Out of the Darkness

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

– Matthew 5:10

For Christ-followers, recent headlines have been anything but encouraging. Our brothers and sisters in faith are being persecuted and killed by the thousands throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Foreign aid to Christian-run hospitals and schools has been blocked by the Indian government. And according to the Christian advocacy group Open Doors, more than 340 million Christians across the globe are facing high levels of persecution and discrimination, such as through the refusal of COVID-19-related aid in Nigeria. 

It’s in troubling times like these we must remember Jesus’ admonition to some of his earliest followers:

“Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

What does Jesus mean by light? It’s really that “spark” or inner power that God grants each Christ-follower for demonstrating his goodness through their words and deeds. We might show it by running a much-needed errand for an elderly neighbor. Or volunteering to manage a co-worker’s project when they're struggling to finish an earlier assignment. Or it might involve cleaning up a community park, buying groceries for a shut-in or visiting the residents of an assisted living center. Ultimately, it’s about living out our faith.

As he did 2,000 years ago, Jesus also calls on his modern-day followers to be the salt of the earth — that crucial element of preservation and flavor — while we await his return. That means we’re to help prepare for his Kingdom by making the most of the different gifts and talents he’s given us. And while serving the least of his creation, we’ll become more like him along the way.

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” Jesus explains. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."  

These are indeed dark times, marked by multiple levels of persecution. But it’s because of this darkness that many outside our faith are recognizing their own plight and the need for answers — as well as a brighter future. As Christ-followers, let’s turn our faith into salt and light by accepting Jesus’ invitation to help illuminate a bleak, dying world that’s so much in need of our Savior’s guidance, truth and love. 

1 Peter Principle

Dear friends, don't be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire.

– 1 Peter 4:12

The Peter Principle is a hypothesis introduced by Dr. Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull that asserts that in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence. Dr. Peter also observed that work in an organization is actually accomplished by those employees who haven't yet reached their level of incompetence.

If you’ve ever been a cubical-dweller in corporate America or you're a fan of the comic strip Dilbert, you know that Dr. Peter was onto something. On the other hand, many people have legitimately worked their way through the ranks and earned their way to the top. But once they made it, the experience sometimes defied their expectations. Challenges arose, problems materialized and the limelight of prestige began to burn. That once sought-after corner office quickly became a place of tension and anxiety. 

If opposition and distraction are what many people face once they attain success (as the world defines it), what's it like for Christ-followers who strive for life's real measure of accomplishment: faithfulness to God? For the Lord’s perspective on the matter, let’s consider what we might call the 1 Peter Principle.   

The Bible teaches that those who’ve accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior can also expect opposition. In fact, they can count on it. The key to enduring the onslaught is learning how to recognize the opposition — and then turning it to an advantage — and all while placing our hope in God.

It's important to understand that this opposition will always bring added challenges. But the life-long habits we develop as Christ-followers — such as consistent prayer, Bible study and regular time with other believers — will prove themselves worthwhile many times over. It's like the long-distance runner, whose car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. That’s a desperate scenario for many people. But for those who’ve trained and prepared, that 5-mile jog to the nearest gas station is a mere inconvenience.

The challenges that Christ-followers face are also sure to bring testing. Maybe it's a layoff at work, an illness in the family or an unanticipated, budget-busting expense. Whatever it is, we can respond by either giving up … or placing our faith in our Creator to see us through the storm. Real faith and hope will stand strong to the end. But what's false is bound to fail. As the Bible puts it, "blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him." 

Is your faith-journey’s ladder to the top shaky or rock-solid? And if you’ve already landed that hard-earned promotion, are you finding that the view isn’t quite what you expected? If so, maybe it’s time to talk to The Boss:  

“I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give,” Jesus reminds his followers. “It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.”

Dirty Laundry

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

– Matthew 8:5

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

You won’t find that familiar saying anywhere in the Bible. But many people believe it’s the Gospel truth. We start or end most days with a hot shower or bath. We stock our bathrooms with antibacterial soaps. And we buy costly laundry detergents and bleaches promising brilliant whites and vivid colors. It all adds up to a global soap and detergent industry involving hundreds of companies with combined annual revenues exceeding $95 billion.

Cleanliness is also part of our popular culture. Mr. Clean has been a recognized Proctor and Gamble icon for more than 50 years. Ivory Soap — famous for more than a century — promotes itself as 99 44/100% Pure. And there’s even a popular Tide detergent NASCAR race car.

 

Our desire to stay clean seems to be hard-wired into our DNA. But this intense longing covers much more than our face and hands. We also want to be just as clean on the inside. That means a clean heart, a clean conscience and a clean spirit. And what we want most is a clean start in life.

But from the earliest chapters of the Bible, we read that mankind chose to turn its back on God and do its own thing. We decided to live our lives on our own terms and ignore the One who made us, knows us and loves us. And by disobeying God, we destroyed our perfect environment and became soiled with a black spot on our souls that the strongest detergent can never remove. 

“Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin,” pleaded King David, the one who was called a man after God’s own heart. It’s this same plea that we should offer up to God every day.

The good news is that God long ago responded to our helplessness in a most miraculous way. But not by devising some sort of payment plan for all the damage we’ve done to our own lives and to others. The price was much too high for that.

Instead, God decided to pay the price himself through the death of his only Son, Jesus Christ. And as predicted centuries earlier in the Old Testament, he came to earth in the form of a helpless infant, grew up and lived a faultless, sin-free life, and was unjustly executed for trumped-up crimes that he didn’t commit. 

It was all so grossly unfair because Jesus was without fault. But there was no other way to fully pay the penalty that we alone deserve. Jesus was more than a teacher, more than a king — and certainly more than a man. He was the perfect sacrifice who came to earth to make us right with God. So when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God sees us as he sees his own Son: One who is spotless and blameless. All we need to do is accept this free — and incredibly generous — gift of grace. 

“I, the LORD, invite you to come and talk it over,” says God in the book of Isaiah. “Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.” 

Are you ready to come clean with God?

What Kind of Church Is This?

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

– Matthew 16:18

What comes to mind when you hear the word church ?

Ask 10 different people, and you’ll likely get 10 different answers. But a common denominator for most is that church is a sacred place for feeling closer with God. Some feel closer to their Creator in a traditional worship setting — one typically characterized by stained glass windows, choirs, sanctuaries and sacred organ music. Other Christ-followers have a different perspective. They feel comfortable with meeting in diverse locations ranging from storefronts to movie theaters. And still others contend that the formalities of a traditional church can actually hinder authentic worship.

We may envision church as a cathedral, a coffee house or something in between, but the Bible defines it quite differently. Rather than being a structure filled with pews and crowned by a soaring steeple, the church is actually people: all those who count Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. No matter who you are and where you live — if you’re a Christ-follower — you’re part of his church called the Body of Christ.

Opinions vary. But regardless of where we gather on Sundays (or some other day of the week), we should all agree that it’s no replacement for the sacred presence of God with us. Jesus — who is God in the flesh — paid for his church with something much more valuable than money or gold. He came to earth to personally live out the human experience, and then buy our spiritual freedom and eternal future at the price of his own blood. One result is that Believers are now one body —the Church — joined through a common faith. 

Yes, an awe-inspiring church sanctuary can be a holy place of prayer and celebration. But for that matter, so can the workplace, gym or supermarket. Let’s just remember that wherever we are each day, our sacred place of worship should be there as well.