Posts - The Electric Gospel

Dec

2019

Springtime thoughts

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on March 21, 2015. March 20th of that year was the first day of spring … inspiring some springtime thoughts for this blog.

Nurturing Growth

by David Sellnow

Spring has sprung … and I’m reminded of all that’s amiss in my yard. The boulevard is more dirt than grass. There are bare spots and weeds throughout the main lawn. The bushes in back and hedges out front are part dead, part unruly and overgrown. The flowerbeds never got raked out properly before winter came; they are mucky mess. Much must be done to get things growing and going in the right direction.

When our yards need tending, we tend to labor with springlike eagerness. Do we work at relationships with human beings with as much energy?

Maybe a connection with a coworker is gnarled and thorny. Rather than avoiding contact, might you pay more attention to each other and prune away places where you get twisted around each other?

Maybe roots with family have gone dormant and your love has browned. What watering can you do to rejuvenate family ties and green things up?

Maybe you’re a teacher and a student’s performance has been poor – not much is budding or blooming. Will you let that student wither away or do all you can to prod her, cultivate her interest, nurture learning and understanding?

Jesus once told this parable (Luke 13:6-9):

“A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Jesus’ words point specifically to our spiritual condition and the Lord’s patience in dealing with us. God grant us the patience to be nurturing and supportive with our fellow human beings – first and foremost in regard to spiritual growth, but also in the day-to-day aspects of our relationships as the Spirit strives to awaken new life in all that we do.

Dec

2019

When heaven seems silent

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on March 28, 2015.

We’re heading into Holy Week – an annual remembrance of Jesus’ darkest hours. At week’s beginning, he was hailed with cheers and acclaim by the people of Jerusalem. By week’s end they looked upon him with revulsion and demanded his death. During his unthinkable suffering, his thoughts were on us, the people for whom he was living his life, for whom he was dying in ignominy at our hands. In any suffering we face now, we look to our Lord as the one who has suffered for us, who has redeemed us, who gives us hope.

Writing to someone she knows is suffering, Jenni Mickelson points to Jesus and the hope we have in him — even when circumstances seem hopeless. We know that not only did he suffer for us; he reclaimed his life in victory and assures us of victory.

A letter to someone who is suffering

by Jenni Mickelson

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For the one who wants to let go…but must hold on: “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

(2 Corinthians 5:7)

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“I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when I do not feel it.
I believe in God even when he is silent.”

– Etched on cellar wall during the Holocaust
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Dear one, I feel your pain behind the smile, the hopeful words and “musts” and “dos.” You are longing for a present much better than the one you are in. It’s as if you are in a thick mud at the side of a road, struggling in panic like an injured deer, back legs broken, to flee her fear and her pain. You speak of a new day, a new heaven and a new earth, and you pray and you read and you thank. But in the next breath you are crying for another time, another place, another life.

Let me tell you this: Your life has been a prelude to this moment. This moment, when the cross feels too unbearable to carry, the strain too great for your feeble arms, the fear and the agony too overwhelming to endure one more step on the narrow road. God has led you here, to this moment, to follow the blood-stained footsteps of Jesus.

Rejection, torture, anguish – these defined the hours, the days, the years of our Lord here on earth. True God and true Man – and this was his destiny: to be forsaken by his children, to be gruesomely flogged and crucified like a criminal, to hang in the sight of unbelieving onlookers and a Father who put his only Son through the pain of hell – for us.

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?…
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Sin did not waste its time in tormenting our Savior. But sin was not greater. Sin’s wrath did not define our dear Jesus. For, on that early Sunday morning, in the pale of a new dawn, he rose above the grave and received the glory of life. And it is this that he gives us, too, willingly.

When you fall under your cross, let the blood of our God renew you and give you strength. As you collapse under the load, let the power of Jesus’ love and mercy pick your feeble body back up. And when sin finally threatens to impale you with the nails of hell forever, point to the hill at the end of the road – the hill of victory, the hill of God’s Passion. You will live another day. This moment is God’s love letter to you: “Live. Do you see the light of my Son in you? ‘Your faith has made you well’” (Luke 17:19).

“I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14).

Dec

2019

Giving up something for Lent (and more)

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on February 21, 2015.

