a time to raise them to know Him.

Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

It’s so easy to be distracted by all the bells and whistles of this world—to be sucked in by the glitz and the glam and the excess. But we’re called to so much more than that.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11

Do not be shocked by what’s happening. How rapidly the culture is changing. How swiftly they turn on you. Jesus told us that the world would hate us because we belong to Him, not to this world.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 1 Peter 4:12-19

We can suffer with joy, giving thanks for being counted worthy to suffer for Jesus.

My prayer for myself, my husband, my children, my family, and the church at large is that we would be so enamored with Jesus, so filled up by His word, so strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, so taken aback by God’s wondrous mercy and grace to us, that we would willingly and joyfully suffer for a little while. That we wouldn’t react in anger and shock, as I have been guilty of, but that we would respond with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Standing firm. Waiting expectantly for eternal glory with our Lord and Savior.

In the meantime, take heart.

In the word you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

My son’s favorite book is currently We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. If you haven’t read it, it’s about a family that goes on a bear hunt, enduring long wavy grass, snowstorms, deep cold rivers, and other obstacles as they hunt for the elusive bear. As they approach each obstacle they say, “We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, we’ve got to go through it!”. This phrase is repeated over and over as the intrepid family of bear hunters seeks their prey.

I started thinking of that book and that phrase when I was reading Lamentations. As Jeremiah laments the fall of his beloved Jerusalem, he acknowledges the sins of his nation. And even as Jeremiah acknowledges that God is just in His judgement towards Judah and calls his people to repentance, he acknowledges how painful the way forward is. Because there is no easy way forward. The people must endure God’s righteous judgement. They can’t go over it or under it, they must endure it.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I see so much of of Israel’s sins, suffering, and discipline reflected in our country today. The world seems to reach new heights of evil and brokenness each day. So much so that my husband and I, half joking and half serious, have talked about picking up and moving to the middle of nowhere and  homesteading. But that’s not what God has called us to. We cannot skip over the suffering or the discipline that Lord has for us. We have to go through it. We have to. 

In his book A Time For Confidence author Stephen J. Nichols recounts the theologian Jerome’s reaction when he heard of the fall of Rome in 395 AD: 

“Jerome took the death of Rome as a sign of the end of the world. Life as he knew it was crashing down…the barbarians were at the gate. Jerome was not sure of what was coming next. What would become of the world without Rome? What would become of Christianity without Rome? He traced out every possible scenario in his mind. It was all bleak. Jerome mistakenly placed his confidence in Rome and in the empire.” (Stephen J. Nichols)

We have to relinquish our white knuckled grips on whatever else our hearts are clinging to for hope. While we can rejoice and praise God when He gives us good leaders, we can never place our hope in them. As Jeremiah laments, “Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save us” (Lamentations 4:17). 

We have to let go of whatever dreams of riches or comfort that we have had for ourselves and our children and decide in our hearts today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to live and die for the one who was slain for us. Perhaps we won’t ever be called to physically die for our Savior. But we’re already being called to die to our desires of being well thought of by the world. We can’t keep a biblical sexual ethic and still garner the applause of the world. We cannot go along with the world as they “live their truth” when in it stands in direct opposition to God’s truth and leads straight to the pits of Hell. And we cannot simply stay silent or move to the hills or caves, hoping to avoid it all. Because God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control. God gives us full armor to wrestle against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 6:12). And we must wrestle. We must resist. We must “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14). 

I hope and pray that my children get to enjoy all the freedoms that I have gotten to enjoy throughout my brief 33 years on this earth and in this country. But not at the expense of their souls. Not at the expense of their affections being turned toward the stuff of this world. Not at the expense of placing their hope in America instead of in Christ alone and eternity with Him. 

“What we need today, more than sight, is vision. Seeing in our day easily leads to fear. In fact, this has been the case through most of the ages. One of the things that separated the prophets of Israel from the people of Israel was the difference between sight and vision. The people saw the temporal, and they could not get past what they were seeing. God granted the prophets vision of the eternal, which towered above and overshadowed the temporal. Where the people of Israel saw problems, Israel’s prophets saw God and His promises. Where the people saw allurements and temptations, the prophets saw God’s call to purity and covenant obedience. Where the people mistook the shadows for the eternal and abiding reality, the prophets saw beyond the shadows and saw straight into the truly real.” (Stephen J. Nichols, A Time For Confidence). 

May we, like the prophets, see past the shadows to what is truly real and live accordingly.

