God's Word is TRUTH... the Only Truth!

There is no question that Biblical Truth and life are on two different paths. Today, more than ever we find ourselves colliding with what the Bible says we should be doing and who we must be to please God. 

And like many things in todays’s volatile culture, just cancel it, re-write it, change it and promote the changes as “newly found freedom” that comes from an enlightened reinterpretation of God’s Word.  If it’s too much of a living challenge... change what the Bible says. After all, it was written a very long time ago and it must ben time for an overhaul?  

Updating its meaning seems logical. Make what the Bible says fit today’s contemporary culture. Adapt God’s Word to our lifestyles. This sort of thinking, is more prevalent in today’s culture than you might think, and amounts to intentional and willful rejection of God’s Word.

Over time, we have become petrified in our religious biases. This is not a new 21st century thing... it’s happened before. Jesus soundly rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for willfully invalidating the Word of God for the sake of their traditions, stating that their worship was in vain because they were elevating the doctrines of men rather than esteeming those of God (Matthew 15:6, 9). They willfully chose not to comprehend God’s Word.

One of the reasons for so much division within the Body of Christ, the greater universal Church, is that far too many persons seek to impose their own theology upon the Scriptures, instead of extracting the unvarnished truth from the the inspired writings. This is theology ex nihilo. If the only basis for our religious preferences and practices is an appeal to what God didn't say, or the creative manipulation of what He did, we have formulated a theological system "out of nothing." God doesn’t recognize it and won’t respond to the efforts of believers trapped in such heresies.

Be honest with yourself... part of the problem is we just don’t like everything God says to us. When we willfully fail to correctly comprehend the Truths in God’s inspired Word, we often feel compelled to formulate our own "truths" out of what He has not revealed -- theology ex nihilo. We elevate to the status of divine LAW our own notions about things God has not revealed or declared. We then seek to impose these doctrines, dogmas, and decrees upon others. We will restrict our fellowship to those who meekly accept our self-made theologies. In doing this, we embrace the shadows and reject the substance.

We have elevated ourselves and our institutions above Jesus our Savior. Once here... we have a well crafted religion but we don’t have an authentic relationship with Christ. Again, we are left out in the cold because Jesus doesn’t recognize or acknowledge us in such heretical thinking and practices. The life we think we are living “in Christ” is in vain.

The apostle Paul warned the young evangelist Timothy that a time was fast approaching when men would no longer desire the substantive Truths clearly revealed by God. Instead, "they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Demonic doctrines and deceitful spirits would be the companions of their newfound theology, and blessings which "God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth" would be forbidden (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Not much has changed today... and Paul’s warning rest squarely at our doorstep.

When our preferences, practices, and perceptions become our "ways and means" ... when our earthly worldly traditions are self-elevated to eternal Truth ... we truly have nothing! We have severed ourselves from our Savior in our futile quest to become self-justified, and have only succeeded in becoming self-righteous! When we reject God's wisdom from above... the vast empty void of earthly wisdom is all that remains. (James 3:15)

My first thought in writing this article was to include a list of beliefs and practices in today’s churches that man has conjured up... “theology ex nihilo”. I wanted you to know what these things might look and feel like in the context of the Church today. I decided not to list any… you already know what they are. They are easy to detect and easy to see in practice. Some are shrouded in heavy handed legalism. Some are legitimized as excuses for divisions among believers. Why do you think there are so many denominations among Christianity? That was certainly not a “Godly idea”. Heretical practices and beliefs almost always focus on man’s wants and desires, interpreting Scripture in such ways as to turn God into a master servant whom we control and waits to grant our every wish and desire. The most telling characteristic of Biblical misinterpretation... every single misinterpretation of Scripture is characterized by a lack of “love”, for “one another” and for God. Finally, the true genuine unadulterated Word of God is not burdensome. Trust in Him to help you carry your load. (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 5:3)

In view of the grave consequences of creating, promoting and practicing misinterpretations of Scripture, it is essential that each of us do as Paul counseled Timothy… Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:2).

