Leah Ness's Blog, page 4

The Love we Deserve

(Originally published 9/10/13)

Just a hair over four months ago, I stood at the altar and committed my life to the love and care of one man. When Hubby��first proposed to me (in a Tardis he built for me [pictured above]. I know I���m letting my ���nerd��� show, but I was elated!) I was so excited and happy, but I also knew marriage would be hard.

I was determined not to buy into the ���happily ever after��� mentality because I knew I would end up disappointed. I am incredibly flawed, and my dear husband isn���t perfect either, so it is folly to think our life together would be perfect.

The last four months, though, have been the best of my life. We have had a few very minor bumps in the road, but I haven���t regretted marrying the man for even one second.

The most surprising thing about marriage so far is what my ���biggest problem��� is. I was expecting little fights or jabs, competitions in which we each fought for our own way, annoying habits that drove each other up the wall, and at least one or two major fights by now. But no, none of those things has happened. The biggest struggle I���m facing is accepting my husband���s love.

I heard someone say once, ���We accept the love we think we deserve.��� And I���m getting a lot more than I think I deserve.

I struggle greatly to love myself. I may be one of my least favorite people. I get on my nerves, have annoying habits, belittle myself, and dislike mirrors. Intentionally or not, I have branded myself ���unlovable.��� So I have some issues when love is offered to me so freely and to such a large extent.

Sadly, it���s the same way with God. How many of us, I wonder, really let our Savior love us? For me, I can only accept a small amount of love from Jesus. Then I start to doubt, wonder if I should ���bother��� Him with petty prayers, wonder if I can trust Him to love me as much as He says He does.

My next thought is, ���Ok, how can I better deserve this love? There must be a way to earn it so I don���t have to trust that it will be freely given or that I���ll always have enough.���

Reality check: None of us deserve to be loved by God. Especially to the extreme that He loves us. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We have all doubted His goodness, His mercy, and His sincerity. We all struggle with pride and idols. None of us is even capable of loving Him as much as He deserves to be loved. And still, He loves us.

How can I accept love like that?! This knowledge is too high; I cannot attain it. (Ps. 139:6)

This is my struggle, in my marriage and in my relationship with my Savior. How can I accept love I don���t deserve?

According to Hubby,��“the first step is remembering that if it���s deserved, then it���s not love.”

My husband made a vow at that alter to love me as long as he lives, and he deserves to love me as much as he wants. He deserves a wife who will accept his love and return it.

God deserves children who will accept His love and return it (albeit in a greatly limited human capacity).

Starting today, I���m going to strive to give love, and receive it, as freely as I possibly can. I���m playing this game by God���s rules, I am His creation, and He deserves to love me as much as He wants.

How Big is a Mustard Seed?

At church, a missionary from Guatemala shared a testimony about a construction worker who���d had an accident. The man had been repairing electrical wires on the third story of a building when he was electrocuted and flung off the roof into more wires, was electrocuted again, then fell the three stories to the pavement bellow, cracking open his skull. As the missionary and a crowd gathered round, it was agreed that the man was dead. Then the missionary prayed and the man started to sit up. Long story short, after this horrific accident that nobody had any business surviving, the man was raised from the dead.

The thing that caught my attention was the missionary���s statement. He said that after he saw the man lying on the ground, and everyone was sure he was dead (the missionary even examined the head wound and saw the man���s brains) the missionary said he had no faith the man could live. He said that he proclaimed the man dead and only prayed because he kicked into religious mode and praying is what spiritual leaders do. He said he knew the man was dead, but also knew that God can do whatever He wants.

The prayer was only thirty seconds long and even when the man started to sit up, even when he rose to his feet before the ambulance got there, the missionary and the other witnesses were convinced he wouldn���t make it to the hospital. It wasn���t until the doctors said they could find no internal damage, no broken bones, and only a minor cut on the back of his head, that the missionary could say with any confidence that the man would live.

I always expect these testimonies to have a claim of mighty faith, the huge amount of faith you need to make a miracle happen.

Turns out, God doesn���t need us to have a ���huge amount of faith��� before He does what He wants to do.

For the last several weeks, I���ve been struggling for more faith. I���ve been recalling verses like Mat. 9:29 which says, ���It shall be to you unto your faith��� or Heb. 11:6, ���Without faith it is impossible to please God.���

I���ve been walking around under the assumption that I have to reach a certain level of faith before God will move on my behalf.

