Inauguration Day and the Bible

If my audience were elitist media types and political liberals, I would tell them honestly that there are some things about them that bother me.

• It bothers me that they openly begrudged George W. Bush being in the White House and, in my opinion, treated him unfairly. But they just can't seem to gush over Barack Obama enough. I wonder if the press will hold him accountable for questionable decisions and failed policies.
  
• It bothers me that they view Obama's commendable commitment to the poor and powerless as comprehensive. But they just can't admit that the most powerless beings in America--babies in the womb--are being slaughtered in the name of personal freedom on a scale the world hasn't seen since the holocaust.
  
• It bothers me, as the father of a soldier who fought and lost friends in Iraq, that so many of our new president's powerful friends are expecting him to just pull out of this war.
  
• It bothers me that this admittedly great man and seemingly sincere leader is viewed as the savior of America. I already have one, a Savior that is. His name is Jesus.

But I doubt if Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Streisand, or Chris Matthews are reading this blog.

Since my readers are mostly conservative Christians who probably didn't vote for Barack Obama, I have to say to my friends that there are some things about us that bother me.

• It bothers me that so many of us seem to have conveniently forgotten that Romans 13:1 says clearly that every Christian should be subject to governing authorities because "the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Once he takes the oath, Barack Obama is our President and we are commanded by God to submit to him. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us plainly that we should pray for President Obams.
  
• It bothers me that so many of us are wringing our hands and giving up on America. Our responsibility to be salt and light has nothing to do with who's in office (Matthew 5:13-16).
  
• It bothers me that so many of us can't see how an African American President brings hope to cultures whose collective memories always felt left out of the American dream.

It's time for us to be good sports, good Americans, and, most importantly, good Christians. Our hope isn't in America; it's in Jesus Christ. Our Kingdom isn't crumbling all around us; it's waiting to be established. And our King isn't deposed; He's still on the throne and He's coming for us...soon, and very soon.

I determine before God to support President Obama, to pray for him, and to keep my negative mouth shut. I also determine before God to stand for righteousness (including marriage and family!), for the rights of the powerless (including the unborn!), and to throw myself into building the only hope for America--the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." --Jesus Christ before Pilate, John 18:37

We're Best Pals

After I finished my book, When God Breaks Your Heart, detailing my journey of faith living with a deadly disease, I thought I had said it all.

I'm discovering that there are days I just have to tell you one more thing. Today is one of those days.

It was April in 2000 when I wrote this desperate prayer and accompanying plea from Scripture in my journal:

Father, please give me ministry in my grandchildren's lives. "Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children" (Psalm 90:16).

If you knew me back then or you've read the book, you know how bold that request was. I had nearly died in March and had not improved much since. The doctors were suspecting lymphoma, and following test after test, what they called my "numbers" refused to turn around.

I remember the day I wrote those sentences in my blood-stained journal vividly. Tears flowed as I begged God to let me have some influence in my grandchildren's lives. Back then I was only thinking of two--Jackson and Megan.

I'm writing these words from my son's home in Atlanta, where we just greeted Amelia Joy,who joins Jackson, Megan, Camryn, Mary, and Wyatt. Grandchild number 7--Zachary James--is scheduled to show up this Spring.

Last Saturday, the 10th of January 2009, I spent the day with Amelia's older sister and brother, Mary and Wyatt. I watched Mary's skating lessons and Wyatt's hockey practice. I was vaguely aware of some other children on the ice, but my heart glued my attention to one little twirling princess and one little bruiser in pads.

On the way home, Wyatt put his little arms around my neck and shouted, "We're best pals!"

The Spirit reminded me one more time of the power of prayer and the comfort of being loved by a God who is perfectly reliable and strong.

I don't know what's breaking your heart today, but I suspect something is.

God knows, and He loves it when you ask Him for big things. You never know, He might just say yes.

Just like He did for  me.

Thank you, Father, for hearing my desperate prayer. And for that almost-nine-years-later reminder from a blue-eyed little hockey star that You, not my doctors, number my days.

Let God In

When your Christmas doesn't look the same because your heart is broken, there are five steps I believe will help you take Christ's hand. Two we've already seen:

Let it hurt.

Let your feelings go.

