On the first day of the seventh month observe a special day of rest, and come together for worship when the trumpets sound. Present a food offering to the Lord and do none of your daily work.

The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when the annual ritual is to be performed to take away the sins of the people. On that day do not eat anything at all; come together for worship, and present a food offering to the Lord. Do no work on that day, because it is the day for performing the ritual to take away sin. (Leviticus 23:23-28)

This week is very important in Israel, and to Jewish people everywhere. It marks their High Holy Days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, analogous to Christian Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter.

In the Bible, Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, is also called the Feast of Trumpets. The feast begins the Days of Awe with the blowing of the ram's horn shofar, calling God's people to repent from their sins. The celebrations continue for ten days of repentance, culminating on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. On this final day, Jewish tradition holds that God opens the Book of Life and studies the words, actions, and thoughts of every person whose name is written there. If a person's good deeds outweigh or outnumber their sinful acts, his name will remain inscribed in the book for another year.

Rosh Hashanah is also the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, as well as the initiation of humanity's role in God's world. Apple slices dipped in honey are served, symbolizing hope for the sweetness of the coming New Year. Rosh Hashanah provides God's people with a time to reflect on their lives, turn away from sin, and do good deeds. These practices are meant to give them a more favorable chance of having their names sealed in the Book of Life for another year.

This year, however, this solemn feast also marks the one-year anniversary of the unprovoked attack on Israel that left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 230 people as hostages. As the war spreads and violence increases, it is important for Christians to remember that the Jews are still God’s chosen people, Israel is still the Promised Land, and Jerusalem is still God’s city.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” (Deuteronomy 7:6)

“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:3-5)

“O Lord, you have chosen Jerusalem as your home: “This is my permanent home where I shall live,” you said, “for I have always wanted it this way.” (Psalm 132:13-14 Living Bible)

It is very true that God gave us all a new and permanent way to salvation in Jesus Christ. As Jesus himself said to the woman at the well, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:22-23) Jesus is the only way to God because he is the incarnation of God. Nevertheless, eventually the Jews will embrace Jesus as Messiah. Paul speaks of this in Romans 11:25-29:

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

As Christians, it is important to remember this overarching principle which should guide all our interactions with and prayers for everyone in the world: “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” (Colossians 3:1 NLT)

Shalom & Shanah Tovah (Peace and a Good Year),

Jen

It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! By his blood we are now put right with God; (Romans 5:7-9)

A total of 441 first responders were killed on September 11, 2001, including firefighters, law enforcement officers, port authority personnel and more. They were not already in the buildings. They did not board an ill-fated commercial jet. Unlike the thousands who senselessly died that day without a choice, the first responders ran towards the danger, into the fiery infernos, into the immanently collapsing buildings with one purpose in mind: to save as many lives as possible even while risking their own.

Rescuing people is not easy. Our fight or flight response causes people to react in many counterintuitive ways. Children often hide in small spaces, some people freeze completely, some resist violently, some endanger the life of the rescuer as they are being rescued. Not to mention that many rescue situations are still extremely dangerous: homes engulfed in flames, flood torrents, rip tides, active shooters, battle, etc. To be so dedicated to saving lives that one would choose to go toward what everyone else is fleeing is amazing to me. I’ve spent 35 years of my life with one of them, and I still find it miraculous that people do it.

Perhaps that’s why the story of Jesus’ sacrifice touched me so deeply when I first heard it and still does. Jesus didn’t have to accept His mission from God. The Bible makes it clear that it was His choice to obey God. At so many points in His life He could have chosen a different path and saved His life. He could have remained a carpenter, had a family and died peacefully in Nazareth. He could have bowed before Satan and become a wealthy world leader. He could have listened to the advice of His apostles and stayed away from Jerusalem and the angry religious leaders. He could have renounced His claim to be the “I AM” in front of the Sanhedrin, or the ‘King of the Jews’ in front of Pontius Pilate. He could even have called for the angels to rescue Him from the cross.

Accepting His calling wasn’t easy. How many times did He look over the needy crowds pressing into Him and feel compassion for them? How many times did he feel frustration that even His own apostles, weren’t grasping His crucial, life-saving message? How many times was He so exhausted He had to go off and refresh himself through night-long prayer sessions? How many times did he narrowly escape imprisonment or stoning from angry crowds? How many miles did he log on dusty, rocky roads wearing only sandals?