Listening to this story, however, reminded me of the father in Matt. 9:24 who said, ���Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,��� or the famous ���mustard seed��� verse from Mat. 17:20. I think I���ve been going about faith the wrong way.

��I don���t think it���s quite as important how much faith I have, so much as what, or rather Who, my faith is in.

I can have a huge amount faith in my ability to fly, but when I take a swan dive off a cliff, I���m gonna splat, no matter my amount of faith. To think that if I achieve a high amount of faith, God will answer my prayers is both manipulative and arrogant.

It���s as though God has risen from His throne and is anxiously pacing back and forth, hoping I can pull together the needed amount of faith in time for Him to help. Or that if I reach a certain quota, God will have no choice but to give me a miracle.

Of course, strengthening our faith in Him is important because it means we will trust Him with more of our lives and put Him first more often, therefore growing closer to Him. But He doesn���t need us to have a certain amount of faith before He shows up in our lives. In fact, without the grace of God, we wouldn���t have any faith anyways, so it���s really God���s show from beginning to end.

If my faith is in God, then who���s responsibility is it to act? His. If I���m thinking that I need a certain level of faith, then I���m really putting my trust and belief in myself, convinced that God needs my help. But God is God, and He has ultimate authority regardless of how much I believe that. What really matters is that I believe in Him, trust in Him, and rely on Him to do what He knows is best.

I can move mountains even with faith the size of a mustard seed. Why? Because I���m not actually moving the mountain. God is.

I need to stop stressing and focusing on how much faith I do or don���t have, and start focusing on Who I���ve put my faith in.

God doesn���t need my help, my advice, or my permission. He doesn���t need me to believe that He is God in order for Him to be God. He will have His way with or without my faith. But He is loving and gracious and enables me to trust Him. He lets me focus on Him. This is a precious gift that I need to just accept and rest in.

He is God and He will work according to His good will. And even if His good will differs from my good will, I know I���ll be alright, ���for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.��� 2 Tim. 1:12.

(Originally published 9/9/13)

The Pep Talk

I���ve never been interested in sports, but my Hubby likes them quite a bit so I���ve been watching a few games lately out of the corner of my eye. The thing that impresses me the most is the mental strength of some of these athletes.

Back in my figure skating days, I was always an emotional basket case before a competition. The stress I put myself under almost always brought out my worst performances. I could never quite get a handle on my emotions.

Unfortunately, life off the ice isn���t that much different. I always assumed that as I grew older, I would finally mature to a point where I could keep my emotions in check.

Ah, the disappointments of adulthood.

Over the last month, I���ve been reminded (almost painfully) that the battle for control over my emotions is an ongoing one. Furthermore, it���s a battle that involves a great deal of psychological warfare.

Yogi Berra once said, ���90% of the game is half mental.��� And he���s not wrong. Well, maybe a little in the��math, but you get the idea. When preparing for competition, a good athlete knows they need to get their thought life under control.

The Bible has many verses about this, but one that I���ve found recently is Luke 21:19, in which Jesus tells His disciples;

���By your patience posses your souls.���

That word ���souls��� is translated from the Greek word psuche. This is the word from which we get psychology. It���s also translated as ���breath��� and ���life.��� Basically, it���s the word the Greeks used to describe the inner self, the intellect, personality, and emotions that make each of us who we are.

But maintaining control of our inner self is a very difficult thing to do. Possessing one���s soul is something that requires constant work and, as stated in the verse, patience.

Sort of like keeping hold of the ball while life tries to tackle you.

Knowing what I���m going to face out on the field, I���m ill-equipped if I set out��without getting my head in the game. And one of the best ways to do this is with a pep talk.

If my Hubby is having a bad day, I do my utmost to encourage him with my words. I remind him that he is a child of God, that his identity is in the Lord, and that his salvation is secure. I tell him that God is in control of the situation and that we can trust Him.

But when I���m having a bad day, it���s a very different story. Rather than reminding myself to stand on God���s truths, I point out every little flaw, actions I regret, signs that I���m still struggling with the same sins, and reminders that, at the end of the day, I���ll never be good enough.

If I spoke into others��� lives the way I speak into my own, no one would ever want to talk to me.

But I���m a child��of God too, and His words are just as true for me as they are for anyone else; He loves me as much as He loves anyone else. ��And He���s just as displeased with the hurtful words I use on myself as He would be if I were speaking them to any of His other beloveds.

I���m beginning to wonder how different my day would look if I entered into it mentally psyched for the game��instead of dragged down by self-criticism.

