Month: October 2008

I was just about finished with my daily dose of depression from the morning newspaper when an advertisement stopped me cold. It was a full page ad from a local church. The headline in the Dallas Morning News screamed out in big, bold letters.

We Were Wrong

“We followed trends when we should have followed Jesus. We told others how to live but did not listen ourselves. We live in the land of plenty, denying ourselves nothing, while ignoring our neighbors who actually have nothing. We sat on the sidelines doing nothing while AIDS ravaged Africa. We were wrong; we’re sorry. Please forgive us.”

That is a powerful and sobering admission. I was shocked. And I was greatly encouraged by the courage and the humility needed to admit such an embarrassing message to the public. Since I loved the ad I am sure Springcreek Church in Garland, Texas will get a lot of criticism. I don’t think like a lot of the herd.

I opened my first book When Bad Christians Happen To Good People with these words.

I must begin with some words of disclosure. I am a hypocrite. I can be arrogant and selfish. I have been known to stretch, conceal, or slightly massage the truth. I am sometimes inconsiderate and insecure. I struggle with lust and impure thoughts. My ego often rages out of control, and I battle foolish pride. I can be lazy and foolhardy with my time. I get angry, petty, and ill tempered. I am sarcastic and cynical.

I am a Christian.

Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. If there is one theme about our faith that should be communicated, it is that we all fall short of the goal spelled out in Christ’s teachings. Author Max Lucado has a wonderful line. He says that God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. So all of us believers are somewhere on that continuum of where we started and where God wants us to be. But that realization seems to penetrate our thinking only sporadically. In fact, there are those among us who will call me a counterfeit since I admit to such unflattering traits. They will write and tell me that if I had their brand of faith I would be above any of these sins all of the time. I believe they would be wrong.

Obviously a “bad Christian” like me was intrigued to hear how Springcreek Church explained their very public confession. Senior Pastor Keith Stewart wrote this in an open letter on the church website.

No one is perfect. No one lives sin-free. You blow it. I blow it. And the church does, too. I’m sure that you (like me) have, on more than one occasion, had to make something right by apologizing. So why is it so rare to hear a church apologize? The truth is, an apology from the church should not “stand out.” It should not make the community sit up and take notice. But it does, precisely because that the church rarely does what it tells others to do.

In all sincerity, we want to change that. The church in America has a serious credibility problem. Those outside the church look at us and often don’t see anything that even remotely resembles Jesus. Instead they see judgment, hypocrisy, and very little compassion. They hear our words, but don’t see a lifestyle that aligns with those words.

I know my tens of readers want to know how I feel about this apology. Is it Godly or is it a gimmick? Pastor Stewart began his open letter with this Scripture.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1, NIV)

I would love to go to a church that can confess with humility and grace that they have erred. I trust that Pastor Stewart’s heart is sincere and his congregation shares his authenticity. I rarely write in absolutes but one thing I have found is that truly Godly people always demonstrate humility. From reading the comments at the church website I am struck by the humility of Pastor Keith Stewart.

If I may gracefully add one caution to my fellow sojourners here in scenic Garland, Texas it would this lesson I learned the hard way. I am responding to a couple of lines that appeared in the open letter. I hasten to add that the leadership may be well ahead of your humble correspondent on this point so forgive me if I am presuming anything in your letter. Here are the sentences that caused me to recall my long journey to practice grace.

The only way the community will ever believe our words is if our behavior backs it up. With the help of God, we want to become a community of believers that lives out its creed.

May I suggest with all the grace I can muster after watching political coverage this morning the following thoughts. The community will believe your words if you create an environment of grace. A place where people can walk in flawed and hurting and be accepted for who they are and where they are. A place where they don’t have to wear a mask to be accepted. That is when, in my humble opinion, the community will believe your words. I am praying for you daredevils at Springcreek Church. Don’t let the spiritual hall monitors get you down with the drive-by judgments that will surely happen. If you are following the leading of the Holy Spirit you had no choice but to apologize. I pray that many of us will follow your example both personally and corporately.