He sacrificed His time, His talents, His finances, His family, His home, His employment, His reputation, His comfort, His control, His future, and everything He was and ever would be, all for God’s glory. Only once do we get a peek at how exceptionally stressful facing His final ordeal truly was:

“Then he went off…and knelt down and prayed. “Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44)

Bloody sweating is a real medical phenomenon called hematohidrosis. Rarely, in people suffering from extreme levels of stress, blood vessels around the sweat glands can constrict. Then, as the anxiety passes, the blood vessels dilate to the point of rupture. The sweat glands push the blood to the surface, which comes out as droplets of blood mixed with sweat.

Now, if Jesus was willing to voluntarily suffer all of that for no benefit of His own, but merely to benefit sinners and enemies of God, can’t we endure some discomfort, some persecution, some doing with less, and trusting God more? We, who are heading towards an eternal home in Heaven, owe Jesus EVERYTHING.

We were not innocent victims, but guilty people facing a certain eternity in hellfire. Our fight or flight response wrongly told us to flee from God, to run away from the Truth. Or else to attempt to hide from the reality of our sin and our need to be saved. Jesus risked everything to come and rescue us – even when that rescue meant losing His own life.

Just before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus deputized us all as Spiritual First Responders, giving us the command to go and rescue the perishing, bind up the broken, and save the lost. May we have the courage, the strength and the compassion to take up our commission as bravely as the first responders on September 11, 2001.

Be bold,

Jen

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. (1 Corinthians 9:24-26)

I love the Olympics. I’m one of those saps who believes sport can unify the world, and in the triumph of the human spirit – the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I’ve watched many athletes be propelled into Olympic history: Bruce Jenner, Nadia Comaneci, Mark Spitz, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles…I could go on and on. What has always impressed me is the incredible amount of discipline they had, even at a young age.

Many Olympians seem to have set their goals very early with an incredible faith that they would one day win the prize – an Olympic medal. In pursuit of it, they gave up normal lives, proms and graduations, often waking before the sun for the first of two or three training sessions a day! They have the support of their families, even when they have to move away for training. It’s a lot for a prize that will one day fade away or be resold at a pawn shop.

Brothers and Sisters, we are in a competition to win a much bigger and eternal prize – salvation and life everlasting in Heaven! The Apostle Paul suggests that we’re in a race – the human race, perhaps? And let’s be honest – not everyone will win the prize. This is a sad truth. There will not be ‘participant medals’ for everyone at the Pearly Gates.

But perhaps Paul is talking about winning souls, not our salvation. We know that we cannot earn our way into Heaven. Salvation is a free gift to everyone. No amount of training and straining will get us through those gates. So why do WE need to train like an athlete?

Paul himself was serving God in God’s capitol, Jerusalem, doing what he thought God commanded, and branding Jesus-followers as heretics. Then, Jesus’ magnificent glory knocked him off his mule, blinded him and put him on track to be a great missionary, winning the souls of Jews and Gentiles.

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)

Friends, we have been sent. Jesus’ final words are our Great Commission: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

That seems like a tall order: all nations, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching. That sounds like the kind of goal you’d need to have a lot of faith to accomplish. It sounds like an endeavor that would involve training and discipline, hard work and dedication. It sounds like something you’d have to give up a ‘normal’ life to achieve, and need the support of family if you had to move away from home for a time.

Of course, with today’s technology there are a lot of ways to carry the message to all the nations. Sadly, in our post-Christian society, there are many people in our own community who may not have heard the Good News. And what is our church if not a missionary training center, sharing the Good News of salvation, making us into disciples, baptizing and teaching God’s Word? Each church is an outpost on the vast world-wide missionary field.

On August 11, the 2024 Summer Olympics will come to an end. All the races will have been run, the competitions decided, and medals distributed. One day soon, our race will end too. Our performance in soul-winning will be tallied and crowns will be awarded. Of course, the real reward will be the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people who will share Heaven with us because we dared to share Jesus with them. Then the sacrifice of time, talent and money will not only seem tremendously worth it, it will seem like less than our best effort. Like that little boy on the beach, we will long to be able to save just one more starfish.

As the Day of His Coming draws near, let’s finish this race strong. If we put our total dedication and effort into it, we’ll have no regrets. Because unlike the Olympics, everyone can be a winner in the soul-winning game!

