on Islam

If you're like me you've seen a lot in the news these past several weeks about shootings, acts of terrorism, call for more conceal gun carry permits, call for more gun laws, and the list can continue and continue. It's enough to make your head spin! How can we as the body of Christ be the salt and light of the world in times that seem more chaotic than ever? How can we seek to reconcile the world back to Jesus when the world seems more divided than ever? Well, I will tell you it is not easy, but God does call us to pray for and share the good news with Muslims all over the world. Here are some things to remember.

1) God never promises us to be safe.
  Safety is very overrated in the eyes and mind of Jesus. Now, granted harm is never wished on anyone, but our priority on safety above all else is not very high on Jesus' radar. In fact Jesus' promised that the world hates you (John 15:18) and (1 John 3:13). All who live Godly for Jesus Christs will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), and all those who live for Jesus Christ will suffer trials and persecution. (1 Peter 4:12)

  Those are some grim verses, and I will say that making sure your family is safe is very important. However, it cannot be the most important thing. One thing all these verses had in common was that all of them included a blessing for the oppressed, persecuted, and afflicted person because they were suffering on Jesus behalf. Throughout Christian history the church has flourished when brave Christians sought to pursue peace, spreading the gospel, loving the lost, and living bold, unashamed lives for the Kingdom. This Advent season dare to do something risky, send a card to a long lost friend, look to repair a seriously broken relationship, buy coffee for a mother who looks down on her luck, volunteer at your church, and the list can go on and on. Safety is important, but not the most important thing.

2) Balance the Bad with the Good.
  Bad stories of people doing bad things sell newspapers, drive view counts on websites up, and make news outlets money. Seek to promote in your neighborhood, school, or community people doing good things. Good stories don't often empty news stands, but they uplift and encourage troubled hearts. Islam is a very deep, multi-faceted religion and is getting some very bad press. It does have good people who follow Allah. Look to highlight and promote that wherever you are. Look to pursue understanding, strike up conversations, and possibly even build friendships with Muslims and many different kinds of people that are different than you.

3) Look to have your heart changed by the Holy Spirit.
  Don't ignore your feelings. If you're feeling strongly negative about Muslim people or any other major issue that is relevant in our society today. Do some soul searching about those feelings. Because more times than not our feelings our indicators of the condition of our spiritual lives. Pray regularly and pray big. Look for people who will be honest to encourage you and help build you up in the faith. And finally begin listening to Christian music or even wholesome music, because a lot of our personality and spirituality is shaped by our music. Don't ever stop trying and don't ever stop pursing Jesus Christ who will lead you in one of the most worthwhile, fulfilling journeys of your life!

on Proverbs 9

  For many of us this time of year we come into many situations where we feel our faith is being attacked. Whether it be through the ACLU demanding a Nativity scene be taken down from a town square, a store demanding their employees to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, or even a major coffee chain not putting any holiday symbols on their coffee cups, I will say in these situations we often feel that our faith is being unjustly attacked. As we've plowed through Proverbs, one of my goals is for you to see the big picture in what God is doing in our world today. Our hope is that as life continues to unfold in this ever crazy world that we as the body of Christ would learn how to respond with love and kindness no matter what:) Here's what Proverbs 9 has to say.

Proverbs 9:4. . . "Let all who are simple come in here," Wisdom says to those who lack judgement.

  Good sound judgment is something that can be taught. Let me repeat this, you can learn how to make good, Godly decisions with every area of your life. Often times people need to learn and experience the pain of making poor decisions, but in many cases good decision making skills comes from listening to wisdom, diving into the word of God, having a teachable spirit, and learning to think before speaking or making decisions.
   I want you to know that you are being invited according to this verse to come into the house of wisdom. It is not an elusive thing. This holiday season, I want us to reflect and live with a spirit of thankfulness and wisdom, but in so doing I want us to examine feelings that we may have toward the church, God, and life in general. Some of these feelings may be great and others not so great. I want all of us to ask, "Why am I feeling this way?"

Proverbs 9:10. . . "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
  This verse if your looking for a life verse could very well be that. I would encourage you not to be afraid of God, but rather have the word of God, the commands of God, and your relationship with God influence and affect every area of your life and decision making. You will never be the same:)

Proverbs 9:17. . . "Stolen water is sweet, food eaten in secret is delicious."
  One of the biggest red flags for any behavior is if you have to hide it from others. Behavior that is only done in secret is often very, very wrong. Be mindful of that. Seek to hold yourself and your loved ones to a higher standards as we all vigorously pursue the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Do you see any examples of good sound wisdom in our society or any examples of poor judgement today? Let me know what you think:)