 

I wish this article was more encouraging. Every year in the illustrious history of the humble ramblings I have breathlessly brought you the results of the M-LAW (Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch) Wacky Warning Label Contest. The contest is conducted to reveal how lawsuits, and fear of lawsuits, have driven the proliferation of ridiculously common-sense warnings on U.S. products.The reason I am reluctant to publish this right now is because of the over arching implications of these labels. The same people who apparently need the warning labels we are about to see are going to vote in a few days for the leader of the free world. God save America. Let the stupidity begin.

Honorable mention went to a warning label found on a letter opener that says:

“Caution: Safety goggles recommended.”

“Please don’t let any human see me donning safety goggles to open a letter from Aunt Bee. But if I don’t put on the goggles I can’t sue if there is a tragic letter opening mishap. Life is so complicated!”

Another honorable mention was awarded for a warning found on the Vanishing Fabric Marker which cautions users:

“The Vanishing Fabric Marker should not be used as a writing instrument for signing checks or any legal documents.”

“I sent you a check last week….wait a minute…did I grab the darn Vanishing Fabric Marker again? My bad.” 
Perhaps we should have Congress write all of their bills with the Vanishing Fabric Marker. They could stay busy without hurting the country.

The second place award was awarded to a label found on an iron-on T-shirt transfer that warns: “Do not iron while wearing shirt.”

Okay. Apparently this happened somewhere. Somebody decided it would just take too much time to take the t-shirt off to iron on the transfer. Yep, that person may be voting soon. 

The third place prize went to a label on a baby-stroller featuring a small storage pouch that warns, “Do not put child in bag.”

Seriously. Pretty sure this was a Dad who decided the storage bag was a handy carry-all for junior. And that Dad soon found a label that said “Do Not Sleep in Bedroom”.

The nation’s most obvious warning label in M-LAW’s annual Wacky Warning Label Contest was this great piece of advice found on a small tractor that warns, “Danger: Avoid Death.”

That is such good advice. I have put that label on my car. I put it on the seat when I fly. In short, this label has become my strategy in all of my daily activities. So far it is working like a charm.

“Warning labels are a sign of our lawsuit-plagued times,” said Robert B. Dorigo Jones, M-LAW president. “An unpredictable legal system – in which judges allow anyone to file a lawsuit on almost any theory – has created a need for product makers to plaster wacky warnings on everything.” Humor columnist Dave Barry wrote about this trend. “Fortunately, I live in the United States of America, where we are gradually coming to understand that nothing we do is ever our fault, especially if it is really stupid.” 

And these warning labels are a sign that too many of us are unwilling to take any personal responsibility for our actions. We are the culture of “not at fault”. There is “no fault” auto insurance and “no fault” divorce. A child learns to say “it’s not my fault” right after they learn to say “no.” The “not at fault” mind-set has crept into the body of Christ as well. For too many people nothing is ever their fault. We seem to have lost the ability to simply say “I was wrong. Please forgive me.” Instead we do the dreaded apology light. You know the syndrome. Some people can only say the words “I am sorry” if that phrase is immediately followed by a gigantic but (that would be one “t”).

Whenever I see or hear the gigantic “but” I tend to discount the apology.

• I am sorry but I was having a bad day.
• Forgive me for my words but I was really tired and not feeling well.
• I shouldn’t have reacted but the other person was rude.
• I over-reacted but he pushed my buttons (whatever that means). Blah, blah, blah, blah.

Or how about the “you are too touchy apology”.

• Forgive me if my words offended you.

Nope. Just say forgive me. Take responsibility and don’t make excuses. Don’t put it on the other person being thin skinned. Being responsible for our actions is an act of love and obedience. Clearly we have a biblical responsibility to love one another. The Apostle John has some insight.

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. (1 John 4:20-21, The Message)

The command is indeed blunt. Noted Christian author A. B. Simpson once noted that “a good way to test your love to God is by the way you treat your brother…God is more concerned by my conduct toward my brother than by my prayers to Him.” 

Amen.

Jesus made it clear how important it is to reconcile with our fellow sojourners.  

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right.”  (Matthew 5, The Message)

I want to be willing to take responsibility for my actions. If I am stupid (make that when I am stupid) I want to be willing to say I am wrong with no excuse. I am learning to say I am sorry…and no buts about it.