Go for the gold,

Jen

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. (Matthew 7:26)

Sand is notoriously unstable stuff. Just last week, a girl was digging a hole at the beach and nearly lost her life. (See Article) Shifting sand even has a name: liquefaction. The shaking of an earthquake can cause soil to behave like a liquid, similar to how wet sand turns to muck when you wiggle your feet in it. This can swallow roads, cars, and even large buildings. Luckily, we can do as the wise man does and build on a solid foundation. Christ is our solid rock.

Things on this big blue marble called Earth have always been rather uncertain. For the ancient everyday person, there were few things one could trust to measure time or space. It’s not too surprising, then, to see some of those mentioned as names for Jesus:

• Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4)
• Morning Star (Revelation 22:16)
• Dayspring (Dawn) (Luke 1:78)
• Light (John 8:12)
• Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20)

Jesus is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) He is our “true north," our plumbline, our “firm foundation” – a constant and unchanging source of truth to build our life on.

We, however, get shaken. Our hearts melt like sand in liquefaction. The news seems more surreal every week. In these crazy days where the culture tries to convince us that Truth is relative, that there are different versions of Truth for different people and furthermore that they are all valid, it’s more important than ever to stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word. We are seeing the realization of Isaiah’s prophecy:

Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
    and clever in their own sight.

(Isaiah 5:20-21)

But fear not. Just as the horizon looks crooked and crazy from a boat tossed in a storm, things seem very wrong now. But that’s why we need the perspective of our True North, our Firm Foundation. As Pastor Bill often says, “God is not in Heaven ringing His hands with worry.” God has a plan. The earth has a destiny. There is a Truth on which we can depend and unchanging promises on which we can stand.

It’s fun to play in the sand. My family has always loved to build castles and moats and ponds. And the rapid rate at which the ocean swallows them up is a good lesson about the impermanence of this world. We build in shifting sand, but God builds on a firm foundation of solid rock Truth. Hallelujah to the King of Kings that we can shout, “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken!” (Psalm 62:2)

Stand firm with compass pointed True North,

Jen

Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:9-10

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that ‘date falls as Police Week. Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Since 1971, it has been observed on the last Monday of May.

This is the time of year when I consider how very hard it is to defend the oppressed and powerless and fight evil and violence. Although I’ve been concerned about justice and society since my elementary school days (Equal Rights for Children!) I have to admit that I haven’t come to any comprehensive conclusions. Evil is the absence of Good, like black is the absence of all color. Since God is absolute Good, all evil and violence are really an attack on God and His kingdom. Evil represents humans going their own way and doing what is right in their own eyes. But remember that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) However, here are a few things to contemplate:

IT’S RIGHT TO BE ANGERED BY INJUSTICE AND EVIL: Defending the rights of the powerless is one of the things God asks us to do: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17) And Jesus, himself, had strong words for the religious leaders of His day: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” (Luke 11:42)

BUT DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON: Jesus said it best in the Sermon on the Mount - “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:38-44)

VENGEANCE IS THE LORD’S: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18)

GOD IS THE ONLY RIGHTEOUS JUDGE:

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

(Isaiah 11:3-5)

 Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.

(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Jesus is our ultimate role model for righteous living. He focused on bringing healing and repentance personally to individuals He met in the course of His ministry. He didn’t take up arms or foment rebellion. However, He didn’t shy away from ‘speaking truth to power’ either. He called for each individual – those in power, those in business, those who were powerless – to live their lives in accordance with God’s law of love, justice and mercy. And when He was unjustly arrested and tortured, He went like a lamb to the slaughter, without a fight, trusting that God’s plan was bigger and better. And wasn’t it though!

Be Blessed,

Jen

A Call to Remain Faithful

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.  Jude 1:17-25

I chose this illustration to represent the month of May in my annual calendar last year. And by God’s perfect timing, the scripture passage that is represented in it, is oh, too relevant to us and our church now. For those of us who heard Pastor Bill speak about the recent General Conference of the United Methodist Church, there may be a sense of loss and confusion as our church drifts away from Biblical teachings in many areas. But remember that this is not a new occurrence in the history of God’s people and is also part of end times prophesy.

Looking at the various books of the Prophets you’ll see God railing against the religious leaders for leading His people astray and following the culture of their times. God’s wrath allowed the nations of Israel and Judah to be invaded by the Assyrians and carried off into captivity. Nevertheless, God brought them out and restored them to the land that He promised them. And in the time of Jude’s letter, similar corruption and false teaching was occurring. Christian sects were following the cultural norms of the day and doing what seemed right in their own eyes. This led to the writing of the various epistles and the eventual creation of our New Testament Scriptures. Finally, the Book of Revelations clearly warns us that things will again be this way in the End Times.