You might not like what God is saying to you. You might feel restrained or restricted in your expectations or desires by His Word. That’s okay, if you sincerely seek Him... God will work with you... through those challenges in your life. He’ll change you so that embracing His Truth is easier and a cause for joy in your life.

God’s Word is Truth. The only Truth in our world. The only pathway to salvation. (John 17:17). If what you believe or think you believe... is not in His inspired Word, then it is theology ex nihilo. It is worthless. It is dangerous to your soul!

Such theology will lead those who embrace it into that great eternal void away from the presence of God, rather than into His promise of life everlasting in His presence

The Devil’s Fool: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

The phrase that is the title of this article is said to have originated in a poem written by William Blake in 1810 entitled “The Liar.” Of course, this phrase has been used by children down through the years to mock their peers for telling a lie. 

Sadly, lying has become so common place in our society that many people lie just to top others without even thinking about it. When was the last time that YOU told a lie?

In their book “The Day America Told the Truth,” authors James Patterson and Peter Kim revealed that 91 percent of Americans lie on a daily basis.  Really?

God doesn’t like lying. Let me take it a step further: God hates lying. Proverbs 6 lists seven things God hates, and it’s worth noting that two of them refer to dishonesty: “There are six things the Lord hates – no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (verses 16–19).

Why is God so adamantly opposed to lying? Because it’s so destructive. In the book of Proverbs we’re told, “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow” (25:18).

From this we could safely conclude that God hates lying in any form. He hates it because he is the source of all truth. In fact, God used that word to describe his very character. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When God chose a word to describe who he is, he said, “I am … the truth” (emphasis mine).

In dramatic contrast, Satan is identified as “the father of lies” (John 8:44). It’s as clear as day: God is truth, and Satan is the father of lies. Therefore when we lie, we are behaving more like the children of the devil than the children of God.

Are you lying about something or someone right now? Do you have a résumé that isn’t honest? Do you find that you give exaggerated reports of what you’ve done? Are you lying about someone else to tear them down and make yourself look better? That is a sin before God.

God doesn’t say, however, that if you have ever told a lie, you can’t worship him. If that were the case, none of us could worship him. We have all lied in one way, shape, or form. At the same time, if you are practicing deceit, if you are continuing to tell lies, then it will hinder your fellowship with God. It’s offensive to him.

You might say, “Lying isn’t a problem in my life. I never lie.” Actually, you may lie a little more often than you think you do.

One way people lie is by gossip and backbiting. Gossip is a powerful force. It wrecks marriages. It ruins careers. It topples governments. It destroys reputations. It spawns suspicion. It generates grief. Even the very word hisses when it’s pronounced. And if you’ve ever had someone gossip about you and tell lies about you, then you know how painful it can be.

Sometimes a little bit of truth is presented with a lot of lies added to it. The tabloids do this. They’ll include a shred of truth to give their article a believability factor, but then they fill it with all kinds of lies.

Sometimes people rationalize gossip. They’ll present it in ways like, “Have you heard?” or “Did you know?” or “I don’t believe it’s true, but I heard …” or “I wouldn’t tell you, but I know it won’t go any further. …” Then there’s the so-called spiritual version: “I’m telling you this only so you can pray. …” It’s gossip. Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers”.

I don’t like to entertain gossip, so when people come to me with information about someone, I’ll ask how they know it’s true. What’s their source? Have they gone to the person they’re talking about and asked for their perspective? Can I quote them on this? If the answer is no, then don’t tell me.

Another way people lie is through flattery. While backbiting is saying behind a person’s back what we would never say to their face, flattery is the opposite. Flattery is saying things to a person’s face that we would never say behind his or her back. Kids are very good at this with their parents. They’ve taken it to an art form. It’s tempting to flatter someone when you want to get something from them. But it’s a form of lying.

Exaggeration is another way people lie. They’ll tell a story and begin to embellish it a little. Each time the story is told, it becomes more dramatic. Of course, they’re always the heroes of their own stories, which show how clever they were or how they came into a situation with just the right words. They stretch the facts a bit. It’s a form of lying.

