Choose For Yourself This Day Whom You Will Serve

This morning I was reading from 1st John chapters 4–5. Everything that I read is with an awareness of the current societal woes that we are experiencing in the U.S. in the midst of the ongoing pandemic and the lawlessness we read about daily in our papers since the unrest exacerbated by the murder George Floyd. 

It seems like our society is demanding that every thought we have be aligned to the side where our allegiances fall. The categories that readily come to mind are: Democrat or Republican, White or Black, Religious or non-Religious. 

In light of all of this, here are several verses that jumped off the page as I read.

"They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them." 1st John 4:5

I thought back to August 2019 when the democratic party's leadership promoted themselves as the party of non-religious affiliation—specifically welcoming all atheists and agnostics because of their like-minded platform agenda. The heading in my Bible above these verses is "Testing the Spirits." I can't interpret the Democratic Party's proclamation as anything but an announcement of the spirit of antichrist. 

The next verse that jumped out fell under the same heading:

"If someone says. 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God who he has not seen." 1st John 4:20

I was convicted reading this passage as I thought of the many times I have said, "I don't like the way President Trump communicates his message, but I agree with the agenda and the promises he is keeping." Supporting a leader who speaks so unkindly towards others—calling them "nasty," "terrible," "dummy," "whacky," and "crazy" to name just a few—reveals that I am not testing the spirits well. Our president's demeanor and communication style rob God of His glory and reveals his own antichrist spirit. 

The last verse that made an impression on me fell under the heading "Overcoming the World" in chapter 5:

"Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5. 

The victory that we are promised throughout Scripture comes as we place our faith in Jesus—as we align our lives to His teaching. As I follow Jesus I will stand against hate, injustice, inequality corruption, enslavement, violence, destruction, and ungodliness of all kinds. I will stand up for love, joy, peace, patient, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and all forms of godliness. 

I am not anti-politics, in that I think Christians should avoid political involvement. However, I am against picking sides of man-made institutions above and away from the agenda/teaching of Christ. 

As Christ-followers we have already chosen a side—the side of Jesus Christ. Is our practice reflecting that choice? 

July 4th

"In that day you will say, 'Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.'” —Isaiah 12:4

Today is the 4th of July. It is the 244th birthday of the United States of America. My family and I are in our fourth day of mandatory quarantine, having just visited the mainland in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, to say the least, this was a very different celebration from what we are accustomed. 

I watched the national celebrations from Washington D.C. and listened to President Trump's address to the nation. By and large, I appreciated what he had to say. But there was one point when I wished that more focus was placed on God as the initiator of our national success rather than the accomplishments of individual "heroes." 

We may be a symbol of freedom in the time with which God has blessed us. We may even be the light God is using to demonstrate His glory to the world at this moment in time. But there is nothing eternal and there is nothing that we can take credit for in and of ourselves. 

I'm currently reading the book of Isaiah in my annual Bible reading plan. It is obvious in these readings that God uses the rise and fall of nations to display His sovereignty to the entire world. 

My prayer for the Church and for my country is that we would recognize God's work and His power in making us who we are today. 

Today I celebrate the freedoms that I have and the accomplishments of these United States of America. But I celebrate with the knowledge that God is behind it all and I give Him the glory for the good work He has done.

May God bless the U.S.A. as we make known His deeds among the peoples.