Entertaining God-Questions

Ok, so the family of Reverend Billy Graham is revered. (I meant to say that.) They can do no wrong, and so why pay attention? I attended a Sunday School class tought by Anne Graham Lotz at a big church once. The class was bigger than most churches I’ve been a member of! Crowds around the door, etc. She was tall, tan, attractive, famous, with an unnecessarily short hemline I recall. I thought, oh well, another famous Bible teacher, saying simple things.

BUT, to my shock, last night she was a guest of Alan Colmes, one of Fox’s favorite liberal commentators. I couldn’t resist staying up. Her segment began around 10:30 EST, so this was past my bedtime. But it was worth it in so many ways. The interaction between Lotz and Colmes was really neat to hear- he an “unreligious Jew” and she a Graham child. (I meant to say that.)

She articulated a very clear testimony, which included one of the best summaries of anything I’ve ever heard summarized. Her words ring through my soul today over and over…”I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He spoke the truth.”

“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He spoke the truth.” Woah, gee. That is loaded with implications if anything is. This type of sentence cuts through distractions, trivialities, civil religion, religiousity, man-centeredness, etc. Jesus’ identity and teachings are inextricably linked- and this summary statement links them very very well.

“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He spoke the truth.” Wow. The sentence also begs the question, “So what are you going to do about it?”

PAR leadership training teaches that a strong statement of belief is the starting point for negotiations. If we are to persuade, to influence, then we need to have a firm starting position statement, a kind of summary in our soul of our identity, of our teaching. I wasn’t really looking for one, but this statement of Lotz rings so well and is so suited for this purpose that I doubt I will forget it.

“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He spoke the truth.”

Thanks, Mrs. Lotz. Oh yeah, thanks Alan Colmes for having her on your show.

With so much craziness in the news that we can do little about this morning, I offer a gift I received yesterday.  Join me for some simple timeless lessons from King Jotham…

We pick up our story in 2 Chronicles 27, a short little chapter devoted to describing this ancient ruler. We get a sketch of his chronology, and a few big deeds. He was 25 years old when he became King, and ruled 16 years. He was the son of King Uzziah (of Isaiah fame) and Jerushah the daughter of someone named Zadok. It could be that she was a decendant of Zadok the famous priest from King David’s era.

What would it be like to become a king at age 25? We realize that in those days 25 wasn’t quite the same adolescent age it is today. There are many around here at age 25 who have still never had a job, or mopped a floor. I suppose it was more like middle age then. Being raised in the royal household among many siblings is bound to make the kingship easier, but I have to wonder if the mention of Jerushah gives us a hint that his mother had a lot to do with his character and subsequent success as King. If this is the case, we can pause here and remember those who have helped us, who have been big influences on us (for good or bad), who are our family, our loved ones. If we can count such people, we can consider ourselves blessed today. These are things we must remember on days when distraction pulls us in other directions.

The Chronicler declares the thing all the kings want to hear about themselves, “He did right in the eyes of the Lord.” This is a big deal to be sure, since we have horrible stories about the kings and their errant ways, of how they seemed to want to fit in closely with the neighboring kindoms more than they wanted to be faithful to the character of their own people and land. Jotham was an exception.

One important note that the Chronicler wants to make clear is that Jotham did not assume any priestly functions. Uzziah his father had gone into the Temple to burn inscense in his zeal for God.  He got angry with the priests, and he met a bitter end because of this impertenance. Jotham was more careful, and learned from what he saw in his father. He was able to carry the good things with him, and let the mistakes remain in the past.

We often find ourselves repeating the mistakes of the past. We don’t learn well enough from the errors we’ve seen others make, or those we ourselves make.  The Uzziah incedent would have been a huge looming burden for Jotham, but somehow he rose above this horrible event. He didn’t let it take him down a road of revenge, bitterness, nor did he try to “outdo” his father’s piety. In fact, we see in Jotham a sense of focus and agility in political things, but not in religious things.

The Chronicler tells us that idolatry still remained in Judah, and the people “continued acting corruptly.” In spite of Jotham’s successes with the Ammonites and the wealth that came because of it, the people did not repent or return to God in faith. Material success did not lead to spiritual health.

