I have been grieved this week over the lack of love I have seen on social media. I have been grieved over the anger and lack of humanity. One post that I saw said, “You and your sister are morons #LoveWins”. I cried. Love hadn’t won. So I have been praying. I have been asking God what I should do. In light of the recent changes in our government’s stand on another sin issue, I have had to take some time to reflect and meditate.

Don’t get me wrong. I am sad that the government has given more freedom to sin, but this is not new. Unregenerate man usually picks pleasure and conformity over God’s moral standard. They are not part of His kingdom, why should they follow his rules? But I am really concerned over the lack of love and hatred that is being spewed. So what am I to do in light of this tension and upset?

I know that God has placed me here for a purpose. It is uncomfortable to live in a world that celebrates sin, but I must focus on God’s view and the reason he has me here, not on my comfort. I’m pretty sure I know what to do. I am to carry on the work of Jesus. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, NIV)

So I must follow Jesus. Does that mean I should work at social change? Does it mean I should run for office? For me I don’t think so. I don’t think that work is political activism. I don’t ever remember Jesus working on government change. He was more concerned about individual lives changing.

I don’t think I am called to preach destruction and condemnation to those who are lost either. Those that have rejected light are condemned already. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:18–21, NIV)

What I am called to do is proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the World. I am called to let people know that real love exists. I am called to exhibit it. This love is not of human origin, it is greater and surpasses and the momentary pleasures that we enjoy in this life. It starts and ends with God, so it is not temporary. It is eternal love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17, NIV)

This is my purpose. It is to proclaim the goodness of God. It is to share His love. My calling is to lead people to Jesus, the Savior of the world. I am to join with Jesus in calling people “out of darkness into His marvelous light”.

Will you join me? Let us who know Jesus proclaim the love of God to our lost world. We need to share about Jesus, the Savior of the world. We need to tell a lost and dying world about the free gift of salvation. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4–7, NIV)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV)

I have been struggling with fear. I see my country headed down an immoral slide. The slide seems to be getting steeper and we are picking up speed on our downhill run. As a nation, we are choosing a path that is contrary to the righteousness of God.

At another time and place when Israel was working in opposition to God’s laws, these were the prophetic words given to that nation. “Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:15–16, ESV) And, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!” (Isaiah 5:20–23, ESV)

This past week I felt an overwhelming sense of dread as I realized our nation’s disregard of the righteousness of God. We are calling evil good. We are calling good evil. We are calling darkness light. We are disregarding the Light of the world. Many people are finding out too late that what they thought was going to be sweet is actually very bitter. Many in leadership are full of pride, wise in their own eyes and feel free to trample on the rights of the little guy. Partying and illicit gain seem to be the new national pastime, forget baseball.

I know that the “Woes” in the passage are warnings. Woe is an interjection with a negative connotation. It is inextricably tied to grief and denunciation. It is a term of anguish and pain. “Woe” often precedes judgment.

So this week when I found myself crying out, “Woe to America for its unrighteous acts and ideology”, it scared me. And then I read John 14 through 17.

Jesus warned the disciples of the difficulties they would be facing. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1, ESV) “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18–19, ESV)

He also comforted them by reminding them that they had eternal life. Jesus also declared victory over the sin of this world. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3, ESV) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, ESV)

I serve this same, Jesus. I have eternal life. I can take heart and let go of worry and fear. I may have tribulation. There may be trouble. But Jesus has a plan for my eternal good and I am on the winning team.

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”” (John 13:3–10, ESV)

Our pastor gave a sermon on confession yesterday. He referred briefly to the above passage during the lesson. It caught my attention, so I thought I would share what I learned.

Jesus had been with the disciples for three years. All but one had acknowledged his Deity. They had come to know Him as Jesus, the Son of God. They were his family, his children. They belonged to the Kingdom. They were saved.

Jesus sets things up one night to wash their feet. He becomes the servant, doing menial labor, a low task that should have been done by someone else. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach the disciples. This was not just a physical need being met. Jesus is illustrating a spiritual principle.

Jesus is the Servant. He came to cleanse people from their sin. Baptism is the outward expression of the inward change that takes place at salvation. Our old self is buried and our new is raised in the likeness of Jesus. As my pastor always says, “Buried in the likeness of His death, raised in the likeness of His resurrection”. We have been washed clean. Amen!

