Author: Jacquelin Stoner

Jacqui is a writer, teacher, life coach, and an encourager. She walks alongside of individuals who need help navigating to the better place God has envisioned for their lives. She has discovered that God is central to genuine lasting life change.

MELTDOWN AT THE CHICK-FIL-A

In front of the store with friendly people, I was angrily berating my husband for not having any alternative plan.

If my watch pedometer is correct, that Saturday I walked 7.5 miles in New York City. No, I was not training for a marathon (unless there is a marathon for stupidity). The bus dropped us passengers off for three hours of free time before seeing a Broadway Show. Our group quickly scattered in different directions. The fly in the ointment is that my husband and I had made no plans for where we would spend our free time.

LOOPING AROUND THE TWIGHT LIGHT ZONE

And so, we found ourselves exhausted from wandering in what seemed like a Twight Zone episode, as we looped repeatedly around the area near Rockefeller Center. It may have also been a scene from the movie Ground Hog Day. I am not particularly good at following Google Directions when it is in walking mode. The constant stepping wreaked havoc on the inflammation I have in my back. My fuse became shorter and shorter as my husband offered well intended suggestions. Do you know in downtown New York City it is rare to discover places to sit down, unless you are paying a fortune for a decent restaurant?

IT ALL CAME TO A HEAD AT CHICK-FIL-A

Ironically, it all came to a head in front of a Chick-Fil-A. That is when it dawned on my husband that where he wanted to go (Macy’s) was a good ten blocks further. He had missed my earlier words specifying how far it was. And so, next to the store that stands for great values, I was angrily berating my husband for not hearing my previous explanation and not having any alternative plan.

MY BODY IS FAILING

My body is failing as I age. Recently I had a series of infusions for a back inflammation which does not seem inclined to clear up any time soon. I do not behave well during stress when my pain level is at a ten. As you read this, I am sure you have already picked up on that point.

SLOW TO GET ANGRY???

And what does the Bible say about all this? “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19). However, I chose to go in the opposite direction. I wanted to sprint towards angry words and remain slow as molasses in listening. No way did I want to place a filter over my mouth.

NOT HURRYING TO OBEY

David’s words of Psalm 119:60 were ignored: “I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.” Even though my feet were moving slower and slower due back pain, my spiritual heart ran full tilt against God’s instructions. I wanted my husband to hear me loud and clear, even though God was emphasizing to me that duct tape over my mouth would be a much better behavior plan.

QUICK TO LISTEN…SLOW TO SPEAK

So, the day after, are we still married? Yes. Is my back still screaming? Yes. Do I wish I could take back every word that came out of my mouth in front of Chick-Fil-A? Yes!!!!! Lord, please ingrain in my heart, no matter the circumstances, to “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” Also, thank You God for a forgiving husband.

Click to listen to the story of Eric Ludy

HOW ELLIE LEARNED “TO REMAIN”

She remembers the intersection, but her mind totally blocked out the collision. Her next memory is waking up in the ambulance.

In John 15:1-8, Whenever Jesus repeats a word, it isn’t because He likes how it rolls around on His tongue; it’s because the word is vital. In the Amplified Version, the word “remain” is repeated eight times. Remain means “to dwell”; to consistently live in the same place. To remain in the Vine of Jesus Christ means that we live and breathe daily in Him. We don’t wander off on our own, occupied with our personal plans, worries, and thoughts. God doesn’t plan for us to be the broken branches withering on the ground because we have lost our roots in Him.

THE BREATHING ROOM SHE DESPERATELY DESIRED

Let me tell you about Ellie (name changed for privacy). She was so excited. After months of pulling mandatory 70-hour work weeks, she finally had a week off. This first day was the breathing room she desperately desired. A break to regroup, contemplate and catch up on her first loves of reading and creative writing. Her early morning trip to fulfil multiple errands on that fateful day was short-lived.

GOD EXTENED HER BREATHING ROOM WITH A TRUCK

God thought Ellie needed extended breathing room. While at an intersection, a work truck pulling a full trailer of hay t-boned Ellie on the driver’s side. He had blown through the red light. Ellie remembers the intersection, but her mind totally blocked out the collision. Her next memory is waking up in the ambulance.