What would happen if every morning I reminded myself of who the Bible says I am and the promises God has given me?

What would my life look like if whenever I made a mistake, I repented, forgave myself, and got right back in the game?

How would my actions change if they were directed by thoughts that were drenched in the truth of Scriptures instead of shriveled up with self-condemnation?

How would my game change if I started it with a pep talk?

How would your game change if you did the same?

I don���t think I���m alone in this. In fact, I think that the battle to possess our souls is one that���s easy to overlook. But I don���t want the other team playing ball with my mind; I want control of the ball.

I want to follow Paul���s example in 1Cor. 9:25a;

���Everyone who��competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.���

I am a child of God Almighty, He will never leave me nor forsake me, and I can do all things through��Him Who gives me strength. Not because I said so, but because He did.��

And you know what else?��You are favored by God; much loved and more than a conqueror. Not because I said so, but because He did.

What does your pep talk sound like?��

A Love Poem

Two years ago today, my sweet Hubby proposed to me. As he does every month on the 30th, he wrote me a poem in commemoration of our first date. But seeing as this 30th is a double anniversary, his poem was extra special. So much so, that I can’t help but share it =)

What if the stars sleep because

To your beauty they can���t compare?

What if the sun���s so radiant

Just to show the world you���re fair?

What if the depths of the sea

Can���t match the depths of your soul?

What if you were the only one

Who could fill my heat���s great hole?

What if we grow old together,

Would you always dance with me?

What if our love keeps growing

Stronger than we thought it could be?

What if all of these what ifs

Are as sure as the march of time?

And what if all that mattered

Is that I���m yours and you���re mine?

Defining Judgment

What Does Judging Look Like?

When I was a kid, I figured people who didn���t follow my family rules were automatically wrong. Of course, now that I���m an adult, I���ve learned a thing or two about personal opinions and I realize that some people have a harder time with certain areas��(1 Cor. 8).

I���ve become more accepting, less judgmental, and tried to give people the benefit of a doubt.

The Bible says not to judge people. This command is all over Romans 2. My problem, however, is that I want desperately to avoid a ���Politically Correct��� mindset. I worry about how ���offendable��� we’re getting. It���s getting to the point where��you can���t be honest with anyone. Especially as a Christian.

We are not permitted to inflict our morals on others, but they are very eager to press their lack of morals on us. I���m not allowed to be Pro Life because everyone should have the right to ‘choose,’ but I can���t choose to be Pro Life.

I���m not allowed to call anyone a sinner because that is labeling them. I used to use the phrase ���hate the sin, love the sinner��� until a friend called me out on it and caused me to reevaluate what it meant. I can see how being called a sinner would put someone on the defensive immediately.��What Christians fail to do sometimes is explain that we consider ‘sinner’ to be a synonym with ‘human.’��But even if we amend the statement to ‘hate the sin, love the person,’ there will still be offence. After all, who are we to say that what they’re doing is sin?

And that’s the thing:��we are not the ones to call certain actions sin.��The Bible is calling those actions sin.

1 John 5:17 says ���all wrong doing in sin.��� And there are several verses that tell us to hold each other accountable. By ‘each other’ I mean Christians, not non-Christians.

But there can be no conversion without conviction of sin. How will a non-Christians know they need to be saved if they don���t believe they’re dying?

The problem is that the currant popular mindset��says�����if you disagree with me, then��you���re judging me.��� And sadly, there are many judgmental people, Christians included (me included) out there. I don���t want to judge anyone, but neither do I want to remain silent if I see them living contrary to the Bible to the detriment of their spiritual, emotional, mental, and/or physical health.

So I need a better understanding��of��the term ���judging��� so I can avoid doing it but still love without fear of offending others.

Here is what I believe the Bible means, at least in part, when it says do not ���judge.���

First, if I am talking about someone behind their back, that���s judging. If I love and care about this person, I will go to them with the concern I have, not broadcast it to others, even under the guise of ���we really need to pray for them because������

Second, if I avoid that person, or distance myself from them, that���s judging. Loving them means that I should go out of my way to let them know I care about them, and more importantly, so does Jesus.

Third, the second I start to think I���m better than them, that���s judging. The ground at the foot of the cross is level and sin is sin. I���m just as deserving of God���s wrath as anyone else.

