This Sunday, the 22^nd,  will mark 3 years to the day that my wife Claudia died from cervical cancer and went home to live, finally, pain free , healed for eternity, and joyous in the presence of Jesus. Then the next Saturday, the 28^th, I will marry my new beautiful fiancée Ellen Sellers! These past 3 years have been a journey I would not have chosen if it were up to me, but one that God has led me through and shown me his gentle hand as he has lead me from despair to new hope and joy for a future together with Ellen! The scripture I chose to help me get through Claudia’s cancer battle, and then face life alone, was Isaiah 41:10:

¹⁰  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I can honestly say that there have been moments of dismay and discouragement over these 3 years, but through it all God has strengthened me, upheld me at every turn, and healed the brokenness in my soul and given me new hope, purpose, and joy!

I would like to share briefly some of my thoughts over these years, and how my perspective has changed, and hopefully this may help some of you as you go through the joys and trials of life we all face.

The Comfort Zone

 If you had asked me 5 years ago how life was going, I would have said it was wonderful! Claudia and I were retired, had a wonderful family with 9 grandchildren, and we loved where we lived in Canadian Lakes and had many new, wonderful friends and support! We had several small groups of friends to “do life” together, I could golf all I wanted, and we had many opportunities to serve Jesus and just really enjoy life. We were living in what may be called a “comfort zone” and it was, well, comfortable! For those who knew Claudia, not only did she have a beautiful voice, but she was very outgoing and people just loved being around her! Since I’m a little introverted, I benefitted from Claudia’s friendships and enjoyed many new friends because I was her husband and was just “tagging along”.

We all love and desire to live in “comfort zones”, don’t we? … that place where we’re pretty healthy, life is good, our family is doing well, and life seems to have purpose, meaning, and joy! While they are nice to be in, comfort zones don’t last forever, and we need a reality check sometimes that this life on earth is difficult, flawed, and fallen from what God originally intended for us in the Garden of Eden! As Jesus was explaining to his disciples his own pending torture and death to save us from sin and the brokenness of this world, he reminded them in John 16:33:  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

A Time of Transitions…

Our “comfort zone” bubble was broken with one phone call from her doctor. After some tests for what they thought may be an ulcer, a nurse called us and told her “you’re full of tumors and we’re sending you to the cancer center in Grand Rapids”.  Claudia fell into my arms, sobbing, and saying “I’m going to die!” In our first meeting with the cancer specialists, she was told she had stage 4 cancer. Life changed quickly, dramatically, and got much darker and more fearful. Claudia was led to choose a verse from 2 Chronicles 20:15 to take her through her cancer battle: ¹⁵  He said:  This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Even though facing her “vast army” of tumors, this verse strengthened her and I saw God fight for her in many ways, even though the ultimate outcome was not what we prayed for.  God works in the times of transition and difficulty in ways he can never work through us when we’re in a comfort zone! I saw Claudia get spiritually and mentally stronger as she faced 3 chemo rounds, a grueling 7 ½ hour surgery, and then amaze the doctors as she quickly recovered and got stronger. The doctors gave us hope that she might be able to live 5-10 years, only to then see the cancer return quickly and that prognosis change to 6 months.

Some people might say that verse didn’t work, and God failed us by allowing Claudia to die. I can understand that thought, but they fail to see God’s perspective on life and what he ultimately desires for us. The question for Claudia and all of is not will we die, but when. A friend reminded me of a saying during this battle that “none of us are going to get out of here alive”. I certainly wish that Claudia would have been healed physically and that now she would be praising God in song and sharing that hope and encouragement with me and others! But as I reflect on that time with her, I now see God used her in a different way to profoundly affect others and give them hope. Claudia decided to share her cancer journey very publically on Facebook, giving updates and sharing her struggles as well as how God was giving her peace and strength through the fight. This encouraged me to write blogs about our experience, and God used all of this to encourage others going through cancer and other trials, and knowing that was very encouraging to us as well! A good friend told us “You taught us how to die”, and they will never know how much that meant to us! I truly admire how Claudia died with such faith and love for God and her family and friends, and I truly believe that was part of God’s purpose for her.

I am reminded of what Paul says in Romans 8:

¹⁸  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 (NIV)
²⁸  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 (NIV)
I am encouraged that all of Claudia’s sufferings can’t begin to compare to the joy and glory she experiences today! And as hard as it was to watch her die, I also believe that God used that for his larger good plan and purpose, and someday we will see that more clearly.

