Charisa Stories

Blog

  • Can The Bible Still Change The World We Live In?

    I have a lot of relationships with friends, colleagues, and even family members who don’t understand my belief in the Bible as the inspired word of God. People who are unbelievers or even believers can use verses out of context to support beliefs that don’t express the love and grace of God. Sincere followers of Christ know that unloving misapplications of biblical texts have done harm and we often forget the incredible positive impact this book has had on history.

    The teachings of Jesus lived out by His early followers radically changed the status of women and children. Biblical stories and characters flow throughout great literature and art. Much of the true humanitarian work in medicine was born out of biblical conviction. But many people like to focus on a Scriptural direction that bothers them. Tim Keller said that should absolutely be expected if God is who He claims to be.

    “If the Bible really was the revelation of God, and therefore it wasn’t the product of any one culture, wouldn’t it contradict every culture at some point? Therefore, if it’s really from God, wouldn’t it have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point?”

    Yes, it should. For example, God says to love your enemy in a culture that is being fueled by hatred. Seriously Lord? Love these people who I believe are so incredibly wrong? I have seen social media posts from believers that I know who celebrated the deaths of political believers they disagreed with.

    Heartbreaking.
    Wrong.

    Divisive.

    Not a bit surprising that the most consistent action that triggered Jesus was hypocrisy.

    A lot of people don’t think this ancient book is applicable to today’s world. I once went through that struggle as I honestly sought to see if God’s Word was what I needed to live the rest of my life.

    In that journey I personally came to believe that no volume addresses the most fundamental questions of humankind as completely as the Bible.

    Why am I here?

    Do I have a purpose?

    Is there anything after death?

    Is there a God?

    Can I know God personally?

    Is God a loving or vindictive force?

    Why is there pain and suffering if God is loving?

    How can I find joy?

    These questions are honestly examined in the Bible, through words and interactions in the stories of the people struggling with those same imponderables. People like you and me. The Bible does not sugarcoat the failings of the most revered biblical figures. Wouldn’t a human produced volume try to hide the failings of men and women who claim to be godly? Scripture honestly explores evil, sin, consequences, suffering, and pain. It sets forth the basis for true justice for the poor and oppressed, something that people still seek today. I have found principles for success in marriage, parenting, work, leadership, and friendship. I see hope for the future when others say it looks bleak. I realize salvation requires nothing to be sacrificed, other than my unwillingness to confess my need. I honestly believe that my relationship with Jesus built on the foundation of Scripture took me off a very bad path that I had started down.

    This Bible holds a power unlike any other I have encountered. Do I struggle with some of it? Of course. But I can read a passage that I have read countless times before and, without warning, find my heart pierced by a truth that changes my current situation, if not my very life. I have discovered this verse to be completely true:

    The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two­edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)

    For that to happen, I need to drop the defensiveness and allow the light of Scripture into the darkest recesses of my heart. That takes time and relationship.

    Part of my own journey to reconnect with God and others, and disconnect from performance anxiety, is to intentionally spend daily contemplative time in the Bible. Being relaxed, not pressured to read one verse or five chapters. Digging out truths of theology or enjoying stories of flawed humans like me being used in God’s grand purpose.

    4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:4, NLT)

    I used to read with a performance goal in mind. I need to read the Bible in a year. I need to finish this study. Now I read with only the expectation that God will meet me there and direct our time together. Expecting grand revelations each time I read the Bible instead of warm fellowship with God is one more way I stub my toe on the sacred. God desires to slowly mold me in His timing as I spend time with Him. Relationships take time and presence.

    16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

    Comedian George Carlin put it succinctly. “I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me. They’re cramming for their final exam.”

    That resonates with me, since my final exam date could soon be on the docket. That sentiment of cramming to try to measure up reflects my early church upbringing that the purpose of salvation is primarily to avoid hell. Since I discovered grace, my journey has been dramatically different. Now Scripture sharpens, softens, refines, redeems, corrects, inspires, and comforts me.

    I suggest you sit down with Jesus and God’s Word, not to study it or check off a daily task. This is about relationship. Reading a Gospel parable, a psalm, or an encouragement from the Word is simply hanging out with your Abba Father. His Word has changed my life.

  • Why Grandparents Are So Important In The Lives Of Their Grandchildren

    This past week I was blessed to spend family vacation time with my eight grandchildren. It was wonderfully exhausting.