Giving up ourselves for others

by David Sellnow

Have you given up something for Lent? The history of Lenten fasting dates back to the ancient church. Many Christians continue to observe Lent as a time to set aside things of this world and focus on faith. And nowadays the practice of giving up something for Lent has been adopted by many non-religious people too. 31-year-old David Powers of Los Angeles, disc jockey and band member and medical marijuana seller, hasn’t participated in church since he was in high school. But as a personal thing, during Lent he gives up his own marijuana use. He says, “Lent has been a great excuse for me to take a much-needed break from pot, and I have learned that I really don’t need it to get by. … I think that the idea of giving up something that you love, especially something that isn’t especially good for you, once a year, is a really good idea that everyone could benefit from.”[1]

David Powers’ approach – give up something you love for a while – is a popular approach. According to the ultimate source of truth on what’s happening in the world, Twitter, the #1 thing that people are giving up for Lent is chocolate. Fast food and junk food rank in the top ten also. Oh, and the #2 thing people are giving up, according to Twitter, is … Twitter.[2] So, well, maybe that’s not an entirely reliable source of truth then.

I don’t want to trivialize the habits of those who give up something for Lent in a serious-minded way as a part of a Christ-centered devotional focus. After all, as a very gospel-focused man once said, “Fasting and other outward preparations may serve a good purpose.”[3] But I do wonder if the whole concept of me giving up something for a while to try to be a better me is missing the point of what it means to live a life of faith.

What if instead of me giving up some small thing (like chocolate or junk food) for six weeks, the Lord asked me to give up my whole self for my whole life? What if living as a redeemed and reborn person in Christ meant, in my relationships with others, having “the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5)? That for you it means you “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” but instead you “value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you looking to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3,4)? That is, of course, exactly the sort of life Christ calls us to live as his people —

Christ, who himself came not to be served but to serve;
Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for many (cf. Mark 10:45);
Christ who, as the apostle Paul reminded us, “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).

My brothers and sisters, redeemed people of God in Christ, rescued from our own sinfulness and set free to live in love by the strength of Jesus’ love for us, we are called to give up ourselves, to give up our selfishness, to give up our me-first attitudes … and to do so not just for Lent but for all our days.

The apostle Paul talked about giving up ourselves—putting ourselves in second place in relationship to others—in regard to matters we refer to as adiaphora, matters where there is not one absolute way in which we must view things or do things. In “disputable matters,” as Paul termed them, the important thing is that we give up our own ambition to be always right or always in charge or always getting our way and live in love and consideration of one another.

These are selected verses from Paul’s letter to the Romans (14:1 thru 15:7):

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. …
For none of us lives for ourselves alone,and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. …
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. …
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. . We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” … May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

[1] Gabrielle Canon, Celebrating Lent: Why Non-Religious Millennials are Choosing to Sacrifice,” Southern California Public Radio (March 29, 2013). http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/03/29/36612/celebrating-lent-why-non-religious-millennials-are/

[2] http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/march/what-to-give-up-for-lent-2014-twitter-reveals-top-100-choic.html?paging=off

[3] Martin Luther, Small Catechism – “The Reception of Holy Communion”

Dec

2019

The Christian and cultural celebrations

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on December 30, 2014.

The holiday season is full of traditions. A lot of cultural traditions attach themselves to Christian holidays … and there are cultural holidays and traditions unconnected to Christian themes also. That’s true not only in the United States but in other countries as well.

This edition of The Electric Gospel comes from Joyce Christmas, who talks about one of the cultural traditions in her country — and the freedom Christians have to participate in cultural events in a wholesome way. We need not turn away from all things within our culture that are not themselves a part of the Christian tradition. We have freedom to enjoy life in our communities and display our “good behavior in Christ” for all to see (1 Peter 3:16).

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Christian Freedom

by Joycelyn Christmas

Every year in Antigua and Barbuda, the country celebrates a cultural event called Carnival. The historical idea behind this event is celebration of the abolition of slavery in the 1800s. It is said that upon emancipation, freed slaves took to the streets with pans and drums and celebrated by beating them and dancing freely and wildly. Nowadays, many islanders have come to the conclusion that Carnival has lost its true meaning and people use this time as an excuse to party and get drunk. Based on the society in Antigua, Christians are told not to go to Carnival celebrations. Some view participating in the steel pan music competition or Calypso competition as excessive revelling. They think that the Bible has an unwritten law which forbids people from dancing to cultural music or playing the steel pan to secular music. These people think that Carnival celebrations do not honour God and therefore are sinful.

