Right-Wing Exposed

“What would Jesus do”, WWJD, has been a popular slogan among Evangelicals over the past several years.  It has also been a profitable slogan, as many types of merchandise stamped with this logo are sold at high retail prices by and to Evangelicals.  Was it just another money-making scheme in the Church?

I do not believe that Evangelicals in America reflect what Jesus did when He walked this planet nearly 2000 years ago, or what He would do if He was here today.  What would Jesus “really” do if He came to His American Evangelical Church today?

I believe He would begin His ministry the same way He did as recorded in the New Testament.  He would cleanse His “church temple” of all the greedy, corrupt, profiteering business practices.  He would likewise cast out the sellers from His Church; the bookstores, restaurants, arcade rooms, music stores, coffee shops etc, again saying that His House is to be a house of prayer, not a “house of merchandise”.

He would empty out the massive checking and savings accounts of America’s mega churches and sell their stocks and bonds, and would help the poor and feed the five million children who will die from starvation this year while Evangelical mega churches bask in their wealth; reminding them as He did in the New Testament that He was hungry, in the person of these starving children, but they did not feed Him.  He would also sell their elaborate and luxurious mega church buildings, and would build homeless shelters for the 800,000 Americans who sleep in alleys and under bridges,  reminding Evangelicals that He was a stranger, in the person of America’s homeless, but they did not give Him shelter.

He would denounce the hypocrisy and greed of television evangelists who devour the possessions of widows and the elderly, as the religious hypocrites did in Jesus’ day, so that they can pay themselves six and seven figure salaries and fly around in personal jets.  He would shun these charlatans and would associate with the poor and outcasts of society as recorded in the New Testament.

He would visit AIDS wards and children’s cancer wards healing everyone.  And, He would do it humbly as He had done before; not like Benny Hinn renting large auditoriums where he can take up huge offerings and advertise his name in lights to exalt himself.  Moreover, He would tell Evangelicals to get out of politics and get back to ministry.  He would advise them to focus on changing people’s hearts, instead of changing federal judges and congressional legislation.

This is the kind of Jesus we read about in the Bible, and He is being misrepresented by America’s Evangelicals.  This is truly what Jesus would really do.

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.

It actually felt a little like “spring” today in Minnesota, 47 degrees.  Yes, that’s right, we get excited about 47 degrees here.  And, it’s Friday, which means that the weekend is here, so that’s another “upper”.  In this crazy world we live in with wars, terrorism, crime, poverty, hunger and an American economy that is in serious trouble, we need some uppers once in a while.  Now, don’t go out and find the nearest drug dealer, because I’m not talking about drugs.  I mean “natural uppers” like a sunny day, a weekend’s repose, good time spent with some friends etc.  These are sweet blessings in life.

Unfortunately, there are more than enough downers in life; things like sickness, pain, death, loss of employment, loneliness, rejection and betrayal.  Frankly, it seems like this world brings us more downers than we can compensate for with those natural uppers.

So, how can we maintain a positive attitude and keep joy in our lives when life’s negatives outnumber the positives?  I can tell you what does it for me, supernatural uppers that can only come from God, and that He has promised us in the Bible.  The Scriptures speak a lot about joy and rejoicing.  It’s one of God’s promised blessings to believers.

Sorrow, sadness and discouragement take a tremendous toll on us.  They make life unpleasant and extremely difficult.  And, when you’ve gotten into a “rut” with these negative emotions, you need supernatural help to deliver you from the “chains of despair” that have bound you.

I have some good news, some “Friday Truth” for you.  Jesus said that He came to “set the captives free” in Luke 4:18; moreover, He proclaimed in John 8:36 that when He sets you free, “you will be free indeed”.  In John 15:11 Jesus said that He has spoken His word to us so that His “joy” can abide in us.  And, Psalm 16:11 tells us that in His presence is fullness of joy.  Do you get the picture?  Jesus wants to set us free from our sorrows and misery, and to replace our sadness with joy!