LIVING IN SURVIVAL MODE

In previous conversations with Ellie, we discussed her work schedule, her feelings of isolation, and the amount of time she spent worrying about God’s provision. Unknowingly, she drifted further and further from being rooted in “The Vine” as repeatedly mentioned in this passage. Her schedule was in survival mode: going to work, returning home to greet her cats, a brief meal, then crashing from exhaustion. The next morning, she would repeat the same cycle. This is how she remained before the accident.

LIVING ON “THE SHELF”

What currently bothers Ellie the most is she has lost her “mojo,” her constant busyness. For all her adult life, she has worked, worked and then worked some more. She came from poverty and dysfunction. Her heart extends as far as the ocean as she cares for her clients with disabilities. Doesn’t God understand her clients need her? Why has He placed her on the shelf?

RELEARNING “TO ABIDE”

On God’s chosen shelf, she is relearning what it means to simply abide in Christ. Work is set aside, plans are put away, and Christ sits next to her in her living room. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart] … My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.

SHE WAITS AT THE STOP SIGN

I thank God every day that He spared Ellie’s life. In my eyes, she is a star that lights up a room, displaying God’s redemption in all its glory. Right now, Ellie waits at the stop sign God has placed in her path. Her heart hates waiting as she waits and waits some more. There are so many questions, but God repeats, “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11) The crash is just a blip in God’s good plans for Ellie’s eternity as Ellie relearns what it means “to remain”.

RELEARN WHAT IT MEANS “TO REMAIN”

Have you wandered away from The Vine with your roots in Him becoming weaker and weaker? Maybe you have crashed to the ground; no fruit to be seen. I urge you to stop, evaluate, and put on pause your busyness of life. Relearn what it means “to remain.”

Click to hear about waiting from Ruth Chou-Simons

THE BIG PINK BOW

In my desire to escape the world’s escapades, I have spent more and more time zoning out by watching TV

About 8 feet away from where I sit is a large flat TV screen. Turn it on and I can travel the globe, listen to news (or fake news), hear documentaries, and watch my favorite crime dramas. Yes, I confess to being a crime show junkie. However, God has recently reminded me that in my desire to escape the world’s escapades of the past year, I have spent more and more time zoning out by watching TV. It helps me tune out my fears and worries.

WHAT I GAVE TO GOD

My beloved TV now has a new addition, a large pink bow. After yet another night of binging on a crime drama (and this one had a rather depressing conclusion), I decided to give God a present: the TV. God showed me I had compartmentalized my life into what belonged to God and what belonged to me.

WHERE JESUS PLACED HIS WILL

John 6:35-51 tells us a lot of things about the will of God. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” Christ had much greater things to be concerned about regarding His future (especially since He already knew about the cross), yet He placed His will into His Father’s. Why can’t I do the same?

GOD’S WILL CAN BE TRUSTED

Notice the repetition of the word “will” in this passage. God makes a big deal out of it. “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” Jesus never says, “Sorry, the reservation list is too full, and I have already filled the quota of older women.”  So, to all of you fellow older women out there, this is a good thing. Unlike how the world often forgets us, Jesus never does. God’s will can be trusted.

WE ARE NEVER LOST IN THE HERD

The second wonder use is, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” God is never going to say, “Oops, I think she was somewhere around here, but I lost track of her.” God never loses us in the herd of humanity. He knows & remembers who He will raise up on the last day.

GOING 100% WITH GOD’S WILL

Then Jesus nails it with, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”  This isn’t the timid, ineffectual belief of those who look at Jesus and say, “Hey, Jesus deserves kudos for his place in history”. Instead, there exists the total devoted commitment of those who declare, “I am a sinner; Jesus totally paid my debt (both backwards, present, and forwards).” The genuine believer arrives at the conclusion, “Whatever is the Father’s will and plan for my salvation, I am totally going with it 100%. Jesus believed this, and that’s the final word.”

HOW TO DRAW CLOSER TO HIM

Hmm, so how does this play out? My TV, finances, plan, relationships, and viewpoint of humanity are His 100%. That significant pink bow on my TV designates a choice. I want engagement with what fits within His parameters. In this way, I draw closer to Him.

Jesus’ mantra was, “I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). Jesus wrapped His will up in a big bow and gave it to God. Will you do the same?