After Claudia died, a major life transition began for me in a new way!

Now I was “single” again, a state I had not found myself in for 43 years! Most men expect to die first and hope to escape dealing with this dilemma! While many folks are happy and fulfilled to remain single, I had such a wonderful experience sharing life with Claudia that I asked God to help me find another wonderful woman to share the rest of my life with! So, I began online dating, two words I never previously thought would cross my mind or lips! And, what an interesting and sometimes confusing experience it was! I know my stories of dating were of great interest and amusement to my golfing buddies in the summertime! I’m glad I could entertain you!

I found it daunting suddenly being single again, as I was so used to being part of a team of “Claudia and Tom”. Being just “Tom” again felt too much like being in high school or college again, and I felt very different around my married friends. Nothing was the same as it was before, not my friends, my house, or even my family in some ways. So, oddly enough, I actually learned to enjoy talking with other single women online! They shared the same fears and feelings that I had, and I learned a lot from them and a lot about myself!

In a nutshell, I talked with about a dozen women over about 2 years. I was particularly looking for women who had a strong Christian faith, and all of those I talked to were wonderful, faithful women. I found that at an older age it was much more complicated than it was when we were young and just starting out! We have our own homes, families, communities, financial interests, churches, hobbies, etc., and these are all significant things to work through! I actually “went out” a few times with about 5 women altogether, and Ellen and I met a year ago in September and have been growing in love together ever since!

Ellen and I have talked a lot about “transitions”! She has been single for longer than I have, so the idea of getting married is even more scary for her than me! And I am slowly saying goodbye to my life and friends in Canadian Lakes, as I plan to sell my home next year and move to the Fenton area, where she will sell her house also and then buy a new one together. Ellen’s family all live close, and she knows tons of people there and is very active in her church, a place I have also come to value and look forward to serving and growing together in faith there. Life is constantly changing for me now, but I also feel God is clearly “transitioning” me into a new and exciting life with Ellen, and I fully trust Him to do that and feel great peace about that!

Gratitude!

All of this experience, the good, bad, and painful, has only led me to feel more gratitude to God for strengthening me, helping me, and upholding me with his righteous right hand! In Philippians 4:4-9, Paul gives us an amazing formula for living life with God!…

⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. ⁹  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

As I review my life, I am so grateful for what God has shown me and provided for me:

– 43 years shared with Claudia, that gave us 3 amazing sons, 3 daughters-in-law that fit each one perfectly, and 9 wonderful, rambunctious grandchildren

–  my sister and 2 brothers and extended family, and of course many, many wonderful friends over the years that have encouraged and challenged me to become who I am today, and were especially dear to us as we went through the cancer battle

– the joy that God has helped me see my life from his perspective and see a larger, eternal view of his Kingdom and may place in it

– and finally, and most exciting new aspect to my life, the privilege that God has led me to find Ellen and the exciting future that we will share together!  Ellen is a beautiful woman with a wonderful love for God and is also very outgoing and is loved by many friends because she truly has a heart for them! Ellen also has a wonderful family with 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren, so we will have fun blending our families and getting to know them all better!

Ellen had a close friend share with her Isaiah 43:19, which reads

¹⁹  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

I think that’s a perfect verse for us to focus on as we begin our new life, and maybe for you too!

While comfort zones are nice, God is always desiring us to move forward and trust him for a future that only he knows for sure!

I pray that wherever you find yourself right now, whether it be a comfort zone or a transition area, that you will trust in God to strengthen you, help you, and uphold you with his powerful hand, for now and for eternity in his Kingdom!

Children are under sexual attack in several ways today! That, unfortunately, is nothing new. Adults have been abusing children sexually, emotionally, and using them as basically slaves or to further their interests or agendas since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden! In the Roman Empire in Jesus’ day, fathers treated their children like possessions and could actually have them killed if they wanted to!

When parents brought children to Jesus to bless them, even his disciples didn’t think they were worthy of his time, and rebuked the parents!