On days like this, when there are disturbing headlines, we are tempted to live vicariously. We imagine that our lives are part of what we see on the news. We know that ubiquitous technology brings more into our lives than ever before, and things far away seem so important, when they might be less so. Jotham couldn’t personally control all the people, he couldn’t have faith for them, he couldn’t beat them in line. The people couldn’t “catch faith” from Jotham. No one could appreciate the blessing of God on their behalf. They were free in their own consciences to take God’s gifts and worship by faith the One who was truly their king. Or not.

It is striking to see the contrast between the spiritual, military and political (Kingly) success of Jotham, and the idolatry of the people, the corruption of Judah.  The Chronicler wants to make us see this, so they’ve put in another summary statement that reveals the whole story- Jotham was mightly as King (and deserving of a place in Judah’s religious writing/heritage) BECAUSE he “ordered his ways before the Lord His God.”

I’ll try to make it simple for myself: Ordering his ways is another way to say that Jotham “lived carefully or thoughtfully.” This Hebrew root has a wide variety of meaning, all positive, all pointing to thoughtful and serious living.

Jotham wasn’t slogging through live, watching TV. He wasn’t thrown off course by shootings, identity theft, lost keys, bad conversations, hot weather, messed up finances, or outragious political claims. He was able, as an ancient King, to stay focused, and probably happy, on who he was called to be, on what he was chosen to do.  I’ll even go out and say he was living authentically, and was true for others to see, (even though this might be reading a lot into the “ordering of ways”).

• Jotham took on responsibility in not so easy circumstances.
• Jotham lived himself, he didn’t let events or circumstance become TOO important to his life.
• Jotham lived thoughtfully by faith, and this transformed every part of his life.
• Jotham didn’t try to control others consciences, or live on behalf of others.

We can buckle down and work hard, and do the best we can do. Do we do what we say we are going to do? Do we take commitments lightly? Do we blow off things we are responsible for?

We must not live passive lives. We need to do something, even if it is wrong. We should protect the gift of our life, here in spacetime, while we still have the opportunity. We are made for great purposes, to love God and love neighbor as ourselves. Can we do so if we give ourselves over to info-tainment, to entertainment, to a passive “watching the world go by?”

We are responsible for our own thoughts, our own conscience, our own knowledge of right and wrong. Are we searing our consciences with dumb ideas? Are we tolerating lines of thinking and ways of thinking that are thoughtless, careless, or even dangerous?  We will be asked why we didn’t “order our ways” before the Lord.

We will have to give an account for the gifts we’ve been given. Maybe we can do as well as Jotham if we live by faith.

While we can persuade and influence people, we really can’t “make them do.” We especially cannot corrupt the consciences of other people with raw power. But on days like this, we wish someone would just “make people do right.” We want an authority to step in and “make people stop shooting each other.” Jotham certainly qualifies as a strong leader, but would we ask him to do more? I’m sure some interpreters see Jotham as a failure, because he didn’t end idolatry, he didn’t make the people “do right.” They would call upon Jotham to “order OTHER PEOPLES’ ways before the Lord.”

So I’ll end with the final words of 2 Chronicles 27:6 “enanti kuriou theo autou- before the Lord His God.” Emphasis on HIS. On days like this, we can remember that others may make gods to suit themselves, and they may follow those gods into bad deeds while calling them by familiar names.  We also must realize that they will have to give an account for this.

So much for lightening up.

I drink lots of water and coffee. Probably not as much as Dr. Doyle, though. A long time ago, I used to drink more Cokes.  I’ve never been a fan of fruit juice, too many calories and sugar. By the way, I don’t put sugar in my coffee. I stopped that years ago. Now I just add cream. Half and half is my favorite.

What’s this all about?  Is what I drink or eat all that important? Is it what goes into a person that defiles them?

Today is the big day to discuss beverages. Many people, for the last week, have been expressing themselves about the arrest of Professor Gates from Harvard, now known as “the Gates Affair” or “Gatesgate.” Lots of comments. Lots and lots of them. Today so many have opinions about the “private beer summit.”

The President intends to bring the parties together at the White House for a beer. What does this mean? To all who are shocked by this, or offended, calmly ask, what does this mean, to have someone over for a beer?

