Tag: Lessons

Not in the Bible

Today’s a new day! There is a saying in the Church and the Christian Community that has always bothered me. Maybe it’s rubbed you the wrong way too.

“Love the sinner, hate the sin.”

Not a fan.

As Christians, we can repeat that phrase quicker than we can recite John 3:16, Romans 6:23 or Psalm 137:9. I encourage you to check them out.

Here’s the problem. Jesus never said it. The Apostle Paul never wrote it in any of his letters. Moses never carved it into a tablet. King David never used it in a song.

“Love the sinner, hate the sin” is not a Bible verse. Surprise! Surprise! You can look from Genesis to Revelation, but you will never find it.

To be fair, maybe the phrase draws on some different scriptures. But you will never find the phrase “Love the sinner, hate the sin.”in the Bible.

I guess somewhere in church history, the phrase evolved into being a neatly packaged quip ready for quick and easy use.

It is like opening a packet of instant hot chocolate or preparing a cup of instant coffee; here, though, we have instant judgment.

Yes, of course, I love you, but … And off we go on the long judgment train.

It appears some Christian’s consider the saying more authoritative than what Jesus actually does say in the Bible (things like not judging others. Check out Matthew 7:1-5).

One of the issues with “love the sinner, hate the sin” is that the second part of the saying always gets in the way of the first part.

The second part of this phrase gives people the license to judge others, to hold something against someone else. That doesn’t seem like love to me.

When people use the phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” it blocks their ability to love people God loves. This phrase brands someone as less than, not good enough or worthy enough for God’s unconditional love.

The phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” puts condition on our love for others. I will love you, but only so far; there are limits. It makes people unable to see beyond what they consider faults or sins in someone else’s life. It makes people unwilling to see anything more than what they do not like about an individual or groups of people.

In my flawed Christian life, I will never be able to love people as God loves them, or as God loves me.

But something that Jesus really does say is, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Luke 6:37-38

In the Gospels according to Matthew and Luke, Jesus says we should pay attention to the big oak tree growing in our own eyes and distorting our vision.

We get all worked up about something that looks like a speck in someone else’s eye, but, truthfully, we cannot see much of anything with that big ole red wood tree sticking out all over our face and blocking our view.

If we actually looked at our own lives, we might discover that what we thought was a horrible speck of dirt in another person’s eye in need of removal was really just a harmless eye freckle.

So today, let’s not get so fixated on the things we do not like and make a conscious decision to just love people. Warts and all. ~OC

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Exonerated Five

What a powerful moment last night. Remember, one candidate running for president took out an ad in several NY newspapers calling for the death penalty. Five young and innocent teenagers lost their freedom for a horrible crime they did not commit. Even after being exonerated by DNA evidence, a certain presidential candidate still calls them guilty. I am thankful these young men are now called “The Exonerated Five.” Keep speaking up young fellas.

If anyone has a problem with this post, you might be the problem. ~OC

#ExoneratedFive

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Purpose

Today’s a new day! We all need purpose; it tells us who we are and how we’re to live. Purpose propels us, gives our lives meaning, and shapes our decisions. Living with purpose is important. As a young man, I longed to know what my purpose was, who God created me to be. So, I read the books, did the Bible studies, men’s events and the different retreats. Unfortunately, I wasn’t learning very much about who I was created to be. Instead, I was absorbing a lot about what I was supposed to do.

Have you ever felt that? That our purpose depends upon doing more or trying harder? Have you ever felt like you had to exhaust yourself to do all the right things and check all the right boxes to succeed at being a godly person? If you have, the good news is you’re not alone. The better news is there’s hope.

God’s purpose for us is not to work hard trying to measure up. It’s not to burn ourselves out trying to do more in hopes that one day we’ll have done enough. God doesn’t have a checklist for us, and we don’t have to earn more of his love. Our purpose is not even about us at all; it’s about Him. God created us to be image-bearers of himself, and that is the highest purpose of them all.

To be made in the image of God means that he created us with infinite value, dignity, and worth. It means we are his reflections on this earth. He made us to represent him, to display his character, and to fill the earth with his glory; he created us to be imitators of him. But here’s the important part: being made in the image of God is not something we do or earn or even have to work at. It is simply what God has declared to be best.

I don’t know about you, but I have spent so much of my life trying to do enough. But the truth is, our purpose isn’t about what we do-it’s about who God is. Before we did anything, before we earned it in any way, apart from any abilities or actions, God created us as his images on the earth. And though sin damaged our ability to bear his image, in Christ, we are being restored. In him, we can live as the images of God he created us to be. We are exceedingly valuable, not because of what we can bring or contribute, but simply because God has declared that we are. Walk in that truth today. ~OC

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Cracked Ground

Today’s a new day! In life, we will go through dry seasons. The land under our feet will be cracked. During those dry and broken seasons, all we want is to experience a little hope and joy.

But as we walk through those dry seasons, we have to lean into hope. That genuine hope that can bring joy back to our lives. Like rain on a drought-ridden desert, hope refreshes our lives and brings us lasting peace. Where does such hope come from?

It comes from placing our hope and trust in God. He came to solve a problem that every person faces in life. It is called sin.

The Bible says that because of the wrong things we do, everyone falls short of who God wants us to be. Because of the wrong things that we do, sin separates us from God. But, Jesus came to earth over two thousand years ago to pay the price for our sins. When he died in our place on that old rugged Cross, He broke the power of sin and death and created a new relationship with God for us. By rising from the grave, His promise of new life became hope and change.

When we allow God to take control of our lives, He will bring life-giving forgiveness into our situation and bring us that beautiful hope; real hope that is as precious to you as rain falling on a drought-ridden land.