    I always think about the impact of my grandmother when I grew up. My life was influenced then and to this day by my dear Granny Davis. She had taken on the name Davis from her second husband Raymond. 

    Talitha Alice Burchett remarried a few years after enduring the unthinkable tragedy of losing her first husband to typhoid fever when my dad was only six-months-old. A widow with a newborn living in dirt poor Appalachia would have reason to be bitter. But not this remarkable woman.

    So many words come to mind as I remember Granny Davis. The first word is always gratitude. Anytime I visited she was grateful for one minute of my time or for many hours. She was grateful for everything and everyone.

    Another word is joy. Granny Davis had a ready and sometimes mischievous smile that cheered me constantly through the trials of growing up. She was my champion and she never once showed disappointment in me. Not once!

    She had no formal education yet she was one of the wisest women I have ever known. Perhaps that is because she spent so much time absorbing God’s Word through consistent reading of the Bible. I remember her lamenting that she wished she was smarter so she could understand God’s Word better. But few people I have met have allowed God’s Word to penetrate their heart and actions more than my Granny Davis. I bought her a copy of The Living Bible and she read through it with notes and markings from Genesis to Revelation. On August 26, 1977 she wrote this at the end of the book of Revelation.

    “Just finished reading this through. Thank you David. It’s meant a lot to me.”

    She was my first messenger of grace, although I did not realize that until later in life. She modeled unconditional love through some very difficult seasons with my parent’s marriage. No matter how I responded during that time I never once felt guilty or unloved in her presence. That was grace in real life.

    To this day, I think of her grace filled responses whenever I feel ungrateful for some real or perceived slight. When I got my driver’s license, my visits to Granny Davis’s house became more and more unannounced. I would run there when I was sad or afraid. She was my refuge. In her presence, I experienced unconditional love, more than in any other place in my early life.

    Granny Davis earned extra money by taking on sewing projects. Joni and I often tell the story of how desperately poor we were when we were newlyweds and our firstborn son came along. There were many times when we scavenged for coins to scrape together money for milk. Whenever we were most in need, a letter would arrive postmarked “Chillicothe, Ohio.” In her distinctive scribble, Granny Davis would write a note of encouragement to us, accompanied by money from her sewing projects. Whether it was five dollars or twenty, it always seemed to be just what we needed to get by for that moment.

    That was no accident. This was a woman who was dialed into the Holy Spirit, and she demonstrated that God knows our needs and He moves before we have any idea. It gave Joni and me a very early and unforgettable example of how God provides. We have never forgotten that lesson. When we face uncertainty, we know that He provides, in part because of a five-foot-two dynamo of faith who showed us what faith and grace look like in our daily journey.

    Isn’t it interesting how a simple person of faith, kindness, joy, and grace can have such an influence? She knows I loved her but she had no idea how much her walk with Jesus affected me. Part of that is because I didn’t recognize it myself until later in life and I look forward to telling her in heaven. 

    Proverbs 17:6 says that “Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged”. 

    Amen.

    What a wonderful gift from God to have the opportunity to love, care, and share your life with these precious little ones. We can have a unique connection and voice to our grandkids. I share the hope of John who wrote these words.

    I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children (and grandchildren) are following the truth. (3 John 3:4, NLT)

    I hope I am having an impact in my beloved grandkid’s lives. I won’t know the whole story on this earth but I will do my best to show them the love and grace of Jesus. 

    Billy Graham summed up my goal perfectly. 

    “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”

  • Thomas Jefferson Valued The Moral Teachings Of Jesus

    Thomas Jefferson was an enigma for many. Political enemies in his day accused him of being an atheist yet he started the statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom with the phrase, “Almighty God hath created the mind free.” He certainly would not have been invited to speak at a Christian conference to share his views that most clergymen are “soothsayers and necromancers.” I will confess that I had to look up the meaning of necromancers. It literally means one who interrogates the dead. Okay. Not sure what church Jefferson was referencing.

    Jefferson believed that authentic Christianity had been hijacked by church leaders. Jefferson decided to fix the problem. He took out his scissors and cut out the parts of the Bible that he didn’t believe. He excised the virgin birth, all of the miracles and the Resurrection. He cobbled together a book he titled “The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth”. Jefferson described his work as separating the “diamonds from the dunghill.” His clippers removed every miracle while leaving teachings about helping the needy and treating people as we would have them treat us. Jefferson’s called the moral code of Jesus, “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.”

