Brie Gowen

Savor the Essence of Life

The Fall of Conservative Christianity

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First off, my heart is breaking right now. I’m not angry. I mean, I have been. I think we’ve all had our moments this year. With the stress of a pandemic, whether it’s dealing with it hands on, like me as a nurse, or the side effects of the virus, like financial loss or a failing small business, it’s been weighing on us all. I’ve been described as a frontline worker since March, but aren’t we all frontline workers in one way or another? The difficulties of this year haven’t missed a one of us. That inherent stress is what I’ve been blaming public response on for the past couple of months. When someone acts like a jerk, you try and remind yourself how kind they normally are. You know, before the world fell to hell in a hand basket (minus the basket).

So, for months I’ve watched the transformation of people on social media. I initially blamed it on 2020 stress, but then I started to wonder.

I asked myself, “is this year just bringing out true colors?”

As a Christian writer I get a lot of friend requests from strangers on social media. They see my words, whether from a Facebook friend, my own website, or even other Christian sites that share my work, and they shoot me a request or a follow. I’m used to that. I usually hit their profile, ensuring they’re not a fake account or something bizarre, and unless I get a weird feeling in my gut, I’ll usually accept. But last week I had a situation that gave me pause. And when I say pause, I mean it broke my heart. I literally felt like I might weep for the way our Nation is going. The thing is, I got a request from a stranger, per usual, but when I went over to the profile I found the introductory information made me wince.

Conservative Christian

It said other stuff too. I can’t recall the exact descriptive terms. It was probably something like mother, wife, friend of animals or something. The point is that only two words made me stop and consider if I wanted this person having access to my life.

Conservative and Christian. It wasn’t the words separately, mind you, but the combination that scared me. Before this year I had never responded this way, but the magnifying glass applied by a pandemic and a racial injustice awakening had changed things for me. That. Broke. My. Heart.

I am a Christian. I am a Conservative. I am a Republican. These are all titles I have used and proclaimed when asked for as long as I can remember, but that was before this year happened. Something has changed.

Starting around the end of April (yes, after the stress of isolation), I began to see those true colors I mentioned. I saw friends (like, actual people I knew) on social media saying the most awful things. These were people who used the title, Christian, but the words they were spewing were the most un-Christ-like things ever. I saw everything from, “only nasty people with poor hygiene in poor neighborhoods get COVID-19,” to “this is God’s punishment for homosexuality.” I could have filled a notebook with the horrible things that came from the mouths of Bible-believing folks, but at the time I just tried to push it away from my mind.

Next came George Floyd. Y’all know what I’m talking about. True colors if ever there was such a thing. I’m telling you, you could spot a bigot from a mile away after that happened. My heart hurt, though, because I watched as “good” people, Christian friends I had always respected shared heinous memes and heartless words. I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears, and I watched the great divide begin.

A segment of the population emerged that wanted to embrace the hurting with love. It made my heart proud to see so many join spiritual hands to lift up the fallen and broken. Slowly, though, the snakes emerged. People intent on coming up with reasons why they couldn’t love, couldn’t speak love, show love, or be love. Excuses emerged covered in religious rhetoric, and my heart broke.

Supporting a marginalized people was equated with Marxism, and I think that’s when I first noticed it. A large majority of my Christian friends shared the same words. No, I don’t mean like a similar sentiment. I mean they shared the exact same words, y’all. It was as if everyone had copied off the same kid in class when cheating on a test. Everyone turned in the same plagiarized paper. As I sought truth my Christian friends shared with me the same videos, speaking the same words, and deriving from the same websites. Conservative Christian, Right-leaning, Red State, Republican websites. It turns out it was repetitive for a reason. Everyone was drinking the same kool-aid, and everyone was gobbling up the same ideas like they were Gospel truth. My thing was, what about the real Gospels?! This stuff didn’t sound anything like Jesus.

Look, this isn’t some pride thing, but just a little background. I read my Bible everyday. If I’m off work (four days a week, typically) I will read my Bible, pray, and seek the Lord for hours. That’s just my life. My husband does the same thing. It makes us happy. It gives us peace. The other thing it does? It gives us the perspective of Christ. When you read His words enough times, it kinda sticks. It seriously becomes who you are. I had been devoting serious time (like, beyond reading a devotion or two in the morning or just church on Sunday) to extensive Bible study and listening to the Holy Spirit for a few years. It. Changed. My. Life. For the better, I might add. The problem for me was a lot of what I was seeing from these articles shared from Conservative Christian friends did not coincide with the words from the Bible. I mean, it quoted scripture and such, but it also bent it to suit its need. That didn’t settle well with me.

And so began my turmoil. I struggled. So many people I loved, friends from years’ past, they were not on the same page. I wondered if I was the problem. I dug deeper, prayed more, sought Godly counsel. Everything came back the same. Conservative Christianity had changed. Somewhere along the way it had become about politics foremost, and everything else second. My heart broke. Again.

I felt like a light had come on. Suddenly I could see the hate veiled under the title Christian. I could understand why so many people had left the church. I continued to watch hate spew from the mouths of “Christians” online, but then I understood why. It wasn’t Christ they were serving anymore. I think they thought they were, still think they are, but in reality they have lifted up an idol much higher than Jesus. My heart breaks.

I’m trying to figure out when Christianity began to equal Republican Party? I can remember during the election in 2016, Conservative Christians banded together. We voted for life. We chose the candidate who supported a pro-life stance. That’s what you were/are supposed to do as a Christian. Being pro-life, I had no problem getting behind this idea. The problem for me started shortly thereafter.

