Truth vs. Culture, Part 2

America has had a busy weekend.  For some, it can be summed up with the words “Love Wins”; for others, words like anger, fear, or sadness seem more appropriate.  Facebook has exploded with posts and comments, and annual PRIDE parades across the country took on an expected spirit of unusual celebration.  The passion for truth that God planted inside me seems to be driving me to also comment on Friday’s Supreme Court decision to make homosexual marriage the law of our land.

I don’t believe in coincidences.  I do not follow politics very closely and had no knowledge of the imminence of the Supreme Court’s decision when I wrote last week’s entry in this blog.  In many ways, I’ve already said a lot of what might need to be said on this subject: God is sovereign above all of his creation, and His Word determines what truth is – not individual cultures or governments.  Arguing over truth is pointless – God has already made his will and preference regarding homosexuality and other things he calls sin very clear (Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:18-32).  And, as Romans 3:23 makes clear, every one of us who has ever lived has fallen short of God’s will in one way or another. 

I live in a state that had already legalized gay marriage, so the Supreme Court decision doesn’t really change anything in Washington.  But the word I would use to describe how I have been feeling since Friday is sadness.  Because I believe that God is sovereign, I’m not afraid: Friday’s decision is not a surprise to God and does not change his sovereignty over anything humans do.  And I am also not angry at the Supreme Court justices or the gay people who wanted this decision so badly.  I understand that no one here on earth is the real enemy and that Satan is the one who is behind the deception that has occurred in our culture (1 Peter 5:8).

But I AM sad – sad that our country’s leaders have chosen to blatantly walk away from God’s truth, and sad for the inevitable future consequences for our country.  God has great compassion and mercy for individuals who have lost their way and don’t understand the path they’ve chosen (Matthew 9:36); but he holds leaders responsible for how they lead (Mark 9:37).  Please don’t misunderstand: Friday’s court decision is not America’s culture-breaker – it is only the most recent symptom of an already broken culture.  And America is hardly the first culture to re-define truth; we’re just the latest to believe that we know more than God and that he isn’t really sovereign.  Unfortunately, we’re also not the first to be wrong and deserve the consequences of arrogance and self-absorption.  The fates of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the Roman and Egyptian Empires are just a few examples of cultures that God, in his sovereignty, chose to no longer tolerate.  How much longer does America have?  (Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”)  Just because we use labels like love, equality, tolerance and acceptance doesn’t mean we’ve achieved anything better or more enlightened than the sins of these past cultures.  I’m sad to be a member of a culture that has unwittingly chosen God’s eventual wrath.

However, let me be clear: my sadness does not morph into fear because, regardless of what America did on Friday or does in the future, God is still on his throne and always will be.  Nothing can or will ever change that!  I don’t always understand why God allows what he allows – the perfect balance of love, mercy, justice, and compassion in his character makes him a much better sovereign ruler than I would be in my humanness.  But I know I can trust him to maintain that balance perfectly – even on final judgment day, when we all will face him.  I think my job is to keep trusting God and focus on my own walk with him, not someone else’s.    

And for those who read this and see me as a narrow thinker, I just want to say that I’m OK with that assessment – because the truth from God’s Word will always be my only guide: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14).  I choose life, because God’s love already won for everyone long before last Friday!  Real love – real victory!

Finding Truth in a Relative Culture

WARNING: Today I am writing about topics that are controversial, and I am aware that not everyone will agree with what I have to say.  Continue reading with caution!

This past week, the State of Washington where I live has been in the news a lot.  This is because of the Spokane-area NCAAP leader who has been living her life as a black woman for many years even though she was born with white skin and blond hair.  I’m sure you’ve heard many of the comments and opinions that have been reported by the media over the past week.

While I don’t agree with Rachel Dolezal lying over the past few years, I can’t help but see a bigger picture than what has been focused on.  It seems that most people have condemned Ms. Dolezal for what she has done only a couple weeks after praising Bruce Jenner for the completion of his process of trans-gendering from a man into a woman.  I guess I see an inconsistency there.