“Having a beer together” is a common symbol for reconciliation, for mending relationships, for reaching better understanding. They may wind up having an actual beer, or MD 20/20, or water. I hear they are having Red Stripe, Bud Light, and Blue something or other. The main point is the reconciliation, the defusing of inflamed rhetoric, the achievement of civil discourse and mutual understanding.

Flashback: The Pharisees couldn’t stand Jesus’ identity as a “friend of sinners.” They accused him of being a drunkard or a glutton. They pointed fingers as he drew close to tax-gatherers, lepers, sinners, prostitutes, and  other unacceptibles. The self-righteous excoriated Christ for his unusual way of keeping the law of God in spirit and truth, rather than just making a civil religious show of it, while breaking it in small pieces.  Christ cared about people, about their salvation, about their relationships with one another. While Jesus busily took the high road, the religious people threw stones as often as possible.

As usual on inflamed issues of distraction, public noise misses the main point: reconciliation. With many eyes on the choice of beverage, the reconciliation (the main point) gets lost. We long to be the judge and jury for others, mostly with as few facts as possible. That sarcastic old guy Mark Twain supposedly said “get your facts first and then you can distort them as you wish.” I wish this were actually true, because humans are often averse to any fact that might invalidate their precious interpretation. Humility, calm, peace…

I can only hope that no one thinks this is the first time a beer was had in the White House.

How about loading your plates up with as much as possible? This is not a good idea at Golden Corral or in planning our days. The past few days I haven’t felt  in control of my schedule, with many unforeseen incidents. Feeling overloaded, the soul wants a break, and the need for spiritual food is nourished only through communion with God. And this takes….drum roll….time and space.

How can we be busy and holy at the same time? Prayer is such a powerful answer- the soul drenching spiritual power can overcome our poverty. It is like a mini-creation, bringing order out of the chaos.

So if we say “Peace be with you” do we mean even during tense moments of dull hesitation? Where are our thoughts? Escaping is not the answer. Going deeper is the answer, to pause and listen. Our conscience will make room for that Voice of the One who calls us by name, drawing us to Himself.

SO- some things on that wierd list may not get done today. But holiness doesn’t take a 5 am 4 hour prayer marathon every day. I’m firmly convinced it is a “mode of being” that is so natural, yet so foriegn to the “natural man.” The New Creation within us makes this ongoing experience become the sum total of joy- and becomes a hub for all others.

The answer is not to get a bigger plate, nor to begin spinning another one. The answer is to stop, behold, listen. Feed your soul on God’s Word, listening with the conscience and not exclusively with the intellect.  It is possible to be holy and slightly busy at the same time.

I’ll be sure and read this back to myself later, not believing I had time to write it.

I loved the comment by Councilman Mike Barber last evening- most of us are living in the 21st Century except for a few 18-Carat Ministers…

Motivation is pretty important when one portrays oneself as a minister of the Gospel, or even a Christian. Taking on the identity of Christ carries with it the responsibility of keeping the love motivation front and center. We aren’t always good at this, especially when a good cause, institutional health, or even influence for a “good” purpose take over our agenda.

Christ exemplified the good motive, in giving His life for us while we were still sinners. We prove that we are in the Spirit as we demonstrate love (of the special, in spite of, no matter what almost kind) towards other people.

Why are we involved in other’s lives? Why are we on TV, or involved in a “good cause”? Are we seeking to maintain the 18 carats? or Should it always be something else?

So…some twisted zealot shoots an abortion doctor. What’s worse, he does this in a church. Whats worse, he does it during a worship service. Now I’ve heard of abortion doctors getting shot or bombed, and of preachers and others being shot up during Sunday services. But this is a particularly horrific incident on so many levels.

The most disturbing one is the “practice what you preach” aspect. No doubt, this dude has practiced what others are preaching, and he’s practiced it during worship! The logic goes like this: performing an abortion is murder, murderers should be murdered, especially in church. (And my grandmother probably thought she had seen it all.)

I hope it doesn’t take too many people, including even the most zealous among us, to realize there is some fallaciousness in such a chain of logic. There are too many assumptions, too many unexamined and critical variables.

But the tragic zealot cries out, “It’s either right or wrong, black or white, God doesn’t change His mind!” After looking up a few KJV verses for proof-texting , it loads its gun and heads out to shoot the guilty.