¹³  Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, ¹⁴  but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵  And he laid his hands on them and went away. – Matthew 19:13-15 (ESV)

Apparently the disciples had forgotten Jesus’ teaching on the value of children just a day or two before!…

¹  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ²  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
³  and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵  “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, ⁶  but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

¹⁰  “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 18:1-6, 10 (ESV)

So, what is Jesus trying to tell us about children in this passage?

a) They have a wonderful innocence about them, even though they are born sinful as all of us were. They haven’t yet seen, heard, and been taught all the variations of sin and it’s destructive effects that have broken us as adults and caused our souls to be lost in sinful confusion.

b) With that innocence comes a wonderful sense of trust in parents and other adults, and they believe that we really love them and always have their growth and best interest at heart! That’s why Jesus says we have to have that innocent trust and humility of children to fully trust God for salvation and enter his Kingdom, no longer trusting in our own good works or character to save us!

c) Because Jesus loves the tender hearts of children so much, he issues an awful warning to those who would take advantage of and abuse children in any way, and warns child abusers of being thrown into the fire of Hell!

So, how are children being abused and exploited today?

1) Human sex trafficking (slavery)!

This has been going on since the beginning of time, but now worldwide sex trafficking of women and children has reached record numbers! This is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable business in the world, and may soon overtake that. Recently the movie “Sound of Freedom” came out about a true story of a government agent who quit his job to rescue kids from sex trafficking in South America. I hope that all adults agree this is evil incarnate, but strangely many politicians and media downplayed the movie! Why? Even they know this is evil, some are involved in this sexual abuse and others are making big profits from this business. As in any generation, lust, money, and power speak louder than decency and morality!

If you want to support this fight, check out Operation Underground Railroad, the organization that grew from this story to fight human trafficking!

2) Sexuality and gender confusion forced on children!

This is derived from some in the current LGBT movement, and the “Trans” part of that movement in particular. Now, whatever your view of this movement, it is important to understand that it began because many of these folks were being bullied both physically and emotionally for what they were going through. That should never happen to anyone, and followers of Jesus should be the first to protect any person from bullying! After all, ALL people are made in the image of God and of ultimate value to him. Jesus died to offer salvation from sin and redemption to all of us. (and we ALL need it!) Now laws have been passed to protect them from these attacks, and that is certainly just for anyone.

  The concern today is that the LGBT movement has now been combined with new gender theory studies in universities, high schools, and even elementary schools. These gender theory ideas say basically that there are many different genders and that people can discover their gender identity at any point in life, and that gender is fluid, so you can change genders as well. This contradicts traditional understanding of all of us being born either male or female, and having only those 2 sexes. ( For those who don’t know, that is also the Biblical concept on sex. God created us make and female in the Genesis story, and Jesus confirmed that in his teaching. And, there was no concept of “gender”.)

This new gender theory began primarily in the 1950’s with the Kinsey sex study, and then a professor named John Money who redefined the term gender to lead to all the new, confusing gender ideas we see happening today. Both of these men had very flawed, controversial research, and both were known to have experiments that were deviant in many ways and exploited children. Today, even the leading doctors and proponents of “gender affirmation” care admit that these ideas are very subjective and based on an individual’s feelings about themselves and their perceptions of who they are at this time. It is not based on biology or any objective science.

Now, as adults in a free, secular society, we are free to believe what we want about these things and make decisions for ourselves about what we want to do with our bodies and our lives. (and live with the consequences of our actions).  However, I hope most adults, of all backgrounds, can believe these ideas should NOT be forced on children! Parents, doctors, and counselors have known for centuries that children’s brains and discernment patterns don’t develop fully until they are somewhere in there 20’s generally. All parents understand their children, up through high school at least, are constantly changing how they feel about themselves and trying to figure out who they are. Sexuality is always one of the most puzzling things for kids to deal with, and even the best of parents tread lightly and carefully when discussing this with their children. I mean, most kids struggle with what they want to eat for dinner and what clothes they will wear tomorrow! Do we really want to make them responsible for life-altering decisions that could mutilate their bodies and change their future permanently?

The greatest danger to children today comes from a small radical activist part of the “trans” community that, in many people’s eyes, has become the bullies themselves, and perhaps the most powerful and intimidating lobby group in the country. They have successfully intimidated politicians, businesses, education, research, and the medical communities. Yes, gender dysphoria is a real condition where people feel uncomfortable and dislike being in their body and want to be the other sex. It used to be considered a mental disorder treated with therapy and counseling, and most children overcame those feelings after puberty and went on to live normal lives. Today, however, these trans radicals are pushing the use of body-altering drugs that block puberty, the use of drugs for chemical castration that are also given to pedophiles and rapists in prisons, and now “gender affirming” surgeries that lead to young girls having their healthy breasts removed, and boys being chemically and sometimes physically castrated. Doctors and researchers who disagree with these methods and fired or threated with losing their jobs and never getting hired in those fields again if they speak out. Young men and women who have already had these treatments and surgeries and have suffered terrible side effects are silenced and threatened if they tell their stories.