The third is, Let God In. One of the most serious misconceptions about God is that we need to somehow clean up our life--our questions, doubts, fears, and objections--before including Him in the process. This sure isn't the picture of God His Son, Jesus Christ, gave us in the Gospels! Jesus loves moving into hopeless situations while they're still messy and confusing. The sooner you invite Jesus into the process, the better. He is always waiting for access to every part of your life--even your Christmas disappointments and pain. The New Testament says that He constantly knocks on the door of our heart asking for permission to enter and make everything better. 

Ed

Is Your Heart Broken This Christmas? Let Your Feelings Go

I'm trying to help those of you who feel like the hole in your heart this Christmas will never mend. My worldview is that though there are no perfect Christmases because change and the pain that comes with it is inevitable, there is a perfect and unchanging Savior--Jesus Christ, God's Son (Hebrews 13:5).

Yesterday I shared the first step to help you connect or reconnect to Him, take His hand, and walk through these painful days with Him: Let it hurt.

The second step is, Let your feelings go! I wasted a lot of time trying to impress everyone with my capacity to control my emotions the first Christmas after my lymphoma diagnosis. What I didn't know was that time wasn't the only thing being wasted. All that work to suppress what was going on inside of me was wasting me away. When I finally began admitting and expressing the hurt to myself and those closest to me, a heavy burden lifted from my life. The explosion of feelings might scare you, but it's better to explode on the outside than on the inside...even during Christmas.

Is Your Heart Broken This Christmas? Let it Hurt.

Christmases will come and go; life changes. Trust me, I know. But I also know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:5).

In these last days before Christmas, I want to show you five steps that have helped me remember His promises, especially during the holidays. I believe they will walk you along the path of connecting or reconnecting to the One who restored my heart and gives me hope this Christmas--Jesus Christ, God's Son.

1) Let it hurt. The first mistake most of us make is thinking that if I can just keep it from hurting, it won't. You probably already know that this is futile, but the holidays make us desperate for control. If you try to deny your pain this Christmas, the time will come when the grief of your tragedy or disappointment will wash over your life and you will feel truly hopeless and alone. Though this is a desperate feeling, it's the only starting point toward hope.

Ed

Christmas Will Never Be the Same

Four days before Christmas, 2001. I should be talking with my son and his wife about their life, their dreams, and the joy of the holidays. That's what we usually do when they fly home from their military duty station from somewhere in the world. Any other year our conversation this morning would revolve around the soon arrival of his sister's family from Oregon and how great it's going to be to spend Christmas just being together with the extended family

But not this year.

This is my first Christmas as the dad and grandpa formerly known as myself. This Christmas, all we're talking about is my deadly disease--my rash, the test results, the next specialist, what we're discovering on the Web about chronic lymphoma, and the gloomy prognosis. I'm sick of talking about me and this disease. And it feels like Christmas will never be the same.

Because it won't. Unless God heals me, life has ruled out that option of normalcy for our family.

This blog caught your attention because you know that Christmas for you or someone you love will never be the same...after the divorce, after you buried the one it feels like you can't live without, after you lost your job, after your child ran away.

I know that living with hope in your heart through the holidays is tough. It's been over eight years since my initial diagnosis. Sometimes I still feel like giving there are nights when the physical and emotional tolls of my cancer break my heart a little more and make it hard for me to even think about getting up to face another day...especially during Christmas.

I don't know all of the pain of your personal life and why you dread Christmas this year, but I do know some of it. I wrote a book--When God Breaks Your Heart--to help you see how God's love for you can define your life, even when your heart is broken.

Christmases will come and go; life changes. Trust me, I know. But I also know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13;5).

Over the days until Christmas, I want to share the five steps that helped me remember His promises, especially during the holidays. I believe they will walk you along your path of connecting or reconnecting to the One who restored my heart and gives me hope this Christmas--Jesus Christ, God's Son.

Choosing Hope Small Group

One of the best ways to process the message of When God Breaks Your Heart is in a small group. There's something about a gathering of trusted friends in a home or over a meal that promotes healing. 

But brace yourself.  I'm not saying it will be easier for you; I'm saying it will help you more. There's nothing easy about dealing with the hurts of life this book deals with.

A pastor struggling with the deep emotional and spiritual pain of betrayal and abandonment meets every Sunday afternoon with a few couples. His wife reports that it's extremely painful as they pray and talk through the pages of the book...but when the words of the book mix with the love and encouragement of friends, they find hope.

If you would like to know more about how to start a Choosing Hope group in your home, let me know.

Ed