Click to listen to the testimony of Anna Chatelain

THE TRUTHTELLER’S DESK

So many emotions swirled around in my head. The neighbors heard me as I ran my electric sander on the back porch by the hour.

I check out when triggered. Often, I bury myself in work. This past Election Day triggered me. So many emotions swirled around in my head. The neighbors heard me as I ran my electric sander on the back porch by the hour. I worked non-stop refinishing a piece of furniture. Usually, I spend at least an entire week on a project like that. That was not the case this time as I sanded and prayed by the hour.

SEASON OF LOSS

Physical work helps me not to think about all I have lost the past few years. The pain can be agonizing. I’ve lost friends because I dare to believe in the sanctity of life; lost friends who have developed a very short fuse (so I avoid them) due to the upheaval in our country. And there are those who think I’m a moron for still believing God’s Word is true. You get the point. It’s been a season of loss.

POPULARITY IS NOT GOD’S GAME PLAN

This hurts. I value relationships and people and of course I like it when people think well of me. Apparently being popular was never God’s game plan for me.

THE ROCK AND THE HARD PLACE

It’s hard because I’m caught between a Rock and a hard place. God is the Rock and relationships can be the hard place. How can I be a truth teller when no matter how gently I speak the words, someone gets upset with what God says?

GOD HEARS MY WORKING PRAYERS

On the other hand, I know I will explode if I disobey God and keep silent when He asks me to speak or obey Him in behavior. And so I go to my back porch, and work by the hour, and pray by the minute.

My work resulted in a lovely desk. God hears my working prayers.

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his Word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! (Jeremiah 20:9)

Listen to the story of Lee Strobel

BORN ON PLANET PLUTO, AND OTHER LIES

My son had convinced his entire class he was born on Pluto

“Do you know that Noah has the entire class convinced he was born on the planet Pluto?” An aspiring 2nd grader and accomplished liar, my youngest son told this whopper regarding his birth to his classmates. His teacher told me Noah’s “origin story.” I despaired about Noah, wondering if his future would be as a conman. Was Noah so self-deceived that he would swear on a stack of Bibles he was born on Pluto?

SELF DECEPTION IS A CANCER

The power of self-deception is horrible. For example, the individual who swears to you they don’t have a drug problem, but you can see the needle tracks all over their arms. Self-deception reigns throughout society. I remember standing in a church parking lot listening to a family screaming at each other (with the car windows up) and then they exited their car. They proceeded to walk toward the church, wishing me a lovely day with smiles pasted on their faces. Minutes before, I heard the horrible names they called each other. Self-deception is a cancer and the Temple leaders in this Gospel account are full of it in John 8:33-58.

SLAVES TO SIN

Earlier in this confrontation, the Temple leaders declared their holy parentage, descendants of Abraham. Yet Jesus says they are slaves to sin. Doesn’t a slave desire more than anything to be made free? However, they do not want freedom offered by Christ, they just want life to continue with the prestige of being in charge of their religious community. They think they have the inside track with God. They are so self-deceived they cannot see the truth standing before them.

LIES FROM HELL

“Who do you make yourself out to be?” the men scream at Jesus. Picture a brilliant sunset in the background while the Jews angrily surround Jesus. They accuse the Creator of Heaven and earth, the Creator of the sunset, of being demon possessed. Out of their mouths fly lies from the pit of hell.

HE CALLS A SPADE A SPADE

No one likes to be stripped and exposed. We would rather tell lies about ourselves than admit how sinful, broken, and needy we are. Yet, Jesus calls a spade a spade. He doesn’t mince words. To His accusers He says, “Yet you do not know Him [God] but I know Him fully.”  

THE “I AM”

The Teacher ties up this confrontation by offering a beautiful present. He is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Jesus tells the mob He is the “I Am.” These are the same words that God used to describe Himself when He met Moses at the burning bush. (Exodus 3:1-15). Jesus is God.

RIPPING OFF THE BAND-AID OF RELIGION

This so infuriates His accusers, that they pick up stones to murder the Christ. They think that by silencing the “problem,” there would be no problem. But we know the rest of the story. The One who they murdered rose from the dead and millions and millions have come to know Him. Jesus has ripped off the band-aid of religion and uncovered the layers of self-deceit.

DO YOU WANT TO BE FREE?