You are worshipping politics over Christ if you can support politicians who carry zero fruits of the spirit, but agree to wear the red tie. If you can turn the other way when a politician speaks hate, vulgarity, and divisive language, but promote them holding up a Bible, you’re a hypocrite. I couldn’t do it anymore. I was still a Conservative Christian, but I couldn’t serve a political party only. I had to serve my fellow man.

If you blindly accept only “news” from right-leaning websites then you serve politics over Jesus. If you will believe every word from a documented liar’s mouth, but not listen to friends with a differing opinion, you serve a political party over Christianity. If you can respond in hate before love when someone disagrees with you, you are beginning to model the behavior of a president over the behavior of our Savior. These are hard facts. If you are more inclined to memorize and share the words from the political site of your choice than read, listen, think about, and live out the words in scripture, you have placed Conservative Christianity on a pedestal above Christ. My heart breaks.

When you believe a stranger on a viral video more than a personal friend, I would suggest you ask yourself why. Are politics clouding your vision? Are you serving the Republican Party more than the hurting people in your own neighborhood? Are you repeating, believing, and walking out a belief system instilled by politics and the people around you, or are you trying to follow the words of Jesus? My heart breaks.

And that’s the jest of it. My heart is breaking. It’s breaking for a people who are serving the wrong master. We cannot pick a handful of big issues and allow that to be our compass for good. We cannot celebrate pro-life while simultaneously demeaning immigrants and minorities. We cannot stand firmly on what the Bible states is sin, but then sin towards others. We cannot serve a God who is love, yet not love.

1 Corinthians 13: 1-7 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Do you know what love does not do. It doesn’t serve earthly masters. It doesn’t place a political party, president, and those particular agendas above fellow man. Love also understands the battle we face, not one of flesh and blood, but one of principalities and powers of darkness. Love knows the real enemy is Satan and his demonic army, not Democrats or the infamous Left. Love hates sin, but it doesn’t hate mankind. God is love, and we must begin to serve love and in love rather than the ideas of man and this world. Politics have become a stronghold, a chain around the necks of good people, and this year alone has shown the deception and clouded vision it can place over children of God.

Conservative Christians are good people, friends I love, and it’s even a title I go by, but it is not whom I am. It isn’t who any of us are. As a Christian you are a child of God the Father, and that should be the only label you allow this world to put upon you and allow to shape your actions. Let all that you do be done in love. We are the church, and we must start acting like it before it’s too late.

Three Things God Says About COVID-19

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Nothing brings character out quite like crisis. You will see some of the most courageous people charge into a burning building, but sadly, you will also see the ones who knock down the weak, trampling them to escape calamity. You will see people who instill fear, take advantage of a bad situation, yet also the helpers, the ones who pick up the fallen, serve the weak, despite their own trepidation, and give more than they take. I would like to think that all followers of Jesus fall into only one of the above mentioned categories, but sadly we all can fall to fear, panic, and survival of the fittest. Yet, in a time of chaos and uncertainty, I believe God calls His children to a deeper level of trust in Him. So, consider this a friendly reminder, to all of us who profess the faith, to follow the commands God has put forth for us in His word.

Without further ado, here are three things God is telling us amidst COVID-19.

1. Stay home! I want to put this as best as I can. I completely understand the fear of losing financial resources. I totally do. Most of us don’t have a huge savings built up, but I’m trying to encourage a kingdom mindset amongst all of this. I want my brothers and sisters out there to try and see this situation as an opportunity to grow deeper in dependence and relationship with Jesus, to not fear the waves that come, but trust the one who controls the storms. It’s not the boat that will save you; it’s the One who controls the ocean. He will provide.

Also, let’s think about what’s important. Is it staying current on bills or human life? Trust me as a healthcare provider on the frontline of this. It’s serious. People are dying. Maybe not you, the healthy twenty-something, but you can be without symptoms at the beginning of the virus and pass it along to people you do care about. Your grandparents, your friend’s immune compromised child. Life will always trump bank balance.

Then there’s this little nugget.

Romans 13:1-2 (NIV)

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Please trust the experts in disease transmission on this. Let’s not listen to that mom in your private Facebook group.

I won’t say I believe every word from a politician’s mouth or especially the news, but I do obey the authorities God has placed over me. Our government has given very clear and strong recommendations, and a large number of people are still ignoring the highly educated, well established plans to slow the spread of this virus. You are hurting others, you are hurting yourself, and you are disobeying more than the president you don’t like. You’re disobeying scripture. Let’s humble ourselves under the authority God has placed over us, trust that His plans will prevail, and stay home! I’m a nurse and a Christian. I trust medical science, but above all my Savior. God has given us healthcare and healthcare providers with the knowledge to save us. Let’s trust that God-given wisdom that says staying home will keep this from getting bigger than our hospitals and medical supplies can handle. Please.

2. Stop hoarding food! I have had friends inquire of my family, if we have enough. Since we started living in an RV we have limited space for storage period. Our fridge is small, our pantry also. We can store about enough for a week for our family of five, and that means frequent grocery trips. This past week I went shopping after a twelve hour shift at the hospital bedside, and as most of you know, the shelves were bare. Yet as I made my way through the aisles I always found one to two of every item I needed, even if it wasn’t my typical brand. By the way, I only took one, leaving the other for the next person.

Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

I’m reminded of the Israelites in the desert. God provided enough manna for each day. Some tried to take more and keep it for the next day, but He caused it to spoil. He wanted them to understand that He was their provider, and they could trust Him to give exactly what they needed. I’ll bet there’s a lot of people today who may end up throwing out some food they bought in over abundance, never realizing that God wanted to show them what He could give them.

Jesus came showing us how to be servants, showing us that the first would be last, and the last first. He saw people in need and He fed them. Never once did He hold onto what God had given Him and not share with the rest. He didn’t take all the fish and bread from the little boy and split it with His disciples. He thanked God for the little He had, then God multiplied that gratitude to feed five thousand. Imagine the blessings we are missing out on because instead of thanking God for what we’ve been given that we need, we’re taking more than enough right out of the hands of the hungry. It’s going to rot.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Don’t let fear drive your actions. I love my family, and I feel the need to take care of them. I understand that you want to get your family what they need, but stop and consider the fact that fear is driving you to load up a shopping cart with sixteen cases of water and twelves packs of toilet paper.

Which leads us to the third yet biggest commandment He’s speaking during this time.

3. Do not fear!

I say it again. Do. Not. Fear. There’s a reason this is the most repeated phrase in scripture. You see, fear is from the devil, and fear is a liar. Is all this kinda scary? You betcha butt! I am walking into a lockdown, negative air pressure, isolation, COVID-19 unit at work. Tons of healthcare providers around the country are doing this. If we let fear rule our actions, we would shut them all in a room and let nature take its course, but no, we go in and provide the very best, life-saving care we can. Are we afraid of catching the virus, or perhaps spreading it to our family? Of course! But we don’t let fear dominate and rule our actions. The reason the Bible says so frequently not to fear is because God knows we will. Sin has created some really crazy, frightening things out there, but faith in Jesus gives us a mode to combat fear and not let it rule our hearts and lives. He has overcome all evil, and COVID is no different. Even death has lost its sting, y’all. I serve a creator who gives eternal life, and the gift He offers is bigger than the most fatal of diseases.

Do you think this surprises God? Do you think He is as shocked as we all are by the death toll in Italy? No!

Psalm 139:16 ESV

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

God knows beginning to end. He knew this was coming, and He knows how it will end. He knows the solution. He knows the good that will come from this. What the enemy means for evil, God will turn to our good. We have a tendency to forget that.

God is whispering amongst the chaos,

come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I will give you peace. I do not give as the world gives. Take comfort, for I have overcome the world. There it is. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wasteland and streams in the desert. Hope like a river, it flows to those who trust in me. Do not be afraid. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Your foot will not strike the stone. I will rescue you.

If I were to offer any advice during this time of social distancing it would be this. Use this time to read the Bible. Y’all! There’s a wealth of truth and wisdom from the Lord inside those pages. Let them be a healing balm to your worried soul. Let them guide your decisions so that fear doesn’t lead you, but His peace sustains you. Listen to the real expert on what’s happening. Don’t just take my word for it.

The Top Reason I See More Mass Shootings Than My Parents Did

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And it happens again. You see the news reports. You feign shock. I mean, you are shocked, but not really, really shocked. Does that make sense?

“Oh, my goodness! Another mass shooting!! Could you pass the milk?”

Don’t misunderstand me. It’s awful, it’s terrible. We know this. Our hearts break, we shed a tear. We say a prayer, hold our family tight, and maybe even mutter, “Jesus, come quick.”

Well, I don’t think He’s coming as quick as you hope for. I mean, He’s coming back, but if I know the Lord like I think I do, He’s patiently waiting for some more of His children to get a clue and come back home. Like the prodigal son, half the world has taken off for greener pastures, and Abba is sitting on the front porch waiting for us to return. I know y’all have heard the old adage, it gets worse before it gets better. Well, in this world’s case, I certainly hope that’s true. Because, if mass shooting frequency is any indication of the direction we’re headed, then yeah, it’s like my Nanny said. We are headed towards hell in a hand-basket.

It wasn’t always like this, am I right? My folks watched the news. Back then we only had three channels, two that came in clear, so when the evening news came on, that’s what we watched. There were crazy people, bad people, suicide bombers, people with guns, but nothing like today. You certainly didn’t see several mass shootings in the same month. So what changed?

Some folks say it’s just access to news. They say bad stuff has always happened; we just hear about it more readily with social media nowadays. I’m not sure that’s the case. We do hear news more, in a sense that our media outlets are always open and in hand, but I wouldn’t say that’s the top cause of more bad news. If anything, social media has only opened the gateway for more loud voices to give their commentary on the news. It gives us a reason to speculate, to cause division, and it gives the devil a good way to cloud the issue. I mean, if we’re so busy debating over what causes mass crime, we’ll be unlikely to hear in our hearts the real reason. Satan loves a good distraction!

No, Linda, it’s not guns. Guns shoot bullets, but it’s people who take aim. Stricter gun laws won’t decrease murder anymore than getting rid of all the forks and spoons to combat obesity in our nation. Yeah, both a pistol and a spork can kill you, but I think the operator is the real problem.

But that makes too much sense! Instead of seeking the root cause we’ll flounder around the issue for a few more decades until it gets really bad. We’ll support sin and call it choice, we’ll march for freedom even to our own demise. We’ll even blame politicians and political parties for the direction of our country.

“It’s not my fault my son shot up the school! It’s the current, racist, political party he lives in!”

Righhhht.

I suppose it was being bullied on the playground, not getting picked to play first base, or only being able to afford to drive a used car to school, instead of a brand new one like Jimmy.

We can psychoanalyze all the live long day, but the most obvious answer eludes us. It’s right under our nose.

