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Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
What do you do when your finely tuned approach to Christianity and your faith is rocked? For sure it wipes out the whole idea that following Jesus is a walk in the park. “Biblical faith involves not just your mind; it also requires a commitment of our heart that radically changes the way you think.” (Everyday Gospel Devotional-Tripp-p. 114) What a shocking wake up call when one finds out the Christian life is not one of ease, but one filled with difficulty, experiences that rattle your cage. I will admit that I get upset when I hear of those shysters who simply want to take advantage of people to line their own pockets.
A recent incident/teaching has got me a little riled up. The teaching is by prosperity teacher (I refuse to call her a pastor) Paula White. It is called Paula White’s Passover Promises. Here it is in a nutshell:
Paula White, televangelist and spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump, has suggested to donors who give at least $1,000 to her ministry between April 12 and 20 that God will release seven supernatural blessings upon them. “[W]hen you honor God on Passover…you can receive these seven supernatural blessings, for you and your house, according to Exodus 23.”
The blessings she claims donors can release from God with their gift include:
- An angel assigned to them;
- God being an enemy to their enemies;
- Prosperity;
- Sickness removed from them;
- Long life;
- Increase and inheritance; and
- A special year of blessing.
She ties these blessings to a passage from Exodus 23 where God commands the Israelites to celebrate the Passover (verse 15).
Question: Can I throw up now or later?
I spent some time at the local hospital on Saturday, Sunday and Monday visiting a man who has really struggled with diabetes and an infection they say they can’t find. This is not the first time he has been in for the same thing. I went to the hospital yesterday (Tuesday) after receiving a text from his wife that he had passed away. He had gone from only moaning on Saturday, to sleeping (finally) on Sunday, to being fairly alert and able to take dialysis on Monday, to having a very talkative morning only to pass away just moments later. They were both godly people and had raised 6 children to love Jesus. So…please tell me Mrs White-Cain, where your spiel comes in at? Oh yeah, that’s right! They didn’t send you a $1000.
People, be on the lookout for hucksters and shysters like her and others of her ilk. Fortunately for Tim, his salvation was not determined by works, or giving money to shysters, or “naming it and claiming it.” He is now dancing on streets of gold (he had a leg removed to his knee due to complications with diabetes). And he is singing his country gospel at the top of his lungs-on key.
I’m grateful God is not tied to hucksters and shysters but is simply full of love and grace. (And yes I know this post is a bit snarky).
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, False Teaching, God's Word, Health/wealth teaching, Jesus, Opinion, Reflection, Truth Telling
Tuesday, April 1st, 2025
I can remember as a kid taking advantage of April 1st, aka April Fool’s Day. Playing tricks on people until they realize what day it is always brought laughs (or being beat up). 🙂 Because I was so lovable and kind I was able to avoid the latter. Seriously, most people, when they realize the day lay aside their frustrations and join in the fun.
But being a fool or being called one is not anything to brag about. Below are just a few of the verses from Proverbs that have a very common theme: fools.
“Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me (wisdom)- to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.” (1:31-32)
“Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” (12:15)
“Wise people think before they act; fools don’t-and even brag about their foolishness.” “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” (13:16,20)
“Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” (17:28) Abe Lincoln: “It is better to keep your mouth shut and thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”
“The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.” (18:7)
“Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.” (23:9)
There are more. Here is something for you to consider doing. Beginning today, read a chapter of Proverbs a day. By the end of the month you will have read through all of Proverbs. Take a pencil, pen, or highlighter that won’t bleed, and underline as you read. Find one verse each chapter to highlight for that day. When you read through the book again, use a different color highlighter and look for a new verse. Oh…look for the verses that talk about fools. Happy reading! Happy growing! And while you are at it, determine not to carry today’s joke beyond April 1.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Foolishness, Fools, God's Word, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Speech, Story
Monday, March 31st, 2025
We make decisions every day. From turning the alarm off (who wants to listen to that!) to then deciding whether to heed the alarm’s call to get up, to taking a shower, to fixing or eating breakfast on the run, the list is endless. Some mundane. Some life-changing.