By letting His truth change you, then you can be made truly free. Do you want to be free? Then begin living letting The Word radically change your life. Hebrews 4:12-14 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”

Let Jesus expose the Truth. Don’t be self-deceived.

Click to listen to Megan Donahue’s story of being set free to the Truth

AN INVITATION FOR WOMEN TO PRAY

Stop complaining and start praying

This is your invitation to pray this coming Monday night at 6:30. Whether you attend in person or pray elsewhere with friends, below is a prayer guide which may be helpful. 

For those of you who can attend in person, we are meeting at Grace Community Church, Willow Street, PA. The entrance to use is the Christian Education Wing entrance (back left hand side of the church – you will see my red Kia parked near the door). Go through the doors, take elevator to the 2nd floor and we will be meeting in the 2nd floor lobby area. If we need more room, we will migrate elsewhere in the church building.

PRAYING FOR THE NATION

THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE JOY OF CHRIST

Praying for unbelievers to be saved. 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

    Praying for a national spiritual awakening. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Ask God to send revival to America’s churches beginning with GCC, and cry out to God and ask Him to awaken people across the nation to their sin and their need for salvation in Christ.

    UNITY IN THE GLOBAL CHURCH

     Praying for the unity of the Church. John 17:20-23 : “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Ask God for a fresh work of love, humility, and gentleness to invade and consume His people and His churches in our nation.

    FAMILIES

    Praying for families. Joshua 24:15: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Ask God’s forgiveness for the ways our nation has not honored God’s plan for marriage, sexuality, and family life.  Pray for the sanctity of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.  Pray that children will be raised in healthy homes where they will be nurtured in Christ.

    SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

    Praying for the sanctity of life beginning at conception. Psalm 139:13-16: “For you formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth; Your eyes saw my unformed body; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 82:3-4 “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Ask for forgiveness on behalf of our nation for the millions of children who are aborted.  Seek God for a culture of life to be established in our families, schools, churches, and governing bodies.

    THOSE WHO SERVE

    Praying for law enforcement and military. Romans 13:1-5 : “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.

    Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”

    Pray for safety, protection, and wisdom for our law enforcement officers and our military.  Included praying for their families.  Ask for the salvation of these men and women.  Pray for a change of heart, that American citizens would honor those who are called to protect and serve in these ways.

    LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS

    Praying for local and national government leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1-2: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” Pray that our leaders at every level of government would humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from sin.  Ask God to use these leaders to be part of the healing of our nation.  Commit the upcoming presidential election to the Lord and ask that His will would be done.  Pray for a safe and peaceful election day and the days thereafter.

    GODLY ATTITUDE REGARDING ALL

    Praying that we will be vigilant in prayer and maintain a godly attitude regardless of the results of the elections. I Peter 2:13-17: Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves. 17 Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king [or president].

    WHO DO YOU TRUST?

    When I worry, it’s because I know that God’s ruling the world, but I’m afraid he’s not going to get it right.

    Have you read the headlines lately? It is so easy to get caught up in speculation and worse case scenarios. That’s exactly the road the Israelites were traveling during the end of Samuel’s life. As Tim Keller writes, the Israelites “saw the news but not the Savior”.  

    TOUGH TIMES FOR A NATION

    I Samuel 8:1-22 tells us about a difficult time for a nation. They trusted Samuel, but he was coming to the end of being their leader, their priest, their pastor. His sons were moral failures and could not be trusted to take up the reigns. We read that the elders of Israel look around, review their conditions, and after observing the surrounding nations, they come up with their own solution. Their actions demonstrate they believe God is unreliable regarding leadership, so it is up to them to find an earthly king to rule them and protect them. They forget that God still rules the world, no matter what fears we possess.

    WHAT IF GOD DOESN’T “GET IT RIGHT”?

    Tim Keller wrote: “When I worry, it’s because I know that God’s ruling the world, but I’m afraid he’s not going to get it right. Worry is always a deep sense in the human heart that we know better than God how life ought to go and that we should be ruling the world instead of God.” And so, the Jewish leaders assume it was time to step in and “lend God a hand”. They demand of Samuel, “Give us a king to judge and rule over us.”

    REJECTING GOD’S BEST

    Samuel is extremely distressed in the chain of events. God tells Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them.” Wow! That should have stopped the Israelites in their tracks, but it didn’t. “They have abandoned (rejected) Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. So now listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.”