How can people with this mindset say this is God’s word? The Bible does not say that a person must refrain from cultural celebrations. It is similar to the fact that the Bible does not tell us what we should eat. Instead, what the Bible informs us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). There are areas of our life where God has not given a command to do something; neither has he given a command that forbids us. Such areas are known as adiaphora. We are to exercise Christian freedom in our daily lives. People who do not understand the idea of adiaphora do not understand why we can go to watch the Carnival parade of people dressed up in colourful costumes dancing in rhythm to sweet soca music.

Essentially, the reason why we are able to participate in the celebration of our rich culture– namely, Carnival–is as a result of the ultimate freedom we have in Christ. Christ’s death on the cross did not only free us from the bondage of sin, death and the devil but it also freed us from the old covenant. As a matter of fact we were not even bound by the Old Testament cultural laws because they were intended for a different audience, namely the chosen nation of Israel. Christ came to fulfil the law in our place (Matthew 5: 17). Obedience to laws or rules does not make us righteous. Those who rely on a legalistic system by obeying laws or rules to win God’s favour are in for a rude awakening. The true law of God reminds us that we can never meet God’s demands. This does not imply that we are to disregard God’s will and do as we please. What it means is when we practice our Christian freedom we are to remember our justification and sanctification. A sanctified life will make decisions which bring glory to God.

In exercising our Christian freedom, we are to be open-minded in thinking about our neighbours and how our actions will affect them. We consider new converts and how weak their faith might be, so we proceed with care that we do not cause them to stumble in their faith. At the same time we explain the concept of Christian freedom to those who are ignorant of it. The purpose of this knowledge will give insights into God’s Word and steer people from making laws where there are none.

A Christian can participate in Carnival without going against God’s will. One might question such a statement as Carnival is often associated with revelry. Arguably, that is true for some people; but it is not so much as where you go but how you act or the manner in which you conduct yourself. How is a person bringing dishonour to God by going to listen to steel pan music or by being part of a steel pan group which plays cultural songs? When did God say that persons cannot celebrate their heritage? The situation is different if a person goes to Carnival and gets caught up in the drinking so much that they become consumed with alcohol. Although the Bible does not forbid drinking of alcohol we are reminded by Paul that we should not want to be “mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Excessive drinking leads to intoxication.

In matters of adiaphora, it also is the case that we think not only of ourselves but of those around us: “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say – but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12). We are considerate of our brothers and sisters in Christ because we do not want to create a stumbling block for them. So we limit the amount of alcohol consumed during festive activities and in that way honour Christ, who said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Basically, you can have a good time with some clean fun without bringing disgrace to God’s name. Indeed, you may well be shedding light on the way one truly lives in Christ and celebrates a cultural event in a proper way.

God help us to share the knowledge of the freedom we have in Christ—even freedom in our daily life activities—so that the society we live in can understand rather than make judgments about us.

Dec

2019

Three little words

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on December 2, 2014.

When we say, “I love you,” do we mean it? Karla Kehl offers some thought on that subject – with a focus on the consistent reliability of God’s love.

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I. Love. You.

by Karla Kehl

“I love you!” is a common phrase. How often have you heard this said? Many times, it seems we cannot say it enough to someone and other times we say it because we feel we have to, or merely to fill a moment of silence. Just think about the last time you said or heard, “I love you!” – a phrase that claims to say it all. What really was meant?

Let’s look at the phrase more closely. “I” is a simple enough word to understand. It tends to be the word we interject into our conversations even if the conversation isn’t about us. “I” becomes the subject we talk about the most, not necessarily because we are arrogant, but because we know the most about it. Other words, such as “me” and “my” are related and seem to stream out of our mouths more than all other words. Look at any story from a 10-year-old child. The writing will most likely begin every sentence with “I” in some way or form … and our perspective tends to stay that way as we age. When it comes right down to it, we are only concerned about number one: me.