    I completely agree with that statement but Jesus stripped of His Divinity and resurrection becomes just a really challenging life coach.

    It is so easy to criticize Jefferson. What audacity! How can you modify sacred texts to fit your own views? But then I took a breath and stepped back. Do I do the same thing without the in your face honesty of Jefferson? When I choose to ignore the hard teachings of Jesus I have, in practice, done the same thing. When I say that some command in God’s Word is too hard I have essentially taken my scissors of doubt and cut that teaching out. When I point out that I cannot forgive or love or give because you don’t understand my circumstances I have clipped out the challenge of supernatural living. In my book When Bad Christians Happen to Good People I wrote a chapter called “This is a Hard Teaching” about the challenging and difficult things that Jesus taught that I tend to mentally and practically excise from my walk. For example, Jesus had this fun little proclamation.

    “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.  (Matthew 5:43-48, NLT)

    Are you kidding me? Love your enemies? Pray for them? Scalpel please…that must be removed. I often feel like the disciples of Jesus who struggled with His teaching about the bread of life.

    Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? (John 6:60, NLT)

    That is the bottom line isn’t it? Sometimes the hard teachings of Jesus offend me. Or at least annoy me. I don’t want to forgive the unforgivable or love the unlovable. I don’t want to serve the least of these because it is inconvenient, messy, and hard. But I have a choice to make. I have to accept the entire Word of God and be open to allowing the Holy Spirit to move in every area of my life. Or I have to take the scissors of my lack of faith to His Word. As for cutting out the miracles and just making Jesus a profound and amazing teacher? I don’t think He gave us that option. Jesus clearly let it be known that He was the Son of Man sent by His Father. If that is not the truth then Jesus was not a great man and teacher. The famous words of C.S.Lewis from Mere Christianity dismiss that philosophy.

    “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon and you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

    So I am praying for the grace to embrace the hard teachings and leave the scissors in the drawer.

  • Was This Insight One Of Einstein’s Most Important Theories?

    Albert Einstein is often credited for this quote.

    “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.”

    If so it may be his best theory! I have reached and exceeded my saturation point on negative discourse.

    Our leaders on both sides, the media, and social media platforms spend a ridiculous percentage of their energy on what is wrong with this world instead of ways to address those problems. Their solutions are often soul-sucking condemnation, judgement, and dismissal of people who simply ask questions. Perhaps the most distressing thing is that many in the church have fallen into the same dark space. Christian social media responses to cultural and doctrinal issues may be slightly less profane but not much, if any, less negative.

    Brothers and sisters, we are supposed to be light! But please don’t take my word for it. Your argument is with Jesus. 

    “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will 
    praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16, NLT)

    Paul addressed why we should be eager to be light in the world in Ephesians 5:8. 

    “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!“

    My heart breaks when I see how many followers of Christ seem to have forgotten they were once full of darkness. It is only because of God’s grace that you have light. 

    For the spiritual hall monitors I am willing to have thoughtful discussions about tough issues. But I am done with negativity and it is not because I am naive about the condition of the world. I am done with negativity precisely because of the condition of the world. This hurting, fearful populace needs hope, light, and grace. They need thoughtful listeners with a message of love. They need the positive message of the Good News. That is my goal for the rest of my days. I feel quite comfortable that the negative side will be well represented by countless others. 

    Everyday I need to make choices.

    I can be judgmental or I can be joyful.
    I can be pessimistic or I can be prayerful.
    I can be condemning or I can be caring.
    I can be fearful or I can be faithful.
    I can be grace-filled or I can be graceless.

    We make those choices and I know they are not easy. Making the choice to eat better is hard. Making the choice to work out is even harder for me. Those are decisions with good but temporal benefits. But making the choice to be a positive, loving light in this world has eternal impact. Warren Wiersbe is one of my favorite writers. His book Be Joyful: Philippians): Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy is a great study to reorient your negativity.

