Right-Wing Exposed

It’s the end of another week, and that means it’s also time for some “Friday Truth” straight from the Bible.  Last week I showed from the Bible that all of God’s promises and blessings are received in Jesus, and that it requires us putting our faith in Him.

You may have noticed that I referred to the “Bible” twice in the first paragraph.  And, that is the focus of this week’s Friday Truth segment.  The Bible is a vital part of a healthy Christian life, and it is the means of getting to know Jesus personally.  Jesus said in John 5:39 that the Scriptures (the Bible) testify of Him.  In other words, the central message of the Bible is about Jesus.  Therefore, when you read the Bible, especially the New Testament, you are getting to know Jesus.  I need to add, however, that your motivation, purpose and attitude are also important.  What do I mean?  Each time before you read the Bible, ask God in prayer to reveal Jesus to you personally and intimately as you read.  Remember, you’re not just seeking “head knowledge” from the Bible, but you are seeking a close, deep personal relationship with Jesus Himself.  So, ask God to help you see and know Him as you read the Scriptures.  And, the Bible tells us in 2nd Corinthians 3:18 that as we behold Jesus, we will become transformed to become more like Him.  That’s good news, because Jesus is kind, patient, unselfish, gracious, merciful, faithful and loving.  It can’t get any better than to become like Him.

The Bible also promises to guide our lives down the right paths.  Psalm 119:105 says that God’s Word (the Bible) is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  John 17:17 states that we are sanctified by God’s Word.  Sanctify means to “make holy”, or to be set apart for God.  So, as you read the Bible, God is “cleaning you up”, making you holy, and setting you apart as His own child.  And, in Psalm 119:11, we’re told that as we read God’s Word and put it in our hearts, it will help us resist sin.  That’s more good news.  The Bible will help us resist lying, cheating, stealing, hating, being selfish etc.

Another necessity in the Christian life is “faith”.  The Bible tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.  What does that have to do with the Bible?  Romans 10:17 states that faith comes from hearing God’s Word.  So, we need faith to please God, and we need the Bible to build our faith.  I strongly encourage you to read it daily, and to always pray that God will reveal Jesus to you personally and intimately as you read.  I also suggest that you begin with the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  You will begin a journey that will transform your life.  That’s the “Friday Truth”.

Would you believe that we’ve been in the middle of a two-day snow storm in beautiful Minnesota?  However, in this state it could be 60 degrees in a couple days, and then be back in the 30’s again next Friday.  The weather is very inconsistent, but I’m thankful that God and the Bible are not.  In Malachi 3:6 the Bible says that God does not change.  And, in Hebrews 13:8 it states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  In this changing and unstable world we live in, it is comforting to know that there is a place we can go that is “rock solid” and never changes.

In the past few “Friday Truth” segments I’ve shared many encouraging passages with you from the Bible.  You’ve found that God is on your side; He’s for you, not against you.  You’ve also discovered that He is always with you, and that He loves you with an everlasting love.  You’ve learned that He has a plan for your life, which includes giving you hope and a good future.  Moreover, you’ve read that He promises to fill you with peace and joy.  However, you may feel that you have not really been experiencing these things yet.  And, you may be wondering how to “tap” into them more fully.

I can only share what I know, what I’ve experienced, and what the Bible says.  The answer is Jesus.  He is called the “Word” in the Bible, because He is God’s Message and Messenger.  All of God’s promises to us are conveyed in and through Jesus.  To truly receive the full hope, love, joy and peace God has promised, you need to be “connected” to Jesus; you need to have a personal relationship with Him.

The Bible says that we receive every spiritual blessing in Christ (Jesus).  In fact, it states that “all” of God’s promises are received in Him.  The words every and all certainly indicate that when we have Jesus, there is nothing missing.  He possesses and brings God’s love, hope, joy and peace into our lives.  The Bible states that this is the truth, and I also testify that it is true.

How do you enter into this personal relationship with Jesus?  You enter in by faith.  You choose to believe what the Bible says about Him; that He is the Son of God; that He died for your sins; that He rose from the grave in victory; that He has the power and authority to save you and to give you eternal life.  Then, surrender your life to His control, and ask Him to be your Savior and Lord.  He’ll do it.  He’ll come into your life and bring all of God’s blessings with Him.  And, don’t worry about Him rejecting you. He won’t.  He has promised in John 6:37 that He will not turn anyone away.  That’s the Friday truth.  See you on “Evangelical Monday”. 

It’s late Friday afternoon and I’ve had an interesting week in many ways.  Some things are certainly worth remembering, but some other things I’d like to forget.  What about you?  I guess, most weeks are like that.  We win some battles, and we lose some battles.  We make some good decisions, and we make some costly mistakes.