Keeping silence is another form of lying. When we hear something about someone else that we know for a fact isn’t true, and we remain silent, it’s a form of lying. They might be slamming a friend, and we don’t stand up for that friend. We don’t tell them the truth. That is slander by silence. It’s complicity by passivity.

We live in a time when moral relativism is the rule of the day, when many people don’t believe in absolutes. They don’t believe there is such a thing as absolute truth. If they want to be a success and have to steal, lie, or maybe even murder to get there, that is what they’ll do.

Lying is such an easy sin to slip into. Hebrews 12:1 warns Christians to lay aside “the sin which so easily ensnares us.” Furthermore, remembering that God “cannot lie” (Hebrews 6:18), we as Christians should strive to “be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1). 

As we seek to please the Lord Jesus Christ whose blood has bought us, and to show our Savior to the watching world, we should all ask the Lord to help us cultivate the habit of gracious honesty and integrity. 

Don’t let the devil’s subtle tricks make a fool of you.

Slavery… the Biblical View

In the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the widespread spirit of protest has expanded to a wide array of cultural symbols—ranging from statues of Columbus and George Washington, to the movie Gone With The Wind. 

Activists are demanding the renaming of institutions, major streets, changing flags, and discrediting anyone and everything directly or remotely connected to the evils of chattel slavery in American history.

Some of these campaigns are questionable, even among leaders of the Black community. But in the current environment, any claim or posture that’s seen as emanating from the Black Lives Matter movement, however indirectly, is taken as morally unassailable.

This revolutionary spirit raises an important question… in the relentless quest to discredit and accord as inconsequential all things relating to the evils of slavery, will the Bible be next?  

Among many groups God’s Word is already under attack for certain Old and New Testament passages and the seemingly permissive attitude towards one race or culture owning people as slaves.

Every thinking reader of the Bible is bound to ask, especially now, “Does this book actually condone slavery?”. To be sure, slavery is not the only issue the Bible’s story causes us to question. The Old Testament is rife with palace intrigues, polygamy, divorce, violence and the like, and godly people are very often part of the problem. 

Although the New Testament is decidedly improved on the matter of slavery, it still seems to fall far short of that which twenty-first century human rights would expect. For example… there are no women among the twelve disciples of Jesus and Christian masters do have slaves working for them.

To address an issue as important as slavery referenced and described as acceptable in the Bible, we need to step back and ask three questions: What are the theological, political, and cultural contexts in which the Old Testament narrative unfolds, and how is the behavior of God’s people in the Old Testament expected to be different from those of other cultures? What are the major developments in the New Testament that give us a clue to interpretation of Old Testament ethics? And are we expected to further extrapolate changes in behavior beyond the New Testament times to the present day?

To begin with, it should not be forgotten that the Old Testament narratives contain elements and practices which are ethical, ceremonial, and social. Therefore, while informative and historical in context, their application to the present day should be carefully evaluated. The historical-social elements of the Biblical narratives typically do not apply to contemporary Christians, and the ceremonial ones are largely fulfilled in the completed work of Christ on the Cross. So, it is the ethical aspects of Old Testament teaching with which we should be concerned, and there is indeed much to consider.

As an example, on the way to Canaan, God tells his people through Moses that the alien, or foreigner, among them should not be oppressed (Exodus 23:9). The reason given is fascinating… the people of Israel know in their hearts how it feels to be oppressed!  The word translated “alien” is not the same as slave, but the experience of the Israelites in Egypt was certainly that of slaves. Thus, we see the first statement on human rights expressed in the Bible: the alien [not an Israelite] was to be treated as a citizen; in fact, he was to be loved as one of their own (Leviticus 19:33-34). Even when Hebrew law and custom shared in the common heritage of the ancient world, there is a unique care in God’s directives for those people who by status were not considered to be “of the chosen people”, something absent from the law codes of Babylon and Assyria.

Here’s the thing: The Law of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy and all of the commandments contained within) is not always a description of morality or even what God views as morally right. So even if some biblical passages seem to endorse slavery, it does not mean that God endorses slavery or any form of brutality towards any group of people. 