The question of the day is what we should do in response to all this. I’m far from being able to discern God’s perfect will, but I have found comfort in a few passages that I came across this week in my various Bible studies.

Micah 6:8

 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

First, we need to be sure that we, ourselves, continue on the Heavenward path by doing what God has called all of us to do. We should be exhibiting the Sermon on the Mount attitudes and bearing the Fruits of the Spirit no matter what the world around us looks like or does.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give peace to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.  You heard Me say that I am going away. But I am coming back to you.”

Next, we need to embrace God’s peace. His peace is not the fleeting peace of a world in turmoil, it is the rock steady peace of the assurance of eternity. This world is not our home. We have been chosen by God and nothing can pluck us out of His hand. We have to let go of anxiety and fear and settle into peace.

Jude 20-21

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

Finally, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. God already knows what He’s going to do. We don’t. But we know His will is perfect, so we can confidently and earnestly pray for His will to be done. We know He holds the world in His hands, and that He will keep us safe in His love.

The history of God’s people is a history of a few faithful men and women who believed God in spite of the circumstances surrounding them. Their faithfulness was rewarded and increased again and again over centuries. We are the faithful remnant and God will use us in His perfect plan. So, walk by faith and not by sight.

PRAYER: Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. Jude 24-25 

Be Blessed,

Jen

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37

As we approach Mothers’ Day, I wanted to highlight just how difficult a job motherhood really is. No doubt I could start with laundry and dishes, sibling rivalries, finding a balance between family, work and self-care, or staying on the same page with your spouse, but I won’t. I want to dig deeper, to the heartache.

God knows the heartache of parenthood very well. Again and again in the Old Testament we read of His anger, disappointment and heartbreak as He watches His wayward children reject His warnings and encouragement and stubbornly go their own way to their ultimate detriment. Being a mom, or any parent, often feels like watching the world’s slowest train wreck – we see it coming, we warn, we threaten, we try to intervene, and yet the feared outcome arrives, and we are left to watch our children struggle with the consequences.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t end at childhood. As our chicks grow into responsible adults, they have to make their own choices about politics, morality and faith. It can be painful to watch them veer off the path we carefully cultivated for them, a path with a firm foundation of faith, that would lead them to their truest best life. But worldly college campuses, cosmopolitan cities and digital virtual reality are filled with pit falls, traps and delightful distractions promising much more than a godly life could offer, and ultimately delivering none of it. As we struggle to remain relevant in our grown child’s life, it’s hard to know how far we should go in our admonitions and telling the truth in love.

If you look at the verses just before the one above, be warned – you’ll see Jesus at His saltiest, giving the religious leaders a dose of very tough love. This is not the picture of the loving teacher with a baby on His knee and little kids all around. This is more of an Old Testament prophet giving God’s harsh warning to repent or else.

So, as parents, how do we watch our kids and others’ kids assault campus security, destroy school property and espouse non-historical viewpoints with truly antisemitic rhetoric? It wounds our souls. It makes us feel pity and compassion for these kids who ‘know not what they do.’ It angers us that this could happen in the 21^st century in the wake of ‘wokeness’ and the kindness campaign.

First off, the assault on our children and young people is coming from every angle these days: social media, the internet, bullying, school safety issues, the general rise in violence, the pervasiveness of drugs, the normalization of irresponsible sexual activity, exploitation, the eroding of ethics, incivility, and a real push to remove faith from all public life. As Greg Bell says, ‘we have to teach our kids to believe in God before the world teaches them not to.’

Understand, however, that these attacks are ultimately from Satan. As His time grows short, His attacks grow more intense. How do we fight that deceiver? Ephesians 6:16: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Rebuke the devil: tell him to leave, and quote promises from Scripture just as Jesus did when He was tempted. And most of all pray. Pray for your kids, pray for my kids, pray for the little kids, pray for the adult kids, pray for the grandkids, pray for all the kids everywhere. Pray for God to protect them, pray for Him to surround them with good and godly teachers and mentors, pray for them to distinguish wise teaching from worldly teaching, pray for them to know Right from wrong. Love them unconditionally with agape love even when you don’t support their choices, and be ready to forgive quickly.

Do not be discouraged or dismayed. The world may look unrecognizable sometimes, but God is still in control. Jesus will gather all His chicks in Jerusalem one day. Sing along as I remind you of a very real and encouraging truth:

This is my Father’s world.