Fourth, if I���m afraid to talk to them about sin, that���s judging. That fear comes from the assumption that they will reject me and what I have to say, that they will close their heart and walk away. If I have already spoken to someone about an issue, and they have disagreed, then there is no need to ���beat a dead horse.��� It is the Holy��Spirit���s job to convict them of sin, not mine.

Which brings me to number five: if I am persistent in my endeavors to convict them of sin in my own power, that���s judging. Because I���m saying that their sin is so bad, they need my help on top of Jesus��� sacrifice and the Holy Spirit’s working if they are to have any hope.

In conclusion, I believe that truly loving someone means warning them. If I saw a friend doing something dangerous, and I kept silent and they got hurt, I would feel partial responsible. Ezekiel 33:6 is a pretty scary verse about what happens when we don���t warn others. The verse before it makes it quite clear that once we have issued that warning, then it���s the other person���s move.

I���m going to stop beating people up over sin. I���m going to love them enough to warn them, and after that, regardless of what they do with that warning, I���m going to pray for them, love them, and leave the judging to God.

So what do you think? Am I way off? How would you describe��‘judgement’?

Ransomed in Paperback

Hello there =)

Many moons ago, I made a promise to some people that I would soon be releasing a paperback edition of Ransomed. Fast forward to present day and the promise is so old many don’t even remember that I made it. Well, for those of you who do, I don’t have any fancy excuses. In fact, I’m ashamed of myself. My deepest, most heartfelt apologies for the delay.

Now, without further adieu, you can find the paper-back editions on amazon or createspace.

In other news, I am hard at work on my next novel and hope to (*fingers crossed*) have the first draft completed by the end of the month. So keep a weather eye on the horizon for more news and a title/cover release soon…ish ;)

 

Church Hurt

When Jesus sent His disciples out two by two,��I wonder who got paired with Judas. I wonder who it was who healed, and preached, and cast out demons by Judas��� side.

I���ve never really thought of it before, but these men were together for three years, on a journey that would change not only their lives, but the course of human history. These were the men who would start the Church, who would eventually give their lives in defense of the Gospel. And they all went through boot camp together; they all witnessed the genesis of Christianity together.

My brother just went through Air Force training and he told me that he made friends in his barracks that he���ll have for the rest of his life. You don���t go through that kind of intense training without forming bonds.

Imagine what the disciples must have thought when it was Judas who left the table during the Last Supper. When Jesus said one of them would betray Him, they all asked, ���Is it I?��� not ���Yep, it���s Judas, isn���t it?��� They were surprised by his betrayal. They were surprised to see him leading the Roman cohort into the garden.

Most of us have received a nasty surprise like that from someone we considered a fellow soldier. It would seem that no one can wound quite like a Christian can. We don���t have to study the social media very hard to discern that the world���s opinion of us is that we are all judgmental, self-righteous hypocrites.

And this turns people off to the church. In fact, I know Christians who have left the church because they���ve been hurt by other Christians. They even have a term for this: church hurt.

Everywhere you look, you���ll see people who do not want to serve Christ because they know a Christian who has sinned.

May I just say��� this is such a sad, weak excuse.

When Judas betrayed Christ, did the disciples stop following Him?

Well, yes, actually.

They took Judas���s betrayal as a personal threat and they ran for their lives, for their own comfort and self-preservation. And by doing so, they betrayed Jesus as well.

They ended up participating in the very sin they condemned.

But in the end, all eleven remaining disciples continued to follow Christ. Why? Because they followed Christ. Because it is all about Jesus. Because Christianity is all about having a relationship with Jesus.

��Judas���s betrayal hurt, I have no doubt. But his sin didn���t make Jesus less worthy of devotion. Leaving Jesus because of Judas wouldn���t make any logical sense.

I know it can be argued that the actions of a misbehaving child reflect poorly on the parents. Following Christ should spark an obvious life change and when it doesn���t, we���re tempted to think it won���t work for us either.

But anyone who���s ever dealt with children (ages 0-99) knows that when free-will kicks in, all bets are off. It doesn���t make sense to follow Jesus one day and wander off the next because of the actions of our brothers and/or sisters, not when the prize we���re after is a relationship with our Father.

Please don���t get me wrong, I know it hurts. I���ve been hurt by people in the church and I have dear friends and family who have been hurt by people in the church. But that���s when we should run to Jesus, not away from Him. He���s the one with the comfort we long for and the forgiveness we need, for ourselves and others.