Remember, God hates the proud, no matter what murderous badge they may wear. God hates the proud, no matter how logical their imaginations.

Today I’m having a lot of trouble feeling any sympathy for the shooter. I bet everyone else is, too. His action is so ridiculous that one could almost forget about the dreadful plight of unwanted, unborn children.

A TIC suggestion: If you are going to ’shoot the guilty’, please do not do so on church property. And wait until the day that doesn’t end in “Y”.  Phone a friend first. And take your meds, or start drinking.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Finally, a word from our sponsor:

“You shall not commit murder.” or “Thou shalt not kill.”

The fellas are repaving part of I-40 again. It looks like there is work being done on the shoulder out where we live. A few weeks ago, we could hear the sounds of grinding all night long. There was also a rhythmic whirring sound, deep and sub-sonic, coming through the walls. It took a while to get used to this noise and fall asleep. Amazing, since it was likely over a mile away! Lots of coordination and planning to keep the crews working hard all night, so that we could drive unimpeded during the daylight hours.

It does seem that we just paved I-40 though, in the same area. Why are we doing it again? Because it needs it. We like our smooth roads. Bad roads are bad for business and they aren’t safe. Road surfaces aren’t permanent.

Even in ancient times, I bet they weren’t permanent. In the desert or wilderness, a road may be hard to see. In the Judean wilderness in particular, the land is hilly with rises and falls, and a road or highway will be anything but straight. Best you could hope for was to have one well marked. With windstorms or downpours roads could be washed over so that one couldn’t tell where the road had been. In some areas, getting lost was a death sentence.

Isaiah 40:3 says “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” Huh?

John the Forerunner took this Scripture and applied it to repentance. His application is a spiritual one, that the crowds needed to forsake their sins and turn to God for forgiveness, because God Himself was coming in judgment. Notice the “because.” John did not urge people to repent so that God would have an easier time coming into the world. As if God hoped for some like-minded friends to meet Him! God doesn’t need to be picked up at the airport.

A recent devotional mentioned Dwight D. Eisenhower’s commissioning of the Interstate Highway system. In Europe during WWII, Eisenhower “had experienced the danger and difficulty of navigating the twisting roads.” It was recognized that an integrated Highway system would be a matter of national security during a conventional war, so the Interstate System was created in the U.S.[1]

What about ‘spiritual engineering’? Do you believe in this? John did, Jesus did, and we should consider the implications. To be spiritually engineered in our own hearts and souls, to be transformed, to be ‘made smooth’ because the conquering King is coming before whom we will not stand innocent.

“Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley;…”

Change is going to come, the great King is coming. So how can we prepare? What’s up with our ‘to-do’ list? I don’t have “be lifted up” or “ become a plain” on my list.

The key is to meditate on personal repentance. The Lord wants us to act upon the spiritual realities of repentance and faith, because of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come.

What is repentance to you? Or, what is repentance for you? We may have a long way to go before ‘spiritual engineering’ can lead to tangible results. Mumbling a sinner’s prayer 78 years ago won’t cut the mustard. Attendance badges (whatever that is) don’t necessarily represent the fruits of the spirit.

“But the fruit (results) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22ff) Smooth.

One might almost say that these results, which show themselves most often in relationships with others, are the horizontal evidence of the vertical relationship with God, so that it becomes difficult to believe, absent these results seen in relationship, that the Spirit is even present in the soul of a person.

I realize the most popular message now is “just keep on trying to do your best, and God will help you.” But what about if our best isn’t good enough? What promise is there that God will help me if I only “do my best?”

God has done His best: He made the Spirit available through the work of Christ. Through repentance, Spiritual engineering begins. As time goes on, we show more results, the kind in Galatians 5:22. If there are no results, or just meager results, then please ask some questions.

Yep, they’re paving I-40 again. What’s the condition of your highway?

I was very glad this week to discover that a whole bunch of people in several churches had been led to pray for my address (and yours!), because they knew that someone living here (or there!) was in need of something from God. Was someone at my address worried? lonely? questioning? in need of consistent money blessings? physical healing?

In answer to these needs, there had been a special miracle item prepared. It is a very unique golden piece of Christian jewelry, a blessed Deuteronomy 28:1-14 golden Jesus prosperity cross, with grace and faith engraved on the back.  The literature had several pictures of Jesus, and promised that this cross would bring blessings from God. It was as if this sweet Jesus in the nice old-style drawings was speaking directly to me form his kind eyes. All I had to do was fill out a postcard and request one in the mail.