Perhaps the most insidious problem is in our public schools. Many, but not all, schools today are not only pushing the gender theory ideas and encouraging young children to question their sexuality, they are also encouraging children who feel they “may be” trans to consider taking puberty blockers and moving toward mutilating surgeries, often without the parents’ consent or knowledge. Every week the news covers stories where teachers are trained to, in some cases, openly lie to the parents about what is happening to their children! Some states have passed legislation even allowing the schools to take children for these controversial treatments without parental knowledge and consent. And in some cases where parents protest this happening to their children, they have been arrested for child abuse against their own children, and threatened with having their own child taken from them!

I don’t believe most teachers want to have anything to do with this whole confusing, manipulative movement! I was married to a wonderful teacher for 42 years, I have a son who is a teacher, and I know many, many wonderful teachers. I don’t think any of them want to take over a parent’s job of teaching their kids about the topic of sexuality and all the confusion every child will feel about this area.  But sadly, this is happening more and more, and teachers have to stand up and fight back against being used in this manipulative, and I think EVIL, movement to use a young generation of kids as their experimental guinea pigs. Too much is on the line! In 20 years, we may have tens of thousands of young people who have been drugged and mutilated, suffering terrible side effects and unable to live normal, healthy sexual lives. And if that’s the case, they will really be “pissed off” at those who did that to them, and those adults who allowed it to happen!

3) Because of the above movement, an unfair side effect today is that young girls are forced to compete in athletic events against boys who declare themselves as trans girls/women.

 Not only will the boys win most if not all of those events because of their physical advantage, but the girls are forced to share locker rooms with them and undress in front of them and be subjected to seeing the boys genitalia as well! And when college female athletes complained about this, they were told THEY were the problem and were “transphobic”, and were offered counseling to change their minds!

So, what can and what should we do?

Pray, and protect our children….

Pray for parents of all backgrounds to unite and take back the moral education of our children to the home and not the classroom or legislatures!

We already see this happening: a group called “Gays against Groomers” has teamed up with a group called “Mothers of Freedom” to protect their children. In another region, there was clergy from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other faiths coming together to resist this movement.

Pray for teachers! Most teachers, from all political backgrounds, are parents themselves and truly love their students and want a healthy future for them. Pray these teachers can resist this experimental sexual manipulation and instead work closely with parents to raise healthy, well-adjusted children!

There is a well-known Proverb (22:6) that says “Train up a child in the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not depart from it”.

This was written to Hebrew parents implying first of all to raise them according to God’s teachings, but also recognizing that God has a unique path for each child and it was the parent’s responsibility to help the child recognize that future path and steer them into that future that God had planned for them!

Now, of course, Hebrew communities worked together to support the parents, but that was also under God’s direction and moral teachings. Parents need other parents’ support, as well as grandparents and good teachers, coaches, pastor, etc. But it was the parents who were given the ultimate responsibility for their children. Today, we often hear the secular proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”. Well, maybe yes, but often no! We don’t want a village raising our kids when the village is run by village idiots!

Finally, (and I know this is a long blog…sorry!), we Christians should know we are not to hate those we disagree with on this or any other issue, and they are never our ultimate “enemy”!

Paul reminds us:

¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.-  Ephesians 6:10-13 (ESV)

This is ultimately a spiritual battle, and our true enemy is Satan and his evil demons who always want to destroy us all! He is the author of confusion, deception, mistrust, and hatred, and we should never go there when thinking about those we disagree with in any situation!

Therefore, remember, we are ALL broken by sin, we are all misguided at times, and yet Jesus loves us all and died to offer us forgiveness and power to overcome that sin and see the wonderful future he offers to us all.

Pray for, speak out and protect children from any and all harmful situations…

Pray for those who you disagree with, that they might also turn to God for his healing, forgiveness and love as well!

I close with this prayer for you from Paul in Ephesians 3: 14-19

¹⁴  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

Everybody wants to be happy! Many people make it a lifelong, and futile, pursuit of making money, collecting things, and searching for new, ever more exciting experiences. But sooner or later in each life, we realize circumstances are not always good, friends and family will sometimes let us down, tragedy, illness, an even death will occur, and all this leads to many people falling into depression, anxiety, and a sense of pessimistic hopelessness. Recent studies have shown that the youngest generation in America has a higher rate of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness than any previous generation! Their rate of suicide is also the highest ever!  So, is there an answer to this common feeling of un-happiness?