Now don’t get me wrong – as a Christian, I definitely see moral issues with the concept of trans-gendering.  But what I don’t see is any difference between Bruce Jenner, Rachel Dolezal, or those who align themselves with the homosexual agenda.  What they have all experienced is dissatisfaction with God’s original design for them and a desire to have control over that creative process.  Why do we condemn one and praise the other?  Of course, the answer to this lies in deep-rooted cultural issues that determine what we will accept and what we will not in our country.  I’m not planning to discuss all of these here, but here’s something I do know: culture does not determine truth – God’s Word does.

And here’s what God’s Word says:

Genesis 1:1 & 27 - “In the beginning, God . . . created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”         

                                           

 Psalm 139:13-16 - “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb . . . I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . When I was woven together . . . your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."                            

Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8 - “I the Lord do not change . . . Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”                                           

                                         

These verses tell me that God is in charge of the creative process and that he does not change to adapt to the beliefs of new cultures.  In other words, we as humans don’t get to decide that God made a mistake when he made us that requires our correction.  A proper view of God’s sovereignty allows us to rest in him instead of fighting what we don’t like.  The apostle Paul taught in Philippians 4:11-13 that our job is to find contentment in every circumstance that we find ourselves in – and this comes when we are trusting God’s strength instead of our own.

Okay, so it’s easier to see these truths while looking at others, but harder when looking at ourselves.  Maybe the Holy Spirit is convicting me, but these thoughts have crossed my mind this week as well: am I any different than the people in the media that I’ve mentioned, just because I don’t seek to change my God-given color, sex, or sexual orientation?  Why do I put on makeup before I leave my home?  Why do I color my hair?  Am I content with the skin and hair that God chose to give me?  Have I replaced God’s truth about me with lies from the culture I live in?  As Christians we need to stand for what God’s Word says in a culture that has lost its way; but we can’t forget to look inside ourselves as well.  Here’s some more truth to live by in a relative culture:

Matthew 7:3 & 5 - “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye . . . first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

John 8:7 - “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone . . .”

                                                                                

                                                                                      

Joy is the Flag

Yesterday my pastor started a new sermon series on the book of Philippians – also known as the “epistle of joy”.  Today I can’t get the old chorus out of my mind that goes like this:

Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart,

From the castle of my heart, from the castle of my heart.

Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart

When the King is in residence there.

Does anyone else remember that little chorus?  If so, I know approximately how old you are! 

But, catchy as it is, this chorus could be a little misleading.  Let me explain what I mean.  Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, which means that it is not something I can produce in myself – it must be produced in me by the Holy Spirit as a result of my ongoing relationship with God.  And, unlike the castles of certain kings that served as temporary residences as they came and went among the many different lands in their kingdoms, the Bible teaches that the King of Kings takes up permanent residence inside his children from the initial moment they choose to follow Him.

But the Bible also teaches that we are each responsible to choose joy in every circumstance (Romans 12:12 & James 1:2).  We are always in control of how we respond – at least to the degree that our humanness allows.  So is joy our responsibility or God’s?  The not-so-simple answer is “yes”.

My current pastor hasn’t gotten to Philippians 2:12-13 yet in his series, but I remember a previous pastor speaking on these verses many years ago:

“Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” 

Here we can see why “yes” is the appropriate answer to whether joy is God’s or my responsibility.  We are called to work out our daily walk as God works in us.  Joy-filling is a partnership between God and me, and we both have jobs to do.  God gives me his constant “residence” in my heart and produces joy and other fruits in me as I grow closer to him; and I have daily choices to make regarding my responses to circumstances that don’t naturally make me joyful.  Together, we can be a great team.  Today I’m choosing to fly the flag of joy from the castle of my heart – because the King IS in residence there!

Silence Can Be Golden!