The whole world seems a little shaky these days. The political climate is discouraging and draining. My retirement just got delayed until I am 110 years old. I am a devoted Cleveland Browns fan. Can it get any worse?

I usually don’t think too much about my days in the legalistic church I grew up attending. You might remember me talking about the First Church of Jesus Loves You But We Probably Won’t. But for some reason today as I was praying, meditating and thinking about the state of the world and the AFC North I drifted back to that church. In particular I thought about a little old lady who always sat in the third pew on the right. And I remembered how she used to belt out hymns with great gusto. She usually wasn’t within sight of the correct key but she didn’t care. One song that she loved to sing off-key came back to me today. Standing On The Promises.

Alan Jackson sang this song in his collection of hymns that he released recently. I remembered the refrain in particular.

Standing, standing,
 standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
 standing, standing,
 I’m standing on the promises of God.

To be honest those lyrics didn’t mean much to a young teenager. I didn’t know much about God’s promises. I hadn’t lived enough to experience his trustworthiness and love. Now I have. And now I understand why that sweet little lady belted out those words. God’s Word is loaded with promises. And these are not the kind of promises that we are hearing in debates and political ads. God’s promises are not meant to buy our favor. They are meant to redeem, comfort, sustain and mature us.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
 listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
 resting in my Savior as my all in all,
 standing on the promises of God.

Wow. Something else came to mind as I reflected on the truth of that old hymn. It doesn’t say “leaning” on the promises or putting a little faith on God’s promises. To experience His peace and comfort you must put your full weight on these promises. Stand on them. I chose one promise to stand on today. Jesus words to His followers as He sent them out to make disciples and teach is my promise for these turbulent times.

And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matt 28:20, NLT)

That just makes me feel a whole lot better about the state of the world. I might as well have a good attitude since I have to work another 55 years.

 

 

(Under the weather today…please enjoy a gently read previous post)

Recently I suffered a nasty bout of writer’s block so I decided that if I was going to be unproductive I might as well watch television. That philosophy of time management has been challenged on more than one occasion by the lovely Mrs.Burchett. Surprisingly the dip into the often vapid world of cable television proved productive. I stumbled upon a fascinating History Channel feature on Ben Franklin. I knew Franklin as a brilliant statesman, inventor, writer and a bit of a scoundrel.

 Courtesy of www.earlyamerica.com

But I did not know that in his autobiography the venerable statesman admitted a radical plan. 

“I once conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection.”

Wonder how that worked out?

Benjamin Franklin could have saved himself some aggravation by reading Paul’s letter to the Roman church. Hold that thought. Franklin outlined the thirteen virtues he desired to master. Here are his baker’s dozen of admirable traits as written in his autobiography and in the language (and spelling) of the day.

   1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
   2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
   3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
   4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
   5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
   6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
   7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
   8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
   9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
  10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
  11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
  12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
  13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

There is a lot of good in that list although Franklin’s personal life might have made number 12 his biggest challenge. Nonetheless the optimistic Franklin devised a plan to avoid drinking to elevation, engaging in trifling conversation and limiting his venery.

Ben decided that taking on the whole list would be too daunting so he ordered the list and planned to address one virtue at a time until that trait was a habit. He devised a grid to chart his progress. As Saint Paul predicted in his treatise to the Romans, Benjamin Franklin’s system was destined to fail. Franklin wrote a passage not unlike the Roman argument.

“But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason.”

Hmmmm. Sounds a lot like old nature and sin nature. Centuries earlier the imprisoned Paul had outlined the same struggle. “I try to do the right thing but I invariably do the opposite.” Paul noted that the law clearly demonstrates our sinful condition just as Franklin’s thirteen virtues convicted him of his failure. Paul would have told Franklin that  the law convicts all of us of the impossibility of living a sinless life that would satisfy  a Holy God. The Apostle’s lament would be depressing if he had stopped after this proclamation to the Romans. “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”

But Paul did not stop there. He explained that only a miraculous theological event could free us from the enslavement of the law.  That the penalty was paid and we are justified by faith and nothing else.  He argued that our sin was literally crucified with Christ so that we no longer would have to be a slave to that sin.  He wrote that all of the junk from our sin past is now dead in God’s eyes and we have no condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus. Emerging from that shame into the light of grace allows me to begin a path toward sanctification. Realizing how powerless I am to control my sin causes me to come to the same logical conclusion that Ben Franklin sadly deduced. I can’t do this on my own.