The Bible is filled with characters who made major decisions. For example:
- Samson who decided to follow his lusts instead of being obedient to the one whom his mother promised him to (God). While Samson knew some victories (usually brought on by his anger or his strength) his life is also a story of missed potential. He played with fire until the fire didn’t just singe him, it burnt him and consumed him.
- Ruth decided to be submissive to her mother-in-law by following her back to Jerusalem. As a Moabite woman Ruth could have stayed home and remarried one of her kind. But she chose to honor Naomi and in the process met Boaz, the man she eventually married. As a result she is in the lineage of Jesus. She had Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.
- Then there was Samuel who was promised to God even before he was born, but made the choice to follow God at a young age. A few words: “Speak, your servant listens” changed the trajectory of his life. His entire life was spent as a prophet in service to God. He anointed Saul until that became a monumental mistake and then was led by God to anoint David as the next king of Israel.
- Saul was “head and shoulders about everyone else” in physical stature, but his obedience factor was bad. Really bad. He spent more time disobeying God and blaming others for it than he did in being a godly king and leader.
- Then there is David, the “man after God’s heart.” Perfect? Not by a long stretch. Who doesn’t know about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband ordered by David? But David was also a man who admitted his sin and sought forgiveness. (I’d like to ask you to read Psalm 51 at this point). David shows us humility, and repentance, and that there is hope for even the worst of us.
We all make decisions-some good, some bad. Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 14:2 says, “Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise him.”
Choose wisely (cue up Indiana Jones in the last crusade when he finally handles the cup of Christ). 🙂
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Plan, Leadership, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Surrender
Thursday, March 27th, 2025
A person simply cannot live without hope. If you take away hope, you take away a reason to go on.
Recently I have gorged myself on Leadership books, particularly those by Jon Gordon, Patrick Lencioni and James Hunter. I have one by Simon Sinek sitting in my stack to read next. But earlier this week, I had reached my fill and thought to myself that I needed something else to read to eventually renew my focus on leadership. So I began to go book by book in my library to see what either struck my eye or maybe one I needed to read again for a refresher course. My eyes stopped at a book by the late J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom called Never Beyond Hope. It was published in 2000 and it is hard telling how long I have had it. I have an original hardback so I think it is safe to say a long time. When I opened it to glance through it I realized I had no markings in it, which means I have never read it. So with Resurrection Sunday on its way and the hope that springs eternal from that day, I decided to give it a try. The subtitle of the book is How God Touches and Uses Imperfect People. I thought that certainly sounded like me so it appeared to be a good choice. 🙂
Packer writes the following in his Introduction: “While there’s life there’s hope, we say, but the deeper truth is that only while there’s hope is there life.” Read that slowly again. I once heard it said, “”A man can live three days without water, 40 days without food, but only five minutes without hope.” In other words, take away hope and a person has nothing to live for. Hope springs eternal is what we are told. Well, what happens when hope is lost? I believe that is exactly one of the reasons why the suicide rate is climbing higher with each passing day. Take away hope and all that is left is a mere existence, often characterized by painful memories, unmet expectations, and unrealized dreams. And, of course, when those are the thoughts the next question is, “What do I have to live for?”
My heart aches and breaks for people who have come to the end of their rope and see no way out. I wish they could see there is hope and there is a way out. Even though their situation looks impossible and unavoidable and desperate, there is ONE who has open arms and a big shoulder. He is the same one who said, “I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).
Please keep your eyes open today (and everyday) for those who are hurting, for those who seem to have it all together on the outside, but inside they are a weeping mess. You just may be the person who brings someone back from the brink, and along with you, can give praise to the ONE who gives life meaning and hope.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Friendship, Hopelessness, Kindness, Lifestyle, Loneliness, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection
Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
One of the most intriguing books in the Bible is the book of Ruth. For those who may not be too familiar with it, let me summarize it for you.
- Ruth is 4 short chapters and not one word of God, Yahweh or any other title you might want to give Him is included.
- A famine strikes the land of Israel so a Jewish man named Elimelech takes his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion (Chilion in some translations) to Moab. A Jew in Moab? Hmmm.