It’s us.

Do you know why we see more mass shootings than our parents did?

Because we have changed the future.

When we were kids we sat down for dinner together with our parents instead of grabbing a quick slice of pizza before the next episode on Netflix.

Our parents were present, not both working overtime to keep up with The Joneses.

We spent time talking at the table, reading together, or playing a board game. Now everyone has their noses in their collective, electronic devices.

Our parents spent time parenting, most of our parents, anyway. Our parents’ generation didn’t leave it to the teachers and coaches to teach us right from wrong. They knew that discipline is where right and wrong is learned, and it’s how change is taught. They knew that it took a village, yes, but they didn’t leave the raising solely in the hands of that village.

Our parents were involved. We went fishing, and we talked about the birds and the bees before we got the wrong info from the big kids at the back of the bus. Nowadays, parents figure their kids have already heard it on cable television or from the internet. And yeah, sadly, they probably have.

Our parents taught us beauty was more than skin deep, that it was about the inside, not the out. It’s hard for children of today dressed in name-brands from head to toe and snapping selfies every two seconds for another fifty followers to catch this important piece of selfless advice.

Our parents prayed in school, they said the pledge of allegiance, and they got their butts whooped with a piece of wood for disrespecting the teacher. Now, the kids laugh when they get in trouble. They know their parents will bail them out. And if someone even thought about corporal punishment? No way. Cue the lawsuit!

Do I sound old fashioned? Good! We need some good, old fashioned respect for authority. We need yes ma’am, no sir, opening doors, obeying the police, and fessing up when you mess up. But even that stuff isn’t the real answer! Those are just bandaids, like gun laws and anti-bullying campaigns. Those things are all well and good, needed even, but they’re not what we really need. What we really need, what our parent’s generation had more than we have today, and what will naturally usher in all the above mentioned good stuff, is Jesus. We need Jesus.

Does that sound cliche? The devil would tell you so. He’d say that doesn’t matter. Going to church won’t solve mass shootings. And yeah, in that regard, he’s kinda right. Church attendance won’t solve a thing, but I’m not talking about religion. I’m not talking about Sunday morning sing-a-long followed by a football afternoon with too much beer. I’m not talking about crying at the altar on Sunday, but returning to your regularly scheduled life thereafter. I’m talking about a heart change. I’m talking about a life change. I’m talking about parents being responsible for their children again.

What did our parents and their parents do differently that we’ve forgotten?

They took responsibility. They knew that raising kids wasn’t just a check mark in life, like you got a gold star if they made the honor roll and stayed out of jail. They knew it was more than that! They knew it wasn’t just about getting good grades, getting into a good college, and getting a good job. It was about being a good person! They understood that parenting was a privilege given by God to raise children for God’s kingdom.

We’re not just raising the next generation of doctors, lawyers, or politicians. We’re raising good friends who will help a person when they’re down. We’re raising children to depend on the Lord for their well-being, not to depend on what society thinks about their wardrobe. We’re supposed to raise kids who are Christ-centered, not baseball-centered or Under Armor-centered. Relationship centered, not materialistic possession centered. Not high test scores centered or high popularity centered, just Jesus centered. Cause if there center is Him, the rest will fall into place as it should.

We need to have Christ the center of our homes, and you can’t achieve that by being a Sunday Family. In other words, if you’re just talking to your kids about God at church, on Christmas, or when they’ve done something wrong, then you’re doing it wrong. To raise the kind of children who are kind, the type of children who love, and the type of future generation that doesn’t solve their hurt through more hurt, then you yourself, as the parent, must place Jesus at the center of your life. They’re watching you walk, man. They’re following suit.

You can’t leave it to grandma or their Sunday School teacher. You must read the Bible with your children. You need to pray with them. You need to teach them Godly principles from His Word. Otherwise, what they will get taught will be from the world. And it’s this worldly teaching that leads to an increase in things like mass shootings and self harm. It’s the world that says, “eat the fruit. You can be more than God!” It’s your job, parents, to show them that they’ve already been given all power and authority through Christ. In Him, they are never lacking.

So, the next time another news article is released and dozens are dead, don’t ask, “what has happened to our country?!”

You will know the answer. The country didn’t change, per se, but we did. We were the change. The good news is, we can be the change still! Do you remember when I told you Abba Father was waiting for us to return home to Him? The great news is that He is a patiently waiting, loving Father, and He wants nothing more than to congregate with us on the front porch. He wants this next generation of parents back. He wants us raising the next generation of kind, loving, giving souls. He’s not asking this of our neighbors, our teachers, or even just our politicians. He is asking it of us. It’s our job to make the change.

If you don’t like the direction things have been going, ask yourself what you’re doing to make it different? If we want to see change, it must start at home. God has given us the task of shaping and molding the minds of tomorrow, and unless we put His teaching at the center of it all, things will never get better. They’ll only get worse.

Why Is the Government Shut Down? The Wall Has Already Been Built.

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In the light of recent political events you have to take a real look at what’s going on. You have to remove the veil from your eyes and even the rose-tinted glasses. But I think most of the all the biggest examination that needs to take place is an inward one. For where you treasure is, so will be your heart.

On one side of the fence the treasure is found in the exorbitant cost of building and maintaining a barrier of the border, and on the other side the main focus is on self.

This is how illegal immigration affects me.

My job.

My country.

My resources.

Protect what is mine.