Relationships depend on communication – and good relationships depend on good communication.  While there are always times of silence in healthy relationships, an underlying assumption in any relationship is that communicating – with both hearts and words – will resume in a timely manner and allow the relationship to continue to grow and flourish.

This is also true of our relationship with God – to be healthy it must include times of silence and times of active communication from both sides.  But have you ever experienced God’s silence?  We have been led to believe that, if we experience the silence of God, there is something wrong with us.  But sometimes God chooses to be silent in order to grow and mature us.  In other words, God’s silence can be intentional and have a distinct purpose.  Sometimes the silence of God is what properly prepares us for future service for him.

One of the most common responses we have when we experience God’s silence is to interpret it as an indication that he is inactive or disinterested in us.  But that response is based on feelings – which can never be trusted.  The Bible makes it clear that God is always present with us – regardless of what we feel.  No matter what it feels like, it is impossible to be separated from God (Romans 8:38-39).  We are always in God’s presence, and he is always present with us.  Trusting his presence can make all the difference during the times when he chooses to be silent in our lives.  We can choose to restore the truth about God in our hearts and focus on who he really is rather than who he appears to be in the silence.

And here’s what God can do with a trusting heart: our faithfulness expressed in perseverance during his silence becomes a powerful tool against the enemy.  This in turn allows our story of victory to be used by God in future ministry for him as we are better equipped to help others who are struggling with God’s silence. 

We don’t like silence – from God or anyone else.  But that says more about us than it does about God.  I want to be willing to persevere whenever God is silent in my life and continue to trust confidently in his presence and the value of his silence so that I can be victorious against the enemy and be used by God in the future in the lives of others.  Praying you will do the same . . .

Tired But Joyful!

I have lost the first half of this month, but most of those days have been anything BUT lost – because the first eleven days of May were spent walking where Jesus walked, and the last three were spent walking with fellow sisters in Christ!  From May 1^st through May 11^th, my husband and I were privileged to be traveling around in God’s chosen land, Israel; and I just spent 3 days speaking at Camas Meadows Women’s Retreat up in the mountains here in my own state of Washington.  My body is tired, but my heart is full of joy!

There is so much to take in when you walk where Jesus walked.  Of course, much has changed since the first-century land that Jesus called home; but the footprint of centuries of civilizations in this region is amazing to see and try to capture – especially for Americans whose country is only a couple hundred years old.  Just to give you an idea . . . we saw temple stones crafted under Herod the Great, Roman streets and columns, Byzantine and Crusader fortresses, and a portion of the broad wall built by Hezekiah and referred to in Nehemiah 3:8.  We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and waded in the Mediterranean.  We saw the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and the valley where so many Old Testament battles took place.  And we walked the streets of the town where Jesus was born (Bethlehem), the town he grew up in (Nazareth), and the town he spent much of his ministry life in (Capernaum).  Like I said – a lot to take in!

Then I came home and had the privilege of speaking at a women’s retreat and sharing a weekend with a wonderful group of ladies.  After seeing so much of where Jesus used to live, I was able to experience again as I have so many times before the joy of seeing where Jesus lives today – in the hearts and lives of his followers.  I was in the city where the Holy Spirit first entered the lives of believers, and then I was in a room of believers for the weekend where the Spirit’s presence was obvious and precious. 

Combining everything I’ve done so far this month, I have a new perspective.  The land of Israel bears witness to God’s sovereignty and power throughout history, but there is so much more to the story.  The ministry of Jesus had one purpose: establishing his eternal kingdom in the hearts of his followers.  To see that in action, it isn’t necessary to travel any further than the group of Christians closest to you.  Jesus is alive and well here and now!

I hope you all get the chance someday to walk where Jesus walked and enhance your Bible understanding.  But until then . . . keep furthering his kingdom by loving those around you and seeking to do his will in the place where you live.  Shalom . . .      

Enjoying God's Creation!