Although we have been washed, we also know that we still get dirty. Our feet collect up dust from walking through this world. It needs to be washed off. We don’t need a whole bath again. We are clean. This is what Jesus explained to Peter. So how do we get rid of this dust?

Here is the lesson. We need confession. We need to expose our dirty feet. We need to bow before our Savior and allow Him to wash off the dust we collect on a daily basis. We need to sit quietly before Him as He cleanses, touches us and soothes us. We wait patiently while He gently washes away the grime and then sends us out again.

Jesus told the disciples that they need to do this for others. I think we do too! We need to help others learn about washing off the filth and grime that collects from walking down the path of life. We need to direct people to Jesus for foot washing. We need to encourage confession. We do this best by example.

It must have been awkward for the first disciple in that room to sit still while the King of Kings washed his feet. I bet it was easier for each one after as he learned by example that it was a loving act by God who came to be a Servant.

I pray today with King David, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:2, ESV) It isn’t easy to humble myself and allow my filth and grime to be seen. But it is good! It is healthy! And it is Right! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV)

As I reveal my dirty parts today Lord, wash me. Refresh me. Clean me up in preparation for the next part of the journey. And thank you for being the Humble Servant who washes away all our sin and guilt.

Over the last few days, I have been thinking about the importance of putting God first. I got this idea from a news program that mentioned the basis of law. I thought if we would just go back to basing things on the Ten Commandments we would do well. Then I realized that I could base my own life on the Ten Commandments and do well. So I began thinking through them.

I got stuck on number one, ““You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3, ESV). It occurred to me that a lot of things get in the way of me putting God first. Many of them are good things. Already this morning I have done a number of good things, but God was not first. I know in my heart and mind that he deserves the preeminent place in my life.

It amazes me that I believe in God and yet there are moments, sometimes days, that I live like a practical atheist. I put all kind of false gods ahead of the one true and living God. The false little god that I seem to worship the most is me. I put my thoughts, feelings, ideas, desires and will in first place in my life. If I am going to live by the Ten Commandments, I need to start with number one and make sure that God and his will takes first place in my life. That means all my moments and days, not just Sunday and Wednesday night.

To regain my focus, I have decided to worship and pray using this hymn as the cry of my heart.

Take My Life and Let It Be
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee;
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love—my Lord,
I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself—and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Lord, let me worship by putting you first.

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”” (Matthew 27:50–54, ESV)
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” (Luke 23:44–45, ESV)

Last week I wrote about the conversion of Paul, the Jewish leader who had been persecuting Christ’s followers. I am still trying to digest all of the thoughts and information that came up during my preparation for that blog. I can’t get over the drastic and immediate change that occurred in the Apostle’s life. I am also amazed that he suffered so much and never relented.

Since Paul the Apostle had been living during the time of Christ, it stands to reason that he could check the facts. Was he in Jerusalem the day that Jesus died? Did he experience the darkness that day? I wondered if Paul knew any of the people who were raised from the dead and if he went to talk to them. I also considered the fact that he may have gone to the temple to see if the veil had really been ripped and what the priests had to say about it.

He was a smart guy. I am sure he checked the facts. I do not believe that this rabbi, teacher, would hold to new tenets of faith if the evidence and facts disproved it. In fact, I know he didn’t. “But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ” (Acts 9:22, ESV). Paul didn’t just state his belief. He proved, with facts and historic references, using Scripture, that Jesus was the Christ.

How do I know this? I know because that is the same way he proved Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and Lord, in his letters to the various churches. He spoke of things that were known, things that had been truly experienced using the five senses. They were facts based in history, real people experienced them. Not some fantasy based on a dream or an ideology based solely on someone’s thoughts. The life of Jesus was truly lived among real people, in real space-time history.

This is the Jesus that Paul preached about. Jesus lived in real space-time history. There are real facts about His works and His actions. He talked to living, existing people and they knew actual words that he had spoken. This is the Jesus that dramatically changed lives. He is the One, who Paul deemed worthy of all glory and honor. This is the Jesus that the Apostle Paul believed in and the One, who he tenaciously held on to throughout his life and death.

Since Paul was able to check out the facts, get firsthand reports, and experience the events, I believe I can trust his account of these things that happened so long ago. I believe he is a reliable witness because the facts changed his life. I also trust what he says because he was able to prove that Jesus was the Christ with the information that he had. All in all, I am more convinced than ever that Jesus is Lord. I trust in the gospel message that the Apostle proclaimed.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–5, ESV)
The Apostle checked the facts, I encourage you to do the same.