God is love. So we are told to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Luke 10:27 God’s Word Translation©).

This means we are to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit those who are sick or in jail (Matthew 25:34-36), and to protect the widow and the orphan (James 1:27). Nowhere does it say ignore and slander those trapped in sin. Nowhere is there a condition on who to help. Yet too often church people heap contempt on prostitutes, LGBTQ people, the homeless, anyone who doesn’t agree with our views on religion and politics, and anyone else who “gets in our way”.

No, we hate the sinners more than we hate the sin! Why? Because “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), including us. If we could hate sin we would convict ourselves, and we don’t. We don’t have time. We spend all our time condemning others and playing God instead of loving like God.

Besides, love costs too much. It will cost us our pride, our personal convenience, and even our life. Condemning others seems the easier way, but the cost of that is eternal punishment (Romans 6:23)!

Jesus did not die on the cross so you could decide whom you will love! Or so you can justify your gossip and slander.

This strikes close to home these days. We have grandchildren who have chosen the road of sinfulness paved with loose living, contempt for parents, lying and anger, and more. However, we still love them with all our hearts.

If we saw sinners as our children and grandchildren, dearly loved, we could hate what sin does to people, but we could also pray for them with tears, show the face of love and make opportunities to express the love of God to people trapped in sin. We would sacrifice ourselves to be a light in the world and not flame-throwers.

We are not the only ones experiencing this. What I see in our present circumstances is a powerful way to talk about what will change people’s lives, namely, the love of God which Jesus showed to death (and life) and which now lives through us humbled by our own pain, and our faith that refuses to give up on anyone.

“The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act” (2 Peter 3:9 God’s Word Translation©).

Psalm 94 is disturbing to me.

To modernists it is disturbing because in their arrogance they refuse to allow God to act against sin. For them God can only be gentle love and consolation.

That is not what disturbs me, however. What a heart-breaking poem Psalm 94 is because the wicked do wickedly and have no sense of remorse, even claiming that God doesn’t see what they do because there is no God except their power over others.

Personally I have been persecuted and treated with contempt for justice by those who have the power to do just that. Even years later these people show no remorse; they continue living like they can do no wrong because they can do what they do and, so far, God has not sent cataclysmic punishment upon them.

Without remorse there is no repentance and so there is no forgiveness which means their eternal condition is at stake.

God continues to show that racist bigotry, gender hatred and economic oppression or any evil are against the very fabric of the universe. The power-abusers don’t care, and as Jesus observed even from the cross, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”.

In a long story in Matthew 25 Jesus points out that those who show sympathy, empathy and compassion will receive the blessing of The Creator, while those who are heartless, self-centred and malicious will also receive payback in kind, with eternal consequences.

If we steal from someone (reputation or property) or kill someone (through hate) or destroy someone through emotional vandalism we act as Apollyon (Abaddon), The Evil One.

We can never consider that we are right if we win against someone. Our call is never to be right, but to do right. And if we do right it will cost us something or build someone else up.

So have you been in a debate or argument and made someone look foolish in the eyes of others, or competed and took everything and left someone standing emotionally naked? Then repent and apologize.

Eternity is awaiting, for blessing or suffering. What you cause here is what you can expect there.

PSALM 94

1
O Lord, God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, appear!
2
Arise, O Judge of the earth.
Give arrogant people what they deserve.
3
How long, O Lord, will wicked people triumph?
How long? vengeance, appear!

⁴ They ramble.
They speak arrogantly.
All troublemakers brag about themselves.
⁵ They crush your people, O Lord.
They make those who belong to you suffer.
⁶ They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans.
⁷ They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.
The God of Jacob doesn’t even pay attention to it.”

⁸ Pay attention, you stupid people!
When will you become wise, you fools?
⁹ God created ears.
Do you think he can’t hear?
He formed eyes.
Do you think he can’t see?
¹⁰ He disciplines nations.
Do you think he can’t punish?
He teaches people.
Do you think he doesn’t know anything?
¹¹ The Lord knows that people’s thoughts are pointless.

¹² O Lord, blessed is the person
whom you discipline and instruct from your teachings.
¹³ You give him peace and quiet from times of trouble
while a pit is dug to trap wicked people.

¹⁴ The Lord will never desert his people
or abandon those who belong to him.
¹⁵ The decisions of judges will again become fair,
and everyone whose motives are decent will pursue justice.

¹⁶ Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will stand by my side against troublemakers?
¹⁷ If the Lord had not come to help me,
my soul would have quickly fallen silent ⌞in death⌟.

¹⁸ When I said, “My feet are slipping,”
your mercy, O Lord, continued to hold me up.
¹⁹ When I worried about many things,
your assuring words soothed my soul.

²⁰ Are wicked rulers who use the law to do unlawful things
able to be your partners?
²¹ They join forces to take the lives of righteous people.
They condemn innocent people to death.
²² The Lord has become my stronghold.
My God has become my rock of refuge.
²³ He has turned their own wickedness against them.
He will destroy them because of their sins.
The Lord our God will destroy them.

I keep bumping into this; a single event defining the future. I’ve had my share of crap heaped high on me. That does not define me, or the person who shovelled it. Sometimes it was malice that urged them on. More often they “didn’t know what they were doing”. Read more…

If you were drowning and the lifeguard decided to rescue you only if you would stop splashing, or made you promise never to eat just before going swimming, what would people think of that lifeguard? Even more so, how would you be in any condition to make a rational process of thought in the midst of such a consuming calamity? Read more…

As I drove to work on Saturday I noticed a spot on the windshield.. From that point on my eyes kept focussing on that mark. Read more…

“Can you help me understand Mark 3:29 – unforgivable sin? Yikes…no way back? I thought Jesus forgives all through the cross… (we’re studying Mark in our small group but no one really knew the answer).” MH Read more…

Are you overwhelmed by the knowledge you have sinned? Do you feel crushed with the guilt? Perhaps you see no hope. Read more…

Forgiveness costs something more than confession. The Bible says so, but people skip over this part. Read more…

Lent has arrived.

Originally it began as a time of preparation for baptism. Nowadays it’s the time to get ready for Easter. Read more…

I was startled tonight when I noticed. Read more…