Now let’s venture into the vast world of “love.” There are many kinds of love—agape (committed love), philia (brotherly love), eros (erotic love) , etc. Depending on the person we say the word “love” to, the meaning changes. But do we actually love the person? Many times we are tempted to think of our feelings when we think of people we love, not necessarily the person and their qualities. For instance, how many times has “I love your sense of humor,” or something similar, entered our conversations? What is the subject of that sentence? The subject is “I” and the verb is “love.” So really, we aren’t focused on the other person at all! Again, it’s all about number one and how that other person makes me feel. “I love your sense of humor” may well mean “I love that you make me laugh.”

And now let’s talk about “you.” Although the word “you” is used quite a bit in everyday language, it usually to refers to another person or group of people. Did you catch that? We are talking about people here. There is nothing more complex on the face of the earth than people. So it begs the question: When we say, “I love you,” are we saying we love the whole person and all the complexities and details we could possibly think of, even their faults?

The answer to all of these questions is simply: God is wonderful, humans are not. Jesus can say, “I love you” in perfection. You see, he is the subject of our lives and our salvation. When he says, “I,” he means it. After all, he is God, the ultimate number one. And God never minces words with “love.” If you could look at the Greek version of the New Testament, you’d discover that God has a specific purpose each time for the specific word for “love” that he chose to use.

As saved and redeemed children of our wonderful God, we are truly loved, even when we were dead in sin. And best of all, God loves all of us, our whole person, so much that in Christ he became human with us, lived a perfect life in our place, and then spread his arms out on the dreaded cross to die for us. And he rose again from death to claim the victory over sin, death, and especially the devil.

In the end, only God can say, “I love you” and truly mean it. This does not mean, however, that we should forget ever telling someone we love them or that we have to come up with a new phrase to tell people we love them. The beauty of the phrase is its simplicity—I’m not going to argue with that. It connects two people who really, truly love one another with only one word that says it all. Love is what connects people. The point is to think about what “I love you” really means and how much more powerful it is when our dear Lord says it to us as sinners … and how much more powerful our love for others is when the love of Christ is in our actions and words.

Because of the love of our gracious God, we will go to our heavenly home someday. How incredibly wonderful that will be! We can truly say God loves us and we love him!

Dec

2019

Heart, soul and mind

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on November 5, 2014.

This blog post is from a dear friend whose faith and passion I admire much … and yet she realizes how much she needs the passion of Christ in order to be passionate for Christ.

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Passion for Christ

by Danica Scharlemann

Think for a moment of something that you are passionate about. Perhaps it’s football–not only do you play, but you know the statistics of every NFL player and you know every rule to the game. You’ve joined every fantasy league you could. Every Sunday you are glued to the television; you never miss a game. You’re simply addicted to the sport. … Maybe your passion is cooking. The moment you open the kitchen pantry, you are taken to another world. You instinctually begin creating formulas for fresh, delectable recipes. … For me it’s piano. I’ve sat at the piano bench and lost myself for hours in the meditation of the sounds of each key. I wonder at the immeasurable amount of music that can be played with only 88 keys, 8 distinct notes, 10 agile fingers, 1 pianist.

Now, these are all great passions, wonderful blessings from our Lord, but think about how much time you dedicate to these hobbies. For some of us, they may consume our lives, at least for a season. During his years of ministry among us, Christ preached, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind” (cf. Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). Read that again, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind.” Have you ever done anything with all of your heart and soul and mind? God wants us to be passionate about him, loving him with every single part of us. If someone asked me to make a list of things I’m most passionate about, I doubt the first thing to come to my mind would be God. I would turn to things that interest or fascinate me, i.e. piano, math. I may mention my dedication to family and friends or loyalty to my place of employment. I don’t know how far down my list I’d have to write until I thought to mention God. Yet whenever I hear this passage, I simply brush it off as something that we are told time and time again, something that every Christian instinctually does. Yes, I go to church every Sunday. I’ve attended private Lutheran schools my whole life. For goodness sake, I attend a college that prepares people to be ministers! Yet none of those facts are any type of proof that I love my Lord with ALL my heart, ALL my soul, and ALL of my mind. It’s as if we try to keep our relationship with Christ separate from our daily interests when we need to be integrating him into every moment of our lives.

We will always fail when trying to love God with all of ourselves. No matter how much passion we feel for our Lord, it is never enough. Yet, when we had no love for Christ, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God felt so passionately for you, that he sent his Son to live perfectly and die gruesomely, just so that you may have life. This is the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He loves us with all of his heart, all of his soul, an all of his mind. His love for us is immeasurable–incomparable with anything that we have ever experienced.