This is so important to understand. Jesus explains it this way: “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not to be so.” -Matthew 19:8.  God never endorsed the concept of divorce, nor slavery, nor any concept of hurting or harming another person.  But, he permitted his people to exist within a corrupt world by establishing standards [the Mosaic Law] of conduct which could allow them to rise above the evils around them.

The Law was designed in order to provide a framework of governance for an emerging people, a nation, something attainable for the Israelites who were so accustomed to the evil culture they were living around. As Moses said in Deuteronomy 30:11 “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”

The New Testament further gives us a paradigm to interpret Old Testament practices. In one of their notorious fault-finding missions, the Pharisees test Jesus on the subject of divorce (Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 10:2-9). He initially appears to play into their hands, asking what Mosaic Law has to say on the subject. When they gleefully quote the permission of Moses to divorce one’s wife, Jesus lays down a method of interpretation that has to be taken very seriously. He makes it clear that certain Old Testament commandments were to be understood as concessions to the hardness of the human heart rather than as expressions of God’s holy character. He goes on to reference how this was not the state of affairs in the beginning—that is, before the fall of man.  

One might conclude, that because of God’s great love for humanity, he “modified his high standards” to allow his chosen people specifically, to grow and rise above the sinful attitudes and practices of the ancient world.

The regulation of slavery should therefore be seen as a practical step to deal with the realities of the day resulting from the human fall. The aberrations that lead to alienation among individuals, races, and nations are the result of a fundamental broken relationship between humankind and God. 

Within this tragic scenario, Scripture comes as a breath of fresh air as it seeks to redeem the “situations of sin” and set humanity on a path of ever-increasing improvement of man’s predicament. While the Bible does not reject slavery outright, to draw the conclusion that it actually favors slavery… is completely wrong and out of character with a loving God. 

Scripture does reveal that slavery is not ideal, both in Old Testament laws forbidding the enslavement of fellow Israelites, the law of jubilee, and in New Testament applications of Christ. 

In fact, the Bible teaches that the feeling of superiority in general is sin (Philippians 2:1-8). The evaluation of slavery by biblical standards, and principles demands that the abhorrent concept be abolished. The pre-fall statement that should guide and ultimately eliminate such (and any) practices of superiority is the declaration that all humans—men and women—are made in the image of God.

On this principle, the Bible even lays the foundation for progressing far beyond what was possible in New Testament times by addressing the very economic discrimination and favoritism of which slavery is the worst expression (James 2:1-9; 5:1-6). Of course, it must be reckoned, that the Church has taken many centuries, far too long, to live out what Scripture taught long ago, and no doubt we continue to struggle, often in silence, in the fight against injustices and brutality towards people of color. 

The time delay between the Word of Scripture and its implementation in society is often due to the “holy huddle” mentality prevailing among Christians who are largely unconcerned about issues outside of their immediate periphery. 

Another reason many Christians continue to remain silent in the face of injustice is the platonic view of the cosmos we have adopted, implying that life in the hereafter is the only issue to be addressed, while we watch the world go by in its destructive way. Both mentalities are sadly misguided.

Those of us who say that we believe the Bible to be the Word of God have to raise our level of awareness and involvement regarding social issues. Having failed to do so, we have let these issues of racial inequality pass into the hands of those who may not be Christians, but are better informed about social injustice and concerned enough to fight wrong practices through legal means. 

While they have no logical basis to do what they are doing, the real tragedy is that Christians who do have a basis to address these issues remain largely indifferent. May the Lord of Scripture open our eyes to see that God is interested in the redemption of the “whole of creation” and not just disembodied souls and spirits!

The Bible does not condone slavery any more than it condones polygamy or divorce. The Bible has never glossed over the concept of slavery or other shortcomings of humanity.  