    “When you have the single mind, you look on your circumstances as God-given opportunities for the furtherance of the gospel, and you rejoice at what God is going to do instead of complaining about what God did not do.”― Warren W. Wiersbe

    That response ain’t natural my friends. That is a mindset based on who God is. It is a choice grounded on the grace He has lavishly given to each one of His children. I’m done with negativity. I don’t know if I have two weeks or two decades left on this planet but I don’t want to spend my time wallowing in pessimism. I remember joking with my television production crew a few years ago that I was in the 4th quarter of life. One of my dear, encouraging friends said this with a smile on his face. “What if you’re in overtime?” That could well be but no matter how much time is on the life clock I want to be a positive light. I want to remember and live out the truth of John 13:35.

    “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

    The choice to love and be light is infinitely more important than winning online arguments, getting social media likes, and racking up followers. I want to be a loving light for the Good News of the Gospel. Nothing is more important.

  • You Don’t Have To Be A Perfect Dad To Have A Powerful Impact

    Dan Fogelberg was a gifted songwriter who wrote “Leader of the Band”.  Fogelberg’s father was a musician and he passed that talent down to Dan. Parts of the lyric made me think of my own dad in his final years..

    The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
    But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul 

    I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
    And, papa, I don’t think I said ‘I love you’ near enough 

    My dad knew how much I loved him. Still I wish I had told him more. But this is the portion of the song that continues to impact me as his son.

    My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
    I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band

    Paul Burchett was a wonderful, kind, loving, and sometimes flawed man. I have the flawed part down. I hope I am learning to live out his legacy of joy, kindness, and love that he modeled so well. I realize with each passing year how much the leader of the pack impacted me. Every dad impacts the lives of their children. Children sporadically listen but they always watch.

    Only with the perspective of age and life experience can I begin to comprehend what this man accomplished. Born in the dirt poor Appalachian hills of Kentucky, he never achieved higher than an eighth grade education. Yet he became a career success in corporate management by having a Masters in Common Sense and a Doctorate in Kindness.

    Perhaps he couldn’t help me with calculus or composition but he taught me that all of God’s children are to be valued. That everyone is important and deserves to be treated with dignity.

    He taught me the concept of grace. When I was in junior high I somehow manage to establish “credit” at a hobby store. I ran up a debt that was monumental in those days. When my dad found out I was terrified. But he taught me that grace means unmerited forgiveness for obvious guilt. He taught me what forgiveness looks like and what it means for someone to pay for your mistakes when it is undeserved. I got a little foretaste of how Jesus would pay a debt for me that I could not pay later on in my life.

    He taught me that humor is a gift from God. That laughing at life and especially at your self makes it a whole lot easier to deal with daily frustrations.

    He was not perfect. Like all men he made mistakes but even in failing he taught me valuable lessons. He modeled with his humility and deep contrition the wisdom written by the Apostle Peter.

    Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
    1 Peter, 4:8, NLT

    My Dad taught me it was okay to say “Forgive me” and “I’m Sorry”. God’s Word consistently paints an image of God as our Father. Many people struggle with that picture because they can only relate to an angry, dominating or distant father. I thank God that I was blessed with a father who gave me a clear image of how I can relate to God as my Heavenly Father.

    My friend Bart Millard of MercyMe sings a powerful song about seeing his dad when he makes it home to Heaven some day.

    I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck, and tell him that I’ve missed him. And tell him
    All about the man that I became, and hope that it pleased him. There’s so much I want to say,
    There’s so much I want you to know.

    When I finally make it home. When I finally make it home.

    I am so grateful that I had a dad that helped me to understand the real love of a father and what it means when God says I am His child.

    How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  –1 John 3:1

    That is what we are! A child of God. Even if your earthly father fell short I pray you can believe that amazing promise today.

  • Love People Of All Colors Because We All Bleed The Same

    My heart is so sad as I think about the tragic death of a young man in Frisco, Texas. The families of both Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony will never be the same. I have also been deeply saddened by the rhetoric from some people on both sides. Please read the rest of this blog before you condemn my statement. Sadly the previous sentence might actually be too late for so many respondents.

    I remembered a duet from Mandisa and TobyMac that touched me deeply. They addressed the heartbreaking issue of political division that affects our culture and often impacts the church.

    These lyrics immediately grabbed my heart.

    Are you left?
    Are you right?
    Pointing fingers, taking sides
    When are we gonna realize?

    We all bleed the same
    We’re more beautiful when we come together
    We all bleed the same
    So tell me why, tell me why
    We’re divided.