Now I don’t expect you to leave after hearing this and become some type of born again Christian, speaking only Biblical truths and studying only your Bibles. But perhaps if we spent as much time studying God as we do the football games each Sunday, perhaps then we may grow in passion for our Lord. Perhaps then we won’t become stagnant in our studies of Scripture. Perhaps then we may begin to learn what it means to love our Lord with all of our hearts, all of our souls, and all of our minds … as Jesus fills us up more and more in our hearts, our souls, our minds.

Dec

2019

Judgment Day – books are opened

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on November 15, 2014.

I once was asked to deliver a chapel talk on a college campus concerning Judgment Day. This was the message I offered.

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Balancing our Books

by David Sellnow

All of us have a natural tendency to be bookkeepers. We think like accountants, keeping track of things. We keep track of every sort of statistic for our sports teams. We use pedometers to log how many steps a day we are walking. We monitor how many likes we have on Facebook or how many followers we have on Twitter.

You see the bookkeeping tendency already at a young age in children. They like to keep track of the chores they have accomplished, get check marks on their chore chart or even better, little stickers or stars. Little bookkeepers like to see their accounts growing.

I see the tendency in college students. If you’re a college student, you may count up every point you can get on every assignment that you’re assigned. And if an assignment is graded and the professor didn’t give you as many points as you wanted, you go up after class and talk to him and try to argue for more points. Or you email the prof and ask, “Did you dock me for such and such? Because I think I did such and such, or your instructions didn’t specifically tell me I had to do such and such.” Or maybe you don’t have the nerve to complain to your professors, but you gripe among your friends about the grades you get. “His grading is so unfair. I deserve more points.” Students are eager bookkeepers, wanting a gradebook full of points.

Benjamin Franklin was a bookkeeper. He kept books to chart his own good deeds each day.

In 1726, at the age of 20, Ben Franklin set this goal for himself: “I conceiv’d the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time.”

In order to accomplish his goal, Franklin developed and committed himself to a personal improvement program that consisted of living 13 virtues, things like industriousness and temperance and sincerity and moderation.

In order to keep track of his adherence to his listed virtues, Franklin carried around a small book of 13 charts. The charts consisted of a column for each day of the week and 13 rows marked with the first letter of his 13 virtues. Franklin evaluated himself at the end of each day. He placed a dot next to each virtue each had violated. His goal was to minimize the number of marks, thus indicating a “clean” life free of bad marks in his book.

Franklin admitted he never got the book completely clean. (He liked beer too much, and flirting with women, and other foibles.) But he said, “Tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, … yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been.”

[Information taken from ArtOfManliness.com.]

I don’t know how happy Ben Franklin was at the end of life when it was time for his final accounting before the Lord of all virtues. But it seems he didn’t rightly understand how the Lord keeps books in eternity. And while Ben Franklin was more meticulous than most about his bookkeeping, I’d say the way he thought about the bookkeeping process of his life is the way too many people think of the books of their lives. And that’s a problem.

The Bible section for today is a vision from Revelation that talks about books. It’s also the section of the Bible that the website Listverse.com, which bills itself as “the original top 10 site” on the web, lists as the #1 Most Horrifying Moment in the Bible.

This is Revelation 20:11-15 …

I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Being thrown into the lake of fire is indeed a horrifying thought. But let’s talk about those books. What are those books? What’s in those books? Everyone – whether great or small – has a book. When Judgment Day comes, “the dead are judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” Does that scare you? Have you done enough for your account book to be in passable condition?

Well, actually, you know what the Bible says about how much you have to do. You have to have a perfect book, a book that records flawless keeping of all God’s laws, impeccable and constant virtues. You can be as diligent as Ben Franklin and still your book comes up short of what it needs to be. So how can anyone be saved? Those who are saved are those whose names are found written in the book of life. If your name is in the book of life, the lake of fire poses no threat to you. Don’t be afraid, Jesus saves you.

You do have an account book with God in heaven. Think of it as a book that has two columns. One column is for credits to your account of virtue – all the good deeds you are expected to do in keeping with God’s commandments. The other column records your debits or sins – every time you have violated God’s commandments. When the books are opened in heaven, you need a book that has a completely clean record in the sin column – not a single sin standing against your name … and a completely full record in the righteousness column – that every opportunity you ever have in life to do the right thing, do a good deed, fulfill a commandment of God, you have done so.