Instead, it establishes humane limits for an existing, evil system. It contains many references to slavery, which was a common practice in antiquity. Biblical texts outline the legal status of slaves, economic roles of slavery, types of slavery, and debt slavery, which thoroughly explain the institution of slavery in Israel in antiquity. The law of Moses laid the groundwork for the eventual demise of one of the most demeaning institutions in human society… the evils of slavery.

GOD’S WORD doesn’t change

One of life’s constants is change. Like it or not, it happens. We grow. We age. Technology reinvents the way we do things. Some relish change, others resist. We like it best on our terms, but don’t always have that option. Sometimes all we can do is cope with it. 

When given the opportunity to exert our will in the matter, we’re wise to proceed with caution. Change for the sake of change is a risk – the grass on the fence’s other side isn’t always greener.  In fact, it can be poisonous and dangerous!

The relentless pursuit for “better” can sometimes leave us bitter, regretting changes we didn’t need to make.  The pursuit of change in the way we are expected to believe and process life’s important milestones can bring us into a kind of change confrontation… when we want something changed to suit us… to meld with our personal expectations and beliefs mostly infiltrated by the cultural dogma around us.

What you believe will have eternal consequences.  Our destiny, our future depends on resisting the pressures to conform, to change core and foundational beliefs simply because attitudes dominating the world we live in are constantly changing.

Bible-believing Christians cannot accept the "many paths" popular view as a genuine cornerstone for their faith. Yet professing Christians consider this "inclusive" stance to be the enlightened one. 

Liberal Christianity offers a humanistic reinterpretation of our faith and claims that Bible-believing Christians are mired in rigid, unenlightened, antiquated thinking. They tell us that times have changed, people have changed, society has progressed, and the church must evolve and change to be relevant.

They even twist the idea of the Bible as the Living Word to make it open to radical reinterpretation—so that its original meaning is turned upside down—as society and opinions change.

It should really pain us to see so much of Christianity today caught up in heresies and untruths in a misguided belief that change is necessary to be relevant in a fallen world. 

So many lives are at risk, as professing Christians embrace “as changed or reformatted truth”  incorrect interpretations of what the Bible teaches simply to be part of a popular religious movement that suits their needs and liberal views.

God knows our weaknesses and how we would try and modify His Word to suit our needs, wants and desires. His warning “not to do this” is sternly given in numerous verses throughout the Bible… none more crystal clear than Revelation 22:18-19... “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this

book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

I can’t speak for you… but that passage scares me!  Why would anyone want to challenge the truthfulness and authenticity of God’s pure and unadulterated Word, just to feel contemporary, relevant or part of the majority?

The Bible does not mince words about its power and influence…"The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible is NOT subject to generational revisions or "new revelations" driven by the shifting of public tastes and political moods.

The Bible doesn't change; it changes us. If we disagree with something we read in Scripture, it's not the Bible that needs to change—it's us. We must reexamine our opinions and change them in the light of God's unchanging Word.

Consider carefully what you are taught, what you hear and what you read, other than the Bible itself.  Be on guard!  As various leaders and authors in the church subtly move away from a Biblical understanding of social issues, the church is being led into apostasy and error, while the nation is being led into secularism, moral relativism, and depravity. 

There is no question that Biblical Truth and life are on two different paths. We find ourselves constantly colliding with what the Bible says we should be doing and who we must become to please God. 

Here’s what’s happening…. If what God expects of His followers is too much of a living challenge... then change what the Bible says. Rewrite the rules of engagement with God.  After all, the Bible was written a very long time ago, and surely God would want us to update his Word and for Christians to be relevant in the world. 

For the novice believer, updating the Bible’s meaning seems logical. Make what the Bible says fit today’s contemporary culture. Adapt God’s Word to our lifestyles.  If human conduct that God abhors is socially acceptable and popular, then discredit what the Bible says about such behaviors, so the church can be socially and politically relevant. Utter Nonsense!

This sort of thinking, is far more prevalent in today’s culture influenced church than you might think, and amounts to intentional, willful rejection of God’s Word.

The church can only be destroyed from within. If we stray from the Scriptures and contaminate God's Truth with worldly ideas, placating the sinner, the church as a beacon of salvation will cease to truly seek and save lost souls. The church must wake up and shake itself from its dangerous dalliances with worldliness.