- Elimelech dies. The two boys marry Moabite women, then they both die 10 years later. Naomi, while grieving, hears that the famine is over so with nothing to live for she decides to move back to her hometown of Jerusalem. On the way she gives her two daughters-in-law a choice of returning home. Orpah returns home but Ruth goes with Naomi. Her classic response in Ruth 1:16-17 is often used in weddings because it talks about commitment.
- Ruth begins working in the fields to bring home some food for the two of them. The fields belong to a wealthy man named Boaz. Boaz offers Ruth protection from other men and also a job gleaning in his fields.
- Boaz is a relative of Elimelech and is known as a kinsman-redeemer. He offers to buy the land and with that land comes Ruth, whom he takes as his wife. The great part of that arrangement is found in Ruth 4. Naomi is given a grandson but there is more! “And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.” (4:17). And if you are putting 2 + 2 together you know the rest of the story. Jesus, the Messiah, the Promised King, is from the lineage of David.
How refreshing it was to read again this story this morning. And how fantastic it was to be reminded (again) of God’s goodness and His plan and to watch it all come together. Who knew (but God) that a trip back home by a sad, defeated, and heart-broken Naomi would lead to Ruth becoming the wife of the kinsman-redeemer of Elimilech’s family. I marvel at God’s good timing and His way of working things out far beyond my ability to understand and to know. I may not always grasp the Omniscience (All-knowing) of God; I certainly don’t always understand His ways; but one thing I will drive a stake through is that He does all things well and His Word and love for me never changes. Have a blessed day my friends as you consider the teachings of Ruth. 🙂
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Plan, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Ruth, Scripture look, Story, Trials, Trusting God
Tuesday, March 25th, 2025
Ask many office personnel what is their most dreaded time and they just might say, “The staff or office meeting.” Many feel as though it is like pulling teeth to go. In fact, many may prefer going to the dentist than to sit in a staff meeting. One word most often defines them: B.O.R.I.N.G.
Yesterday I was in an almost 3 hour staff meeting. There are three of us-myself, the youth pastor (Ryan), and the office manager excellente’, Diana. Every Monday morning unless an emergency takes one of us away, or one or two of us are gone, we have a planned staff meeting at 9:30ish. I use the “ish” because Ryan tends to run late on Mondays. But that’s okay. Sunday is usually an extra busy day for him due to youth activities. Back to my thought: we had our normally scheduled staff meeting that went extra long. I have to tell you that our staff meetings tend to be disjointed. We spend a few minutes catching up, then we have a devotional thought or watch a video (often from The Chosen since Ryan likes it), we pray for various people/circumstances and then Diana brings us up to date on “stuff.”
Yesterday was somewhat different for us. Ryan had taken 14 people to east Tennessee to help with flood relief from Hurricane Helene. Yes, I know that was several months ago but the pictures of the destruction of where they worked are stark. (I’m going to leave the area where they worked unnamed because I never heard of it before). They helped work on some houses- erecting walls, putting insulation in crawl spaces, shoveling and using a wheelbarrow to take gravel for a drainage system on a house. One of the men is a licensed plumber and he and his teenage daughter spent time at another house doing plumbing. A good section of our staff meeting was spent talking about the team, what they did, and looking at pictures of the area. To give you another perspective, these were teens and adults who gave up their lazy spring break to travel from Spencer to Elizabethton, TN to work for a week in mud, grunge and grime. They got sunburned on Tuesday and Wednesday and then froze their faces off and wore multiple layers on Thursday and Friday. All while sleeping on cots at night in a church building.
I am so proud of Ryan, his wife, Hope and the others who went. Those who went were complimented that they never complained, even though they spent hours in a crawl space hanging insulation. They were given tough jobs but they did it joyfully, never complaining. Ginger was certainly grateful for the house being built on a small lot given to her by her sister after everything she owned was washed away. So were the Fosters and others who had plumbing done after losing everything. Oh…I failed to mention that we partnered with a group called IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services), an organization from Noblesville, IN well worth looking into.
Well done group. Thank you for your servant’s heart.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Humility, Jesus, Kindness, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Servant's Heart, Service, Story
Monday, March 24th, 2025
Compromise. A word with double meaning. It could be a good thing or it could be a bad thing. When two (or more) people compromise or soften a position for the purpose of moving forward or making things right or unity, that is a good thing. Sometimes it is called “The Art of the Deal.” However, compromise can also carry a bad connotation. It gives the idea of softening too much, of giving in without much of a struggle, especially in the world of values and beliefs.