Does anyone have a book like that? One person does. Only one person. One person who stood in our place and lived the life we ought to live, constantly and consistently obeying the Father’s will. One person who was “tempted in every way just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). One person has a record book with a completely clean, unstained column in regard to sin, not a single sin to list. One person has a record book with a completely perfect, full account of good deeds in the column marked for righteousness. Jesus Christ is the one person with a perfect book. But when we become connected to Jesus, when the Spirit of God, through the Word of God, brings us to trust in Jesus by faith, our names are written in the book of life. And for those whose names are written in the book of life, the book of Jesus’ life is credited to us also as the book of our lives – even though we didn’t do it, even though we didn’t deserve it, even though we haven’t lived it. We are granted all the credit of Jesus—all the goodness and righteousness of his life. We are forgiven of all the sins we have committed, on account of all that Jesus suffered in our place—even death on the cross under God’s horrible judgment. As one of Christ’s apostles summed it up for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). And so when our books are opened, they reveal these sorts of things: Jesus will say to us, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:35,36). We will wonder when we did all those things. But all that Jesus did will be already credited on our account. And on top of that, Jesus will say to those whose names are written in the book of life, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

So don’t fear the lake of fire. And don’t fear that when your book is opened on Judgment Day, you won’t have enough in it. You won’t need to beg the Father in heaven to give you more points because you didn’t fulfill his assignments well enough. You won’t be arguing that you didn’t understand his expectations and can he please just give you another chance. Believing in Jesus Christ, your name is written in the book of life. Believing in Jesus Christ, the book of your life that God opens on judgment day will show what Jesus has done for you and what you have done in Jesus. And all will be well.

Don’t be afraid. Jesus saves you.

Dec

2019

Facing the future with hope

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on November 20, 2014.

Emily Shank wrote the following message as a devotion project for a theology class with me. She offers worthy reminders for all people of faith in Christ.

Trusting in God

by Emily Shank

We all have times when we wish we had a crystal ball, something which will show us what our future holds, what the outcomes of certain decisions would be. There are times in our life when we face changes which seem quiet scary, when we are worried about things going wrong. There are also many things in life which are out of our control and make us feel anxious. Yet, the Bible promises us that we can find rest in trusting God. How can that become a reality though? It’s all very easy to say, but how do we manage to make it something we experience as an integral part of our Christian journey?

Uncertainty about our futures can be unsettling. I struggle when there seems to be a lot of uncertainty in my life. When my future holds a lot of unknowns. There are many things to be concerned and worried about. When I was younger I think I enjoyed new things and embraced the adventure of change. I wonder what has made me want more consistency in my life? I think it also has something to do with experiencing too much change over the last few years. Being in college you meet new people and possibly change how you present yourself and also change certain ideas about your future.

Trusting God is a fundamental aspect of our faith; we trust God to strengthen us during times of change. Trusting God brings comfort when we are facing situations out of our control which make us feel under pressure or anxious. Trusting God can bring us security, safety and rest.

God gives us his wonderful promise. “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…’” (Isaiah 30:15).

Look at the words “in quietness and trust is your strength.” There have been times when panic and stress have been more the emotions that I have felt. So, how do we know rest from trusting God no matter what life may throw at us?

Trusting God comes from knowing him and spending time with him.

Moses said to the Lord: “Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in your sight, let me know your ways that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight. Consider too, that this nation is your people.” And the Lord said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:13-14).

Knowing God and knowing his presence with us through everything we face helps us in trusting him. We cannot know our future; we do not know what the outcome of the decisions we make in life will be; we will face change, trials and uncertainty. Through it all, one thing remains constant – God’s presence going with us. As we take time to know God and spend time drawing near to his presence, we find it easier to trust him and find rest.

Trusting God comes from understanding our future and hope in him.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

We will face hard times in life. There will be pain and difficulty, suffering and trial. However, God has a plan for us. A plan which gives us a future and a hope. We have an amazing promise of knowing our loving, wonderful Father God and above all things we can take joy, comfort and peace from this amazing, blessed relationship. No matter what we face in life we can be assured that we will spend eternity with him and that through the cross and resurrection of Jesus nothing can defeat us.