You and I and everyone who claims to follow Jesus must take an unshakable stand on the unchanging Truth of God’s Word — His guide for living—the Bible.

The church has all but sidelined itself, making itself irrelevant at the very time when the world is in desperate need of God's Truth.

God's message to us hasn't changed since the beginning of time. It remains the same: Do not tamper with the Truth of God. 

Christ taught His disciples the importance of knowing, speaking, and defending the Truth because Jesus Himself is Truth incarnate

Christian complacency and apostasy are a far greater threat to the life of the church than any other single thing that man could bring against it.

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him" (Proverbs 30:5).

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Just Be You...

Who wouldn't like to walk on water? One magician devised an illusion for his audience in which he walked across the water of a swimming pool, but he was secretly wearing

a pair of transparent struts. 

In August 2006, an African evangelist named Franck Kabele insisted he could repeat the biblical miracle of Peter's walking on water, but he drowned in the attempt.

No place in the Bible are we told to emulate the miracles of Jesus. We are to learn from them and let them guide and shape our lives.  

The miracles were 'signs' to teach us about His power in our lives. Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat and onto the water, but he was distracted by the splashing of the waves and the force of the wind. He became fearful, took his eyes off Jesus, and began to sink.

There are two approaches to life. We can focus on Jesus and acknowledge the storm, or we can focus on the storm and acknowledge Jesus. 

By keeping our eyes on our Lord, we can live above the circumstances with an attitude of joy that will empower us to weather the storms of life with a quiet confidence that our Lord Jesus has our back.

The Consequences of Anger and Bitterness

By Steven K. Haught, Th.D.

I have a friend, know him very well.  His childhood was stained by yelling, screaming, and abusive discipline with many hands and fists raised and delivered in the name of whatever it was called by someone bigger than he was.  That friend is me.

I quickly learned to hate.  I did not learn to forgive. I held grudges and swore to myself that some day I would settle the score.  I was never quite sure what I was going to do, but forgiveness was the furthest thing from my mind and heart.

Even as an adult, I would dwell on an offense for days, losing sleep. Yes, a life filled with anger and resentment is neither a happy one nor a healthy one. If you’ve been in the grip of bitterness over injustices done to you as a child or adult, you know exactly what I am talking about.  The memories never seem to fade do they?

Indeed, studies show that unforgiving people may . . .

• Let anger or bitterness sour relationships, leading to isolation and loneliness
• Become easily offended, anxious, or even severely depressed
• Become so focused on a wrong that they cannot enjoy life
• Feel that they are at odds with their spiritual values
• Experience increased stress and a higher risk of ill health, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and pain disorders, such as arthritis and headaches
  

WHAT IS FORGIVENESS? Forgiveness means pardoning an offender and letting go of anger, resentment, and thoughts of revenge. It does not mean condoning a wrong, minimizing it, or pretending that it did not happen. 

Rather, forgiveness is a well-thought-out personal choice that reflects a loving commitment to peace and to building or maintaining a good relationship with the other person.

Forgiveness also reflects understanding. A forgiving person understands that we all err, or sin, in word and deed. (Romans 3:23) Reflecting such insight, the Bible says: “Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.” —Colossians 3:13.

It stands to reason, then, that forgiveness is an important facet of love, which is “a perfect bond of union.” (Colossians 3:14) Indeed, according to the Mayo Clinic website, forgiveness leads to healthier relationships, including feelings of empathy, understanding, and compassion for the offender.

I’m sure someone has said to you… “ relax, don’t loss any sleep over the situation.”  Sleep is one way the human body renews itself, physically and mentally.  That would be good restful sleep indeed. 

Good sleep promotes full-body vitality, feeling good when your mind is at ease.  Letting go of anger and bitterness is a great way to experience good sleep, thereby naturally improving mental and spiritual well-being.  You will enjoy less anxiety, less stress, and feelings of hostility.  You will even have fewer symptoms of depression.

