The Love Generation

“Obedience is doing what God

commanded us to, because of love.”

Occasionally, my wife and I like to get away and take short road trips to explore. When we go, I enjoy learning about the churches and the religious state of the community. On one trip I noticed online many references to a particular church. When I looked at their website I read about an essential value of the congregation, “A place where love comes first.” Their site featured rainbow colors different places and other words like equality and justice. (Image from fccstjo.org)

The church’s use of the word “love” caused me to stop and think, “What do they mean by love?” And as I viewed other things on their site, I saw additional values like kindness and respect. But as I took it all in, there was something glaringly absent. Where was the value of obedience to God’s Word?

In the end, it led me to wonder if the church believes that people who do good works, stand up for what they believe is right, and are sincere, that God’s grace will cover them and they will have an eternal home in heaven – even if they do not obey.

Is this true?

Days before Jesus’ death, He was spending time with His disciples, preparing them for what was to come, and for the time when He would no longer be with them. He stressed the importance of obedience saying, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments…,” as well as, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me,” and “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word…,” and finally “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” (John 14:15,21,23-24) Jesus, the Master Teacher, was emphasizing an essential truth to His disciples – obedience does matter.

But observe the kind of obedience Jesus talked about. It was not mere rule keeping. It was an obedience that springs from a heart of love. Not a romantic love that is just a feeling, but a love that is rational, deliberate and sacrificial, willing to lay down its life, just like Jesus did through the cross.

Many of today’s top musical artists feature songs centered on love between boyfriends and girlfriends. In Christian music circles, artists also sing about love, but it is about God’s love. And on Sunday mornings in America, some pastors will speak to their congregations about love through God’s promises and principles, highlighting that if they are followed, it can lead to a prosperous life. Additionally, there is a movement across the country emphasizing the phrase, “love wins.”

Today, we have a generation of people that have elevated words and feelings, above truth. The true Christian life is rooted in a sacrificial love that is shown in daily obedience to the Word of God, by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is a love that is demonstrated through a life of holiness and faithfulness to God.

This is so important. Eternal souls are at stake. Every one of us is heading toward an appointment with God our Creator on Judgment Day. This should instill a healthy fear of God and sense of accountability within each of us. When the Lord Jesus will examine us, are we just going to offer Him words and feelings in defense of ourselves? Jesus predicts this will happen. He once said people will come to Him on that day and cry out, “Lord, Lord’’ and He will reply, ‘Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)

Obedience is doing what God commanded us to, because of love. And where does this obedience start? It begins by obeying Jesus’ call to repentance, which is turning from what we know is wrong and to God with all our heart. It is there, we enter into a covenant love with our Creator.

A prayer for you - Lord God, help us to go beyond thinking that love for you is merely about words and feelings. Give us understanding that love for our Savior is shown through faithful obedience; always doing what you say no matter the cost. In Jesus’ name. Amen.       

 

Condemning The Evil on October 7th

"When a sovereign nation is attacked, does it have the right to defend itself and pursue their attackers, in order to protect their nation and bring their enemies to justice?"

On December 7, 1941 the United States was attacked by the Japanese military, when they struck an American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In response, America launched its own strike on Japan. On September 11, 2001 the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists, when they destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City, hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and downed a plane filled with people in a rural area of Pennsylvania. In response, the American military began an effort to hunt down and bring to justice those responsible for training and sending the suicide hijackers. On October 7, 2023 the nation of Israel was attacked by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic terrorist group. In response, Israel began an effort to defend its country and hunt down those responsible for the massacre of its civilians. (Image by Securityweek.com)

When a sovereign nation is attacked, does it have the right to defend itself and pursue their attackers, in order to protect their nation and bring their enemies to justice?

This addresses the role of government. The Scripture says, “…if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:4) The government bears the sword of justice, and has a responsibility to wield it against enemies who seek to attack it from within or without. And when an enemy does such a thing, they violate God’s great commandment, “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor…”  (Rom. 13:9-10)

Israel is recognized by the United Nations as a sovereign country, just as the United States, Canada, Mexico and all 193 members are, which make up the international body. However, it is also understood that there is a long and complex history between Israel and the Palestinians. For the struggle between the two is deeply rooted in ancient beliefs going back thousands of years. Though we see the physical battles in the news, at its root, it is a spiritual battle.