    GOD GAVE THEM WHAT THEY WANTED

    Samuel gives them what they ask for. David Guzik writes: “Because Israel demanded a king for bad and carnally minded reasons, God will give them a bad and carnally minded king. In itself, the desire to have a king was not bad. God knew one day Israel would have a king. 400 years before this God gave instructions to Israel about their future king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). A king was in God’s plan for Israel. Yet, the reason Israel wanted a king was wrong. To be ‘like all the nations’ is no reason at all.”

    KING #1

    Because of their lack of trust. Israel ends up with King #1: Saul, who is tall, handsome and impressive. Saul is also a coward, selfish, a liar, and mentally unstable. If the Israelites had just waited on God, they would have received David as King #1, the man who followed after God’s own heart. But, they demanded, and demanded, and God gave them what they asked for.

    A HOLY NATION

    God’s goal for Israel was “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6) 

    SETTLING FOR LESS

    The Israelites settled for much less than God’s wonderful plan because they just wanted to look like every else. Is your heart’s desire to just be like everyone else? Are you asking God with bended knee, willing to wait for Him and for what glorifies Him, no matter how He accomplishes that goal? The Israelites in their haste ignored God and received exactly what their miniscule hearts asked for: an inept and miniscule king because they saw the news but not the Savior.

    Click to read Tim Keller’s “The disciplines of distress”

    HE NEVER SLUMBERS

    Maybe, God had my phone die for one purpose – to write this blog.

    Suddenly it died. It wasn’t a slow excruciating death. One moment it was there and the next, it wasn’t. Of course, I immediately went to Google to look up all possible solutions. One You Tube contributor suggested placing it in a Ziploc bag for an hour. Yup, I tried it. However, what is dead is dead.

    By the way, hopefully you already realized I’m not referring to my husband. He definitely would not fit into a Ziploc bag. The dead item is my cell phone. Right now, I’m looking at it across the room and it still remains one of the departed.

    A great deal of my life is played out on my phone: messages to doctors, appointment reminders, phone calls from people in crisis, and even the constantly changing code to allow me access to a publishing site I use weekly. You name it; I need my phone. I can’t even get into Costco without my phone’s bar code. Only God knows where the original plastic membership card resides.

    That afternoon, after all the drama of the previous night, I said to my husband Bill (the one who still is not in a Ziploc bag), “I can’t understand why I’m still so upset about my phone. Yes, it’s a pain I won’t have a replacement until sometime next week, but after all, a phone is just a phone.”

    The day before the phone’s demise, I read, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills [of Jerusalem]—From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly].” (Psalm 121:1-4)

    God was not slumbering or sleeping when my phone died. He also decided not to resurrect it when I was still working on it at 1 AM the following night. Maybe, God had my phone die for one purpose – to write this blog. Can I trust God with all those obligations, worries, and imaginations of everything that might go wrong due to my black screen?

    What has you so upset lately? Maybe it’s major or minor, but it is taking up a lot of your head and heart space. It’s got your goat, and you are having a hard time letting go of it. I hear you!  Tenacity is one of my strongest traits and I lost hours of sleep due to that dead object sitting on my table.

    In times like this, I love to repeat this prayer of the Puritans: “May I always feel my need of You. Let your restored joy be my strength.” (Valley of Vision, page 107) I definitely felt my need of God the night when the phone crashed. The need still existed as I tried to toggle together communications with others minus my phone. Presently I am still struggling as I am trying to publish online the church’s devotional (minus the Authenticator Code which only comes via my phone). However, God is not slumbering nor sleeping. “My helps comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

    Does your God slumber and sleep? You do not have to wake Him up, but you do need to run to Him. You don’t even need a working phone to do so!

    Listen to the story of Lee Strobel

    NEWS FLASH: GOVERNMENT CANNOT SAVE

    I wish November 4th would come and go.

    I wish November 4th would come and go. Millions of dollars are being spent daily on advertising. Take a drive down the road and view the hundreds of political lawn signs. Often neighbors have their signs positioned to show off their candidates. Tempers flash at a moment’s notice. This has not been a pleasant season.