Start by forgiving yourself. Self-forgiveness can be “the most difficult to achieve,” yet “the most important to health” —mental and physical— according to the journal Disability & Rehabilitation. What can help you to forgive yourself?

• Do not expect perfection from yourself, but realistically accept that you —like all of us— will make mistakes. —Ecclesiastes 7:20
• Learn from your errors so that you will be less likely to repeat them
• Be patient with yourself; some personality flaws and bad habits may not go away overnight. —Ephesians 4:23, 24
• Associate with friends who are encouraging, positive, and kind but who will also be honest with you. —Proverbs 13:20
• If you hurt someone, take responsibility for it and be quick to apologize. When you make peace, you will gain inner peace. —Matthew 5:23, 24

The advice and counsel for healthy living found in the Bible will do wonders for your outlook on those who have wronged you.  It worked for me and it will for you too.

Prayer, and sharing my burdens with those I trust has liberated me from the anger that poisoned much of my young adult life.  It was important to learn how to not let the conflicts of life make me suffer, and I don’t make others suffer for what they intentionally or unintentionally did to me.. Bible principles confirm that God loves us and wants the best for us.”

The pain we experience in human relationships is maybe the worst we will ever endure.  Remember, we cannot control the thoughts and actions of others. But we can control our own. 

If you want peace and freedom from anger, resentment and bitterness, you must take the first step.  Trust me... it works!

Racial Justice & Equality — So much time, so little progress

No one wants to acknowledge the social challenges that plague America.  White people want to avoid the implication of responsibility for many reasons. Mostly they think the problems of the black community, the inner cities, don’t affect them.  They may express a superficial level of sorrow for the plight of colored communities, but are distant in thoughts, insulated by middle-upper classness, wealth and suburban boundaries, so they are not involved. 

But hopefully the long summer of 2020 will serve as a wake-up call to see what’s happening all around the comfortable neighborhoods the privileged secure themselves with.

One-quarter of black Americans remain in poverty, many seemingly trapped in the social pathologies of the urban underclass. At the same time, while the growing number and profile of other racial minorities dramatically changes the country’s demographic landscape, America’s increasingly colorful racial picture has become enormously complicated.  People of color in America continue to disproportionately experience poverty.

But racism is more than poverty. Today middle-class African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans are all too able to tell personal stories of racial prejudice and discrimination. 

Still, most white people seem tired of talking about racism, are opposed to affirmative action, and want to believe that their country has become a level playing field for all races. Almost no people of color believe that. 

Most significant, the United States is still a very segregated society, from residential patterns to cultural associations to church attendance. The number of stable, racially integrated neighborhoods across the country is still pitifully small. People of different races spend precious little non-work time together.  

We have made undeniable progress since the end of legal segregation, but we have not come as far in the last few decades as most would have expected. The hopes and dreams that followed the 1960s civil rights and voting rights legislation have yet to be fulfilled. 

America is still a racially divided society, where diversity is widely perceived as a greater cause for conflict than for celebration. Again, the question is why?

Clearly, we underestimated the problem. Since the 1960s, we have learned that racism goes far deeper than civil rights. Racism goes beyond mere prejudice and personal attitudes, it is rooted in institutional patterns and structural injustices. 

At the end of his life, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that poverty was the next front in the battle to over come racism. Especially underestimated, has been the impact and enduring legacy of the unique and particular institution of slavery in America.

Perhaps even more important, we have failed to perceive the fundamental spiritual and theological roots of racism in America. These surely include—but go even deeper than—the historical, institutional, cultural, and psychic dimensions of racism.

IN BIBLICAL TERMS, racism is a demon and an idol, a fallen principality and power that enslaves people and nations in its deadly grip. To be even more specific, it is the idolatry of whiteness, the assumption of white privilege and supremacy, that has yet to be spiritually confronted in America and, especially, in the churches. 

White racism is America’s original sin; continuing failure to repent meaningfully of that sin still confounds our efforts to overcome it. It’s true that any initiative on race will fail unless it deals with the fundamental issues of economic inequality. 