A lot of bickering back and forth from each camp, with the latest reason for disagreement being the issue of a wall. But there really doesn’t even have to be a concrete reason for conflict; one would be concocted eventually. You see, the issue isn’t really with a wall, whether it’s built or whether it isn’t. In truth, the barrier is already up.

Why is the government shut down? The wall has already been built.

We’ve been watching its erection for some time, many of us like myself, wishing to cover our eyes because the reality of it burns the retinas. I’ve seen it laid stone by stone, over the past two years especially, the current president simply being the political pony the world uses to further its agenda of division.

Not my president!

This is how I’m personally affected by the presidency. This is how I feel violated. This is how I feel persecuted. This is how I feel I am the victim of racism. And no race or belief is left out of this certainty of victimhood. We all can see how we have been mistreated as an individual or particular group, no one else can clearly see our plight, and to try and say they can is insensitive and ludicrous. Deplorable, you might say.

So selfish brick by self-centered stone we erect the wall to separate fellow man. The left side, the right side? It doesn’t matter which side you stand on when you are sure it’s the right (correct) one, the winning one. Satan dances a jig as the demons play the fiddle, and the wall is gaining height. Up and up it goes, built on a foundation of rising racial tension, bricks held together by issues of choice versus those of morality. Gun control, women’s rights, abortion. Lies, half-truths, sexual harassment, me too, black lives matter. If a hashtag can serve as a wedge it can work as a stone to fling, and flung onto the wall that divides us it goes. Higher and higher, like the Tower of Babel, reaching to Heaven, and threatening to fall and crush us all.

When Jesus said, “truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” He wasn’t just talking about the Mexican immigrants trying to cross the border like some camps may utilize scripture to suggest. If He spoke of immigrants He was speaking of us all. You see, we are all immigrants in a foreign land called earth. We are all wandering lost in a wasteland of sin, and only when we find the righteousness of forgiveness in Jesus will we be home. We’re all traveling to The Promised Land. Some of us just don’t realize it. We don’t realize we’re foreigners, immigrants, or wanderers without a final resting place. And it’s up to those of us immigrants who have been enlightened to God’s truth to show the way home to everyone else. Instead we’re building a wall.

My eternity.

My salvation.

My home in Heaven.

Don’t you reckon God wants us all to come home? Doesn’t He want everyone to make the pilgrimage through the fall of Adam into the saving grace of Jesus? Wouldn’t He desire us to stop building walls between believers, nonbelievers, brothers, sisters, and the least of these? I guess we’ve gone so blind that we think an actual, concrete wall is what’s most important. We think political issues or utilization of our resources (that are here today and gone tomorrow) will mean a hill of beans when He returns.

I’m not saying border security isn’t a real issue that needs addressing! And I’m not saying to bury our heads in the sand over the atrocities of abortion law. What I am saying is don’t forget that in the midst of all the issues there are foreigners who have lost their way, and they need a bright and shining beam of truth to lead them home. They need to be fed. The words of Jesus, not mine. They need to be clothed in righteousness. They need to be given shelter in the safety of His wings. But we’ll never be able to attend to anyone if a wall is blocking the way. Do you understand?

We have to start tearing down some bricks. I’m not sure of the best way to get that started, but love seems like a viable option. If you’re speaking and it’s not in love then I guess it’s nothing but a clanging cymbal. And I sure have heard a lot of clanging these past couple of years. Before we halt everything to hash it out about building a new wall we might need to disassemble the one we’ve already built. God is calling us to build bridges, not walls. We’re doing an awful job.

I pray we can open our eyes to the immigrants within our borders, the immigrant within us all, the immigrant on the other side of your political affiliation, the immigrant who longs to feast at the Father’s table. It’s a great banquet, He’s invited everyone, and He certainly doesn’t need us keeping anyone out of His kingdom.

The Benefit of Complaining About President-Elect Trump

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Last night my six year old daughter became very distraught. You see, we have an advent calendar we put up after Thanksgiving along with our other Christmas decorations. Some time yesterday I had absently noted the date marker to be on the fifth when indeed it was the second of December, so I had switched it. Well it seems my daughter became quite upset when she realized it wasn’t as close to Christmas as she thought. She’d been counting down from the first since November, and I had to explain the way things worked. No matter the reality of the date she couldn’t be consoled. I tried to explain to her the bigger picture and suggested that instead of disappointment she embrace joy over the anticipation that December brings. She wasn’t having it though. 

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve seen continued anger, frustration, and voiced angst over the outcome of the presidential election, and I can get that I suppose. I’m not downplaying anyone’s feelings over the election. What I am doing is simply asking a question. What is the benefit of complaining about President-Elect Donald Trump?

I understood the initial emotional upheaval, and you’ll notice I remained mostly silent afterwards. I didn’t say “stop whining” like some folks did, and I didn’t publicly voice my opinion of the protests, though I had one. I understood that feelings need to be vented. That’s ok. But eventually you have to understand reality, and here it is. 

You can say all you want “not my president,” but that will not change the fact that he is. Or soon will be. Your hurt feelings, disbelief, and/or shock do not magically transform the poll numbers. And while your personal feelings and opinions are of value, they don’t change a thing in the grand scheme of this matter. The fact is that Donald Trump was elected POTUS. Now our collective responsibility is to move forward. 

So if voicing complaints or disgruntlement about the president won’t change who is president then what’s the benefit? Some may say, “well, it makes me feel better,” or perhaps “I need my voice to be heard.” Okay. But what does that resolve for us as a nation?