    Why indeed? Martin Luther King Jr taught us that hateful rhetoric never, ever, ever changes a heart. 

    Followers of Christ have a message of hope and light that is desperately needed. But we can get caught up in the politics of our world and snuff out that light. I have been guilty of that in my journey at times. I pray it will not happen again.

    I fear our culture will get darker in the days and months ahead. Followers of Christ have to make a decision. We can decide to complain that Christians are no longer respected and valued in the culture. Or we can decide to show the kind of kindness, forgiveness, grace, and love that early Christians demonstrated to change a hostile culture. Christianity really functions best as the underdog. We can ask God to give us the strength and grace to be a light in the darkness.

    Perhaps the fact that grace and forgiveness are rare commodities in this society is a big reason we see such anger and hopelessness.

    Our natural reaction to those who denigrate our faith is to strike back. Jesus knew this would happen and He had some very radical instructions.

    “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-28,  NET)

    I wonder what God could do if we followed those words?  And if we remembered that we all created in the image of God but our different experiences and stories can divide us. They don’t have to. The song lyrics have grace filled insight.

    If we’re gonna fight
    Let’s fight for each other
    If we’re gonna shout
    Let love be the cry
    We all bleed the same
    So tell me why, tell me why
    We’re divided

    My prayer is that we do not focus on the multitude of political issues that divide us but on the one healing name that can unite us.

    Jesus.

    His blood was shed on the Cross for all races. If we believe that then why are we divided? We don’t need to be if we keep our eyes on the Cross.

  • Division Impacts The Power Of The Gospel

    My head explodes when I allow myself to wade into the political discourse between followers of Jesus Christ on Facebook, X, and other social media. There are important cultural issues that Christians need to prayerfully and gracefully seek God’s wisdom to address. What I read is rarely graceful and that makes me wonder how prayerful the messengers have been before hitting the send button. What gives you the right to judge the faith status of another believer because you disagree with them? I was wrong about many political things in my life but I did believe in Jesus (in spite of what some critics thought) and God patiently changed my heart.

    Because of the nature of social media a topic that should be thoughtfully debated instead becomes an us versus them. I can assure you that no one’s mind is changed by a name calling rant. If fact, that person is more likely to dig in even deeper to what may be incorrect opinions because of your unkind comments.

    These judgements of motives and personal attacks are so damaging to the message of grace that I hold so dear. Sometimes I try to imagine myself as a skeptical seeker looking to explore this Christianity thing. I am pretty sure if I stumbled on some of these mean-spirited threads I would run straight for the secular hills.

    The irony of this need to “win” the argument at the expense of Christian charity and love may be one more profoundly effective tactic of the enemy. The moment the Church is divided by culture instead of united in Christ is the moment our light for the message of the Gospel dims. Paul noted that God’s sovereignty can take any proclamation of the Gospel and use it for His glory.

    “It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.” (Phillipians 1:15-18)

    I hope that most followers of Jesus wish to communicate the incredibly liberating forgiveness of the Gospel. I hope that most of us wish to be accurate in that communication. But I also hope that most of us wish to be gracious, kind, loving, and thoughtful toward all in the body who desire to celebrate Jesus. 

    When asked what the most important commandment was Jesus replied without hesitation.

    “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

    And he added a second part…”Be accurate and angrily make sure others are accurate at all costs.”

    Hardly.

    His convicting command is well known.

    “The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” 

    Don’t hijack my point. Accuracy is important but you cannot love your neighbor as yourself by condescension, assigning of bad motives, and smug righteousness. 

    I wish followers of Jesus would proclaim what we are FOR more passionately than what we are against. What if we decided to spend all of our energy proclaiming that the Son of God came to earth as a human, lived a sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for my sin and yours and then was resurrected to show the ultimate victory over sin and death?

    What if we decided to be a little kinder, give a little more, serve a little more often, and commit to unity in our ranks?

    My concern is that the lack of unity is the single biggest problem in the universal church and, of course, in our individual fellowships. There is no more powerful community than a group of believers who live in unity. Nothing levels the playing field like genuinely following Jesus. 

    Famous preacher D.L. Moody had this warning. “I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord’s people were divided.”

    The One that unites us is so much more important than the things that divide us. Can we commit to encountering others in grace based on our unity in Jesus Christ? 
    The choice is ours.