The biblical book of Philippians is often called the “epistle of joy”, written by Paul as he was imprisoned in Rome. Biblical joy is greatly different than our culture’s shallow pursuit of “happiness”. In my Life Application Study Bible, it defines biblical joy like this: “True joy is deep and strong, not superficial. It is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives—that he will be there no matter what! Our happiness should not depend on what happens TO us but on what happens IN us—the transformation that takes place when we put our trust in Jesus and His Holy Spirit comes to live in us, giving us God’s perspective on life and all the ups and downs that come with it”.

In chapter 1 of Philippians, Paul gives us some hopeful reminders of how to find God’s joy even in the worst of circumstances! Writing from prison, which would lead most people to fear, depression, and hopelessness, Paul instead gives us hope and a Godly perspective which will take us through the worst that life’s circumstances can hit us with!

1) Always seek to know God better and get his wisdom and insight because he intends to use your life for good!

Paul prays with joy for his Christian friends and reminds them that he is confident that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ” (v.1:6)  Because of that confidence, he continues to pray this for them:

⁹  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)
Do YOU believe that God has a specific plan and use for your life, up until the day you die?  Or, are you just always working on YOUR agenda for your life, and somehow hoping God will “bless and rubber stamp” your plans?

2) Paul found great joy, purpose, and power in knowing that he (and all of us as Christians) are on a mission to share the gospel and bring others into Jesus’ eternal Kingdom!

Many people are unhappy because their self-determined plans for their lives fall short in disappointment, and they see external circumstances limiting what they dreamed and hoped their ideal life would look like. If you keep insisting that God should approve and bless “your plan” for your life, you will never be fully happy, and will miss out on the greater plan and purpose God has for you!

Even though he was confined to prison, Paul saw every day and every place he found himself as an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus! So, he joyfully shared Jesus with his captors and many of them became Christians, and became God’s “secret agents” in Caesar’s household! Paul would say that whatever happens to him, whether in good or bad circumstances, it was “all good” because nothing can stop the advancement of God’s Kingdom!

Paul was not only confined to prison, but he saw that others used his imprisonment to “backstab him” by trying to take over his churches and leadership and get all the credit and recognition for themselves! While many today would cry unfair and whine about the unfairness of that and question God’s plan, Paul saw it entirely differently! He calmly says:

¹⁵  It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶  The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷  They preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸  But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹  for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  -Philippians 1:15-19 (NIV)

3) Paul was able to find joy in the midst of suffering because he knew Jesus has promised his followers a future hope that will last forever and can never be taken from us!

Our pastor likes to speak of the “capital H” hope as opposed to the “lower case H” hope. The lower case hope is what we all hope for daily in life. Things like good health and jobs, a happy family, finding the right girl/boyfriend or future spouse, great vacations, good friends, an easy life with no conflict or drama, etc. While those certainly are good and happen often, life is never always easy and often ends up being difficult, hard to deal with, and discouraging. No one ultimately escapes the worst in life, and we all will eventually die physically. As someone said, “None of us are getting out of here alive”!

The “capital H” hope, on the other hand, is what Jesus promises to those who trust their lives and future to him. He has promised us eternal life, a new, amazing quality of life that beings now as his Spirit indwells his followers and lasts forever when we fully enter into his present and future Kingdom that will last forever! When we live in that perspective, we see all of our life and circumstances from God’s perspective. We can enjoy each day and see God’s hand at work in our lives in spite of the trials, injustice and setbacks that come our way. And we have joy because God is always with is and will never abandon us, and he will give us the strength we need to face the hard times in life!

Paul loved people and life, but he wasn’t afraid to die because he knew that when that happened he would be with Jesus forever and that would be even better! He said:

²⁰  I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²²  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³  I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴  but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. – Philippians 1:20-24 (NIV)

Paul was so confident of God’s love that he was basically telling his enemies “ I have no fear of you. The worst thing you can do to me is kill me, and if you do, I get to go home to Jesus and live forever in an even better and amazing life!” And, because of that perspective, he was truly free to love his enemies, pray for them, and share the hope of Jesus with anyone he could. He encourages his followers to have the same attitude and live a similar life worthy of being a follower of Jesus! He tells them:

²⁷  Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel ²⁸  without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved–and that by God. – Philippians 1:27-28 (NIV)

WHATEVER HAPPENS…..