*insert crickets 

We are a big boy country, and it’s about time this United States of America started acting grown. We cannot resolve our differences and move forward if we simply complain about where we disagree. Especially without actual solutions being brought to the table. If we are to achieve any of the things we say we wish to achieve then we must get on the same bus. We must become of one accord, so that even if we do disagree on key issues we still can seek to work together to come to a common goal. Sharing angry articles on social media is not how we achieve this. 

My kiddo could become sullen over her disappointment that it was December 2nd instead of December 5th, yet her emotions and attitude didn’t suddenly make it December 5th. She could keep being angry and feel personally attacked by reality or she could move on and enjoy the season. I know it’s a juvenile analogy, but haven’t some of us been acting pretty juvenile? It’s kinda fitting. 

The facts as I see them are this. We live in a great country. We have freedoms and luxuries we take for granted too much. We live in a country that allows difference of opinion, and none of us will always get our preference. But continuing to complain won’t fix that. It benefits nothing. Personally, as a Christian I place faith in God, so when things don’t go as I desire I can trust His sovereignty. In the end you have to fall on faith because continued bickering isn’t what will make this nation great. Only when we come together will anything of merit be achieved. Is this the complete and total answer to the very real problems we have in our country? No. But it’s certainly a good place to start. 

3 Lies Satan May Be Telling You Post-Election

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My husband and I own a small business, and not too long ago we received a public Facebook review that caused me distress. In the review the customer was angry about not getting as many pepperoni on their pizza as prior visits. Then they continued and blamed this on the fact that they were not white. They suggested that “only whites” got plenty of pizza toppings. 

Initially I laughed. I mean, it was so ludicrous it was comical. Then I got mad. The thought of someone thinking my kind-hearted husband, a man who would give anyone the shirt off his back, was bigoted in his business practices made me want to defend him. But in the end it just made me sad. I wondered what was becoming of our country when people imagined injustice at every corner. 

I didn’t remove the post. The poster actually did as I assume after they had a moment to think they recognized the absurdity. I didn’t talk about this openly when it happened, but it came back to my mind today. Why do I mention it now? Because sometimes pizza toppings are just that. Pizza toppings. This morning I looked upon social media and saw a lot of division, from every side, and I was reminded how Satan loves to stir this up among God’s people. He sows seeds of discontent in our hearts, stokes the fire of racial divide, and makes God’s people think higher of themselves and this world than they ought to. So here’s 3 lies Satan may be speaking to you post-election. 

1. The outcomes of this election defines how my fellow man sees me. This makes me so sad. I’m seeing a lot of friends feel a spirit of defeat over the election results, as if who won the majority is some significant sign of how citizens are viewed in this country. I just don’t believe this to be true. I know (sadly) that racism, based on skin color and country of origin, exists. I know that homophobia exists. I wish they didn’t, but they do. But… And this is very important. If you find yourself today feeling like your fellow man hates you because of who took the presidential office then you are mistaken. 

Here it is. I voted for Trump. A large part of my decision was carried on the issue of abortion. That wasn’t the only deciding factor by any means, but it carried a lot of weight. Here’s why I didn’t vote for Trump: because I hate immigrants, because I hate minorities, because I hate women’s rights. So to assume the results of this election suggests that you are not loved and wanted if you fit into any of the above categories is a lie straight from the pit of hell in my opinion. Gosh, I’m just being honest. When did everything become about injustice? 

I personally believe this election swayed the way it did not because people have hate in their heart for others, but simply because they were unhappy with the way the government has been run the past eight years. People wanted a change. I do not believe in my heart that this election result is about making America solely a white, Christian country. Why did I use that wording. It’s exactly what I read on Facebook today. 

2. We are doomed. If you profess to be a Christian and you are feeling defeated as a result of the election results then I would kindly, as a sister in Christ, remind you who is on the throne. 

Psalm 103:19

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

I’m going to be very truthful here. Up until the morning of the election, I was certain Hillary Clinton was going to win the presidency. Anyone who watched the live coverage will see the media felt the same. I was prepared to trust God no matter who took the Oval Office, and I blogged that very sentiment. The fact remains God is in control, and as followers our trust goes in Him, not the president. No man or woman can save this country. Only God can. And it begins in the hearts of His people. I pray we can unite for the greater good of our country, and not allow the lies of Satan to divide us from the good work God has in mind for us to do. In the end it’s not about us, no matter how justified or wrongly treated we may feel. It’s about His kingdom. 
3. We won! This one has two parts. 

A. If you are running your mouth pridefully about the election results knowing that friends among you may be feeling sad then you are wrong. Yes, we the people placed a man in office, but I do not think for one moment God was not involved. Nothing, and I said nothing, happens without His knowledge and sovereign hand. Weigh your words carefully before “celebrating” and ask yourself if they’re uplifting to all of God’s children. One hip hip hooray is adequate. 

B. We are not done here. If you sought the Lord in prayer and your candidate won then that is not the end of your job. Continue to pray, fast, and seek the Lord in your own community. Seek out how you may serve others. Don’t put your eggs in one basket as humans will disappoint. The kingdom of God has a long road ahead, and it’s not yet time for the final victory dance. 

I have probably offended some people with this post. That’s just the way it goes when you talk politics or sensitive issues. I’m sorry. My intention is never to harm others, but instead it is to unite God’s people. I desire a strong nation that serves the Lord diligently, not looking at ourselves, but looking at others. How can I love more today? How can I bring people to Jesus? If how we are responding to this election doesn’t do those two things then it might need to be reviewed. We don’t need to be separate; that’s what Satan wants. I don’t know if you listened to Trump’s first words after the results, but I did, and I loved where he said we must come together as one for America. That’s where God will bless us. Anything else? It’s just a lie. 