Best of all, the very unique Christian jewelry was free! Ahhh! This is great! Free!! But not only this, but there was a secret sacred prophecy that was sealed. I wasn’t supposed to open this until after I had returned my postcard ordering my blessed Deuteronomy 28 golden Jesus prosperity cross. I cheated.

This prophecy was truly life-changing. I mean, to open up a letter from God Himself, promising blessings and other things. It was great.

So what’s the deal? What’s wrong with this picture?

The promise of specific unqualified blessings from God in return for requesting a religious item or for sending money to a specific ministry might be a sin. (Jeremiah 6:13-15)

It just seems silly to make such glowing promises by impersonal direct mail, pretending that they are personal. The letter is written for the undiscerning, who imagine some kind person on the other end with nothing but their best interests at heart. It is designed for people who may not know their Bible very well, may have lots of religious impulses, but not a lot of grounded thinking in what a more Biblical Christianity actually says.

It is true that God is one who blesses! God has already blessed many billions with life and breath, and food (to one degree or another, in many cases) and other common blessings under the Covenant of Noah. One way to refer to this is ‘common grace’ because it is God’s grace that is common to many people.

God is also the one who withholds blessings, who actively curses, and who promises to mercilessly judge sin (the breaking of His law) wherever it is found. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68!) Yikes. Unfortunately, we don’t get to just make up a God we’re comfortable with. (Exodus 20:3-6) We’re stuck with the One who Is!

So here is the main point: people shouldn’t expect getting certain “blessed” items to bring blessings from God. The greatest blessing that comes from God to be saved by His grace! This blessing comes only through repentance from one’s sin and faith in Jesus Christ! The blessing of salvation works its way out through a life lived in light of God’s love and mercy found in Jesus Christ!

It is possible, then, that there may be two separate religions here: The first promises unqualified blessings by associating oneself and one’s money with a religious object that is gotten from a holy person or group. The second religion promises salvation from judgment, based on God paying your penalty for your sin on your behalf, because of his grace and mercy.

Many of us would like a life of prosperity. Who would reject a better car, a great big house, gold jewelry, money, freedom from worry, and unlimited health until death? The health and wealth gospel, or prosperity gospel, makes lots of promises. There are many things to do and learn under this gospel. One must learn to grow in faith, sow one’s seed into the kingdom correctly, have faith grow so much that God honor’s ones faith and rewards a person. If bad things happen or problems come, they are not because of God or sin, but are really because of the individual’s lack of faith or failure to exercise faith properly. It should be clear to the casual observer that this is a different gospel. (Matthew 7:15)

The gospel promises nothing to those who sin against the Lord except punishment. The gospel says that all people have a knowledge of God and have a conscience within them that tells them the difference between right and wrong. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners, and can’t escape judgment on our own merits. Once a person realizes these depths of their sin as compared with the holiness of God, and the fact that a holy God will not leave sin unpunished, people realize their need for a savior. The good news is that God has provided such a savior in Jesus.

The literature in the mailing I received didn’t mention sin. It didn’t mention the righteousness of God. It didn’t mention the judgment that was to come. Any gospel that doesn’t focus on these three is not of the Holy Spirit. (John 16:8-11)

So when we all get our golden Jesus prosperity crosses, we should notice a great improvement in our circumstances. Or not.

If you spend any time at all trying to get a handle on modern spirituality, you will soon be amazed with the variety. I like variety, I’m generally able to listen to diverse points of view, different lines of argument, divergent opinions and conclusions different from my own.

One thing really bugs me about all the variety, though. What comes along with incredible variety is incredible confusion. Cruising the blogisphere from a Pastor’s perspective is like seeing hundreds of people all missing various pieces of the puzzle that I think I’ve found myself. There follows briefly a strange urge to “fix everything” and provide the “magic potion” for all those souls out there pouring out their feelings and ideas about spirituality. After that urge passes (about 10 seconds) I’m remided that my calling is to do the work of the evangelist and take the work that is put before me- not to save everyone in the blogisphere. Whew! That was close!