And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” —Revelation 21:5

Quiet & Faithful

It feels like the world is in a tail spin. The ground beneath our feet seems to be constantly shifting. There are viruses and mandates. Debt ceilings and spending bills. And more lies and corruption than we can shake a stick at. I can get so caught up in the affairs of this world that I become frantic, searching for some way to make a difference. Too quickly I forget to be present where I am right now. Our lives were not meant to be lived behind screens and our hearts were not made to be intertwined with this world.

Time and time and time again in Scripture we see God’s people facing the insurmountable. Death, suffering, and persecution. Corruption and discrimination. Exiled and abused. They’re watching and waiting. Too often they are frantic, terrified, and short sighted. And God’s call to them, as it is to us, is to be faithful to God. To believe His promises. To stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. To be faithful in whatever station of life God has called us to.

In truth, that’s how we effect change that will outlast our brief lives. That’s how we push back the darkness.

By going to work and working as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:23)

By raising babies to know the one true God. (Psalm 78:4)

By loving those who hate us. (Luke 6:27-36)

By loving each other deeply. (1 Peter 4:8)

By breaking bread together. (Acts 2:46)

By putting God first in our hearts. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

By forgiving one another. (Colossians 3:13)

By worshiping our Risen King together. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

By proclaiming the Gospel to a lost and hurting world. (Matthew 28:16-20)

“Christian, what is your only comfort in life and death?

That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to Him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him.

God does not ask us to transform the culture. God transforms hearts and minds to love Him. And God gives us faith to lay hold of His certain promises no matter what our circumstances look or feel like. That’s how we confound a watching world. When we live faithfully to God and look suffering, persecution, and even death square in the eye and say in our hearts that Jesus is worth it and His promises are sure. That’s how we bring glory to God. That’s how God uses us to effect change.

“Christian, what is the chief end of man?

To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

We don’t need to search for ways to change the world. We just need to live out our calling to live quiet and faithful lives (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

And when the world hates us, and they will hate us, know that they really hate Him. And walk away and rejoice because you were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name. (Acts 5:41)

Father I Know That All My Life

1 Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me; the changes that are sure to come I do not fear to see: I ask thee for a present mind, intent on pleasing thee.

2 I would not have the restless will that hurries to and fro, seeking for some great thing to do or secret thing to know; I would be treated as a child, and guided where to go.

3 I ask thee for the daily strength, to none that ask denied, a mind to blend with outward life, while keeping at thy side, content to fill a little space, if thou be glorified.

4 In service which thy will appoints there are no bonds for me; my secret heart is taught the truth that makes thy children free; a life of self-renouncing love is one of liberty.

-Anna Letitia Waring, Trinity Hymnal, #444

The Government Does Not Care About You

It was just two weeks to slow the spread.

It’s just a mask.

It’s just an injection.

It’s just a third injection.

It’s just a piece of paper so that you can work/enter a business/live your life.

It’s just your livelihood.

It’s just your conscience.

I’m not saying “don’t get vaccinated”. I’m not saying “get vaccinated”. That is unequivocally not my role in your life. I’m saying that the government, your employer, and the general public should not be in the business of coercing people into getting vaccinated. This is not a “one size fits all” medical intervention.

I’m saying that the government does not care about you. The government does not know what is best for you. Perhaps at one time the government was well intentioned as they told us all to stay home to slow the spread. But now? Now it’s about compliance. It’s about control. Controlling the narrative and controlling you. It’s about crushing your resolve until you give in to their demands. It’s about dividing and conquering.

How you choose to handle all of this is your decision. Not mine and not the government’s. The vast majority of the people in your life, the government, and your employer do not know all the factors that you consider when making these decisions. And they’re not entitled to know those factors or the decisions you ultimately make.

The government and media have done a brilliant job at turning people against each other; branding anyone who dares to go against the mainstream as selfish, uneducated, MAGA touting, anti-science™️ , and spreaders of misinformation. What’s more is that there are professing Christians who have bought into it, doling out extra biblical commands like candy. Let’s be clear: people who are doing this do not care about you conforming to the likeness of your Savior, they care about you conforming to their preferences.

Do we not see what is happening in Australia and Canada? Do we not see how close we are to permanently losing our most basic freedoms and creating a medical caste system? Right now it’s coercion to be vaccinated, who can say what’s next? If you think you’re safe from the strong arm of the government, you are not. Now is the time to stand together, especially as brothers and sisters in Christ, and affirm that we will not ask people to inject something into their bodies against their will. We will stand for one another as we seek to live in accordance with God’s word. We will advocate for one another’s right and responsibility to live according to our consciences on matters that are not clearly addressed in God’s word; knowing that ultimately we will give an answer for our actions and decisions to God, not to man.

May God have mercy on us.