LIVE FEARLESSLY IN A WAY THAT HONORS JESUS AND ADVANCES HIS KINGDOM!

You may be going through a difficult time now, and you are not at all “happy” and don’t think you can feel any “joy” right now either! But remember, biblical joy is not at all about how we feel at the moment, nor about the circumstances you find yourself in.  God’s joy consists of an internal stability in spite of external circumstances!!

When I watched my wife Claudia fight cancer for 18 months, only to die in October 2020, I can’t say there was any time in that experience that we would say we were particularly “happy” about any of it! Sure, there were times when the chemo reduced tumors, and the long surgery appeared successful, at least for a few months. But all of that time was hard, it was depressing, it was scary for us,  it was just “awful”, and although we had several moments of “lower case” hope happening, in the end, our hope and prayers for God’s healing of Claudia didn’t go the way we were praying. From a human standpoint, it would have been easy to be angry at God, feel we were unfairly punished, and we could have been bitter and actually turned away from God!

HOWEVER…..

Because Claudia and I were both blessed with decades of knowing and experiencing Jesus’ love in our lives, we were able to experience the “capital H” hope of seeing this whole experience through God’s perspective!

And because of that, I can truly say that we experienced God’s “joy” many times in the midst of that difficult journey. There was NEVER a doubt that whether Claudia died of cancer, or was healed, that she was going to live forever in the presence of Jesus in his future Kingdom! Towards the last months of her life, as difficult as it was to watch her body waste away to that awful disease, we both felt a peace in our souls that was beyond our human understanding, and our perspective and prayers changed to asking for Jesus to take her home, gracefully and peacefully, to where she ultimately longed to be.

So, today, I can rejoice that Claudia is victorious over death because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, and I am truly delighted that she is wonderfully alive and singing praise to God more than ever, something she lived for and loved to do in this life!

And as Paul wrote, I can also rejoice that God will now use the rest of my life and finish the plans he has for me, however long that journey may turn out to be. As Paul might say, whether I live many more years or die soon, I’m going to enjoy and be thankful for what God brings me each day, I’m going to share Jesus with everybody I can, and I going to strive to live in a life worthy of Jesus, filled with peace, joy, and never-ending hope!

I wish you all many “lower case” hope fulfillments in your life, but above all I pray you will experience the “capital H” hope of eternal life that only comes with personally giving your life to Jesus. With that comes God’s joy, peace, and assurance that is beyond anything this world can ever offer you!

I leave you with Paul’s wonderful exhortation and encouragement in Philippians Ch. 4:

⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. ⁹  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)

Remember Who You Are, In Jesus,

And Don’t Let This Toxic Culture Label You!

If you listen to any news outlet today, any pundit, any college professor or teacher, any politician, or even many pastors today, you will be hopelessly labeled by some real or perceived brokenness in your life! Today’s favorite labels today deal with various forms of sexuality, gender, racial identity, nationalism, political and economic philosophy, age, belief systems, and on and on… This just leads to terrible division, mistrust, and downright hatred for those who don’t represent our labels and agendas enough to satisfy us! And of course, with the ease of the Internet and social media, we can all righteously “virtue signal” to “our side” how right we are, and how wrong, stupid, and evil “they” are!

What most people don’t realize today is that this is nothing new! Since humanity’s fall in the Garden of Eden, sin has broken and destroyed us mentally, emotionally, physically, sexually, and has torn our very souls apart, leaving us broken and wandering aimlessly trying to recover the essence of true humanity that God created us for in the Garden before we sinned and rebelled. SIN is thinking and acting in ways that are less than God intended for us when he created us in His image originally. Sin literally means to “miss the mark”, such as when an archer misses their target. We ALL sin in thought, action, and motives, and the Bible tells us we can’t just overcome it by self-improvement and trying harder! We are ALL broken by sin, and only God can ultimately fix that brokenness!

To escape the never ending labels and accusations of human brokenness that we all struggle with, we need to let God rescue us from sin and give us his power to overcome and change! There are 3 major components to recognize if we want to go from brokenness, division, and hopelessness to new life and a brand new humanity!

 1) We are ALL “spiritual zombies!” – we are literally walking around spiritually dead because of our sins!