I encourage you to take Him up on His offer.  Place your faith in Him and ask Him to be with you.  He doesn’t turn anyone away.  He’ll bring you the same supernatural joy and peace that He has provided for me.  In Psalm 30:5 we’re told that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy will come in the morning”.  And, Jesus said that He is the “Bright and Morning Star”.  Jesus can and will end your “night of weeping and despair”, and He will bring a bright, new morning filled with joy into your life.  It’s the truth, the “Friday Truth”.  Have a great weekend.  I’ll see you on “Evangelical Monday”. 

It’s Friday night, and another week is coming to an end.  Did you have a good week, or a hard week filled with problems and trials?  Things are getting more difficult in America.  Home foreclosures continue to increase and credit card debt also continues to escalate, while gas prices have risen to more than $3 a gallon once again.  The stock market is still in the “tank” and the “Fed” can only lower interest rates so far.  These are ideal conditions for stress and anxiety to flourish.

How are you doing?  Do all these problems and trials have you stressed out?  I promise you that Jesus can and will help to relieve your stress and calm your anxieties.  The trials we face in this world don’t take Him by surprise.  In fact, in John 16:33, He said that we would have tribulations in this world.  However, in that same passage, He said that He will still give us peace in the midst of them.  And, believe me, He does.

Jesus came into this world to bring us peace.  One of His titles given to Him in the Old Testament hundreds of years before He was born was “Prince of Peace”.  And, in Ephesians 2:14 we’re told that Jesus Himself is our peace.  The Bible tells us to “cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for us”, in 1st Peter 5:7.  I encourage you to do what the Bible says.  Sometimes our burdens are just too heavy for us to carry them on our own.  Jesus knows that, and He has offered to carry them for you.  He can do the “heavy lifting” that you can’t.  Trust Him and ask Him to take your burdens, and to give you peace.  He’s done it for me, and He will also do it for you.  The Bible says that He’s the same yesterday, today and forever; moreover, that He does not practice partiality.  So, He will provide the same help for you that He has for me.

Take Him at His word.  What have you got to lose?  I’ll tell you what you’ve got to lose, your burdens!  The Bible tells us exactly what to do when we feel anxiety coming upon us.  We are to say “no” to the anxiety, and then bring our need to God in prayer, but also to give thanks.  There is fantastic power in being thankful, which I’ll talk about another time.  However, for today’s focus, when we resist anxiety, and pray to God with thanksgiving instead,  God promises to bring peace upon us that surpasses understanding, in and through Jesus.  In fact, peace comes upon me when I just think about Jesus and speak His name.  After all, as the Bible says, He is the “Prince of Peace”.

That’s the “Friday Truth” for this week.  Have a great weekend!  I’ll see you on “Evangelical Monday”.

It’s certainly been an interesting week.  Our economy continued its downward spiral.  Hillary and Obama continued fighting each other, to the glee of Republicans.  And, right-wing talk radio had a grand time exploiting Obama’s pastor’s unwise remarks. 

These are hard times in America.  People are losing their homes and their jobs.  And, politics in our nation seems to find a way to sink to new lows. With all of the losses that people are suffering and the abundance of bad news circulating, it’s easy to begin to feel depressed and alone.

Therefore, I know that you could use some “good news” to head into this weekend. So, let me share a little “Friday Truth” with you straight from the Bible.  When times are tough and the pressure is on, you can be surrounded by people and still feel like you’re on an island, all alone in your despair.  But, you need to know that you’re not alone.  Last week I shared with you from the Bible just how much you are loved by God, and that He has promised that He will never forget you.  In Hebrews 13:5 and Matthew 28:20 the Bible assures that God is always with you, and that He will never leave you or forsake you.  That’s why you’ve been able to keep going in the midst of your difficulties.  His presence has been with you sustaining and enabling you to carry on.  And, why does He remain with you?  Because you’re worth it!  He sees great value and importance in you.  God doesn’t create junk.