But is there more to do than educating, organizing, advocating, and changing policies? 

A more spiritual approach would suggest other kinds of action as well. In addition to the hard work of personal relationships, community building, and political and economic change, other responses may be required such as confession, prayer, conversion, forgiveness, preaching, and even revival.

Because spiritual and political work should never be set against one another, the question becomes how to go deeply enough with the spiritual struggle to make the political battle more successful. Here is where the churches might make their best contribution to current initiatives on race. 

The surprising new zeal among some white evangelical groups to confront racism with spiritual power is a very welcome and encouraging sign. So is the growing awareness among many people, religious or not, that personal and social problems have spiritual roots.

Confronting the barriers of race, class, culture, and gender was perhaps the major social drama of the New Testament church. Overcoming those divisions was seen as a primary test of spiritual authenticity. If the churches would reclaim the call to spiritual warfare, this time against the principality and power of racism, how might the battle against racism be transformed?

Most Christians today would see a deep contradiction in being both a devout Christian and a bystander to slavery. Yet many don’t see the same contradiction in their complicity in contemporary racial violence and oppression. Instead, many uphold oppression through silence on racial injustice. What does the church say about today’s forms of racism and racialized violence?

Unfortunately, most churches answer the question of how to respond to racism and hate with a non-committal response… “Let’s just focus on the gospel. Everything else will fall into place.” This response is eerily similar to that of European settlers and slave owners in colonial America. Ignoring injustice to singularly “focus on God as Lord” runs counter to Jesus’ teachings. His behavior taught that loving everyone equally and wholeheartedly was how someone who claimed to be a follower, would act towards all peoples. 

Now is the time to search our minds and hearts for answers, for things every person can do to defeat the evils of racism.  You are white, you call yourself a Christian and yet you are not engaged in the struggle with your fellow humans… people of color.

When you hear the word “racism,” what images come to mind? Do you think of racism as a systemic problem that exists in the institutions of your own community? What would it mean for you to think of racism as idolatry—remembering that idolatry is not just an individual choice, but also a group activity to which people are tempted because the culture around them has accepted such attitudes and worship of a ‘superior white culture’?

The struggle against racism must include both “institutional reconstruction” and “discernment, prayer, and worship-based action.” 

On which side of this “two-edged” solution do you line up? How can you adjust your thinking and acting to incorporate both aspects needed for racial justice? Has your church engaged in corporate prayer and worship against racism?  If you have not thought much about God, but know he exists, then maybe now is the time to seek him and find a mixed fellowship of white and black.  You will learn to love at a depth you have not known and the typical self-absorbed spirit of white America will begin to leave your heart. 

Finally, what would it mean, and what would it take, for our society to move towards investing less in the idea of “whiteness” and more thought of ‘others of color’ first in considerations of wants and needs? In what ways could this be a genuine step towards racial justice, rather than just multicultural window dressing.

Fighting racism in American society requires that we go beyond addressing policies and practices that deal explicitly with matters of race and ethnicity. 

It requires that we in the white community accept shared responsibility and work in solidarity with people of color to secure for all people the basic economic and social rights that flow from and merge with human dignity. 

Don’t be fooled into believing the excuses.  There is a tendency on the part of some people to say, “I am not prejudiced. I am not a racist. I did not cause or contribute to the racial injustices of the past. Therefore, I am not responsible for racism today. There is nothing I can do.” This view is unfortunate and morally inadequate, because it fails to take into consideration the social nature of the sin of racism. It fails to see that racism is not merely a personal sin, but also a structural sin. It is a social reality for which all members of society are responsible.

The absence of personal guilt for an evil does not absolve one of all responsibility. We must seek to resist and undo injustices we have not caused, because we can, and God expects nothing less of all people who think they have some extra-ordinary blessing. Failure to take shared responsibility makes the white communities among all nations bystanders who tacitly endorse evil and so share in guilt for it.

We need to stand side by side with people of color in working for better access to health care for the poor, better affordable housing policies, more just wages and working conditions, and more political power for those who are now disenfranchised.

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