    ANOTHER TIME OF UPHEAVAL

    Serious conflict is nothing new. Historically, people can be extremely nasty. “A man’s enemies are the men (members) of his own household.” (Micah 7:6) The prophet Micah made this observation over 700 years before the birth of Christ. They did not have lawn signs advertising politicians in Micah’s time, but it was a period of extreme upheaval and political unrest.

    WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TRUST?

    What does God want us to do with all the nasty media posts, the advertisements, or neighbors fighting neighbors? He asks us to make a decision: “Who are you going to trust during this season?”

    GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE SAVIOR

    I realize that government is not the savior of the world. Hopefully it is not a shock to you, but trusting the mortal powers that be, no matter where you lean politically, is futile. Leadership is made up of both wise and unwise people. It runs the spectrum. Some individuals are kind; some are nasty. Many people in government have a moral compass; many people in government lack a moral compass. It is a fallen world, and we are brilliant at displaying how fallen we are.

    I WILL WAIT WITH CONFIDENT EXPECTATION

    The prophet Micah writes from a time of disarray in both his country and government (there is nothing new under the sun). What did he do? He made a conscious decision: “But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch; I will wait [with confident expectation] for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

    NO GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE A NEW HEART

    No matter where you reside in the world; whether under the most oppressive corrupt regime or someplace that presently does not seem so bad, don’t put your faith in government to change the hearts of people. Rules and regulations made by government cannot change what is going on inside of individuals.  Only Jesus can make a new heart which is both forgiven and changed.

    WHO IS THE SAVIOR?

    “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7) Who is the Savior? Definitely not government.

    Recently remote mountainous areas of North Carolina were destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Who appeared first with boots on the ground? It was neighbor taking care of neighbor. It was non-profit organizations like Samaritan’s Purse. The neighbors and the volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse served freely and with compassion. “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Governments can’t save. Neither can any political candidate. Only Christ can.

    Listen to: “Don’t settle for a small worldview with Michael Craven”.

    THE DAY THEY BOUNCED MY MOM

    Then he added the catch to the job offer:  I would have to tell my mom she could no longer be in the church choir.

    I was 16 years old and had been a regular in playing the pipe organ at our local church.  I distinctly remember the phone call I received from the head of the Elder Board.  He dangled before me the carrot of becoming the paid church organist and then he added the catch:  I would have to tell my mom she could no longer be in the church choir. 

    NOT A DEAL GENERATED IN HEAVEN

    This was definitely not a deal generated in heaven.  My mom was fairly scary and there was large conflict in the choir, so the predicament they placed me in was born of the fears of adult men in leadership.  These were professing believers who thought that by their own wits they could solve their dilemma.  They did what came naturally and it definitely was not from the heart of the Holy Spirit.

    A TEMPORARY FIX, BUT NOT A HOLY SOLUTION

    That’s exactly what James 4 talks about; professing believers resorting to ungodly means to achieve their desires.  Schemes and behaviors cooked up by people who are not bringing their problem before the Throne of God.  They didn’t realize that natural means aren’t effective weapons in spiritual warfare; they may give a temporary fix, but are not a holy solution.

    THE MEANS DOESN’T JUSTIFY THE ENDS

    James 4:1-12 uses some sharp words to describe the behaviors of his reading audience.  If you read the Amplified Version, he uses terms such as: “hedonistic desires, jealousy, coveting, lust, murder, envy, unanswered prayer, selfishness, flirting with the world, pride, slander, and judging each other”.  It sounds like a bad soap opera where individuals are doing whatever they want in order to get whatever they want.  That’s what happens when God followers resort to their own devices.

    LET GOD WORK HIS WILL IN YOU

    Maybe you have your own church conflict story?  If you do, then what is the solution so that you don’t resort to the identical behavior that sent you into a tailspin?  I love the paraphrase from The Message for James 4:7-10 “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

    HIGH FIVES IN HEAVEN

    How would your world change if the next time you wanted something, you laid it all out before the feet of God and examined it through God’s eyes?  What would happen if you prayed, “God, no matter how hard it is, I want to obey You.  Please give me the courage and strength to behave in an honorable way before You so that the angels are giving high fives in heaven.” 

    I don’t think you would be pressuring a 16-year-old girl with a scheme to bounce her mom off the church choir.  “The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” No bouncing allowed!

    Listen to the story of Toni McFadden