¹  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. – Ephesians 2:1-3 (NIV)
 

As much as we like to think of ourselves as better than others and on the “right side” of many moral arguments, Paul says in God’s view, we are ALL hopelessly lost, actually following the ways of Satan, and have no ability to really get back to what we were meant to be as human beings originally! After all, a “dead person” has no power to make himself come alive!

Bummer!  Pretty bad news, huh?

2) BUT… GOD! These are the 2 most hopeful words in scripture, because God did something to rescue and save us!

⁴  BUT because of his great love for us, GOD, who is rich in mercy, ⁵  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– ⁹  not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  – Ephesians 2:4-10 (NIV)

Because we are hopeless and spiritually dead, God, in his mercy and grace (a free gift), made us alive through the death and resurrection of Jesus! He died in our place, took our punishment, and now we are forgiven by God for all our sins, and God now looks on as though we had never sinned! Jesus took on our sinful nature on the cross, and in exchange, we are able to take on his sinless nature through faith in him!

No notice… this is all GOD, not you and your best effort! Stop any pride, or arrogance or tooting your own horn! Your degrees, your accomplishments, your good looks and charm have no ability to save you; only God can do that! All that God asks of you and I is that we accept this free gift of salvation by FAITH, or trust, in Jesus. That means more than mere intellectual assent! It means trusting your life now, and forever, into the hands of Jesus!  And when we do that, it leads to a life-changing future! 

3) When we surrender our lives to Jesus, his gives us his POWER to change and become new creations ourselves! God softens our hearts and changes us from the inside out, slowly taking away our desire to sin and giving us His power to resist sin, and help us want to live his way!

So, what about the division, hatred, and labeling today? In every generation, including when the New Testament was written, people hated and mistrusted each other, just like today. In those times, there were divisions like the elite and rich Pharisees and Sadducees verses the poor and uneducated, men verses women (who were treated liked the husband’s property in the Roman Empire), Romans verses everybody else, Jews verses the Gentiles (anybody who was not a Jew), and free workers verses slaves (which were often more like hired servants at that time). It was said that Jewish men felt so superior to everyone else that they would begin the day by praying “Thank you, Lord, that I am not a Gentile, a slave, or a woman”!

That sounds like a prayer many would say about other groups today, doesn’t it? And today, many groups want to win elections, control money and power, and pass laws that justify their views, and shame or cancel the views of those that disagree. And because with many of our sinful habits we don’t have the desire or power to change, we just want to change society to believe that particular sinful behavior is now declared normal and good, and then we can now celebrate it!

But that’s not how God changes us, and he wants us all to overcome our sins and live again like we were created to live before sin wrecked our lives! When Jesus softened and healed the broken hearts of these various factions, they looked at each other differently! When Jesus’ love became dominant in their hearts, their differences no longer mattered, and they repented of their own sins, and for gave each other, and worked together to build each other into a new humanity that God desires for us all to join! Paul describes this in Ephesians 2:

¹⁴  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵  by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶  and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. ¹⁹  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, ²⁰  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²²  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  –Ephesians 2:14-22 (NIV)

When these groups that had always hated and mistrusted each other began to love and forgive each other, and sacrifice for each other, it changed their culture and drew many others to Jesus and a new life that can last for eternity!

And it can happen today again!

Remember, God doesn’t change people through government, or new laws, or secular education programs.

God changes people when they come to him with humble, contrite, and broken hearts!

When you come to God with your brokenness and want to change and trust your life to Jesus, and live his way (repent), he will graciously forgive all your sins and give you His power to become a new person!

Then you can see others the way Jesus sees them, and learn to love those you may have hated before!

Today, we hear many stories of spiritual revival around the world!

Revival happens when people humble themselves before God, repent of their hardened hearts, and seek God’s forgiveness and power to change and love God and others with tender hearts.

As I write this, I sense I need to repent and soften my heart towards some people and groups today.

Maybe you feel that way too!

Whenever we humble ourselves before God, it opens up the door to God’s fresh power from His Spirit to blow through us and change us, and in turn change the world around us!

I want that power for me, and I want that power for you as well!

I’m going to close by sharing a beautiful prayer from Ephesians 3 were Paul prayed for that life changing power to come again on his people! I’m praying this for me, and for you, and I look forward to what God may do in, and with, our lives as we surrender again to Him!

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)
¹⁴  For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵  from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸  may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.