What Do Trump’s Recently Released Sexist Comments Say About Him as a Christian?

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As the news of a recording of Trump surfaced recently in which he was heard saying derogatory and sexist comments about a woman I scoured different stories looking at the facts. Naturally, as well as reading articles related to this event, I also browsed over the comment sections to see the pulse of the American voter, and one man’s comment stuck out to me. 

He said, “surely this does not reflect a man of faith!”

I am a Christian, and I am a woman. I’m also a registered voter. Trump’s captured audio said a lot about the type of man he may be, but it also related importantly to his self-proclaimed status as a Christian, and that’s what I want to talk about today. After all it does bring to question are his remarks something a Christ-follower would say?

As I looked into the situation I noticed the recording was obtained in 2005, and that was pretty significant to me. It brought to mind where I was in 2005, and I quickly thanked the Lord that smart phones with built-in cameras weren’t in everyone’s back pocket at that time. It was bad enough that I worried I might be included on a Girls Gone Wild New Orleans addition from a 2001 trip that went bad. 

At this point and time in my life I’m as straight an arrow as they come, and though I don’t think anything of friends who do, I currently don’t partake in alcohol or any other addictive substance beyond caffeine. But if a recording of me from 2005 popped up it would show a woman far different from the one people see now. Although I now share my open-book-life with no amount of shame, if a video were to surface of 2005 I would probably be hanging my head in deep regret. You would likely see something like a drunk woman on stage at a strip club lifting her shirt to flash the crowd, or perhaps something worse since I had a tendency to black out. But do you know what?

I’m a Christian. 

In fact, I hate to admit it, but I knew Christ as my savior then; I just wasn’t following him like my friend. But fast-forward a few years and my life turned around, my sin was erased, and my shameful past was redeemed. Thank God for that. 

I’m not the person I was back in 2005, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Donald Trump was either. In my own path of self-destruction a lot of people were hurt in my wake, and I had to humbly seek forgiveness for my wrongs. Isn’t that what Christianity entails?

Being a Christian, in fact, means that you are far from perfect, but you are able to admit it. You’re able to seek forgiveness, learn from your mistakes, accept grace, and strive to be more Christ-like as you go. Heck, I’m still a work in progress. 

So what does Donald Trump’s remarks from 2005 say about him as a Christian? It says he’s human, he’s fallible, but he’s capable of saying “I’m sorry.” It says he’s got a past, but he has a future too. It says he’s imperfect, but I’d like to think he’s learning from his prior mistakes. 

So if you want to judge someone on things they did over a decade ago then I’ll be first in line to raise my hand high and say, “I messed up big time.” But I would also say, “I have been made new.” Thankfully that’s what being a Christian is all about. From what I saw of Trump’s response to this recording he is regretful, apologetic, and quick to say he is not the person he used to be. 

I can relate. 

A lot of people will hate this post saying that I’m defending a sexist, womanizer. I’m not. I don’t know Donald Trump’s heart. Only the good Lord can see inside a man, but I do know I won’t judge someone for their past transgressions. If it says anything about him as a Christian then it says he is forgiven. And what does this new recording suggest about Trump to me overall? Not much, really. I think I’ll focus on the issues on the table that more readily affect the future of our country, but that’s just me. 

The One Thing That Bothers Me the Most About Our Presidential Election

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So it’s coming down to the wire for the presidential election, and especially as the debates get heated I’m beginning to see more opinions emerge. Some people are for Hillary Clinton and some are for Donald Trump, but a large many are not for either candidate. I can get that. After all, the man I hoped and prayed to occupy the Whitehouse has since dropped out, and I’m left with what many describe as picking the lesser of two evils. Sigh. 
The thing is I can’t morally stand behind so many of Clinton’s policies, so she’s a definite out. On the other hand it bothers me deep in my spirit some of the opinions that cross Trump’s lips. The best way I’ve come to describe it is “Trump doesn’t Christian the way I Christian.” In other words, many of his remarks are spoken without a Christ-filter, or what you’ve more commonly heard described as “what would Jesus do.”

So where does that leave me?

I know a lot of people in the same boat as myself and I can’t help but wonder when they say “I’m not voting for either one” will they be placing a ballot for the Independent Party? I would hope they wouldn’t sit out completely as rocking back and forth saying “woe is me” has never solved a thing, but then again I fear the misplacement of too few Third Party Candidate votes. Wouldn’t normally Republican votes placed on a Third Party Candidate sway the race to the Democratic side? I am certainly no political expert, but I definitely wouldn’t want that. But I digress. 

Here’s the thing that’s really bothering me. With the feeling that neither of the majority candidates are suitable for the Oval Office I am seeing a common phrase pop up on my social media and it rocks me to the core. It is so stifled in a spirit of defeat and surrender that it makes me want to roll up into a ball and cry myself! Somewhere along the line we’ve gone blind to what matters most in life, and though our healthcare reform, taxes, immigration, and abortion are incredibly, incredibly important matters, they don’t measure up to the truth. 

So here’s the most common phrase making social media circuits at this time regarding the presidential election. 

We are doomed!

Seriously. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen that in someone’s Facebook status I would be richer than Donald Trump, but since we’re doomed anyways I might as well just crawl into a corner and die. Since the majority of American Christians have decided to place their lives in the hands of human-being leaders I suppose we truly are headed towards a collapse of epic proportion. Since American Christians are placing their hope on a Presidential Candidate to save them I guess we’re all bound to lose. 