So what helps confusion? Simplicity? Maybe that idea “KISS” isn’t too bad, after all.  I firmly believe that one way to cut through the fog is to use a tried and true method that many thousands have used over many ages: expecting God to speak through the Bible. Huh? What?! Here’s my case:

1- The Bible is old, and it is far better than any hyper-current mass of shared confusion. (Give me credit for NOT saying shared “ignorance.” I do not believe people are fundamentally “ignorant” just because they are different than I am. I can however, say with some authority that it is easy to get confused about the things of God and about the Bible itself, and it follows that spiritual waters are stormy, and unpredictable. One emotion that we often feel as a result is confusion.)

2- Since the living God is involved in the authorship of Scripture (presupposition!), then He is able to use the words on the page to speak to our individual souls, and to meet the immediate spiritual need we have. Of course, the criticism of this idea is that the Bible is just another horoscope or Rorschach test, and you can make it mean anything you want it to. You get from it what you bring to it, and thatisn’t necessarily the work of the Spirit. I agree that is possible, and each person has a mind of their own. BUT I believe (and experience regularly) that it is at the very least possible that God will speak to you through the Bible. The real question is, “have you tried it?” and “What is wrong with expecting God to speak through the Bible?”

3- A whole lot of what is out there on spirituality is not at all new, but is a re-application or recirculation of common notions and ideas. We all know that history repeats itself, and that our own perspectives are very biased and limited to our time-bound chronological rotating space. We simply aren’t in a great position to have the capacity to process, evaluate, or for that matter even read “all that important stuff” on such a broad subject. It is too great a task! Consequently, you could wind up 107 years old, reading some blog on your last day on earth, saying, “Oh my! I wish I’d read this 80 years ago, because this is the most important truth ever written!!! If I could just have followed this idea, or applied this principle, or achieved this discipline, I’d have been “saved”!!!!” I say, forget it, and try the Bible and the God who gave it.

4- I can’t be sure, but it is at least possible that at least “some” of the information online and in print is actually wrong. I take great risk in saying such a rotten thing, but does anyone else think so, too? We all have to be careful what we believe these days, or much of life could be missed with error guiding. Be careful choosing on what you base your life!

I saw one guy saying that Christians are having a rough time “untying their Gordian knot.” I appreciate this, but somehow I’ve always thought of God as a knot that no one will untie. It is a knot that may keep us anchored through an odd life, and a world culture that is sweeping many souls away.

So, there’s one very good handle for modern spirituality- try it, you may like it.

P.S. Try reading the CEV, Contemporary English Version, especially the Epistles, Wisdom Literature, and Apocalyptic books!

At church one Sunday in March we heard about Israel during the Exodus. Again we saw that they grumbled and murmured against Moses and against God, this time in Numbers 21. We heard how they cursed the manna that God had provided, and they didn’t like the food He gave. They didn’t like the long journey they were on. They were certain God had brought them out into the wilderness to die.

They appear to have been present-focused, their eyes could only see the present, its circumstances, its difficulties. Without faith, they assumed God either would not meet the present circumstances for their good, or that God had orchestrated their present plight in order to bring them the worst.

What had they forgotten? The covenant prologue for one thing, which said, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…” Oh well. They didn’t appreciate what God had done in the past.

Also, they forgot what God had promised. They forgot that God intended to bring them “to a land that I will show you, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Oh well. They assumed that God had changed his mind about the mission. The future was here, they were going to die.

What does a life of no faith look like? Whether a professing Christian or not, someone without faith is in danger. If one has no trust in God for the present, based on His prior actions and His promises for the future, one cannot possibly bring glory to God except through judgment.

Being appreciative for what one has and what God has brought into ones life. This is another way of saying, “Have faith in God.” What was the Sermon on the Mount all about? Did Jesus not make this plain when he said, “Seek first the kingdom of Heaven, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you?”

Jesus wants us to not worry about the future, to have faith in the present, based on the goodness of God we’ve seen in the past. If God hasn’t done anything in the past, then He isn’t worth following, is He? But indeed, God has done very, very much in the past. We read a Bible full of it, and we have lives that reflect God’s saving actions in the past.

So, renew your commitment today to be a person who lives a faith-filled life!

Happy b/c of Jesus
Pastor Jordan