O let me ne’er forget

that though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world:

why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let the earth be glad!

(Maltbie Babcock)

Be Blessed,

Jen

So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Luke 20:21-25

Tax Day was this past Monday. (I hope that’s not a surprise to anyone!) Even though I was once employed to do other peoples’ taxes, I find it an unpleasant task. Unpleasant is gilding the lily - odious, noxious, unbearable are all closer to the truth. I’m not great with numbers or record-keeping or feeling judged, so tax preparation always just feels like a punishment.

I know that complaining about taxes is something of a national pastime here in America. It’s a dangerous but easy conversation starter in any setting. Any amount seems like too much when your budget is tight, and you work long hours for those wages. Many years ago, during a Small Group Meeting I was airing a similar complaint when a dear sister in Christ, Wanda Burnap, stopped me in my tracks. “You know, for all that our taxes pay for, it’s really not much to pay,” she said. “Think of our beautiful, well-maintained, highways, our water and sewage, our excellent schools, our public safety and sanitation and more. These are really blessings.” And she IS correct, especially in Maryland. The news often tries to scare us, but statistically, Maryland is ranked pretty high in all these areas. Of course, that isn’t the only reason to pay taxes. We pay as part of the social contract, as our duty as citizens.

Now if we are dutifully “rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”, are we also giving God what is God’s?

God wants our hearts. Not just a place in our heart, but top billing – first place 🏆. But the competition for that spot is fierce. Career, social status, family, education, image, money, etc. are all fighting to be number one in our lives. And worse, this worldly system constantly tells us that those things ARE most important. And because those things are actually necessary in many ways, we can’t just renounce them without going to live as a hermit in a cave somewhere.

Which is why Jesus’ teachings so often pit status, family and money against devotion to God. Jesus didn’t mean that burying your father or having wealth was bad, just that it can be an impediment or excuse for not putting God first. Keeping God first on the throne of your heart requires dedication and sacrifice and often a rejection of worldly values. And that sacrifice of your time, talent, and especially your hard-earned money is proof that God has first place 🏆.

If we’re spending most of our time, talent and resources on doing things that signal our virtue, promote our status or worth in society, or indulge our selfish impulses, then clearly God is not number one in our hearts or lives. This is Jesus’ point in Matthew 6:20-21:

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What the federal and state governments do with our tax dollars is largely out of our control. Hopefully they will take promoting the general welfare and securing the blessings of liberty for the majority of citizens seriously. But God! We can rest fully assured that our investment in the Kingdom of God will never be squandered, misspent, or stolen. Our treasure is used here and now to support the Church, advance the Kingdom, do important mission work, educate the next generation in Christ and spread the Word of God throughout the world. AND it is stored up in heaven as proof of our belief, trust and devotion to the One and Only True God, our Rock of Salvation, our Strong Deliverer, our only hope of life everlasting – Jehovah, God Almighty.

That’s an investment tip you can rely on.

Be blessed,

Jen

As a refugee, then a soldier, then a police officer, I was always in awe of my husband and his strength and courage. And even more so of his willingness to use those qualities to defend and protect others. I never considered myself to have much moral courage. I certainly had no physical strength. I hadn’t really considered that to be much of a problem until I became a Christian.

In our courtship and marriage, we often talked about history and politics. We considered the reality of tyrants and dictators, of war and revolution, of prejudice and oppression. He had lived some of that, but I had only the experience of college textbooks and literature. It really wasn’t until I began living a Christian life that I realized that the likelihood of persecution, oppression or perhaps worse was truly a possibility, and during the End Times would be a probability. I often considered getting a cross tattoo on my wrist so that I could never deny Christ even if my weak flesh was tempted to.

Nearly thirty years later, I’ve led a pretty cushy life of comfort and convenience. My faith has not been tested or challenged much. I’ve had the freedom to teach all the Sunday School I want, attend all the Bible Studies I want, worship at all the Sunday services I want and more. I’ve had plenty of deteriorating national culture to bemoan without really advocating against it. I’ve had plenty of moral outrage without really challenging the system, or groups behind it. I’ve had plenty of frustration with soulless multinational corporations without boycotts or legal advocacy.

I regret that now. Today I see that I was complicit in allowing us to get where we are by not standing against it. And I know that the result would have been the same regardless, especially if we are, indeed, in the End Times. But I didn’t stand strong enough, or true enough to what I believe. I’ve been on guard, and watched it transpire without much of a fight.