Listen, I know it’s hard. This country is not what it used to be, and I’m completely aware of that. I’m not an ostrich with my head in the sand nor a Pollyanna personality. But I am a child of God. Sometimes I liken this country to a frog in a pot. We’ve been slowly brought to a boil over time and therefore don’t even realize we’re being cooked to death, but I still haven’t lost my hope. 

In fact, I would never say we are doomed. We may be down, but we’re not out, and if you believe what you read in the Bible then you know who’s gonna win this thing in the end. There’s always hope in Jesus. And by golly, look around; this country is still pretty great!

Yes, God brings judgment, and I’ve read about Sodom and Gomorrah too, but then I remember God’s patience with Abraham. 

The Lord agreed to spare Sodom if fifty righteous men could be found there, but Lot wasn’t so sure and kept bargaining God down. 

“What about 45?” Abraham asked. 

And God agreed. 

“What about 40?” Abraham persisted. 

And God agreed again. In fact, God continued to show His mercy in light of His people present there amongst evil, and though we all know how the story ended, the point is God was willing to show grace if His people would just seek His face. He was gonna spare the whole kit and caboodle for just ten. Do you think He wouldn’t do the same for you?

I don’t know, but when I pray about our country I tell God there’s still good people here who love Him and follow His statutes, and I feel very strongly that He will deliver His children from evil. It’s that hope and knowledge of His goodness that keeps my hope alive, and in that hope I never feel doomed. 

Romans 8:37

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

So I say this out of brotherly love to my fellow believers. Please, please stop saying we are doomed. Stop feeling defeated, hopeless, and helpless in our Country’s current situation. Remember that God is in control and He is on the throne. You can be politically concerned all you want, and I hope you’ll step out boldly and cast your vote for a leader who will not defy your strong moral standing. But whatever you do, don’t forget who wins overall. 

Here’s a hint: it’s not the devil. 

What to Consider When Choosing a Presidential Candidate

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I typically pay little attention to what’s on the television in my patient’s rooms, but today I did. The words spoken by one of the forerunners for the upcoming presidential election caught my attention, and the entire situation reminded me why we all as responsible citizens must be vigilant and thorough before traipsing blindly to the polls. We mustn’t choose simply for our feelings, but with the entire picture in mind. 

You see, the television happened to be on a channel that typically directed its programming towards a specific U.S. minority as its targeted demographic. Even the name of the network said so. And during the commercial break of a popular movie a short video clip of a presidential candidate came across the screen. 

In that short shot much was said actually, and I’m sure it sounded pretty darn good to a lot of people. I could understand the fanfare for in the time allotted the speaker promised equality, fair opportunity, and an end to racial discrimination. The thing was, all that sounded good to me too, yet I couldn’t help but discern a certain way it was presented. It made me sad and mad simultaneously. 

For me it seemed described in a way that did not bring about racial equality, but in essence brought division. In fact, the word DIVISION screamed in my spirit, and I couldn’t help but see it as race baiting in the very least. 

The fact is sometimes a particular platform can sound very good to you, especially if it’s something close to your heart or that brings your emotions to the forefront. But I personally try not to lose sight of the forest for the trees. 

I asked my patient if she liked this particular candidate, to which she smiled and nodded. Then her daughter added, “wouldn’t you rather have her over the other guy?

That was a tough one, indeed, but I answered as best I could eventually finishing with, “it’s just hard for me to vote for someone who supports Planned Parenthood.”

The blank stare I received in return seemed to suggest that morsel of thought hadn’t been chewed on when rallying for their candidate of choice, and I think it’s like that for a lot of us. We take that one, emotional platform of pie crust promises and hold it near and dear, turning our eyes away from the important issues that should also be considered when placing someone in power over our country. 

It’s often easy to follow the masses, and get excited over a wolf in sheep’s clothing just because they know the right buttons to push to make the crowd roar hoorah. 

But if you consider yourself a follower of Christ then you must also be led by God’s Word, so that even when a candidate speaks flowery, feel-good sentiments, you can refuse to follow them if their actions go against God’s statutes. For example, murder is murder, and I don’t care how you plan to create pay equality once and for all if you’re still supporting issues I oppose deep down in my soul.

We must be wise when standing behind a presidential candidate, and ask ourselves if morally our conscience can approve. While it’s often times difficult to find a person who embodies all the characteristics you desire as a leader, you can definitively cut out the ones who obviously oppose the very moral fiber of your being. Just saying.

The thing is snakes are usually hid pretty well in the grass, and it’s in those moments that we must rely on our spiritual eyes to show us blatant deceit blanketed in a cause for which we champion. 

I came upon this verse today, and it seemed to put it in perspective for me quite nicely. 

Proverbs 26:23-28 (GNT)

Insincere talk that hides what you are really thinking is like a fine glaze on a cheap clay pot. A hypocrite hides hate behind flattering words. They may sound fine, but don’t believe him, because his heart is filled to the brim with hate. He may disguise his hatred, but everyone will see the evil things he does. People who set traps for others get caught themselves. People who start landslides get crushed. You have to hate someone to want to hurt him with lies. Insincere talk brings nothing but ruin.

The primary point is that sometimes people tell you what you want to hear for their own selfish agenda, and this goes for ANY candidate. We can’t fall for it. We must see beyond the carefully crafted words for our benefit, and use wisdom to choose the person who most closely falls into the principals we hold dear. 

P.S. If you’re wondering… I love Ben Carson.