With God in our life, we will never face our problems alone. We will experience victory instead of failure. We can stand with God and watch Him guide us through life in ways that are far better than we could ever think or imagine.  God will put our lives back together again and walk with us one step at a time. ~OC

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Christian Nationalism and The Big Lie

Today’s a new day! I have been part of the Christian Church since I was ten years old. The church has played a major role in my life. A positive role. But for the last nine years or so, I have seen so many Churches, Pastors and Christian Leaders, become more concerned about political power and less concerned about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel has been forsaken for a Big Lie. That big lie is Christian Nationalism.

I personally believe there is no greater threat to the democracy of the United States than Christian Nationalism. Sadly, it’s on display at so many political rallies and in so many churches. This bold expression of Christian nationalism- the conflation of nationalism and faith, American flags and crosses, in which giving to Caesar and giving to God is made easy because they’re seen as the same thing. No one can tell them apart. Sadly, some Christians in this country, have turned America into a god. Their primary devotion is to country. But that’s not patriotism; that’s nationalism. And to God, that is idolatry. ~OC

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Dear God,

Today’s a new day! Dear God, It’s time for us to stop pretending that everything is okay. Hurting people need to see they’re not alone. That there is Hope.

This very moment, someone’s pain is breaking through their mask. Someone is on the brink again, facing a choice, perhaps for the millionth time. To open the door of hope or to give up.

My prayer is that we will see them in moments when they feel the farthest from a helping hand. During these tough moments, let the hurting see you dear God. Lord, give them courage and hope, Lord, to trust You with the secrets of their heart.

Dear God, even in the moments of isolation, help the hurting hear the sound of Your gentle knock at the door of their hearts. Show them that this is precisely where You will enter, if only they would open up their hearts to you.

Broken and weary are strange qualifications for Your chosen ones; still Your loving invitation still stands: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

The Cross broke Your body, and our sins break Your heart daily, yet You still call us into a relationship with You. More than that, Jesus, You did what it took to make that possible. Thank You. ~OC

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Christian Nationalism Part I

Today’s a new day! I became a Christian when I was 10 years old. I have not lived a perfect life, but I have always tried to be the best person I can be. As I have walked my faith journey, I have seen and experienced many things that I do not particularly care for in my Christian faith. But there is one thing that has me more concerned than ever about the Christian faith. And that is the rise of Christian Nationalism.

What is Christian Nationalism? Christian nationalism, in short, is a worldview where one’s theological imagination is coopted by state power. It exchanges the church’s loyalty to the God of Peace for a false god fashioned political ideology.

So for the next few days, I will use this blog to share about Christian Nationalism and the harm it brings to the Church and to America.

How can we tell if we or someone we know is a Christian Nationalist? This might be difficult, but below are five questions that might help us answer this question.

*Should the U.S. government be declared a Christian nation?

*All U.S. laws should be based on Christian values?

*If the U.S. moved away from our Christian foundations, we would not have a country anymore?

*Being Christian is an important part of being truly American?

*Has God called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society?

I encourage everyone to review the above questions and take time to honestly answer them. Then take time to do the following:

*Pray

*Reflect

*Discuss

I am not sharing this post to point fingers, to judge or cause division. I am sharing my thoughts to help bring peace and unity to America. ~OC

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Our Choice

Today’s a new day! We can choose to stand up for truth and justice or we can continue to walk in the excuses of “It’s always been that way.” Our choice. ~OC

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Brokenness….A Gift

Today’s a new day!

Sometimes I feel broken.

There are times I look at my life and see all the ways I fall short. Maybe it was my negative attitude or words that negatively affected someone else.

There are so many ways to feel broken- physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. In the middle of our brokenness, it’s easy to agonize over whether or not we can ever be acceptable to God or be used by Him during our brokenness. I know I struggle with this sometimes.

During this crazy beautiful health journey, God has taught me a valuable lesson about being broken.

Our brokenness is a gift. A gift? Yes, a gift because our brokenness connects us to other people walking through their own brokenness. A gift because our brokenness brings us closer to God. It is during our brokenness that God makes us whole.

Sharing our brokenness brings meaning and healing to our own crazy beautiful journey.

Blessings happen during the brokenness. As I have shared my health journey with others, people have reached out to me and shared how my journey has helped them walk through their own crazy beautiful journey. It has been a blessing to see God move through my brokenness.

Being broken is a gift, because through our brokenness we recognize our need for God. Because only through God can our broken life be made whole.

I am so grateful for the gift of being broken. During my brokenness God has continued to love me and use me in spite of my brokenness. What a gift.

My prayer for you is that during your brokenness, you will look to God and allow Him to use you during this time. I pray you will find the gift of brokenness as God puts your broken pieces back together. ~OC

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Sharing My Journey

Today’s a new day! I did not choose this journey. I didn’t choose to become an Overcomer or The Man Who Refuses to Die. But God, in His wisdom, has allowed me to live much longer than my medical team’s predictions. My blog is a peek into how I run this crazy beautiful health journey.

I am a journal keeping and scripture reading man. In the twenty-two years of running this crazy journey, I have learned to let God’s words flow through every area of my life. God has allowed me to become a traveling prayer warrior, a storyteller and missionary.

As I have run this race, God has taught me to not rush through the stories of life. He has shown me how to slow down and really listen to peoples stories and embrace the beautiful interruptions of life.

I am thankful God did not give me the whole story of this crazy health journey at once. No, in His wisdom God has only given me what he knows I can handle at that moment. Of course, without God I could never handle any of this. That’s why I choose to put everything in His hands.

As I share my journey, I try to be as honest as my heart allows. I want people to see both the pain of this journey and the faithfulness of God in the midst of the storms.

I will never minimize the darkness. Because light shines brightest in the darkness. ~OC

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