Trusting God comes from seeking God in His Word, through the counsel of others, and prayer.

God’s Word can provide us with so much comfort, strength and peace. The more we read it the more we understand who God is, his almighty sovereignty and his amazing power. He is faithful, full of love and completely just – our trust in him grows the more we read and understand the wonderful truths contained in His Word.

The support of other Christians also serves to strengthen us when we are struggling with the weight of worry and anxiety. We can grow in strength from their prayers, comfort and words. God’s presence is available to us through the Christians we have to lean on.

Trusting God, we go to him in prayer. Whatever is worrying us, whatever uncertainty there is in our life, whatever causes us fear can be given to God in prayer. We won’t necessarily know answers but we will know peace and rest, having the knowledge that we can trust in his presence.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help to come to you with our daily struggles and to put our doubts and uncertainties to rest. Please help us trust in you completely by staying close to your Word, coming to you in prayer, and going to other Christians for guidance. In your name we pray. Amen.

Dec

2019

What the Spirit produces in us

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on October 3, 2014.

This post is a creed of sorts, a personal confession. Rachel Nitz offers thoughts in creedal style concerning what the Spirit of God brings about in our hearts and lives.

******************

Fruits of the Spirit

by Rachel Nitz

From the moment we received faith from the Holy Spirit through God’s Word,
he began working a transformation in our corrupt hearts.
We have been set free
and by the Spirit we receive these graces to serve one another:
Love, first for God and in turn for every person on this earth,
following the example of Christ’s perfect, selfless love for us;
Joy overflowing in our daily lives, through both happiness and hardship,
that those who observe us will see the impact of Christ’s sacrifice for us;
Peace based on the knowledge that nothing can separate us from God’s love
and that all earthly trials serve God’s good purpose;
Patience with the sinful natures of ourselves and others
not out of tolerance, but out of a desire that they, too, be transformed;
Kindness displayed through words and, more importantly,
our actions toward all people, including those who hate us;
Goodness to overcome evil in this sinful world,
and stemming from the ultimate good, who is our God;
Faithfulness to the words of the Bible and commands of our Lord,
strengthened by prayer and frequent study of the Word;
Gentleness, not giving in to selfish anger or violence,
but consciously submitting to the will of our Father;
And self-control, rejecting the sinful nature and all its desires
by living in a way that is unnatural to us
because we are looking forward to a greater hope:
becoming like Christ by the power of the Spirit.

Dec

2019

Protection from spiritual attacks

Originally published on The Electric Gospel on September 19, 2014 – an original poem by Brooke King.

Demons
by Brooke King

I need you now more than ever as my demons linger near
the familiar smell of recognition, that smell that death is near
recounting all those moments I sat upon his legs
shaken now and barely breathing, my soul for you it begs
take away these memories that haunt me in the day
the dread they bring, the pain it stings, they just won’t go away
wipe the tears that satiate each demonic tongue
take away their salty surplus and dry up every one

Hear me when I cry to you, do not turn your ear
bend down your gracious arm to me and pull me ever nearer
nestle me in your chest, a mere human in the dregs
curl me up in your arms, nestled like an egg
soothe me with your promises that you’ll forever stay
listen gingerly to me and answer when I pray
a second chance for life renewed, love on the horizon
let this be the moment when my life has just begun

In you my heart will not tremble, no longer does it fear
precious in your hands I am, one most treasured, dear
on firm ground you gently place me, stronger on my own
knowing with each step I take your hand will guide me on
keep me close by your side, along the narrow way
with you here beside me on this path, I will never stray
seeing only the light, the way, the truth, the Son
freely I can enjoy the grace because of what he’s done

So keep my focus on the horizon, never looking back
silence all my daunting demons, send them where you lack
loosen their unforgiving grip, their voices, on they groan
picking at my fragile heart, unthreading what’s been sewn
Nevermore will they linger while you are by my side
No, in fear they will surely tremble, despising you, they’ll hide
Keeping me in your comfort, an unmerited love and grace
Lord how blessed I surely am to linger in your embrace

Nurturing Growth

A letter to someone who is suffering

Giving up ourselves for others

Christian Freedom

I. Love. You.

Passion for Christ

Balancing our Books

Trusting in God

Fruits of the Spirit

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