But there is the difference between Saint Paul’s plan and Benjamin Franklin’s plan. Paul realized that it is only through Christ who lives in us that we can be free from the slavery of our sin nature. Realizing that we need to lean wholly on Christ and the empowering awareness of the Holy Spirit allows us to begin to resolve our sin issues. Only then can we be free, without condemnation and lavished in His amazing grace. Paul’s letter to the Romans was not a plan to achieve moral perfection. That is not possible in this go around. Some of the principles that my friends at TrueFaced espouse have reoriented my thinking. By the way, you can download and sample a part of the TrueFaced Romans series when you visit their website.

The day I put my belief in Christ by faith I was changed. I have a new nature. God is no longer interested in changing me. I have already been changed. God is interested in me maturing into what it is already true about me. The old sin nature is dead. But the old nature needs to be brought under the gentle control of the Holy Spirit. Steadfastly marking off my good deeds on a list of virtues will not make me holy.  Righteousness is not gritting our teeth and determining to sin less. When we begin to trust the truth of what God says is already true about us we actually can begin to resolve our sin issues and begin to understand righteousness as God sees it. Righteousness is not what we do. Righteousness is who we are. When we place our trust in Christ we are righteous. Still not morally perfect but equipped to move in that direction.

Ben Franklin had a great goal.  He just needed a better theology than self-effort.

For the record, I have been quite willing to admit that we Christians are often flawed in how we live out our faith. The title of my first book (When Bad Christians Happen to Good People) might be a clue that I understand that Christians often miss the mark. Trying to communicate a message as complex as the need for justification and salvation is tough within a two hour movie.

I saw the movie Fireproof before I read a single review. Only after seeing the movie did I read what is being said about the movie. To say the least, I found some of the comments puzzling. Here is a brief synopsis of the plot. Kirk Cameron plays the role of firefighter Caleb Holt. He is successful and respected at work but not at home and his anger bubbles over at the smallest slight. Wife Catherine has grown distant from her self-centered husband. Caleb obsesses over buying a boat and has an internet pornography problem. Catherine begins to find the kindness and conversation missing at home from a doctor at the hospital where she works as public relations director. She seeks a divorce. Caleb finally goes to his dad who suggests faith was the reason his own marriage was saved and also following a forty day program called the “love dare”. Caleb refuses faith at first but does begrudgingly agree to try the “love dare” program. The rest of the movie deals with Caleb’s search for faith and saving his marriage.

Here is a sampling of some critics with my comments following. Boston Globe writer Michael Hardy wrote this.

At the last minute, Caleb’s father steps in with a 40-day marriage recovery guide, which he’s written and guaranteed to work. 

Caleb’s dad did not make any sort of “guarantee” that the love dare would work. He did say it worked for his own marriage. And that is the point of this movie. Faith works for the writer. Faith works for the actors and production volunteers. Faith works for this humble blogger. But faith is never a guarantee that everything will work as you wish. That is clear throughout the Bible. And faith cannot and should not be forced. Mr.Hardy continues.

With the production values of a straight-to-video cheapie and the script of a mediocre soap opera, “Fireproof” is good for just about one thing: dousing whatever flames might be left in your marriage. 

Ouch. And unfair. My wife of thirty-two years and I both thought the movie had a great message. Perhaps that is because we lived this movie. I did not have an anger problem but I did have a self-absorbed problem and a work-a-holic problem. She reached the end of her rope and was thinking about separation. My rededication to my Christian faith changed me. It changed how I treated my wife and reordered my priorities. Her faith allowed her to forgive me and eventually trust me again. If I put that story to paper it might sound like a mediocre soap opera. But it was life saving for us.

The comments about the production values are fair game but must be placed in context. I would suggest that the production values are remarkable considering the budget. The $500,000 budget is ridiculously low for a movie. I found the full budget for the movie “The Village” that was produced in 2004. That movie budgeted nearly twice as much for makeup ($982,000) as director Alex Kendrick spent on his entire movie. Their previous film (Facing the Giants) was produced for $100,000 and generated over 10 million dollars. That profit has built an 82 acre youth sports program in Georgia. You might disrespect the quality of the production but the quality of the people behind the films is demonstrated by that gesture.

Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly made these comments.

You probably can’t blame pastors moonlighting as moviemakers for wanting to pack their film with multiple messages, but the conversion subplot feels shoehorned into the more crucial marital doings, as if coming to Jesus might be just one of a long checklist of steps to restore sizzle to your marriage, right between buying roses and preparing a candlelit dinner.

That just makes followers of Jesus chuckle. The question of salvation is hardly a “shoehorned” subplot for believers. It is the key plot element to life for Christians.

Neil Genzlinger had a fair and thoughtful review in the NY Times.

“Fireproof” may not be the most profound movie ever made, but it does have its commendable elements, including that rarest of creatures on the big (or small) screen: characters with a strong, conservative Christian faith who don’t sound crazy. 

That is actually a very real compliment. Look at how conservative Christians are generally portrayed on television and in movies. Whooo-eeee…. a Christian who doesn’t sound crazy! Baby steps.

And maybe with other folks as well: among those caring-for-marriage tips are some that anyone could use to improve any type of relationship, with or without the God part.

That is one of my takeaways from the movie. The relationship was worth saving but communication had died. The “love dare” allowed communication to begin to slowly take place. I would suggest the “God part” is a very big deal in the equation. Since my faith saved my marriage is it wrong to desire that others have that same option to consider?

I thought this comment from writer Ken Hanke of the Asheville Mountain Express was thought provoking.

Co-critic Justin Souther, who watched most of Fireproof with me, pegged it when he remarked, “The problem with movies like this, with people like you and me, is that they drive us further away from accepting Christianity.” That neatly sums up the central drawback. Fireproof isn’t merely preaching to the already converted; it’s helping to further alienate the unconverted and the skeptical. I doubt that was the intention, but it pretty much is the result with films such as these. The simplistic and often self-righteous tone is off-putting.

That just makes me sad. I can see how the aggressive message of the movie would be off-putting to those not interested in hearing it. That was Hankes response. But I think others are touched and moved to faith by efforts like this. I would agree that the script made the lead character’s conversion a bit too simplistic and predictable. I would suggest that in this case self-righteous is in the ear and eye of the beholder. My personal prayer is that I will never come across as self-righteous or off-putting. Jesus changed my life. I naturally want to share that with others. But always with grace. I pray that I will never drive anyone further away from accepting Christ. Here is snippet from an article I wrote about proselytizing.

If I care about you I will naturally want to share the most important thing in my life. But I think you have some rights as the hearer of that message. I wrote the following in my book When Bad Christians Happen to Good Christians.

• The Unbelievers Bill of Rights…
  
  I have the right to never have faith forced on me.
  I have the right to never be treated in a condescending manner.
  I have the right to always hear the truth.
  I have the right for you to patiently hear my concerns and doubts.
  I have the right to seek answers to those questions and doubts that you can’t answer.
  I have the right to be steered to resources for my own study and investigation.
  I have the right to be loved no matter how I respond to the gospel message.

I hope that I honor you by following the list above. I hope you will understand that my wanting to let you know about the most important thing in my life honors you as well. My desire is for you to experience the peace, joy and contentment that Christ has given to me. God only comes into lives when invited. You have every right to reject my message and the invitation. But I want to let you know that invitation changed my life completely. I hope you believe that I feel no superiority, judgment or impatience with you. I just wanted you to know. The rest is up to you.

My buddy Ed Underwood has a blog that you may want to check out. His weekly post is called Tipping Points and he offers the same intermittent wisdom that you have come to expect from this site. The bonus is that Ed offers wisdom with fewer words than your humble rambler. After posting my article this week I opened up Ed’s offering and found that great minds (and minds like ours) think alike. Here is Ed’s take on the current political scene. Because of ego and a lack of self-confidence I rarely give my space away. I am proud to give this space to my friend Ed Underwood.

Belief You Can Change In!

Change seems to be the issue of this presidential election. One party promises to bring change we can believe in and the other warns that we need change we can depend on.
 
This tells me a couple of things about our country.
 