You can’t get away from God even if you wanted to, because He won’t let you out of His sight or out of His thoughts.  In Psalm chapter 139 the Bible states that God knows your thoughts before you think them and your words before you speak them.  It says He knows when you sit down and when you rise up.  Moreover, it says that wherever you go, He goes.  Do you get the picture?  He loves to be with you, and you can’t shake Him.  The bottom line is that you are not alone now, and you never will be.  So, as long as He’s there with you, you might as well talk to Him and get to know Him better.  He wants a relationship with you.  Why do you think He’s always hanging around you? 

I encourage you to trust and respond to His presence.  If you do, you’ll never feel alone in a crowd again.  Oh, by the way, when you start talking to Him, if you’re out in public with other people, it might be a good idea to do it silently in your mind.  Maybe you already knew that.

Have a great weekend.  I’ll see you on “Evangelical Monday”.

Another week has come to an end, which means it’s time for some “Friday Truth”.  Most of you have probably worked hard and had your share of challenges, so I’m sure that you could use some encouragement.  And, I can’t think of a better place to get it from than the Bible.

I’ve spent time this week talking about global warming, money-loving preachers and about talk radio hosts’ harangues.  So, I’m ready to close this week with something more uplifting and helpful.  Let’s go into this weekend with a positive attitude and a general sense of well-being.

The Bible states in Jeremiah 31:3 that God loves you with an everlasting love, and that He draws you to Him with loving-kindness.  So, regardless of what kind of week you’ve had or of whatever rejection you experienced, you need to know that God still loves you.  In fact, that passage of scripture tells you that He always will love you, regardless of what you think, say or do.  As it said, His love for you is everlasting.  And, know that if God loves you like that, then you’re obviously worth it!

Also, if you experienced rejection this week, and you’re feeling forgotten and unimportant, there’s something else you need to know.  God has not rejected you; you’re still important to Him.  And, He has not forgotten you.  The Bible states in Isaiah 49:15 that a nursing mother will forget her precious little baby before God will ever forget you.  You are special, important, valuable and loved and remembered by God.  Now, that should help your self esteem.

So, shake the dust off your feet and let the week’s burdens go.  The most powerful and intelligent Being in the universe thinks that you’re worth His attention and love.  Have a great weekend.  I’ll be back with more revelations in my ”Evangelical Monday” blog.

Hey, it has been a long week for me.  How about you?  I’ve got a lot of things going on in my life right now that are challenging.  And, sometimes it’s tempting to become negative.  That’s when I’m really thankful for so many encouraging and uplifting passages in the Bible.  They truly keep me going when times are tough.

It’s really a shame that there are so many “fakes” on television posing as ministers of Jesus.  They abuse and twist the Bible to scam people, take their money and buy themselves mansions and private jets.  And, in the process they leave a bad impression about the Bible in the minds of many.  In this weekly “Friday Truth” segment I hope to clear some of that up.  You’ll see that the Bible is actually a “love letter” that God has written to us with hundreds of encouraging messages that give us strength to carry on through difficult times.

As I said, I’m in the midst of some significant challenges right now in my life, and some of you probably are as well.  “Friday’s Truth” for us this week is from Jeremiah 29:11.  It says that God’s thoughts toward us are of peace, and to give us a future and hope.  So, even in the midst of my current trials, God has promised me a hopeful and peace-filled future if I trust Him and don’t give up.  And, I should also mention that when I’ve claimed His promises and trusted Him in the past, He has always come through for me.  He has always been faithful.

So, if any of you are in some difficult times of your own, I encourage you to do what I’m doing.  Trust His promise to give you peace and a hopeful future as I am, because the Bible also says that He does not practice favoritism, so what He does for me He will also do for you if you ask Him and trust Him.  And, the Bible also states that God is ”on our side”; He’s not against us.  Therefore, He’s going to help both you and I when we come to Him.  That’s the truth for this Friday.  Have a great weekend!