Those people���s sins are more against God than us anyways, and I���m sure that if we each dig deep, we���ll see sins in our own lives that were just as shameful. In fact, it could be that we���re mirroring the very sins they���ve committed: judging the judgmental, gossiping about gossips, lying about liars.

Being a Christian isn���t about being perfect, and it isn���t about having a safe haven full of love and rainbows and acceptance where we will never get hurt.

Being a Christian is about being in love with Jesus. It���s about loving and following Christ and loving those He���s commanded us to love (*everyone*). No matter what they���ve done to us.

Let���s take hurt out of the church by keeping our focus on Jesus.

I hope Jesus Returns on a Monday

 

(Originally published 9/16/13)

I have a pretty long to-do list this week. I have projects to get to that I���d really rather not touch��and��work that at times can seem tedious and pointless. And sometime soon, I really need to go on a prayer walk.

So I���d rather not do ���Monday.��� That���s the way I feel most Mondays. The weekend���s over, the workweek beckons, and it���s time to conquer the world! Or rather, make my weekly vain attempt to poke it with a stick.

When I look out on weeks like the one I have before me, I start to feel overwhelmed and a little claustrophobic. The walls start to close in on me, if you know what I mean.

Then I remember what 1Cor.15:51-54 says:

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed�����in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.����For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal��must��put on immortality.����So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:�����Death is swallowed up in victory.���

I so often get distracted by the battlefields of this world. I try to do so much for God, win so many battles for Him. I fight so hard, in my own strength and often on my own initiative. I carry so many unnecessary burdens.

But the truth is, when Jesus returns, it will not be to fight by my side, or to command my platoon, or even to lead all the Christians into one final, glorious battle. God isn���t returning to fight because He has already won.

When Jesus returns, it will be in victory. He will come with a hundred million angels and every knee will bow. The earth will be filled with the glory of God, and all those who love Him and believe in His sacrifice will be caught up with Him.

God’s return is all about Him and His glory, not what I may or may not have accomplished for Him. All my best efforts before Him are as filthy rags. I cannot earn my salvation and on the day of judgment it will be Jesus��� sacrifice and God���s grace that save me, not anything I myself have done.

I���m not saying that this gives me a license to lay around and waste my time on earth. Rather, the assurance that my forever is secure should fill me with such gratitude that I can���t keep from singing God���s praises, telling others of His goodness, and living my life in a way that glorifies Him.

When my desire to ���do good��� comes from a heart that is stressed out and eager to do things in my own strength, it���s not really about God. It���s about me and what I can accomplish for Him.

But when I���m just so filled with gratitude and love for my Savior and His grace toward me that it overflows into my life, resulting in fruit and good works, then it���s not the fruit itself, but God Who is being glorified.

When I think that any second now, Jesus will return to take me home with Him, even though I am me, it blows my mind.

When I really stop and think about the moment I see my Savior face to face, about the moment He tells me how much He loves me, anything I set out to accomplish with that end in mind is something I do for the joy of loving and being loved by my Jesus. When I���m dwelling on His great love for me, and looking forward to seeing Him any minute now, then there is no such thing as a chore list, and there is no such thing as a stressful Monday.

What Mary, Joseph, and Mulan Taught me About Regrets

(Originally published 12/16/13)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Mary and Joseph (wonder why) and one thing that struck me for the first time was that they must have felt terrible when Jesus was born.

Think about it. Mary, who is legally bound to Joseph, becomes pregnant before the wedding day. Joseph, instead of divorcing her quietly, as he was tempted to do, takes her public shame and covers it with marriage. Now, not only does Mary look bad for being pregnant, but people are probably looking at Joseph and thinking either he sinned and the Child is his, or he has no problem with Mary’s apparent sin and is guilty by association.

I’m sure they were the biggest scandal to hit their town in quite a while.

Then Joseph and Mary make the long journey to Bethlehem and end up spending the night in the stables with the animals, where Mary goes into labor.

If I were in their shoes, I would have panicked. Mary has known this whole time that she is carrying the Messiah and Joseph has just had a confirming dream. They must be feeling overwhelming pressure. And they end up in a situation where the King of kings, the Savior of the world, is going to be born in the hay, amidst animal droppings and half chewed food.

Joseph and Marry must have wondered where they went wrong.

Their circumstances were as far from ideal as it gets. They must have wanted to give so much more to God. They must have expected it to be so much more glorious than it was.

If I were them, I would have felt like I’d let God down, by allowing His Son to be born in such a place, to disgraced parents, with nobody caring about the birth except for a few shepherds.