My thoughts turn this morning to a character in the book of Judges that all I have to say is one word or one couple and 99% of the people know who I am speaking about. Hint: (_________) and Delilah. But much goes on in the life of Samson long before his escapade with Delilah. Here is a brief summary:
- Born with a Nazirite vow over him. The vow required no strong drink, to not eat any forbidden food, and, in Samson’s case, don’t cut his hair. Even his mother had to abide by the first two while pregnant.
- Samson is born and in time kills a lion who attacks him. Later he touches the carcass to get some honey. A clear violation of his vow.
- He falls in love with a Philistine woman, a clear violation of his sanity. The Philistines were Public Enemy #1 to the Israelites. His misadventures involving her were many.
- Later he spends time with a prostitute in Gaza. Again, a clear violation of his vow. (What is it with these Philistine woman?)
- He meets his match in Delilah, a Philistine woman (Same question as above). If you know the story, Delilah whined her way into his secret: “cut my hair and I will be as weak as any other man.” Even that was not a spur of the moment revelation. He slowly got closer and closer to revealing the source of his strength with her.
Samson is captured, his eyes gouged out and he is put in prison. His long locks of hair now gone. They were a symbol of his vow and the presence and power of God. But in all of this mess something good is happening. Judges 16:22 tells us: “But before long, his hair began to grow back.” Lost in his compromise was the presence and power of God. But deep in that dungeon where he ground out grain, Samson’s relationship with God was being restored.
The consequence for Samson’s compromise was dark and painful. Compromising our values and beliefs leads to pain unimaginable. Maybe feeling cut off from God’s presence and power. But just as Samson’s hair began to grow again, our relationship can be restored. Don’t allow the fleeting pleasures of this life lead to a compromise you will regret.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Compromise, God's Word, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Thursday, March 20th, 2025
FEAR is one of the biggest issues many people face. Fear of the past coming back to haunt us. Fear of the present rearing its ugly head to rob us of our joy. Fear of the future-unsure of what is ahead. Oh…and fear of the dark, fear of tight places, fear of flying, fear of snakes, etc.
I am not downgrading anyone who has legitimate fears. I read recently about a woman who was mauled by pit bulls. The tragedy would have taken on greater intensity because she had a huge fear of dogs from being bit by one as a child. Legitimate fears are not to be disregarded. “Made up” fears though are a different story. Some people are just fearful people. We used to use the phrase “they are afraid of their own shadow.” Many are mastered by their fear. We did something in the past we are so afraid of people finding out about that we are always looking over our shoulder wondering, “When?” or “If?” We live in fear of the present lest we find ourselves unable to sort through things and function. We are paralyzed by the fear of inadequacy. And, of course, there is the fear of the future. What will it bring? Will there be war? Will I be able to make ends meet? The list is endless.
In the Old Testament book of Judges there is a man who lived in fear. His name was Gideon. When we first read about him he is threshing wheat in a winepress. Grapes are smashed in a winepress inside. Wheat is threshed outside where the wind can help carry away the chaff. But it says Gideon was living in fear of the Midianites so he was threshing wheat while hiding. But one day an angel of the Lord visited him and called him a “mighty man of valor.” Yeah, right. Can you see the headlines? “Man in hiding called mighty man of valor.” Makes no sense to me. But then again, when was God ever tied to what I thought? Answer: N.E.V.E.R.
God called Gideon to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites in a unique way. First, get rid of your fear. Second, tear down your dad’s altar to Baal. Third, whittle your army from 32,000 to 300 men. Fourth, be unconventional in your approach. Surround the Midianite camp, then at Gideon’s signal blow a horn, break a clay jar, raise a torch and shout. Gideon and his men were able to stand by and watch the Midianites panic and either kill each other or run.