Once again, I’m thankful for the Bible; the place where we can go today to get some “Friday Truth”.  How do we deal with the mistakes that we’ve made this week?  You may even have done some things that you’re ashamed of;  things that are weighing upon your conscience, bringing a load of guilt upon you that won’t let you go.  These things can become almost all-encompassing if you don’t deal with them.

What’s the answer?  Deal with them.  How?  In order for you to be truly free from the guilt and/or shame, they must be dealt with on two levels.  The first level concerns your appropriate response with God.  God knows all things, so He knows exactly what you’ve done, and He knows the oppressive guilt that you’re feeling right now.  You won’t “shock Him” when you talk to Him about it.  He loved you before you committed the wrongs, and He still loves you after you did them.  Trust me on this, because it is imperative that you choose to believe God’s unconditional love for you.

Not only do you need to trust in His love, but also in His willingness to forgive you.  Let me share some encouraging Bible truth with you.  In 1st John 1:9 God promises us that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us.  Psalm 103:12 states that He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, and Micah 7:19 declares that God casts our sins into the depths of the sea.  And, I would like to add that He also puts up a sign next to that sea that says “No Fishing”.  Do you get the picture?  When you confess what you’ve done to God, He removes it from you totally, absolutely, completely, 100% without leaving the least microscopic iota of it whatsoever.  In fact, the Bible actually says that God not only forgives your wrongdoings, but that He also “forgets” them.  So, if God forgets them upon your confession, you also need to forget them.  And, through God’s power, you can and will be able to do so.

I will also mention something else that you may be thinking.  There might be thoughts in your mind that your sin is different, and that your situation will not allow you to be forgiven for a number of reasons.  Those are lies that “the enemy” whispers to all of us.  Isaiah 1:18 states that even if your sins are “scarlet” or “red like crimson”, which means of the most despicable and heinous nature, God will make them “as white as snow”.  In other words, there is no sin too great or bad for God to forgive.  So don’t delay!  Go to Him now and let Him forgive you, cleanse you and deliver you from your load of guilt.

I mentioned earlier that you need to deal with your wrongdoings on two levels.  What’s the second level?  If you have wronged another person, you need to talk to them and apologize.  The Bible says that we need to do this in order to experience God’s forgiveness.  And, I think we must admit that this is only right.  After all, if we’re telling God that we’re sorry for our sin and asking Him to forgive us, that same sorrow should also cause us to ask forgiveness from the actual person that we wronged, shouldn’t it?

So, don’t go into this weekend weighted down with a burden of guilt.  Go to God and be set free!  That’s the “Friday Truth” for this week.  See you on “Evangelical Monday”.  Have a great weekend.

For the third consecutive week my “Right-Wing Thursday” segment is dealing with conservative talk radio’s assault on Senator Obama.  Republicans would obviously much rather run against Hillary than him; furthermore, even if Hillary can’t beat him, right-wingers at least want to stretch out their in-party battle as long as possible.  So, conservative talkers continue to keep their “bulls-eye” fixed squarely upon Obama.

The Jeremiah Wright incident is still frequently mentioned on most right-wing shows, and is usually referred to as an example of “black racism”.  Moreover, Pastor Wright’s church is regularly labeled as a black racist church.  Why can’t these Republican pundits let this story go?  They’ve played Wright’s distasteful remarks to their listening audiences numerous times, and have examined, analyzed and discussed them to the point of redundancy.

If Pastor Wright’s statements exemplified racism, what about right-wing talk shows who repeatedly focus on his “racist remarks” for no other reason than to be able to continue to call him and his church black racists?  Wouldn’t people who intentionally try to find reasons that allow them to make ongoing accusations of racism against another race, also be guilty of racism themselves?  After all, if these white radio hosts get enjoyment from calling Wright and his black congregation “racists”, it would seem to indicate some racist tendencies within themselves.

However, the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity and Hewitt forge ahead with their “Obama Project”.  Sean Hannity continued full speed ahead this week with his investigations of Senator Obama’s life from the cradle till the last time he went to the bathroom.  Meanwhile, Hugh Hewitt was attacking Obama’s involvement with a so-called radically liberal, black lawyers group.  Notice the race thing again, a “black” lawyers group.  I wonder who has the racism issue.

What about Rush Limbaugh?  Well, among other things, he was busy attacking the Democratic, Michigan Senator’s husband who was caught with a prostitute.  He seemed to enjoy repeatedly calling this woman a “whore”.  I wonder if Rush would like us to permanently refer to him as the “druggie” because of his famous downfall.  And, I know that Rush claims to be a Christian, so I need to remind him that Jesus told the judgemental, right-wing, religious pharisees of His day that the whores would enter heaven before them.

I think we’ve probably had all that we can handle from these right-wing pillars of virtue for this week’s episode of “Right-Wing Thursday”.  I’m sure that they will once again provide us with ample material for next week’s post.