I don’t know where you live, but where I live it is a day to enjoy the beauty that God has created.  I’ve watched the national weather reports over the past few months; so if you live anywhere from Texas to New York (roughly), I’m sorry – you’re probably not sharing my joy today!  It seems you have had a ridiculously cold, wet, and stormy winter and spring.  But I can’t help but mention that it is between 70 and 75 degrees here today, sunny and beautiful!

We who live in western Washington get a bad rap from the rest of the country sometimes.  People who don’t live here seem to think that it rains all the time.  To be fair, we do get a lot of rain; but we don’t get a lot of storms.  Our rain comes mostly lightly and stays for longer periods of time.  Gray is one of our most pronounced colors during several months of the year.

Maybe that’s what makes a day like today so great.  Because of the gray and rain, when the sun shines here it is amazingly beautiful – every shade of green imaginable is reflected in our trees and plants, as well as pinks, purples, yellows, and other colors in the spring flowers that are blooming.  God is SO creative!

If I drive a couple miles from my house in either direction on our freeway, I get the opportunity to see a stunning view of the tallest mountain in our state (Mt. Rainier, over 14,000 feet) – part of the Cascade range – covered still in snow and breathtaking.  If I want to drive to the downtown area of the city I live in, I get to see the beautiful waters of Puget Sound with a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains.  If I want to just sit at home, I can wait for the gorgeous sunset I will get to see tonight over the Black Hills out my back window.  (Or wait around after that for a glimpse of the moon!)

Fall has always been my favorite time of year, but spring runs a close second.  Watching every color of the rainbow burst forth on the trees and plants is amazing!  Every time I drive somewhere, something has changed during this time of year.  I’m not a hot weather fan – spring sunny days in western Washington are the perfect temperature for me.

If you don’t live where I do, I hope you’re not too jealous of me right now!  I’ve been a lot of other places; so I know that, while not every place has the same beauty, there is something beautiful about God’s creation no matter where it is.  I hope today you will take a few minutes to look around you when you’re driving somewhere and to thank God for the incredible gifts of beauty he has created for us to enjoy.  Time for me to take a walk . . .     

Choosing God's Redemption In Our Losses

Loss hurts.  It always does.  That’s because loss is often something we don’t expect, and it requires adjustments on our part.  When we face losses, it is a challenge to find a way to move from feeding the negative results of loss in our lives to focusing on the positive things God can do in us through the loss. 

Today I’m thinking about some of the people at the church I used to attend.  Over the weekend, the church’s active and experienced hiking group was kayaking in Puget Sound near the shores of the Olympic Peninsula and suddenly faced a bad storm.  Two of the members of the group perished and another is in critical condition in the hospital.  In just a few minutes of time, a fun outing on a beautiful day turned into an experience of great loss.  What are the survivors and the rest of the church supposed to do now as they try to cope?

In the midst of a series of losses in my own life, God reminded me through his Word that we always have a choice how we respond:

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!  The Sovereign Lord is my strength!  He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

                                                                   Habakkuk 3:17-19

I don’t want to sound trite in the face of the loss of physical life that my fellow Christians are facing today.  But these verses show us that we can choose to focus on the loss, or we can choose to praise God in spite of the loss.  We can let our feelings be controlled by what has happened to us, or we can let faith in God override our natural inclination to negative thinking.  By fixing our eyes on God instead of the loss, we are able to make the choice to praise regardless of what has happened to us.  Not because of what has happened, but in spite of what we’ve lost.

And as we get further away from the immediate experience of loss, we will find other reasons to praise when we begin to see God’s redemption of our losses.  What I mean by this is that our brokenness now can be used by God in the future to bring him glory and affect others in a positive way.  This is where God’s formulas don’t necessarily match up with ours: often our ability to be used by God after loss is not in spite of the loss but actually because of the loss.  My stories of God’s work in my life through loss are some of my most important stories because he has infused my losses with his power to help others.

Praying for healing and for the responses of everyone involved in this latest incident of loss – and for God’s redemption of this loss in the future as the survivors choose to be used by God for his glory . . .