Gideon’s fear became faith when he trusted in Yahweh (God) to intervene. What hill or mountain are you facing these days? Health issues? Job insecurity? Marriage on the rocks? Wayward child? Self-induced instability? Trust Him to settle things and make them right. “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” (Pr. 20:24 NLT). That verse says it all. Faith over fear.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith or Fear, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Story
Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
The book of Judges in the Old Testament is aptly named. It is about judges. Not judges as we know them-sitting behind some desk with a lawyer or two debating the merits of a case or of a person the case involves. This was a different kind of judge.
The people of Israel had promised Joshua that they would do as he had committed to: “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” That lasted…until Joshua died. In fact, immediately after Joshua’s death (recorded in Judges 2:6-9), verse 10 is pretty poignant: “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” Well…so much for the “As for me and my house” promise. What is even more telling is what it says in the following verses: “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord…They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them…They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashteroth.” {Editorial interject here: this is exactly what God has warned them against! This is why God wanted them to wipe out of people as they took over the Promised Land.}
God was not going to stand by and watch that happen, so He allowed foreign nations to take His people captive. But in His mercy He heard the cries of His people and raised up leaders (judges) to lead the people out of captivity. The pattern is simple to see. Taken captive by a foreign king. Live in slavery and captivity. Cry out to God for forgiveness and relief from captivity. God raises up a judge. The judge brings freedom. As long as the judge is alive, the people know freedom. The judge dies and they return to their sin and idol worship. The Israelites taken captive again. Rinse and repeat the cycle.
The judges are not household names: Othniel. Ehud (the left-handed warrior who plunged a knife into a very fat King Eglon). Shamgar who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad (a traditional farming tool, a long stick with a pointed end-and sometimes a scraper or chisel at the other end-used to spur or guide oxen while they are pulling a plow or cart). Deborah (and her sidekick Barak). Other more well-known judges are Gideon and Samson.
The sad part is the Israelites kept repeating the pattern-the cycle- time after time. And each time a merciful and forgiving God would come to their rescue and free them. Sound familiar? It does to me. I am them. I go from “As for me and my house” to “I am going to do this on my own.” Fortunately, God is a merciful and forgiving God who lovingly envelopes me in His arms and says, “I forgive you my son.” How about you? Do you have that kind of God?
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Judges, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Tuesday, March 18th, 2025
“When you play with fire you either get burnt or smell like smoke.” That was a saying I learned many years ago and have probably said it so often that if someone paid me $1 for every time I have said it I could retire. 🙂 It is one of those sayings (IMHO) that just stays with you and carries with it eternal truth.
There are many people who do just what this saying suggests. They see how close they can get to the fire without getting burnt. Or to put it another way: see how close they can get to the edge of the cliff without falling off. The teenager (or anyone for that matter) who sees how close they can come sexually but not “go all the way.” A pastor who cozies up to another but tries to draw the line at full-blown adultery. An accountant who plays with the numbers in an attempt to fudge them a bit in order to make himself look good or to benefit financially (I think that is called embezzlement). The person who says, “Just this once” but then finds himself craving the drugs.
Sin is like that. The enemy never makes sin look bad or ugly. The high, the good feeling, the adrenaline rush, the sexual release, whatever you may want to call it is never seen as ugly or bad. Why would he do that? Why would he make sin look so unattractive? We would all turn away if that was the case. Nope. He makes it look wonderful or fulfilling. The Christ-follower is especially vulnerable to this approach. Bolstered by the belief that “I can do this” that person is prime beef for the enemy to pounce. But most often it is a slow and enticing process. I have yet to talk to anyone who just says, “WOW! That is blatant temptation. I think I’ll just give in.” He slowly entices, sort of the like the cobra that seems mesmerized by the musician, until one moment he strikes.
By then it is too late. The failure to be prepared to do battle against the temptation; the failure to expect the temptation to come; the failure to keep our eyes wide open to what is possible and what we are putting ourselves through by exposure to sin, eventually becomes that which takes us down. In Judges 2 the tribes of Israel were told to take the land and not leave anyone standing. The failure to do so would leave them vulnerable to false gods. Needless to say, they didn’t do as they were told. They fought battles but ended up living in and among those they were supposed to erase. The result was compromise. They got too close to the fire and soon got burnt or smelled like smoke.
Don’t give into temptation. Let’s be aware of what “we are playing with.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Sin, Temptation