Now, there are at least two major unjust wars raging. Our country may be pulled into them whether we want to be or not. If this is fulfilling End Time prophecy, then we can be assured that things will get worse, then better, then much worse, then wonderful. Somewhere in the middle we may all be raptured up to Heaven with Jesus. But even so, we better ‘gird up our loins’ and prepare for hardship and spiritual battle and perhaps actual battle. Times will be tough, and Christians will be persecuted as in Roman days. The world will hate on us, as it is now hating on the Jews, but fear not! Jesus has overcome the world!!!

I’ve watched first-hand the mental, physical and spiritual toughness of immigrants to our country who escaped tyranny and persecution, hardship and torture, war and oppression. They are resilient beacons of hope that life and love are possible even in the most desperate conditions. I’ve met those who’ve returned from war resolved to be peacemakers and find inner peace. As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, and the sacrifices of those who served, let us consider that we are all soldiers of Christ, and we have our ‘marching orders’ to fight the good fight on a rescue mission to save as many as ever we can.

Blessings of courage,

Jen

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2

We were listening to the car radio discussing the upcoming election the other day when my hubby observed that nothing brings people together like hate. A common enemy unites. I added that, conversely, love – who we allow in our innermost circle – tends to be very sectarian. We see this in our sports enthusiasm: ‘we can’t be friends if you support the Steelers,’ our choice of neighborhoods for living and shopping: ‘I don’t want to be anywhere near those people,’ and of course in our politics: ‘how can you support that guy/gal, they’re the devil!’ Birds of a feather flock together. We prefer to be around ‘people like us’ who look, speak, think and believe like us. It’s comfortable. And that’s okay. But that can’t be the end of it.

Jesus, in His wisdom, knew that His twelve apostles had to be Jewish men. No Gentiles, no women just yet. It was going to be hard enough for His people to accept His message, which seemed to turn everything upside down, without the additional stumbling block of Gentile or female apostles. But within that group of twelve, He chose a Zealot or two who despised Rome’s occupation and a Tax Collector who was working FOR Rome, extorting taxes from his fellow Jews. He chose fishermen and other regular guys from various towns in Galilee. Their personalities were quite different: one a brash leader who often put his foot in his mouth, one a doubter, one honest to a fault, one a thief and betrayer, a couple of brothers who spent a lot of time arguing amongst themselves. Although a few of them were already friends, many of them would not have come together but for Jesus.

Jesus stretched them by asking them to follow Him around the countryside. It couldn’t have been easy living that way. He took them to Jewish villages and big cities, Roman towns and even the dreaded Samaria. He stretched them further with the variety of disciples who joined them: women, people from all over Israel and other countries, former slaves, Pharisees, a wife in the king’s court, former prostitutes, former lepers and all kinds of social outcasts. Despite their common love of Jehovah and Jesus, the social and cultural tension must have been hard to put behind them.

This is a picture of our friendship groups, coworkers, neighbors, club members, and Church! A bunch of very different people drawn together by a common mission, interest or faith. We are called to love, accept, pray for and interact with all kinds of people. We don’t have to like what they like, believe what they believe or live like they live. But we must always be kind, compassionate, gentle, patient and loving towards them. We must be united in the goodness of love, not the power of hate.

With fellow believers, the command is even stronger: we must be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. The same Holy Spirit is living in each of us, and He should lead us to unity working towards His will, not the divisiveness of demanding our own way.

I was searching Amazon recently for an adult version of a WWJD bracelet. I was surprised to find that that perennial question, ‘What would Jesus do?’ has been answered with another acronym: HWLF ‘He would love first.’ Indeed. Lead with love, value unity, avoid discord, ‘keep no record of wrongs. Do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. Always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere.’ (1 Corinthians 13:5-7) When you start thinking about putting these into action in daily life, with family disagreements, with difficult co-workers, with people on the news, with people on our social media feeds, with our leaders and politicians, it gets much more challenging. But I know you’re up for the challenge! You might want to get one of those WWJD bracelets for yourself as a reminder. (Seriously, they have so many for men and women in all kinds of styles.)

PRAYER: Lord, I accept the challenge of leading with love and valuing unity and harmony. I know this means that you will likely test me on this immediately with some person or situation, but I’m ready. I want to do what Jesus would do. And even if it takes a while, I know you’ll keep working on me. Mold me and shape me! Amen.

Blessings of unity,

Jen