I think we all feel like that from time to time. We sit down and sing the shoulda’/coulda’/woulda’s, tasting the bitter regret of having failed God.

I know I have. I’ve sacrificed a lot to be where I am today. Only where I am isn’t where I expected to be. Not even close.

I feel like I let God down. I expected my sacrifices to produce something so glorious for Him. My struggles in obedience, my striving to do His will… it all seems empty now. I wonder where I went wrong.

When we feel God’s calling on our lives, we start to dream big. We think of all the things we want to do for Him, all that we want to accomplish for His Kingdom. But the accolades we plan are not what matter to God.

I’m going to do something completely uncharacteristic now and quote Disney, because it’s what popped into my head as I was writing this. In the movie Mulan, a young woman sets out to bring her family honor and ends up saving China. But when she returns home and offers the Emperor’s gifts to her father, he throws them aside and tells her, “The greatest gift and honor, is having you for a daughter.”

God prizes people.

God is after you. He is after your heart. He is after your love and obedience. He wants to be your Dad.

The successes and honors of this world mean nothing to Him. He planned for His Son to be laid in a manger, instead of in a palace. He planned for me to write this to an audience of 100+ instead of 100,000+.

He does not value the things of this world like we do. He values us.

So if you, like me, are harboring regrets, let them go and grab hold of God.

Because you are all He’s ever wanted. And by making Him all you want, you bring Him glory.

Get Behind me, Santa

(Originally published 12/9/13)

Tis the season, so I suppose I should probably have a Christmas themed post or two. Trouble is, I’m a self professed Grinch.

The other trouble is that I love and follow Jesus and I enjoy giving gifts to no end.

As I’m sure you can imagine, this time of year is a bit confusing for me.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love all the holiday spirit: the tree, the food, the gifts, and most of all the family and friends. I love the traditions and the general good-will mood.

The part I can’t stand about this time of year is the politics.

Everywhere you turn there are the debates over ‘Happy Holidays’ vs. ‘Merry Christmas,’ Hymns vs. Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, nativity scenes vs. Santa and his sleigh. It seems like you can’t make a move without stepping on someone’s toes.

It’s the season for political correctness to run rampant and offenses to run high.

We Christians are all but commanded by the church community to ‘Keep Christ in Christmas.’ But I was thinking of that phrase the other day and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s really a very dumb phrase.

Think about it: the implication here is that if we Christians do not fight tooth and nail campaigning for our rights to our music, decorations, seasonal greetings, and shopping hours, that Jesus will be taken out of Christmas. This call to action is basically stating that non-Christians have the power over Jesus to ban Him from this time of year.

And it’s not just Christmas either. The Church is campaigning to keep Jesus in our schools, in our government buildings, in our currency, in our laws, etc. As though to say that if we were to step out of politics, Jesus would be ousted and denied re-entry.

But I’ve got news on the political fighting point:

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Matt. 18:20

This means that as long as even two Christians are on the premise, there can and will be Holy Spirit anointed prayer.

Even if there were no Christians for miles, God would still be there. His presence is not dependent on us. It’s not like He needs us to get Him into a building and the lack of Christians will keep Him from standing in the oval office and seeing that everything goes according to His perfect plan.

I really don’t think that we Christians are meant to be campaigning so hard on the political front (with the exception, of course, of those who God has called to political office). I don’t think it shows the love of Christ to get our noses bent out of shape when we hear ‘Happy Holidays.’

Those types of political concerns are for the world to worry about. There’s no mention of the apostles marching up and down the street with picket signs. They were too busy loving on people and preaching against sins. Not the sin of Santa and his reindeer, either.

I just worry that the church may have its priorities out of order and that we are fighting in battles that don’t concern us.

If someone wants to sing frosty the snowman and wish me Happy Holidays, then groovy. The far greater concern to me should be whether or not that person realizes how much Jesus loves them and how much they need Him. Because if they don’t have that, then they could celebrate Christmas in the Godliest manner possible and still lose their soul.

So this year, let’s not worry about keeping Jesus in Christmas, in government buildings, in schools, etc. He is already there, and I can assure you that no scheme of man can keep Jesus away from any place He wants to be.

Let’s focus instead on whether or not He is in our hearts and the hearts of those around us. Let’s just love on people this year, pray for those in power, and live lives that are glorifying to God.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,   and   giving of thanks be made for all men,   for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.   For this   is   good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,   who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Tim.2:1-4