In the midst of this ongoing struggle, our world is often divided between their support of Israel and the Palestinians. For many, they paint Israel as the oppressor and Palestinians as the oppressed, and therefore, whatever aggressive actions the Islamic terrorists take, it is justified, because their white oppressors have brought it upon themselves.

Unfortunately, there are Christian denominational leaders who take this position, and their ideology has led them to publish weak statements in directly condemning the deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7^th. How can this be? For God Himself says, “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13) He also states specific things He hates, which are an abomination to Him “…hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil…” (Proverbs 6:16-18) Based on the Scriptures, there was no justification for the direct and intentional murder of the Israeli civilians. To murder unarmed men and women pleading for their lives to be spared is detestable. To burn them alive, while they are attempting to find safety is unconscionable. To decapitate the heads of infants is abominable. The God of heaven and earth hates such despicable acts.

What kind of evil ideology could lead someone to believe Hamas is justified for these atrocities? Only a dark and twisted mind could. May God have mercy, not only on those who refuse to bluntly condemn such evil, but those who praise it.    

Additionally, may God have mercy on those who planned and engaged in these Satanic acts. And yes, mercy is possible. God hates and is angry with such evil, but for those who repent and turn to His beloved Son by faith, there is forgiveness. Even for the gravest of sins, the possibility of forgiveness is real.          

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray for peace in the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic terrorists. May those who planned and carried out these barbaric acts be stopped. And in the midst of the darkness, may the light of Jesus shine. Bring His saving power both to the Jews and Arabs in Israel and Palestine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Unthinkable Acts of Evil

"Have you ever witnessed such an unthinkable act of evil, where it caused you to wonder, “What kind of person would do an utterly detestable thing like that?” or “What would cause someone to even consider doing something so horrendous?"

If that crosses your mind when unconscionable events happen, that is a good thing. It means you actually have some sense of a moral conscience, versus those who excuse or praise the perpetrators of extreme lawlessness. (Image by CBS Studios)

A long time ago in the ancient land of Israel, while a man and his wife were traveling, they turned off to spend the night in an unfamiliar town. A man who lived there took them in. While they were having dinner word spread across town of the visitors.

The Bible recounts, “the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house [and began] beating on the door…” (Judges 19:22) The mob of men were demanding the visiting man be given to them, for they wanted to have relations with him. As the mob became louder and more threatening, the owner of the house tried negotiating to no avail. Finally, as tensions grew the visitor grabbed his wife, pulled her toward the door, then opened it and pushed her out.    

All night long, the mob violated the visitor’s wife. It was a vicious gang rape, where the woman had no one to defend her. And during all this, her heartless husband was able to sleep. When he rose in the morning to continue their travels home, he found his wife’s lifeless body lying in front of the door.

When news of this event spread across the nation of Israel, how did the people respond? They said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day…” (Judges 19:30)

What they were saying in plain language is, “We have never seen such evil.”

In the story we see a husband not only failing to protect his wife, but pushing her into a mob of sexually charged men, knowing they were going to violently abuse, and possibly kill her.

The men who perpetrated the horrific act against this defenseless woman, were pure evil. In the end, there was no conscience with her callous husband, and no conscience with the animal-like men.

Where does such evil come from?

It all goes back to the origin of mankind. In the beginning, the God of heaven and earth created man and woman, and the world was perfect. There was no violence or lawlessness, but only peace and perfect love with God and one another. But then in a tragic turn of events, mankind rejected his Creator. This rejection threw wide open the door of the human heart and society, to invite abject evil into our world.

Yet, although humankind turned its back on God, He pursued man to restore him to what he once was. This is why God sent His only Son to die and rise again on a cross, that those who trust in Him would be redeemed. And what is observed throughout human history, is whenever man has restored that broken covenant relationship with God, there is peace and perfect love, but when God is rejected violence and evil increase.

For never do those who love God and love others engage in horrific acts of evil. Never! But those who forcefully try and stomp out anything of Almighty God, His glorious Son, and refuse to obey His voice, they are prone to the unthinkable.   

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray for those who have engaged in detestable acts. May they, and those who support them, not excuse their evil. May their eyes be opened before you to the things they have done. Then Lord, have mercy on them. Bring them to cry out to you with a humble spirit, that they might be transformed into a new person by your holy power. In Jesus’ name. Amen.