First, everyday people want change because of a deep dissatisfaction with life.
 
Second, politicians and most of those voting for them really think that changing the circumstances of life will somehow help—that finally Americans will say, “Now, I’m satisfied. Now that the economy is better and I feel safer in the war on terror.”
 
In my younger years I was a political animal. I even majored in political science.
 
But here’s what I’ve noticed as elections and presidents come and go: Not much changes.
 
My friends marched to a war in Vietnam ; I stood on the frontier of freedom as an Army officer during the cold war, and I’ve said goodbye to my son two times on his way to Iraq with his Army units.
 
The ghetto’s still hopeless; gas still feels like it costs too much; a lot of people still want to kill us; and the cultures still godless…only a little more godless than it was back then.
 
Changing power in Washington might help for a while, but it won’t last.
 
Why? The problem’s not on the outside; it’s on the inside.
 
What we really need isn’t change we can believe in that just rearranges the patio furniture on a crumbling cement slab. What we really need is belief we can change in!
 
Only Jesus Christ offers that type of change. When we believe in Him, we become a new creation. When we believe what He says about us—that we’re not who we use to be and we don’t have to live the way we use to live—the resurrection life within us begins to transform us.
 
When I believe what Jesus says about me—that His life within me is this world’s only hope—I become a better man. When I become a better man and encourage my family to believe in that hope that is within us—we become a better family. When my family becomes a better family and encourages other families in our neighborhood, church, and city to become better families—we become a better neighborhood, a better church, and a better city.
 
Now there’s a change that offers lasting hope…but it all begins with belief.
 
To them [those who receive His life by believing in Him] God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. —Colossians 1:27

By the way, Ed has a great new book (that I proudly endorsed) called When God Breaks Your Heart: Choosing Hope in the Midst of Faith-Shattering Circumstances . The forward is written by Joni Eareckson Tada. If you or anyone you know is suffering this is a book you must read.  

The word of the day/week/month/year is hope. If you vote correctly you will have hope and if you vote in the next ten minutes (Ohio voters only) we will throw in change and free shipping. I am not bashing a particular party here. I have lost hope in both parties after the events of the past two weeks. Hope as defined at dictionary.com is to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence. Reasonable confidence. I wish I had marginal confidence in the political leaders.

But if I sound depressed let me to assure you that I am not. I am a little sad that that so many people really seem to be placing their hope for happiness on a political candidate. I do believe that leaders make a difference. I care deeply about making an informed and prayerful choice. I always research and vote. But I never place my hope or desire for change on a politician. The word hope is used about 80 times in the New Testament. But hope in a Biblical sense is not used to portray “reasonable confidence”. I am not a ancient language scholar but I did drive by a Holiday Inn Express this morning. Here is what I know about the Biblical hope. In Scripture, the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word “hope” is an indication of certainty. The first appearance of the word in the NIV translation pretty much lays out my belief.

“In his name (Jesus) the nations will put their hope.” (Matthew 12, NIV)

Paul wrote about the hope that I have in his letter to the Romans.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Colossians we read this praise from Paul as he relates how hope based on the eternal God should make a difference.

For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

That is a hope that I know will not disappoint. As for change, I would be pleasantly surprised if our leaders in Washington would work together for us. But I will not be surprised if they do not. Especially after the events of the past several days. The important change for me has already happened.

When I placed my trust in Jesus a change happened in me. I have written this many times before. It is never more needed or important than today.

I am a sinner saved by grace and faith alone. But what I am now beginning to understand is who I am in Christ. That is changing my life. I have referenced the book TrueFaced as an incredible volume of practical theology.

God is not interested in changing the Christian. He has already changed us when we believed in Jesus for salvation. At that point our spiritual DNA was rewritten and we became a new person in Christ. God wants us to believe that He has already changed us so that He can get on with the process of maturing us.

Grace changes our life focus from struggling with sin issues to trusting who God says I already am. I am a saint who occasionally sins, not a sinner who is striving to become a saint.

I have hope that is real. I am changed because of Christ. Because of those two facts I can deal with the rest of life. I believe that no matter what happens in November I know the following statement is true.

God is in control. I have hope that is true. And I am changed because of it.